Five Days and Counting!

I get our first veggie box this coming Thursday, May 13th! I am looking seriously at recipes so that I can start cooking right away and not have the veggies sit in my fridge while I scour the internet for recipes. My primary source of recipes is http://allrecipes.com because they have a great way to search for recipes by ingredient and their rating system seems to be pretty much spot-on for me. Everything I've tried from that site that has a 4.5 or 5 star rating, I've enjoyed. Also, the comments that others give in the ratings on how to improve or change the recipes a little is very helpful for a novice cook like me.

I don't know exactly what will be in my first box of veggies or how much will be in there. I really have become quite the nerd about this!! I'm really, really excited about Thursday!! My partner in veggie-dom, Beth and I will pick up our first box together and take some photos to post here so you can see the "first box" (imagine the sound of trumpets here)!

Blackbird Farms Website (blackbirdcsa.com) says that in May we will get, among other things, radishes (ewwwww!) and turnips (double ewwwwww!!) and "beets with tops" (not too eewww). I have no idea what to do with the top of a beet. I'm assuming by turnips they mean the root and not the greens. The greens I could figure out how to cook with one phone call to my southern cookin' Mama! I have eaten (but never prepared) some yummy cold beet salads with balsamic vinegar but I don't think the DH and DS will go for something so obviously beety, so I found a roasted beet recipe that looks good that I'll try (see all recipes below).

For the turnips, I think I'll try a caramelized turnip recipe. Anything caramelized is good to me! Everything's better with butter!!! But, I will try to go light on the butter to stick with my healthy eating goal. For the radishes, it's either try something completely new or give them all to my sister-in-law who loves to nibble on them raw! I'll try a couple of recipes and if no one in my house eats them, I'll give them to the SIL! I think the grilled radish recipe looks interesting. What do you think?



Roasted Beet Wedges

1 pound medium fresh beets, peeled
4 teaspoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
3 sprigs fresh rosemary

Directions
1. Cut each beet into six wedges; place in a large resealable plastic bag. Add olive oil and salt; seal and shake to coat.
2. Place a piece of heavy-duty foil (about 12 in. long) in a 15-in. x 10-in. x 1-in. baking pan. Arrange beets on foil and top with rosemary. Fold foil around beet mixture and seal tightly. Bake at 400 degrees F for 1-1/4 to 1-1/2 hours or until beets are tender. Discard rosemary sprigs.


Caramalized Turnips

Ingredients
3 cups diced peeled turnips
1/4 cup water
1 cube chicken bouillon
1 tablespoon butter, or more as needed
2 tablespoons white sugar

Directions
1. Place the turnips into a skillet with the water and chicken bouillon cube over medium heat, and simmer until the water has evaporated and the turnips are tender, about 15 minutes. Stir in the butter, let melt, and sprinkle on the sugar. Gently cook and stir the turnips until the butter and sugar cook into a brown, sticky coating on the turnips, about 10 minutes. Serve hot.



Grilled Radishes

20 ounces radishes, sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons butter, cut into small pieces
1 cube ice
salt and pepper to taste

Directions
1. Preheat the grill for high heat.
2. Place the radishes, garlic, butter, and ice cube on a double layer of aluminum foil large enough to wrap contents. Season with salt and pepper. Tightly seal foil around contents.
3. Place foil packet on the grill, and cook 20 minutes, or until radishes are tender.




I found all of these recipes at allrecipes.com