Summer recipes to make the most of your CSA

In the midst of the coronavirus pandemic, many people have turned to having many items delivered to uphold social distancing. If you’re like me and you value local, organic, seasonal produce, signing up for a CSA delivery is a great way to have farmer’s market quality produce delivered to your door.

I recently signed up for TableField Grocery, an off-shoot of TableField Catering which promises local, organic produce delivered to your door or to a convenient pickup point. Their grocery delivery service also supports the Maryland Food Bank, where they feed three people in need per every order placed. Whether you decide to try out TableField or one of Maryland’s many other CSA programs, these recipes will help you make the most out of your seasonal produce.

Because summer is almost here and I’ve been avoiding going out, I knew I would be missing my weekly farmer’s market trips, so I decided to give TableField a go. Paul Dongarra, the owner of TableField, also sponsored The Baltimore Supper Club’s very first vegetarian competition with a free box to try out for the winner of the competition, so I was familiar with what came in the box. Boxes from TableField are customizable, so I threw in a loaf of sourdough with mine because, despite what the papers tell you, not everyone has learned how to adequately care for a sourdough starter during quarantine.

The seasonal items I cooked with included radishes (lots of them!), kohlrabies, green tomatoes, sweet potatoes, hakurei turnips, and broccolini. I also loved the salad mix, as it was very peppery and fresh.

I’ve developed five simple recipes to help you make the most of the summer produce available right now. These recipes will get you through brunch, lunch, and dinner and are versatile for any season of the year.

 

Green Tomatoes Done Three Ways:

When I think of green tomatoes, I immediately go to deliciously battered and deep fried green tomatoes with a cornmeal crust. Over the past few weeks in quarantine, I’ve enjoyed exploring the acidic flavors of green tomatoes the most, which is why I developed three recipes using them. In Maryland, you can typically get green tomatoes throughout the course of the summer tomato season, so you’ll be able to enjoy these recipes throughout the summer.

 

Pickled Green Tomatoes

These pickled green tomatoes are a perfect combination of sweet, spicy, and acidic and only take a bit of chopping, boiling, throwing together in a mason jar. Because these are refrigerator pickles, they are not shelf-stable, so they are only good for about 1 month in the fridge. But let’s be real, I doubt that will be an issue because they’re so delicious, you’ll want to use them on everything!

Get the recipe here.

 

Simple Salad with Green Tomato Salsa Verde

Green tomatoes can be quite acidic, but when coupled with extra virgin olive oil, garlic, jalapeño, and a little honey they transform into a bright topping for a salad and work well enough in place of traditional tomatillos.

This recipe only requires a few whirs of a food processor and you’ll be ready to throw this salsa verde on anything . You can thin it with water if you want a more traditional salad dressing or leave it thick to use as a topping on a burger or chicken sandwich. I used it as a condiment for my salad and loved the bright heat that it added to the dish.

Get the recipe here.

 

Crispy Chicken with Charred Green Tomatoes

This chicken with charred green tomatoes is easy to prepare, but the best part about this recipe is the chicken-fat charred green tomatoes. This recipe uses another version of a green tomato salsa verde except it is served warm and made by combining green tomatoes and tomatillos.

For this recipe, I simply fry chicken thighs until crispy and then bake them in the oven until they are cooked through. I transfer them to a warm platter and then I add my green tomatoes to the hot chicken fat over high heat until charred on both sides. It only takes a minute or so per side to char them.

Get the recipe here.

 

Two Very Versatile Recipes

Now it’s time to move into my two final recipes: seared duck with mashed kohlrabi and a sourdough toast with spicy sweet potatoes. What I love about these recipes is their versatility.

In the duck recipe, you can easily replace the duck with chicken, steak, or shrimp. The kohlrabi can be swapped out for any root vegetable, including turnips, celeriac, rutabaga, or cauliflower. I love using kohlrabi because you can use the greens as your side dish and simply sauté them with vegetables as I did.

The spicy maple sweet potato toast is equally versatile. You could swap the sweet potatoes with golden beets, cauliflower, or Yukon gold potatoes and you can use any salad mix or fresh green you like. Try it out with spinach, baby kale, or even microgreens.

 

Seared Duck with Mashed Kohlrabi

This seared duck with mashed kohlrabi is served with the sautéed kohlrabi greens and asparagus for an easy weeknight dinner.

For this seared duck recipe, I prepared a very simple and rich mashed kohlrabi. Kohlrabi is a great option if you’re watching carbs since it only has 8 grams per serving. Since I am not on a low carb diet, I combined the kohlrabi with Yukon gold potatoes to create a rich and creamy side dish.

Get the recipe here.

 

Sourdough Toast with Spicy Maple Sweet Potatoes

I love a good brunch toast, especially when the ingredients are piled high and loaded with flavor. This sourdough toast is prepared with fresh, peppery greens, charred spicy maple sweet potatoes, and fresh heirloom tomatoes. It’s an easy way to clean out your fridge without losing flavor.

Get the recipe here.

Bolton Hill resident Kylie Perrotti is a cookbook author and creator of the popular recipe blog, TriedAndTrueRecipe.com. She founded The Baltimore Supper Club and is passionate about connecting people with easy, elegant recipes.