[Week 18] Three Quick Wins

Plus a spice I love this time of year.

Hello Farm Share Friends,

Sometimes the best way to handle the week of vegetables is to get right after them: forget storing them; just cook them, all of them, whatever you can do in any little window of time you have.

Last Tuesday I found myself with some time immediately upon bringing my vegetables home. And so I started cooking, and by the time I was done, I had made a decent dent in the week’s share, lightening the physical load to enter the fridge as well as the mental weight of having so many vegetables to manage.

Not that the vegetables should feel like a burden, but — are we in a safe space? — sometimes they do. Most weeks, until I’ve used up every stalk, stem, and leaf, I feel a little uneasy. You? It’s OK… your vegetables can’t hear you.

Below I’ve shared my “quick wins,” the three dishes I made upon bringing my vegetables home last Tuesday. Time will tell what this week’s share will inspire. I’ll keep you posted if make any discoveries. Please share any of your own.

PS: I roasted another whole cauliflower this week and I served it over the raw beet dip, and it was very pretty and tasty (pictured above). I roasted it with a generous pinch of Silk Chili, which is one of my favorite spices to use with both roasted and sautéed vegetables this time of year:

Quick Win #1: Carrots + Hummus

Last Tuesday, I immediately snipped the greens from the carrot roots, and rather than store them, I peeled and chopped them, then set them out with hummus. Pre-dinner snack ✅

Quick Win #2: 8-Minute Green Beans

Similarly, rather than store the green beans, I trimmed them and threw them in a skillet with garlic, butter, salt, and water. I covered the skillet and set it on the stovetop. A few hours later, at dinner time, I turned on the burner. Eight minutes later the green beans were done. Dinner veg ✅

Quick Win #3: Quick-Sautéed Greens

Finally, rather than store the kale, I sautéed it immediately. Here’s the step-by-step: sauté the stems first in olive oil with a little bit of garlic:

Add the greens with a pinch of salt and any spices you like. I love Silk Chili with greens.

Immediately use tongs to rearrange the greens in the skillet, helping them to wilt down:

Add a splash of vinegar, then transfer to a platter. I don’t mind eating dishes like this at room temperature, so I was happy to get the work done ahead of time. Another dinner veg ✅

Friends, please share any quick wins of your own!

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Week 18 Vegetables

This week I’ll shoot to use the head lettuce and kale first. I’ll store the potatoes, sweet potatoes, and onions at room temperature. Everything else will go in the fridge and will keep just fine for the week.

• kale → Kale Recipes

• napa cabbage → Cabbage Recipes

• purple potatoes → Potato Recipes

• head lettuce → Salads

• cauliflower → Cauliflower Recipes

• sweet potatoes → Sweet Potato Recipe

• beets → Beet Recipes

• onions → Onion Recipes

Find recipes for all the vegetables here → Farm Share Vegetables

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7 Recipes to Make This Week

With the sweet potatoes, I’ll be making these burritos. I made a batch of these slow cooker black beans over the weekend, and they’re so nice to have on hand for meals during the week. The sweet potato filling for these burritos is a staple for me throughout the winter.

We are not receiving spinach this week, but should we receive it again soon, I’ll be making Nik Sharma’s Palak Paneer — dying to try this one!

This Napa Wedge Salad looks so good and fun:

Two years ago, I shared this recipe for black lentils with salt-roasted beets and labneh over on Mind Body Green, and I have a simpler, no-beet version over here.

Sheet pan chicken and cauliflower “shawarma”: an old favorite:

With the purple potatoes, depending on their size, I may try this recipe:

With the kale, I might make this crustless quiche:

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Fellow Farm Sharers: Please share in the comments links to recipes you are loving for your farm share vegetables! Tips, questions, and suggestions are always welcome, too. Enjoy your vegetables! 🥦🥬🥒🌶🌽🥕 See you next week :)