The week of October 20, 2008 we got parsnips, kohlrabi (the green thing that tastes like a turnip), radishes, salad greens, lettuce, sweet peppers, winter squash and golden apples.

Welcome Jen Milewski, a CSA member who has volunteered to write the weekly blog post. Her contributions will appear here on Sunday evenings. Thank you, Jen.

Here’s her first entry.

Recipes:

Looking for things to do with turnips? My husband invented this great recipe when we first brought some turnips home from a Farmers Market several years ago, and I made it this past week with the turnips from the CSA box. We love it!

Italian Sausage with Winter Foods

6 Italian sausages
2 Tablespoons olive oil
1 large or 2 small onions (preferably Vidalia), diced
3-4 small to medium turnips, peeled and chopped into ½ inch dice
turnip greens from turnips, chopped
4 pears, peeled and chopped into ½ inch dice
1 cup Marsala wine
handful of raisins
handful of dates
spinkling of allspice, to taste
1-2 Tablespoons honey (preferably dark), to taste

Cook the sausages. One method is to brown the sausages on all sides over low heat, turning them periodically. Keep the pan covered between turnings to ensure thorough cooking. If the sausages are particularly thick, cut them into coins about halfway through the cooking time and continue cooking the coins until all are thoroughly done. The process takes about 20 minutes.

At the same time, cook the onions in oil. Cook them a little longer than you would ordinarily cook onions, until they are browning but not burned.

Add the Marsala wine to the onions, and cook a little to reduce.

Add the turnips, greens, and pears. Cook 20 minutes on low heat, covered. Add the sliced-up sausages halfway through the cooking time; continue to simmer, covered.

Add the allspice, raisins, dates, and honey. Simmer another 5 minutes.

Serve with dark bread and butter, and a light salad.

If you’re looking for more ideas about what to do with CSA produce, I post my weekly menu plans every week at my blog. You’re welcome to stop by and see what I’m doing!

Food for Thought

When I need a few ingredients to round out my CSA produce, I head to the market – the local Farmers Market, that is!

Besides being the perfect place to pick up a few tomatoes to cook with your green peppers, Farmers Markets are also a great place to find a broader range of delicious local delicacies: fresh cheeses, grass-fed meats, fair trade coffee, fresh fish, fresh bread – the list goes on! Last week at the Kensington Farmers Market, Krishon Chocolates, a local chocolatier, had a booth with homemade truffles that put Godiva to shame.

Fresh, local products taste so good – as you already know from sampling your CSA produce – and Farmers Markets are also a great way to find more of your grocery list items from local sources. Whether you want to promote great taste, local food security, more money for local farmers, or less global warming, local food sources like Farmers Markets make good sense.

Our area abounds in Farmers Markets – you can go to the Local Harvest website and type in your zip code to find several near you. Most are open until late October or early November, and the Kensington Farmers Market is open year-round. You may find many of your neighbors there, buying bouquets of fresh flowers, looking at local crafts, or listening to local musicians. Check it out!