Whole Farm CSA - Week of March 28th

Full share: Red Cipollini onions, 2# parsnips, rosemary, micros, lettuce mix, spinach

Half share: Red Cipollini onions, 1# parsnips, micros, lettuce mix, spinach

Happy CSA Wednesday!

It’s been a busy week at the farm planting and seeding in the greenhouses, counting the lambs that seem to just keep coming, and restraining ourselves from spending too much time with our adorable new sheepdogs. On the Rocky Creek side, we now have tulips and lilies planted, ranunculus in the ground, and dozens of other flowers starting to grow. Over on the GVB side, we’ve got our first rounds of lettuce harvested, the first cherry tomatoes in greenhouse 3, and a wonderfully fragrant greenhouse full of fresh spring herbs.

So sweet :’)

This week’s CSA brings you red cipollini onions, parsnips, rosemary, micros, mixed lettuces, and spinach. Before we get into recipes, let’s talk about everyones’ favorite gourmet onion, the cipollini. 

Red cipollinis are an heirloom variety that originated in northern Italy. Cipollini translates in english to “little onion,” named for its size. They stand out from other siblings in the onion family because of their tender, melty texture and sweet flavor, coming from the higher levels of sugar in their flesh. Try them roasted whole in the oven, cooked in butter on the stovetop, or follow this recipe for making “agrodolce” cipollinis and toss them on a panini or a pizza (your rosemary and spinach would do well here too!), a charcuterie board, or warmed in olive oil as a side. The one challenge of cipollinis is peeling — I recommend blanching them before to loosen the skin and reduce the eye-watering effects. It’s a life-saver!

As for the rest of your box, I know I can’t resist that first spring salad! This lettuce is so crisp and flavorful it really doesn’t need much added to it. Toss with your micros and top with your favorite vinaigrette for a quick side salad! Now what to pair that side salad with… if you’re a meat eater, you could season your poultry or meat of choice with fresh rosemary and serve it alongside roasted parsnips or these rosemary parsnip fries. And for the vegetarians among us, parsnip fritters would be my recipe of choice! They’re great topped with an herbed yogurt sauce or a poached egg, and are complimented nicely by a light salad. All you need is your parsnips, two eggs, green onions and other herbs of your choice, a bit of flour, and some lemon juice and garlic for the yogurt. This recipe is great for reference, but fritters are very forgiving so don’t be afraid to get creative!

Until next week,

Sasha