Favorite CSA discovery
by Rachel Tayse • April 11, 2009 • CSAs, Local Food • 3 Comments
One of the pleasures of CSA membership is receiving produce that we would never choose for ourselves. It forces us to learn how to cook and eat different things. Somethings we agree we wouldn’t choose to purchase again, but some things have become favorites.
My current favorite CSA vegetable is kale. We will be seeding kale in our garden this weekend because I love it so much. It is super high in vitamins K, A, and C, low in calories, and contains organosulpher phytonutrients, substances believed to prevent cancer. It is so sweet that Lil calls it ‘rabbit food’ and can be convinced to eat it raw.
raw kale
Sometimes we throw kale in a salad or soup. It is delicious sauteed just to wilting with a little olive oil or butter.
Tonight I tried baked kale thanks to recommendations from friends. I removed the leaves from the stems (saving stems in freezer for veggie stock) and washed them. Then I drizzled a cookie sheet with olive oil, laid the kale in one layer, put a bit more olive oil on top and sprinkled with salt and pepper. I baked at 250 deg for a about 20 minutes.
baked kale
The result is a sweet crispy chip. We ate it with dinner and are finishing off the leftovers right now. Yum!
What is your favorite CSA discovery? How do you love to prepare it?
Swiss Chard. It can be used in so many ways very similarly to kale! I will substitute it for anything green. My fave way to prepare it is sauteed with a bit of olive oil and s&p though. I cannot wait for the CSA’s this spring to start.
I hope I don’t sound too peppy ie. cheesy. (I’m trying to limit the amount of exclamation marks used here.) I’m on my second martini hah! Take Care.
Chard is another green we’ve come to love. It’s beautiful to grow too – easy, nice and upright, pretty colors.
Two martini’s, eh? Too bad there isn’t a liquor CSA around.
Yay!!
I’m so glad the recipe worked and that you found it delicious as well!! 
I think I might try the same thing with some swiss chard I have actually…we’ll see how it turns out.