Iron Jane

We are three weeks into our CSA, and it is such a pleasure.

(We just got a farm subscription, so for $20 every week we get a huge box of a variety of local, organically grown fruits and vegetables.  I promise I won't bore you with the inventory... please keep reading!)

The very first thought I had when I opened our box was, "Hooray, somebody else decided what we're going to have for dinner!"

Making dinner at our house sometimes feels like my own private game of Iron Chef.  There's a one hour countdown and the big clock is ticking, the available ingredients are strangely mismatched, and oh, the PRESSURE.  But, if I can pull it off, I win the prestigious title of "Iron Chef."  Well, maybe not.  But if I beat the meltdown, and dinner tastes good, I feel the Iron.

But, back to the CSA.  I love NOT having a choice of what vegetables we get each week.  Someone else is shopping for me, and they're choosing some things that I never buy.  Vegetable variety is being forced upon me, and I know that is a good thing.  A little recipe search on Google or Epicurious gives me some inspiration, and off I go.



If you happen to be getting an abundance of yellow summer squash in your CSA or garden, here's a delicious and easy recipe that I came up with last night.  I used some Japanese zucchini recipes for inspiration. Please let me know if you try it!

Summer Squash and Onions 

Ingredients:

    *  4-6 medium yellow summer squashes 

    *  2 tablespoons olive oil 

    *  1 onion 

    *  2 tablespoons soy sauce 

    *  1/2 teaspoon powdered ginger 

    *  1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

    *  1 1/2 tablespoons honey

    *  3 tablespoons sesame seeds

    *  2 tablespoons butter

    *  ground black pepper

Directions:

   1.  Slice squash and onion into thin (about 1/4”) pieces

   2.  Mix soy sauce, honey, garlic and ginger until honey is dissolved

   3.  Pour olive oil into large frying pan and heat on medium high

   4.  When pan is hot, add all remaining ingredients (including soy sauce mix)

   5.  Fry, stirring occasionally, until squash is tender and browned

 (Farm illustration by Diego)