By now it’s quite obvious that I have an intense love affair for all things fruits and veg. But as of late, I have become specifically obsessed with “baby” produce. Need a visual?
Exhibit A:
So I was running into Albertson’s the other day to pick up some pie crust and this adorable little pineapple catches my eye. I have never seen anything like it before. It was so tiny! I couldn’t help but snap a pic. And then of course I had to reunite it with its momma for a family portrait. I remain curious about what it might have tasted like since I couldn’t bring myself to eat such a sweet innocent pineapple.
Then today as I am unpacking my CSA box I come across another sweet little piece of produce…
Exhibit B:
I mean, who needs baby carrots when you got the real thing? (ps: in case you didn’t know marketed “baby carrots” are not baby carrots at all…they are merely grown up carrots that are cut and peeled so they are more convenient for snacking…fun fact of the day!).
Now it’s time to get on to the party…
Last week we had a total of 47 link ups! It was filled with hits, misses and baby goats. I am blown away by the creativity this week. So many amazing dishes it’s hard to know here to start. How about a Fennel and Pear Sandwich? or a some Cantaloupe Sorbet? And who doesn’t love a big, juicy burger pimped out with some CSA veggies (and homemade buns)? If only this link party had taste-o-vision…
Thank you to everyone who participated. There were some beautiful hauls and tasty treats. I appreciate you going out of your way to share your goodies.
Guess that means it’s time for me to share my goodies…(cue angels singing)
I have had some gorgeous boxes before but for some reason these colors are just jumping out at me. And I can’t believe I got fresh strawberries! What a treat :) Harper and I devoured half of them before they even made it to the fridge (the evidence is all over her t-shirt…thank God for stain remover!).
Another family favorite is the broccoli. When I opened the box, the first thing Harper did was grab the “gocki”. She has a thing for the green trees. Check her out…
I think I will go ahead and steam these up and toss them with some butter and salt and pepper. Hits the spot every time :)
I am so happy to see two bunches of spinach! My CSA spinach is the best spinach I have ever had. I will settle for store-bought spinach in a pinch, but it never satisfies like this spinach. Whenever I get fresh spinach I always love to whip up a batch of Harper’s favorite dinner…these Turkey Ricotta Meatballs. They are the perfect meal for growing toddlers and hungry adults.
Speaking of hungry, just typing that word got me up and rummaging around in the kitchen. Lucky for me one of those green apples and a slice of Old Amsterdam cheese is hitting the spot right about now. I am sure the other apples will have the same fate. Along with those juicy and delicious pixie tangerines.
Whenever I see zucchini and carrots together, I can’t help but dream of turkey burgers. Or cupcakes (here and here). But considering my clean eating habits, I will stick with the burgers. Wrap it up in perfectly crisp romaine lettuce and dinner is served!
Is it strange that sage makes me think of butter? Ever since I tried this Butternut Squash Ravioli recipe (which has been featured on not one, but two different blogs recently…yay me!), a fresh bunch of sage makes me want to drown everything in fancy herbed butter. Mmmmmm…
And finally, some cute little tomatoes. I have the perfect recipe in mind. Here’s to hoping I can snap some pics and get it up on the blog before my busy birthday weekend :)
Your turn: What are some of your favorite ways to use the fruits and veggies shown? Any special recipe, tips or tricks you’d like to share? Looking forward to reading your responses :)
Linking up for the first time? Click here for more info…and Welcome! PS: Don’t forget to tell your readers about the party by linking back to this post. Thanks!
PS: Don’t forget to double your dose of fresh fruits and veggies by visiting this week’s Fresh Foods Link Up from Gastronomical Sovereignty
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That’s a pretty box. I had a gorgeous one this week too. Love the broccoli pic. To die for.
Thanks :) Looking forward to checking out your goodies!
That picture of Harper is the cutest!
Question — you’re in California right? Where do you get your CSA box from? We’re in the Bay Area and thinking about switching CSA’s. Your produce always looks so heavenly… thought it might be worth asking.
