Introductions and Getting Started - Week 1

Tomorrow is doom's day. Our first CSA distribution. I personally hate to let food go to waste, and therefore I REALLY want to make sure we at least try to use everything in this week's bags. That said, there was a quite a bit of mild panic on my part when I saw this week's list of produce.

To back up, I'm a mom. I live with my veggie-averse husband and a 17-month old toddler that has recently started throwing all of his vegetables on the floor. I WILL WIN THIS WAR! I personally love most vegetables, and would be perfectly fine sitting down with a snack of sliced peppers and carrots. I'm not a vegetarian, I certainly love my meat-based protein, but I also believe that we have GOT to get more vegetables and fruits in our diets. There's weight issues on both sides of our families, and I'm trying really hard to not pass that along to our son.

So, we need more vegetables. I need to be challenged to cook with more vegetables. I love to be inspired. I have passable cooking skills, enough cookware and spices, a stove, a grill and a microwave. I watch "Chopped" on Food Network whenever I can catch it, and the idea of having an ingredient thrown at me and having to figure out what to do with it seems exciting.

Yeah, I'm pretty much doomed to fail on this one :) So now you get to watch, point and laugh!

Summer Share Week 1 distribution list:
Kale
Swiss Chard
Beets
Lettuce
Scallions
Garlic Scapes
Strawberries

Ok, so lettuce and strawberries. I know those. I can make a mean salad, can use lettuce on tacos, and strawberries are the perfect snack and dessert food. Great!

Scallions and Garlic Scapes - Well, I cook things with Scallions, and garlic scapes must be similar right? Or not?

Kale and Swiss Chard - Uh oh, the dreaded leafy greens. I just barely like cooked spinach. My family is never gonna go for this.

Beets - Right. Uhmmmm. My mom likes them? I can't think of any time that I've actually tried them. I hear they can turn your pee pink??

Follow along for my attempts. My goal is to eventually have a tagged list of recipes for weird CSA items that others can use too! I even have a few friends doing this particular CSA with me, and I might rope them in as well!