Matching Hair; CSA

Rachel's hair is finally long enough to do some more exciting hairstyles!  So, this week, for the very first time, Lizzy and Rachel got to have matching hairstyles!  So cute!  Rachel wouldn't smile, though!

Also, this week was the first week of the CSA.  If you've read last year's posts, you know that CSA stands for Community Supported Agriculture, and it's where we pay a farmer for a share in his crop.  We use East Farms, and at the beginning of the year, we pay a lump sum, about $250, and then from June through October, every week we get a box of vegetables, fresh picked that day from the farm.  East Farms is an organic farm, so we're getting lots of delicious, fresh organic vegetables, and the farmer gets paid directly, which means it's cheaper for us, but he makes more money than if he went through a middleman to sell.  Also, our veggies are local, so we're not contributing to using up our fossil fuels by having our produce shipped thousands of miles to reach us.  I'm going to put all further CSA posts, including recipes for what to do with the veggies on my fitness blog: http://realfoodfitness.blogspot.com

This week, we got (starting in the back, from left to right) red radishes, white radishes, spring garlic, green leaf lettuce, rainbow chard, and spinach.

Sauteed Spinach with Spring Garlic

1 Tbl extra virgin olive oil
1 bulb spring garlic, minced
3 cups spinach leaves, trimmed
pinch nutmeg
salt and pepper

Heat the olive oil over medium high heat in a large nonstick skillet until smoking.  Add the garlic and sauté until fragrant, 30-45 seconds.  Add spinach leaves and toss until wilted, 2-3 minutes.  Remove from heat and sprinkle with nutmeg, salt, and pepper to taste.  Serve immediately.

The rainbow chard can be prepared the same way.  Cut the stems off the rainbow chard and chop the stems into bite-size pieces.  Sautee the stems first, for 2-3 minutes, then add the garlic, 30-45 seconds, and then wilt in the leaves, 2-3 more minutes.  Add the nutmeg, salt, and pepper, and serve.

Spinach Pesto

2 cups packed spinach leaves
1 bulb spring garlic
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 ounces fresh parmesiano-reggiano, rind removed and cut into 1 inch cubes
salt and pepper

Place parmesan cubes in food processor fitted with blade, and process 1-2 minutes until the cheese is finely grated. Remove to a small bowl. Place spinach and garlic in the food processor and process 1 minute until smooth. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. With machine running, drizzle in the olive oil and process 30 more seconds to emulsify. Remove to a medium bowl, and stir in 1/2 cup grated parmesan. Salt and pepper to taste. Spread over grilled chicken breasts, grilled salmon, or toss with 1 pound hot cooked linguine.