This post is about a week late… oops! We received week 6 while we were at Myrtle Beach. I had my mom snap a few pics so I could show off what we’d received. I meant to post while we were gone, but it slipped my mind. We only had the iPad with us and I didn’t want to be bothered with figuring out how to post from it.

CSA Week 6

• Peaches
• Corn
• Pattypan squash
• Cucumbers
• Bell peppers
• Banana peppers

We let them eat what they wanted since we were going to be gone. We’ll collect whatever they didn’t eat tonight. I’m hoping the banana peppers are still there!

Stay tuned for a recap of our vacation week!

Ok, I swear I have been cooking. And I do have posts I need to write up. I’ve just been really, really busy studying for the RD (Registered Dietitian) Exam. I’ve been studying since the beginning of June, but I really buckled down the last week to cram as much information into my head as possible.

I went down to Madison on Tuesday night so I could take the exam Wednesday morning. Tuesday night was awesome. Mike and I went to Bluephies with my sister, Becca. Everything I had was wonderful, but the highlight of the meal was definitely the bread and butter at the beginning of the meal. But let’s be  honest – the butter was what made the bread amazing. If it were acceptable to eat butter by the spoonful (and without bread) I would have. This sundried tomato and kalamata olive butter is out of this world. Seriously.

Dinner took my mind off of the exam for a little over an hour. Mike and I headed back to the condo and I continued to study and study and study. Then we went to bed. I woke up at 4 and stared at the ceiling until 5 and then got up and studied some more.

Mike drove me to the testing center Wednesday morning and waited while I took the exam. I wanted him there for moral support and I knew if I failed the exam I would be such a wreck that having me on the roads would be a hazard.

It took me about an hour to take the test. I went out to Mike after and sat and waited for my results. The proctor came out, handed me my sheet and told me…

I had passed!

The day just got better after that. Mike and I met up with two college friends for lunch at The Coopers Tavern. Again, yum. I miss Madison and all the deliciousness it has to offer. We went to my parents’ house that night for a delicious dinner with plenty of moscato.

So, now I have way more time on my hands and I’m excited to get back to doing things that I love but haven’t had the time to do in a really long time. I’m most looking forward to being able to read for enjoyment again! I’m also looking forward to giving my garden so much needed TLC.

We also picked up this week’s CSA share last night when we were over at my parents’ for dinner. This week we received…

CSA Week Five

• Corn
• Snap peas
• Cabbage
• Pattypan squash
• Cucumber

To be honest, I think the plan for most of these goodies will be the same as last week’s… because I haven’t had a chance to use most of last week’s stuff yet. I’m not really sure how I survived the last week since I can only recall making one dish (which will be revealed tomorrow). Oops. So, the revised plan is now probably going to be something like this:

• Corn: grilled!! Food Network Magazine had an article on corn last summer. I need to find it.
• Snap peas will be eaten raw, with hummus. Mike and I leave Monday or Tuesday for the beach – this may be perfect for the car ride to the airport!
• Cabbage: I instantly thought of the tangy coleslaw I made last year. I’ll definitely be making the coleslaw with the pulled pork sandwiches again. Yum!
• Pattypan squash: once again, these will probably be grilled.
• Cucumbers: with hummus, or more pickles!

It looks like we have a lot of eating to do before we leave!

I hope you all had a wonderful fourth of July! It was fairly uneventful on my end. I skipped fireworks (too hot) and spent the last couple days studying. This weather is seriously bumming me out, though! Why is it so hot?! Someone needs to fix this crazy weather ASAP so I can get back to running.

Now onto the weekly CSA reveal! We actually got these goodies on Tuesday, but I didn’t get around to posting until now.

