CSA Week 15

 This week's onions hail from Cool Runnings Farm down in Homestead.  They have grown a variety called Aisla Craig, a very well-known globe-shaped heirloom onion that reaches really huge size—5 lbs is rather common! The skin is a pale yellow and the flesh is relatively mild and sweet. It is recommended for fresh use—not a storage type. Introduced in 1887 by David Murray, gardener for the Marquis of Ailsa, at Culzean Castle in Maybole, South Ayrshire, Scotland.  You'll be getting these guys with their tops attached which can be used to cook too.  The mild flavor of fresh onions compared to the storage onions you typically buy at the store make them great for raw recipes like salads, slaw, tacos, etc.  Have you ever tried to pickle onions at home?  They are literally the easiest pickle to make and they are a truly valuable garnish at almost every meal.  Check out this recipe, it takes 5 minutes to make!!!

IN THE SHARES THIS WEEK:

Don't get tired of kale yet!  Here's a cut and paste about this kale recipe from my favorite recipe blog of all time, www.101cookbooks.com,

"There is a special kale salad in the in the new Food52 Genius Recipes cookbook. A single kale salad that ran the gauntlet, beating out all others, for a slice of limelight in the book. Which is saying something. There is no shortage of kale salad inspiration out there, and I knew this one must be pretty special to make the cut.  The whole premise related to the genius recipe series is highlighting recipes that aren't just great - they need to be more than that. They need to change, or surprise, or shift the way you think about a recipe - or cooking in general. Kristen Miglore selected 100 recipes for the book, and this was the kale salad - special it is!  Shredded kale is tossed with olive oil and freshly squeezed lemon juice, and accented with rough-cut almonds, roasted squash (or, this time of year, asparagus), strong chunks of good cheddar cheese, and whispy shavings of Pecorino. I made it with the last delicata squash in my arsenal, and a second time with roasted asparagus. It's kale salad well punctuated. Meaning, there you are enjoying a fork full of lacinato kale, and along comes an exclamation of cheddar, or all-caps CRUNCH of almond. It's really nice, and to my palette it's the well-accented simplicity that makes this version stand out."

This week we are harvesting our last batch of baby bok choi for you.  It remains one of our most favorite crops to grow ans eat!  The compact nature of Li Ren makes it good for sauteing or grilling, cut in half or quarters lengthwise so that the leaves are attached at the base.  A simple olive oil, salt and pepper will do just right, but you can also go the Chinese route and cook it with butter and garlic.  Bok choi keeps for a while in the fridge so there's no need to rush with it.  If one or two of the outer leaves start to turn yellow you can peel them off and the core will still be perfect.