Tanaka: Squandered Squash
We skipped another box!
I went on another Vinecation for Memorial Day and threw away a ton of zucchini and yellow squash and patty pan squash before I left. This was a total Tanaka fail. I hope to redeem myself with delicious squash dishes in the future! This week, we did our best to use up everything in the box and once again did not succeed but enjoyed trying. Also, my husband picked up some containers for storing produce from Costco. I’ll try them out on produce and report back next week.
STRAWBERRIES AND BLACKBERRIES
We enjoyed these delicious berries on their own but I also used them up in my new favorite breakfast: a peanut butter and berry waffle. I toast a Kodiak waffle, spread with peanut butter, top with blackberries and strawberries, and sprinkle with cacao nibs. Delicious way to start the day!
CAULIFLOWER
Roasted in oil, sprinkled with sat, enjoyed by three of the four of us.
CABBAGE
This cabbage was not eaten by slugs! Unfortunately, it wasn’t eaten by us either. Its fate remains uncertain in our fridge’s crisper drawer.
ONIONS
These guys were beautiful, firm specimens of onions that also remain in our fridge’s crisper drawer. We intend to put them to good use in a slow cooker recipe to be determined next week.
CUCUMBER
There is something so refreshing about a cold sliced cucumber fresh from the fridge. These cukes made great snacks for the kids and I.
BEETS
I tried following vegetable patron saint Cara Magini’s advice and poached my beets before roasting them. The poaching liquid is four cups of water and one cup of apple cider vinegar, fragranced with a bay leaf and a crushed garlic clove. I then let them cool a bit before peeling the beets (wearing surgical gloves, lest I walk around with purple stained hands for the next four days). It was kind of a pain. I then cubed them, tossed them in avocado oil and kosher salt, and roasted them at 450 for about ten minutes. They were delicious, but not that much more so than the unpeeled beets that I simply scrubbed, tossed with oil and salt, and roasted on its own. I haven’t decided if they were worth the extra work, but I am enjoying them in my salads.
A TREAT
La Rue du Chocolate, located in Peppertree Lane (448 S Coast Hwy. Suite B) in downtown Laguna Beach provides delicious chocolates and parking garage tokens.
If you are bold enough to head to downtown Laguna Beach between Memorial Day and Labor Day, you’ll need to park. You can get both a parking space and a piece of chocolate if you head to La Rue du Chocolat. Park in the Lot 2 parking garage behind the picturesque Peppertree Lane building, and for the price of a small and delicious chocolate, they will give you a token to get out of the parking garage on your way out. The people who work there are incredibly kind and the chocolates are unique and inventive. Enjoy!
Tune in next week to see what vegetable adventures await next week!
The contents of the Tanaka Farms CSA box change from week to week. You can see what’s in Tanaka’s CSA boxes each week online. Interested in enjoying some local organic produce? Sign up to join.