Sharing the Share: CSA Week #2 (plus, Garlic Scape Pesto!)

It’s Week #2 of our CSA share! Some of the things we got in the share this week are similar to last week — we’re still in the throes of cool-weather greens here in Central NY — but there were some new treats, too. To my delight, we got *another* pint of those gorgeous ruby-red strawberries…I just read a lovely blog post the other day talking about how we should seize the joys this short-lived strawberry season brings, and apply that attitude to all aspects of our lives: “

…make strawberry eating a symbolic, spiritual act with every berry you pop in your mouth. Take full advantage of whatever life offers on your plate today, from crunchy late spring pea pods to fresh strawberry pina coladas, from an e-mail from an old friend to a creative late-night energy burst. Live, eat and love in the here and now…”

Well said.

And you can bet I already know what I’m doing to make the most of those berries (more to come on that.)

So, after the jump, the rundown of what the share included this week, and some ideas I’m mulling over:

• Arugula
• Asian Braising Mix – I’ve been using this in salads, sauteing it with some garlic and olive oil, and tonight I’ll be sauteing some up and making a frittata out of it with some parmigiano-reggiano cheese folded into the eggs
• Scallions
• Haikuri Turnips – I. Love. These. Turnips. They’re so delightfully crisp and mild; we really enjoyed them this past week, both raw in the radish and turnip salad as well as simply roasted with olive oil, coarse salt and pepper.
• Strawberries (yay!)
• Romaine Lettuce — do you know I’ve never tried making my own caesar salad dressing? Considering how much I adore a good caesar salad, I think this pretty, crisp head of romaine is occasion to do that.
  
• Curly Kale — I want to make sandwich I saw on Culinate yesterday, of garlicky greens, sharp cheddar, and a fried egg. Me oh my. My mouth is watering.
• Garlic Scapes — again, I say, yay! I look forward to the arrival of these every year, as much for their mild garlic flavor as for their wacky, curlicue shape. Garlic scapes are the flower stalk of the garlic bulb; they come up a few weeks before the garlic is harvested. You can use scapes just like you would garlic; their flavor is milder, so you get the nice garlic taste without some of the bite.

In the past I’ve just used chopped up scapes in sautes, mainly, but this year I thought I’d try making garlic scape pesto! This one’s for all you garlic-lovers out there. This pesto is delightfully garlicky without being too overpowering; I add a bit of lemon juice for a little acid to brighten up the taste a bit. Toss it with pasta, spoon over fish, spread onto pizza, freeze some for the gray days of winter!

______________________________________________________________________________________________

Garlic Scape Pesto

Ingredients
1 cup chopped garlic scapes
1/3 cup walnuts
juice of 1 lemon
1/2 cup parmigiano-reggiano cheese, grated
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
coarse salt and pepper, to taste

Directions
Blend everything but the olive oil, salt and pepper in a food processor or blender. Slowly drizzle in the oil with the motor running, and blend until emulsified and smooth. Add a little more oil if you like yours a little looser, but I found this amount to be just right for me. Taste and add coarse salt and pepper as needed.