We harvested vegetables for our first CSA box this week. In the box was the following: Kale, Rainbow Chard, Spring Onions, Mustard Greens, Pak Choi, Lettuce, Basil, and Dill. We have compiled a list of great recipe ideas for items in this CSA Box. Check out the recipes and fun nutritional facts below!

Kale - The dark, leafy green vegetable packed with vitamins A,C, & K. It is also a good source of protein.

All-Dressed Kale Chips

Ingredients:

approx. 1/2 bunch kale leaves

1/2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil or melted coconut oil

1.5 tablespoons nutritional yeast

1 teaspoon garlic powder

3/4 teaspoon chili powder

1/2 teaspoon onion powder

1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika

1/4 teaspoon fine grain sea salt or pink Himalayan sea salt

1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 300F. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.

Remove leaves from the stems of the kale and roughly tear it up into large pieces. Compost the stems (or freeze for smoothies). Wash and spin the leaves until thoroughly dry.

Add kale leaves into a large bowl. Massage in the oil until all the nooks and crannies are coated in oil. Now sprinkle on the spices/seasonings and toss to combine.

Spread out the kale onto the prepared baking sheet into a single layer, being sure not to overcrowd the kale.

Bake for 10 minutes, rotate the pan, and bake for another 12-15 minutes more until the kale begins to firm up. The kale will look shrunken, but this is normal. I bake for 25 mins. total in my oven.

Cool the kale on the sheet for 3 minutes before digging in! This really makes all the difference! Enjoy immediately as they lose their crispiness with time.

Repeat this process for the other half of the bunch.

Note: Feel free to make these in a dehydrator if you have one. You can also experiment with the convection or dehydrator setting on your oven (if applicable).

Mustard Greens - The peppery leaves of the mustard plant are a popular soul food ingredient, ranking second only to collard greens. The leaves are a rich, dark green and have a pungent mustard flavor. It is packed with vitamins A,C, K, and E.

Braised Mustard Greens
Recipe courtesy of Rachael Ray

Ingredients :
4 slices bacon, chopped
3 bunches mustard greens, trimmed and chopped
2 tablespoons white vinegar
2 teaspoons sugar
Coarse salt
2 cups chicken broth

Directions :
In a large skillet over medium high heat brown bacon and render its fat. Add chopped greens to the pan in batches and turn until they wilt, then add more greens. When all of the greens are in the pan, add vinegar and cook a minute. Season greens with sugar and salt. Add chicken broth to the pan and cover. Reduce heat to medium low and simmer greens 15 to 20 minutes then serve.

Scallions/Spring Onions - It is also a good source of Thiamin, Riboflavin, Magnesium, Phosphorus and Copper, and a very good source of Dietary Fiber, Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Vitamin K, Folate, Calcium, Iron, Potassium and Manganese.

Spring Onion Soup

INGREDIENTS (measuring cup used, 1 cup = 250 ml)

1 bunch spring onions, rinsed and chopped, approx 4 or 4.5 cups chopped spring onions with both whites and greens (reserve a few greens for garnish)
1 medium or large potato, peeled and chopped in smaller pieces
1 or 2 garlic, chopped
½ or 1 tsp soy sauce
¼ tsp dry oregano
3 cups water
2 tbsp olive oil
salt and black pepper as required
few parsley leaves for garnish (optional)

INSTRUCTIONS

heat olive oil in a pot. fry the garlic for 10-12 seconds.
add the spring onions and saute for 4-5 minutes on a low flame.
now add the chopped potatoes. season with salt and pepper. stir well.
pour water and stir again. cover the pot and simmer till the potatoes are cooked completely on a low to medium flame.
let the soup cool down a bit. with a hand blender, blend the soup till smooth. the soup will appear thick now.
add soy sauce, oregano and keep the soup to simmer for 4-5 minutes,
if the soup appears too thick, then you can add about ¼ or ½ cup water or veg stock, while simmering the soup.
serve spring onion soup hot, plain or with some bread garnished with some spring onion greens or parsley.

Rainbow Chard - is a leafy green vegetable often used in Mediterranean cooking. Swiss chard is high in vitamins A, K, and C.

Lemon-Garlic Rainbow Chard

Ingredients:

3 bunches rainbow chard, trimmed and

rinsed

6 tablespoons olive oil

6 cloves garlic, sliced, or to taste

1 pinch crushed red pepper flakes

1 tablespoon lemon juice

Directions:

1.	Separate the stems of the chard from the leaves. Cut the leaves into thin strips and set aside. Thinly slice the stems.
2.	Heat the olive oil in a large skillet or pot over medium heat. Stir in the sliced garlic, red pepper flakes, and chard stems, and cook for 3 minutes until the flavor of the garlic mellows and the stems begin to soften. Stir in the shredded chard leaves, cover, and cook 5 minutes over medium-low heat. Stir, recover, and continue cooking until the chard is tender. Toss with lemon juice to serve.

