Cooking Up Fresh Veggies

I just received my first CSA share!  Here’s how I cooked up this week’s produce…

1)      Italian Sauté with Polenta (a tasty dinner for two)
Cook polenta (1 cup of polenta, 4 cups of water, salt) for 40 minutes (heat the water to boiling, then stir in the polenta for 3-5 minutes, cover with a lid, then stir every 10 minutes or so, thereafter).

While polenta is cooking, gather CSA vegetables and a tomato/marinara sauce:
1 leek, 1 Bok Choy, 1 bunch of spinach, 2-3 cloves of garlic, herbs – Sauté in olive oil (starting with the leek, thinly sliced, for the first 5-7 minutes; then adding Bok Choy, chopped, for the next 5 minutes; and lastly the spinach, chopped, and minced garlic). Salt and pepper to taste and add an herb of your choice (rosemary, oregano, or basil).  Remove from heat and add squeezed juice from a small wedge of lemon.

Spoon polenta onto plates, top with two layers: a ¼ cup tomato/marinara sauce of your choice, and sautéed veggies. Optional toppings: add freshly grated parmesan and/or Italian-style sausage.

2)      Squiggly Salad (a wholesome lunch or side dish for the rest of the week)
Cook red quinoa (1 cup quinoa, rinsed, 2 cups of water, salt) for about 20 minutes (heat the water and quinoa, simmer for 15-20 minutes or until “squiggles” come out of the quinoa and it is al dente… drain off any excess water and rinse with cold water)

While quinoa is cooking, gather CSA vegetables and oil/vinegar:

4 radishes, 1 small head of lettuce, cucumber (from the market), 1-2 cloves garlic – Slice radishes and cucumbers, chop lettuce, then stir these vegetables into the cool cooked quinoa. Make a dressing with 1 Tbs. olive oil, 1 Tbs. red wine or balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper. Pour dressing over salad and add squeezed juice from a small wedge of lemon.

3)      Green Smoothie (a great way to start the day)
1 bunch of CSA greens, ½ banana, handful of frozen grapes, ½ cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk, small handful of cashews – Blend until smooth, then serve.