Food for thought: Thanks for sticking with us while we push through some of the toughest months of the CSA. I call them the toughest because it’s when we see the least variety and it’s mostly greens. Although if you travel anywhere else in the world I’m sure the CSA would just shut down in the winter time.
It’s hard when you walk in the grocery store and see tomatoes on the shelf and wonder why you are eating kale again for the fourth week in a row. But I promise that when we put produce in the box it’s THE BEST of it’s kind. Those tomatoes in the store have been grown for looks and shipping capability instead of flavor. And while you munch on beets and sugar snap peas this week, our tomatoes are picking up speed with this warm weather. We are also looking forward to zucchini as well.
I’ve been asked quite a few times if we offer a smaller CSA box. And to that I want to say that we are trying to encourage MORE vegetables in your diet. We want veggies to be the star of your meals and meat to be the side dish. It has been proven time and time again that plant based lifestyles cure everything from weight gain to high blood pressure to heart disease and everything in between. And if you can eat $25-$35 worth of veggies a week, odds are you are saving money in other areas. The recipes below are meant to inspire. Even if you don’t see something you like, I bet the corresponding blogs will have something amazing to cook up for dinner.
When you get your box, unload your veggies, wash and prep them and get yourself set up to eat Plant Based. We want to you to be the healthiest happiest person possible.
CSA Contains:
RED BEETS
BUNCHED SPINACH
CARROTS
GREEN LEAF LETTUCE
GREEN KALE
RED CABBAGE
SUGAR SNAP PEAS
BLUEBERRIES from GOLETA GROWN
FUJI APPLES from CUYAMA ORCHARDS
ITALIAN PARSLEY
BIG BOX ADD: RADISHES, ROMAINE LETTUCE, CARROTS, STRAWBERRIES from FRECKER FARMS, SUGAR SNAP PEAS
FRUIT EXPANSION: BLUEBERRIES & STRAWBERRIES
Kale + Red Cabbage Slaw
Ingredients:
1 small bunch kale, thick stem removed and shredded
1/4 head red cabbage, shredded
1 – 2 carrots, grated or julienned
1/4 red onion, sliced
1/4 cup parsley leaves, roughly chopped
2 tablespoons hemp seeds
2 tablespoons sunflower seeds
2 tablespoons pepitas (pumpkin seeds)
Dressing:
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon dijon mustard
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoons water
mineral salt & fresh cracked pepper to taste
(Find the full recipe and directions here at The Simple Veganista)
Quinoa Salad with Kale, Sweet Potato & Maple Tahini Dressing
Ingredients:
1 cup quinoa, rinsed and drained
1 medium sweet potato, peeled and cut into cubes (4 cups)
Olive oil
Salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
4 cups chopped kale, I used curly kale
1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
1/3 cup chopped toasted walnuts
1/3 cup dried cranberries
MAPLE TAHINI DRESSING:
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons tahini
1/4 cup water
2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
(Find the full recipe and details here at She Likes Food)
Simple Seedy Slaw
Ingredients:
Coleslaw
2 cups finely sliced purple cabbage (one small cabbage will be more than plenty)
2 cups finely sliced green cabbage (one small cabbage will be more than plenty)
2 cups shredded carrots
¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
Up to ¾ cup mixed seeds (I used mostly pepitas—AKA green pumpkin
seeds—and sunflower seeds, with some sesame seeds and poppy seeds)
Lemon dressing
¼ cup olive oil
2 to 3 tablespoons lemon juice, to taste
1 clove garlic, pressed or minced
½ teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon salt
(Find the full recipe and directions here at Cookie and Kate)
Hunky Heartbeet Cabbage Soup
Ingredients:
2 tablespoons coconut oil
2 cups diced red onion (about 1 medium/large)
5 cups diced red cabbage (about 1/2 medium)
4 cups peeled and diced raw beets (about 2 large/3 medium)*
5 cups marinara sauce**
3 cups water
Fine sea salt or Herbamare, to taste
Cashew Sour Cream, for serving (optional)
Fresh dill, for garnish (optional)
(Find the full recipe and directions here at Oh She Glows)
Beet Falafel Bowls
Ingredients:
For the falafel:
2 15-ounce cans (3 cups) chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 ½ cups cooked beets, cut into ½-inch pieces
1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
1/2 cup fresh parsley, chopped
1/2 cup red onion, roughly chopped
4 garlic cloves
Juice of 1 lemon
1 tablespoon Pompeian Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil, plus more for drizzling
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon black pepper
Dash of cayenne pepper (optional)
1 cup oat flour*, plus more if needed
(Find the full recipe and directions here at Emilie Eats)
JUICE FEAST INCLUDES:
RED BEETS
BUNCHED SPINACH
CARROTS
ROMAINE LETTUCE
GREEN KALE
RED CABBAGE
STRAWBERRIES from FRECKER FARMS
BLUEBERRIES from GOLETA GROWN
FUJI APPLES from CUYAMA ORCHARDS
ITALIAN PARSLEY