CSA season has started!

This year we are doing the peak produce and full fruit share from Harmony Valley. It is our second year with Harmony Valley and we are so excited about it. On Saturday we picked up our first produce and fruit share.

As we are getting used to life with Baby G, I suspect that most of our share will be eaten raw and probably while standing in front of the refrigerator. We are hoping to put together some infused vodka with our tangerine peels based on a recipe from my cookbook, Homemade Snacks and Staples. But first, here is what we got this week:

Peak Produce Week 1

week1 csa3

 

Salad Mix

Boston Lettuce

Garlic Scapes

Tatsoi (a great green for stir fries!)

Strawberries

Kohlrabi (will be shredded for coleslaw)

Potato Onions (cut up and used as green onions)

Fruit Share Week 1:

 

week1 csa2

 

Nectarines

Peaches

Plums

Cherries

Red Grapes

Tangerines

Apricots

CSA Week 1 Review:

We are halfway through the week and already, we have almost finished the fruit share. It’s almost embarrassing. I didn’t even know I liked apricots. Manatee and I have both been snacking on fruit all week. We shared a few peaches and nectarines with my parents. My mom reported back that she cut up the peaches and served them on angel food cake with blueberries. Yum!

The veggies haven’t gone quite as a fast, but we are almost through the lettuce. We had a lot of spinach in the fridge that we have been trying to eat first. We have also been relying on the kindness of good friends when it comes to meals this week: one of Manatee’s co-workers treated us to our favorite salads one night and we have had a veggie-packed meatloaf that another good friend made for us, so we haven’t been cooking much. I need to have Manatee bring up the food processor (stairs are still off-limits for me) so I can shred up the kohlrabi.

This weekend, we are going to gather the uneaten tangerines and make some infused vodka for the Fourth of July. We are going to base the recipe off of this recipe from my cookbook for orange infused vodka. This vodka infuses quickly and tastes amazing in mixed drinks. Use it in any drink that calls for orange-flavored liquor: some of my favorite mixers are root beer (like a creamsicle!), lemonade, mango-flavored juice, and cranberry juice. I also like to add sparkling water to the juice mixers so they aren’t too sweet.

 

Orange-Infused Vodka
Yields 1
In just a few days, you can make this citrus-y infused vodka that will wow your guests. Who needs artificial flavors when the real ones taste so good?

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Ingredients
Peel from 5 medium oranges (1 [1/2] cups)
1 liter vodka

Instructions
Place orange peels in an airtight container, pour in vodka over, seal the container, and agitate.
Place in a cool spot, out of direct sunlight. After 2 days of infusing, start tasting vodka daily. Vodka should be ready in 3 or 4 days.
Strain orange peel from vodka, and store in original vodka bottle.

Notes
To jazz up the vodka, try swapping out some orange peel for tangerine peel.
When peeling oranges, press lightly as to avoid getting the bitter white pith. A vegetable peeler works best for this.
To make lemon or lime infused vodka, simply swap out orange peel for lemon or lime peel. You could even try a Five Alive version with orange, tangerine, grapefruit, lemon, and lime.

Badger Girl Learns to Cook by Kimberly Aime https://learntocookbadgergirl.com/

To check out our progress on our tangerine infused vodka, check out my Facebook page. I will post real-time updates throughout the infusing process.

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Who else is getting a CSA?

If you are not getting a CSA, tell me your favorite seasonal veggie or fruit.

 

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