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Check it out! Week 3 of my CSA brought more potatoes, kale, kohlrabi, radishes, beet greens, baby turnips (get bigger each week!), bok choy, dill, green onions, garlic greens, black beans, and salad mix.

I did still stop by the Farmer's Market at Sherway Gardens for strawberries, asparagus, cheese, and steak. Buy strawberries in bulk and freeze the mushier ones on a cookie sheet lined with wax paper. Once frozen, ziploc-bag them for use in smoothies until the next batch comes in the fall!

Here's my latest asparagus salad recipe:

1 bunch asparagus, roasted or grilled (2-3 min in olive oil)
1/4 cup feta cheese 
1 tbsp red wine vinegar
Your favourite seasoning - Italian, sea salt & pepper... 

Chop the cooked, warm asparagus into bite-sized chunks.
Mash feta cheese with a fork into vinegar and seasonings.
Toss the asparagus in the dressing.

1 ½ pounds boned and skinned chicken breast, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 teaspoons peeled and finely chopped ginger
2 cloves garlic, crushed and chopped
½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
½ cup plain yogurt
½ teaspoon garam masala
2 tablespoons cooking oil

Put the chicken in a bowl. 
Add the salt and lemon juice and rub them in. Refrigerate for 20 minutes.

Once the chicken has marinated in the lemon and salt mixture for 20 minutes, add the ginger, garlic, cayenne pepper, yogurt and garam masala.  
Mix well and cover. 
Refrigerate for 6-8 hours or overnight. 

Just before serving, put the meat onto skewers.  
Brush with the oil and balance the skewers on the rim of a shallow baking tray. 
Broil on the barbeque, about 6 minutes per side.

Peanut Sauce:

4 tablespoons natural peanut butter
4 tablespoons tomato ketchup
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Combine all ingredients, and thin by adding about 8 teaspoons water. 
Refrigerate. Serve cold with chicken.

Thanks to Glen Sinclair for this delicious recipe!

For any type of leafy greens:
After washing, tear the leaves from the stalk with your hands but keep them in relatively large pieces.  Sautee in butter or oil, or bring a small amount of water to a boil, add greens, then turn down heat and simmer until either just wilted (~1 min) for lighter greens like spinach, or 3-5 min until more tender for hardier types such as kale. Drain the greens in a colander, then press out excess water with a fork or spatula.  Chop coarsely and toss with sea salt and desired dressing:

Spicy:
- Butter/olive oil
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- pinch chili flakes

Italian:
- Butter/olive oil
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- Sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
- Pine nuts

Cheesy:
- Butter
- Fresh grated Parmesan cheese.

Bacon:
- Bacon
- Onions sauteed with bacon

Asian:
- Toasted sesame oil
- Soy sauce
- Sesame seeds

Super Veggie:
Sautee mushrooms, peppers, onions, etc. to go with any greens and seasonings!

There's no getting bored with greens, they go with everything! Post your favourite recipes!

I recently visited Whole Circle Farms, in Acton, Ontario, and joined their CSA program. For less than $15/week, they provide me with a 2-person basket of fresh produce.

A Community Supported Agriculture program provides a direct link between the farmer and the consumer. The farmer receives your support for local, sustainable food, and you receive a seasonal variety of the best quality produce, in one convenient weekly package!

After visiting their farm, seeing their cows and chickens roaming free in the grass, I'm going to avoid the grocery store as much as possible! I look forward to trying different vegetables and recipes each week.

Take some time and learn more about a CSA program in your area. It will get you out of a food rut and into healthy, fresh eating. You won't have to try to be creative with your food planning, and you certainly won't have to worry about where your food is coming from!

If you're not ready to commit to a CSA, at least get out of the big box and shop and a local Farmer's Market. Homegrown food is fresher, tastes better, and is healthier for you and the environment. Enjoy it in the summer while we can!! To get an idea of what to expect each month, check out this month-by-month List of Ontario Produce.

  This delicious steak dish goes great with stir-fry veggies or Grilled Asparagus!

 1 Flank steak
1/2 cup naturally brewed soy sauce
2 tbsp toasted sesame oil
1 bunch green onions, finely chopped
6 cloves garlic, peeled and mashed
2 tbsp sesame seeds
1/4 tsp cayenne powder

Using a very sharp and heavy knife, slice the flank steak as thinly as possible across the grain and on the diagonal.  Mix other ingredients and marinate beef in the mixture, refrigerated, for several hours or overnight. Fold or "ribbon" the strips and stick them on skewers. Cook on barbeque or grill, about 5 - 7 minutes per side.
Meat should still be rare or medium-rare inside.

This recipe is from the  Nourishing Traditions cookbook.