We are smack dab in the middle of October and if it weren’t for all the Halloween decor, you would never know it. Why? Because it’s in the 80s where I live!
Isn’t it supposed to be cold and blustery? And of course it would be different if we could get a little bit of relief from an air conditioner. But they don’t believe in those in my town. They say you don’t need it because it’s close to the ocean and “never gets too hot”. Bologna! In the midst of doing house work today, I found myself dripping in sweat and needing a break. I plopped down on the couch and exclaimed, “Man, I’m hot!”. Harper stopped what she was doing, came over to me and began blowing in my face. Gotta love that built-in air conditioner :)
I don’t mean to complain. I know lots of people who are already experiencing snow (e.g. those Alaskans…) and would do anything for some sunshine. But after a long summer, I am ready for a glimpse of fall.
Enough about the weather, let’s check out some produce. Last week we had a total of 24 link ups and it seems as though it is all about the squash. Butternut, acorn and spaghetti squash. A sure sign that fall is in full swing (in most parts of the country at least…). I can’t wait until autumn squash starts showing up at my doorstep. But until they do, I am going to live vicariously through my fellow bloggers and enjoy a bowl of Butternut Squash Oats for breakfast, Acorn Squash Stew for lunch, and some Squash-asagna for dinner. Talk about some good eats :) Thank you to everyone who participated in last week’s party. Each and every submission is extremely valuable and I continue to learn from your posts. Keep them coming. And tell a friend ;)
Now on to my goodies for the week…
I guess the upside of warm weather is the continuance of warm weather crops. Hello strawberries! Oh, how I love you :) Harper and I practically ate all the strawberries before I could get the picture taken. I barely get the box open before she started reaching for the “berries”, as she calls them. A girl after my own heart :)
Another benefit of the warm weather is that we can still enjoy outdoor barbecues. And Freddie and I already have plans to throw those corn cobs on the grill with those lovely sweet peppers and a few rib eyes. Serve it up with a side of broccoli and we got ourselves the perfect summer meal…in the fall!
I am also very excited to see more tomatoes. I popped over to my neighbor house the other day and they had just finished making a cherry tomato pesto. A.MAZ.ING! I need some more in my life. Immediately. So I will be sharing that recipe with you all as soon as I get my hands on it :)
If the weather was a bit cooler I would be enjoying a bowl of this kale soup. But soup during a heat wave sounds like torture. Salad on the other hand, sounds like a great way to satisfy my appetite. So kale salad it is! And speaking of salad, that butter lettuce is going to make for a delicious salad of its own. Possibly a strawberry salad? Another great meal to help beat the heat.
For snacks, I am looking forward to some cucumbers dipped in spinach dip (my favorite combo), some apples doused with Nuttzo and a few of those juicy tangerines. In fact, I am going to help myself to one before I go to bed (always helps to kick my sweets cravings…).
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 and grabbing the official “What’s in the Box?” button at the bottom of my blog. Thanks!
I have lacinato kale in my box for the first time this week! I wish I could just make giant kale chips with it, but that probably won’t fly. I had to rush off to work the concession stand at the game (talk about culture shock! To go from gazing at my farm share produce to squirting “cheese” onto nacho chips?) so my brain is still percolating what all I will do. I do know that today, since I have time, I will be blanching and freezing the turnip greens that came on the bunch of turnips. What with the kale, spinach, and salad mix there’s no way I’ll get the turnip greens used. I’ll probably freeze some of the spinach for smoothies too. Then I need to make pickled peppers since I’ve got a huge pile of jalapeños. I did get tomatoes, and plan to let them get really ripe then make one final batch of pizza sauce-thanks to Simple Bites for the recipe suggestions.
I’ve linked up a special breakfast treat, Red Russian Kale, Cherry Tomatoes, and Eggs baked in Ham Cups.
Sounds delicious! Thanks for sharing :)
[...] joined the link party at In Her Chucks … you should check it out! Like this:LikeBe the first to like this. [...]
[...] about what other folks are getting in their CSA boxes this time of year? Check out the What’s in the Box? link party for this week! Spread the love!DiggFacebookRedditStumbleUponTumblrTwitterLike this:LikeBe the [...]
Linked up for the last time! :( I’m so envious of your strawberries…
http://vegga.wordpress.com/2012/10/18/whats-in-the-box-summer-2012-csa-week-ten/
thanks Kelly!
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i’m so jealous of your CSA! corn and tomatoes and strawbs?? lucky! as you mentioned, you still get to BBQ – you should grill that corn :)
this week i’ve shared a recipe you can use the last of your tomato crop in – margarita pizza! of course, tequila is invited to the party too… obviously. ;)
p.s. there are still a few more hours to share your seasonal & real/whole food posts with the Wednesday Fresh Foods Blog Hop – I hope to see you there! xo
My husband LOVES margarita pizza! Thanks for sharing :) I’ll add my link right away..thanks for the reminder…
BBQ the corn. Always my go to … and, if you can find a way to control yourself (I know) … save some corn to put in salads. And, speaking of salads, broccoli salad. French dressing, carrots, bacon bits, raisins, sunflower seeds. :)
that broccoli salad looks out of this world! grated carrots? I’m on it :) Thanks for the tips…
yup, grated carrots. broccoli in small, small pieces
got it! Thanks :)
We love massaged kale salad. Yum.
we’re down to our once-a-month fall share, so no box here although we hit the farmer’s market every week. Not for strawberries, though. :)
If you ever post your farmers market finds feel free to link those up too! Thanks for stopping by!
Another great week with some really good looking produce. I love the variety you get in a week, and I wish I had some of those strawberries. They look delicious.
They pretty much made my day!
Cherry tomato pesto, whaaat? I need to know more about this. :)
Can’t wait to share…it will change your life…I promise :)
I love the colors in your box!
Thanks! It’s pretty magical :)
[...] I’m partying over at inherchucks this week for What’s in the Box #48 so head over there for some great ideas on how to use up your CSA [...]
[...] good, even if it isn’t quite as picture perfect as I would have hoped. PS: Head over to InHerChucks to see how others are using their CSA bounty at her weekly [...]
Wow, strawberries still! Enjoy them for the rest of us… and we’ll send some fall your way soon. :)
Thanks Beth :) Will do! Looking forward to the blustery weather…