Thanks Jen. I am in California but Central California. The CSA I subscribe to is only local to my town. But I do agree that they are superb. Hope you find a CSA that you are happy with up there. PS: if you ever head south, come over for a yummy CSA meal :)
Thanks for invite, I will definitely let you know if I’m ever in your neck of the woods. :)
Awesome…looking forward to it :)
I’m pretty sure that every mother’s dream is to see her child bite into raw broccoli with the same cute voracity as Harper! Very glad you posted a link for those turkey meatballs. My boyfriend is a very picky eater and I think these meatballs might help change his mind about ground turkey.
I think you both will LOVE them! I make them for company a lot. They are super easy to pull together and the leftovers are even better. You can serve them with pasta or I like them with a side of quinoa. Let me know how it goes…
The picture of your daughter is adorable and oh so cute. What a great shot! It could be entered in a photo contest. How many kids do we see wanting to take a big bite of broccoli!?!
Thanks :) It makes me happy that she loves to eat her “gocki”. Plus I figure if she ever changes her mind, I can always use the pic as a reminder for her in the future.
Those colors really are jumping out. So pretty and I’m so jealous of your broccoli and strawberries. I want some. Steamed broccoli is always great, but try roasting it sometime. I’ve got a recipe on my site which is fabulous. It comes from Eating Well, my favorite food magazine.
Love Eating Well magazine! One of my favorites as well…
I roast it from time to time but I still always fall back onto steaming :)
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Baaa! Thats the cutest picture with the broccoli!
P.S. Thanks for the link!
Thanks Melissa! and my pleasure :)
Wow. That seriously IS a gorgeous box of delicious colors! And Harper is even more gorgeous! Great photo!!
Thanks Alli! Makes a mommy happy to see her baby in love with veggies :)
Beautiful colors! And that is a great picture of Harper and her broccoli :-)
Just wanted to let you know that the DeodoMom showed up a few days ago and it rocks! I got the cream — works great. Thanks for the recommendation and for the code!
Thanks :) So glad you are loving your DeodoMom and were able to get a good deal on it. I am totally hooked!
OMG that picture of Harper is adorable!
Thanks Dana :)
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I love the baby carrot! We had several of those when we pulled carrots from our garden last week. I tossed them into the pot of chicken stock I made last week!
Great idea beth! Thanks for sharing :)
you little monkey ;) thank you for the mention (again). haha. I’ve sucked these past few weeks with linking up to parties and what not but i’ll be sure to connect with you this week.
p.s. things in mini – be it veggies or fruits or cakes or appendages (okay, maybe not appendages) – are always fun!
thanks for sharing with us at the Wednesday Fresh Foods Link-up! I hope to see you again this week with more seasonal & whole/real food posts! xo, kristy.
Of course! No worries…sounds like you have had a lot on your plate lately…and I am not talking about just veggies :)
I think mini appendages are pretty fun…I mean, who doesn’t love an adorable little pinky toe!
I look forward to next weeks party. Thanks for stopping by…
You know I used to make a lot of spinach lasagna and even with the pasta, cheese and sauce I could still tell how much better the CSA spinach was. Yes, I know, I need to blog about this and link it up. On the “to do” list!
That sounds amazing! Looking forward to the post on that one :) Ps: totally know about the “to do” list…mine is miles long!
All linked up! This will be my last CSA post for a while — see you in a month or so!
Thanks Jen! We will miss having you at the party…
Strawberries in September?! I’m jealous! I put up a few bags in the freezer during strawberry season here, but my daughter keeps grabbing bowls of berries for a snack, so I won’t have enough to do much with them. I got teeny carrots like that last year-any that were too little to bother with went into my freezer Soup Pack. I have fresh sage and butternut squash in my fridge this week, so I’m looking for ideas since it sounds like a great combination. Thanks!
I know! I was very surprised myself :)
Let me know how that ravioli works out. I think it is the best way to highlight both ingredients…
Thanks for stopping by!