Pak Choi - These leafy greens are a popular Chinese vegetable that are similar to bok choi and spring greens. Pak choi has pretty paddle-shaped dark green crisp and crunchy leaves with a thick creamy stalk and a mild flavour.

Chicken stir-fried with pak choi

Stir-fries are a great way to use up small amounts of food in the fridge. Be organised and have all the ingredients ready before you heat the pan, as they will cook very quickly.

Ingredients

2 tbsp groundnut oil
2 skinless free-range chicken breasts, cut into strips
1 garlic clove, crushed
1 tsp grated fresh ginger
1 star anise
½ tsp finely chopped fresh red chilli
handful mangetout
2 pak choi, stems separated
4 spring onions, sliced at an angle
100g/3½oz mixed wild mushrooms, trimmed and cut into even-sized pieces
4 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
handful fresh flatleaf parsley
1 tbsp chopped fresh tarragon
1 tbsp chopped fresh chives

Preparation method

1. In a large frying pan or wok, heat the groundnut oil over a medium high heat.

2. Add the chicken strips and cook, lightly tossing, for 3-4 minutes until the chicken turns white and is almost cooked through.

3. Add the garlic, ginger, star anise and chilli, and cook for a further 30 seconds.

4. Add the mangetout, pak choi, spring onions and mushrooms, and stir fry for another 3-4 minutes until they are all lightly cooked.

5. Finish with the soy sauce, balsamic vinegar and fresh herbs. Stir together briefly and serve immediately.

Basil - It is a very good source of Dietary Fiber, Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Vitamin K, Vitamin B6, Folate, Calcium, Iron, Magnesium, Phosphorus, Potassium, Zinc, Copper and Manganese.

Simple Pesto

Ingredients:

1/4 cup nuts, such as walnuts, pine nuts or sunflower kernels
2 cups packed chopped raw herbs/greens, such as basil, kale or parsley
1/2 cup grated hard cheese, such as Parmesan or Romano
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon water (optional)
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

Instructions:

Mix all ingredients in a food processor or blender. Use immediately or freeze for later.

Dill - Providing a tangy addition to pickles, salad dressing and fish dishes. Dill is native to southern Russia, western Africa and the Mediterranean region. Dill is high in Vitamen C and manganese.

Creamy Dijon-Dill Potato Salad

Ingredients :
3 pounds Yukon gold potatoes, peeled
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 stalks celery
1 cup mayonnaise
1 small red onion, finely chopped (about 1/2 cup)
1/4 cup tightly packed chopped fresh dill
1 to 2 tablespoons vinegar
1/2 lemon, juiced
1 tablespoon grainy or regular Dijon mustard

Directions:
Put the potatoes in a big pot with enough water to cover by 1-inch. Season with salt and bring the water to a boil. Cook just until the potatoes are tender when pierced with a fork, about 25 minutes.

Drain the potatoes and return them to the uncovered pot off the heat. Let them sit until almost room temperature. (Cooling them in the warm pot will get rid of any excess water in the potatoes, and that's good.)

Meanwhile, cut the white parts off the ends of the celery stalks. Cut the stalks in half lengthwise, then across into 1/4-inch slices. Stir the celery, 3/4 teaspoon salt, and the remaining ingredients together in a serving bowl large enough to hold all the potatoes.

When they're cool, cut the potatoes into 1-inch pieces, add them to the bowl as you go. Stir gently until all the potatoes are coated with dressing. You can make the salad up to a couple of hours in advance. Keep covered at room temperature. Don't refrigerate or the potatoes will lose their rich, smooth texture.

Recipe courtesy of Dave Lieberman

Check out what is new this year for Leafy Greens Farm CSA. Yes, you see it right. We will be offering chickens with our CSA. Each CSA member, will get one free and ready-to-cook chicken this year. CSA members can purchase additional chickens throughout the summer and fall season. Typically, we stick to growing just vegetables, but we are branching out and trying something new this year.

Damian's parents, Cathy & Terry, will be raising our chickens at Caty Ridge Farms in Poyner, MO. Currently, they are raising a type of chicken called fryer chickens. They have a beautiful property, great chicken coop, and a huge amount of land where the free-range chickens can roam within the fence lines. They also have committed to only using organic feed for the chickens and raising them with lots of love.

We can honestly say that we have never had a "farm-fresh" chicken or known the farmers that raised the chickens that we have eaten. This time, it will be different. The chicken farmers are our family. That is what we love about farming and why we want to share with others. We want to know where our vegetables and meats come from and feel assured that they were grown without the use of harmful chemicals and additives. Also, we want our customers to know where their food comes from so they can make informed choices about their health and food.

We have also heard that free-range chickens taste so much better than store-bought chickens. We can't wait to find out!