CSA Box This Week

Today in our CSA box we had more yummy goodies. Lettuce, spinach, parsley, kohlrabi, broccoli, garlic scapes, cucumbers, strawberries (last week!), peas, and onion. A few people have asked about our CSA this year - we have ours through JenEhr Family Farm. :)

Strawberry Jam.

Yes, more strawberries. This time, home made jam!

Strawberries #2: Home Made Strawberry Ice Cream

Our second recipe for this week is for the homemade strawberry ice cream we made with our fresh sweet strawberries. Use the freshest, organic milk you can find, which makes it super creamy and rich. We started with a Vanilla Ice Cream base, and then divided it and kept 1/2 vanilla for the boys, and then made 1/2 strawberry for us.

Vanilla Ice Cream Base:
1 c whole milk, chilled
3/4 c sugar (I have heard you can use honey, sweeten to taste)
2 c heavy cream
2 tsp vanilla extract
(fresh strawberries, pureed or chopped finely - we used about 1 cup...)

We use a cuisinart electric ice cream maker since it does it quickly and prevents ice crystals from forming. You could use the rolling ball maker too.

Whisk the ingredients together until sugar is dissolved. Pour into ice cream maker and let it mix until thickened, about 25-30 minutes. Fold in your strawberries, and let it go another 5 minutes or so (to get strawberries up to temp). Put your container/bowl in the freezer to harden a bit. EAT!!!


Kids can help with most of the steps - it is really easy. G helped measure, mix and pour. Both boys cut strawberries (cutting boards and butter knives). I just smushed the berries a little more with a fork to get smaller bits after they were done.


We still have some strawberries from our CSA box left - and I am making fresh Strawberry Jam as I type~!

Strawberries #1: Mixed Berry Scones

Here is our first delicious strawberry endeavor this week.

Mixed Berry Scones with Orange Glaze
Preheat oven to 400 degrees (F)

2 cups unbleached flour (plus a little more for rolling fruit in)
1 Tbsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1/3 c sugar
1/4 c unsalted butter chilled/cold and cut into chunks
3/4 c buttermilk (or you can use cream)
1 egg

Fresh berries: I used 1 c frozen blueberries, and 1 c fresh cut up strawberries

Sift together flour, baking powder, salt and sugar in a big bowl. Mix. Cut in butter using 2 forks or a pastry blender. The butter bits should be coated with flour and look like crumbs.

In a second bowl mix together the buttermilk and egg, and then add the flour mixture. Mix just to incorporate - don't overmix or you will have rock scones.

Roll berries in flour to coat. Fold the berries into batter, being careful not to bruise the fruit. Drop large tablespoons of batter on an ungreased cookie sheet, or use a scone pan.

Bake for about 15 - 20 minutes until brown. Cool before putting on the glaze.

Orange Glaze:
1 Tbsp unsalted butter
1 cup powdered sugar
1 orange, juiced and zested (no oranges, you can substitute 1/4 cup or so of fresh OJ) Using lemons instead also makes a yummy glaze.

Glaze: Stir the butter, sugar, orange zest, and juice together. Microwave in 30 second spurts (stirring in between) until butter and sugar are melted and the glaze has thickened. Remove from microwave and beat a little bit to incorporate and thicken. Drizzle or brush on top of scones and let it dry.

Just a note: If you use frozen blueberries, they will bleed some color into the dough - fresh won't.

CSA Box This Week

Yay. Today the strawberries are here. And we get to go back during U-Pick hours for another 10 POUNDS which is included in our share. Can't decide if we want to make some jam/jelly, freeze them for smoothies, or just be decadent and eat them all. They are SO sweet and delicious. This week we also received Romaine Lettuce, Spinach, Rainbow Swiss Chard, Scallions, Garlic Scapes, Cucumbers, and Sugar Snap Peas. We had an amazing dinner tonight. Mmmmmmm.

Organic foods, going green.

I know how lucky we are to live in an area of such agricultural richness with access to great organic fruits, vegetables, meats, cheeses, milk and more (check out our fabulous Farmer's Market). Of course I live up north, so in the winter we still rely on either what we have preserved from our summer bounty, or buy from the grocer or co-op. We work hard to buy and eat in season, and buy local whenever we can, but sometimes that isn't always an option. I know I hear many moms say that sometimes they just cannot find or afford ALL organics or don't have access to anything local. So what to do then? The Environmental Working Group publishes a shopping guide list of fruits & veggies...those with the most pesticides and those with the least, so you can know which ones are most important to select as organic, and which conventionally grown ones are ok when organic is not available.

Along those lines, Sign On San Diego had an article today titled "Simply Green. Little changes in the kitchen can make a dramatic difference in the environment.". Click here to read it!

Tomorrow is CSA day - STRAWBERRIES!!!!!!!!!!!!! I am excited.