I like bowls with handles

CSA season has started! YAY! 

Fresh!

Organic!

Local!

Radishes!?

Right. So, the only drawback to being in a Community Supported Agriculture program is that you get stuff you don't usually buy or use. Upon second thought, that is actually a benefit, isn't it? At the very least, it is a challenge. I like challenges.

This week we got a variety of yummies. I obviously knew what to do with the strawberries, asparagus, tomatoes, chives and lettuce. Duh. But I had to get a bit more creative with the bok choi, radishes, beets, and broccoli rabe. Oh and I got rhubarb, too. (WAIT until you see what I'm going to do with the rhubarb!!)

So, I've decided to adopt a 15 week challenge to document how I used my CSA bounties and prove that anyone who can read, can cook. I have zero training as a cook and would cite "Google" as my greatest culinary resource at this point in time. I also have to throw out a thanks to my sister-in-law Seanna Berry who gave me a delicious cookbook called "Moosewood Restaurant New Classics" for Christmas. That is where the first recipe came from last night (color signifies CSA veg). The picture says it all! 

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6 ounces snow peas
- or 8 asparagus spears (I used asparagus)
4 cups sliced bok choy
- or 6 cups stemmed fresh spinach leaves
1 cup carrot matchsticks (I just used a grater to create "matchsticks")
1/2 cup daikon matchsticks --  (this is apparently a fancy radish)
---
Dressing:
3 tablespoons dark sesame oil
3 tablespoons soy sauce
1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger root
---
1/3 cup scallions -- sliced on an
extreme diagonal (I cheated: I used the chives)
1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds -- **
lemon wedges

** Toast sesame seeds on an unoiled baking tray at 350F for 2 to 3
minutes, until fragrant and golden brown.

Serves 4 to 6
Total time: 20 minutes

Bring 1 quart of water to a boil on high heat. Remove the strings from the snow
peas, if using, and blanch for 1 to 2 minutes. (Or, for asparagus,
snap off the tough stem ends, cut the spears in half on the diagonal,
rinse, and simmer until tender, about 7 minutes.) Remove with a
slotted
spoon, drain, and set aside. Blanch the bok choy in the same water
for 2 to 3 minutes (blanch spinach for 1 minute), then drain and set
aside.

Meanwhile, whisk together the sesame oil, soy sauce, sugar, and ginger root.

Toss the bok choy or spinach with half of the dressing and spread on
a serving platter. Toss the rest of the vegetables with the remaining
dressing and arrange them on top of the greens. Sprinkle with the
scallions and sesame seeds.

Serve at room temperature decorated with a few lemon wedges. Also, instead of kneading your lemon to release the juices before you cut it, just give it to your toddler. She'll take care of that for you.