CSA Week Four

• Beets
• Snap peas
• Garlic scapes
• Blueberries
• Squash
• Zucchini
• Cucumber

Now for the plan:

• Beets: I’m not quite sure yet! Maybe a salad of some sort? The only time I can remember using beets is when I made gluten-free vegan cupcakes. Any suggestions are welcome!
• Snap peas: these were already given to someone else. We still have at least one bag of these hanging out in our fridge.
• Scapes: So many options! I’m really excited to see these again, but I haven’t decided yet what to do. Someone had suggested pickling them, so I might give it a try. This recipe looks easy enough!
• Blueberries: I’m loving these with some plain Greek yogurt with a drizzle of honey for breakfast. I think I’ll continue to do that!
• Squash: I have no idea what kind of squash this is, but it’s really little and cute. I’m guessing it will end up getting tossed on the grill with some other veggies and a protein.
• Zucchini: this basil, shrimp & zucchini pasta sound good to me!
• Cucumber: while I’m pickling the scapes I might as well pickle this as well! I’ve never pickled anything before, so these two should be an adventure!

It’s that time again! Mike collected the CSA goodies from my parents’ this week. I’m so glad they’re back from vacation – the CSA gets delivered to their work and it’s pretty much the perfect setup.

Week Three

• Lettuce
• Kohlrabi
• Kale
• Garlic scapes
• Zucchini
• Blueberries (from my parents’ fruit share)

Now for the plan:

• Lettuce: I’ve been meaning to make my own dressing for a while. I think that I’ll make a grilled chicken salad with a honey mustard dressing. Or maybe a taco salad. I have almost all the ingredients I need for that in the fridge already… hmm. So many options!
• Kohlrabi: I love these goofy lookin’ vegetables. I’ve only eaten them raw before, so I think this time I’ll be trying them in the form of a kohlrabi fry!
• Kale: I stumbled across this spicy tofu and kale recipe. I’m excited to give kale another chance. The last time I had it, I wasn’t a huge fan. But I’m always willing to try a food a few more times before making a final decision!
• I was excited to see the garlic scapes in this week’s basket again. I got a ton of wonderful ideas from my CSA post last week. I’m thinking I’ll be making one of those suggestions this week!
• Zucchini: I found this recipe for grilled zucchini Greek salad. Anything with feta is worth a try in my book.
• Blueberries: yeah, these babies didn’t even make it through the night. They were perfect eaten plain 🙂

This week was even more exciting than the last! I was a bit disappointed that I wasn’t able to go pick it up, but studying comes first! We got a repeat item, but I’m really excited to try some new things.

Week Two

• Snap peas
• Zucchini
• Chard
• Popcorn (!!)
• Garlic scapes (!!!!)

I’m having trouble deciding what I want to do with it all.

• Snap peas: personally, after two huge bags of snap peas last week and another one this week, I’m getting a little tired of them. I must say that they make a handy snack, though! I’ve been loving them with some Sriracha hummus.
• Zucchini: I think the zucchini will be perfect showcased in a simple pasta dish with some Greek yogurt and Parmesan. I considered making zucchini bread or muffins for a second, but then I remembered how miserable I was in the heat last week baking up all that food. I’m learning from my mistakes, folks!
• Chard: I think a bacon and swiss chard pasta sounds pretty fantastic.
• Popcorn: I have been dreaming about kettle corn all week. Ok, so I’m exaggerating a bit. I’ve been thinking about it since I went to the farmers’ market on Saturday and (stupidly) forgot to buy some. So, I think that this will transform into kettle corn. Nom.
• Garlic scapes: This is a brand new ingredient to me! It took me a little bit of hunting to figure out what it was and now I can’t wait to give it a try! I think that this recipe for garlic scape pesto will be the perfect thing.

Hmm, it looks like it will be a pasta-heavy week. Sorry, Mike! I’ll try to be a little more creative next time 🙂

We got our first CSA box yesterday! Mike and I decided to split a full share with my parents. We went through Olden Produce in Ripon, WI.

I love being a part of the CSA and receiving a bag of mysterious goodies every week, but this whole thing throws my menu planning routine a little off. I’m going from picking out meals over the weekend to planning mid-week now. A strange change, but totally worth it! Between the CSA and our garden, I think Mike and I will be all set for produce this summer!

So, on to the more exciting news – what we got today and what I plan on doing with it!

Week One