I almost just wrote “Big ups to my mom for picking up our CSA veggies last week,” then I remembered no one says “big ups” anymore (and never should have!).  But seriously, so thankful my mom could grab our produce for us while I was hanging out with Bruno Mars at Red Rocks.  Just one of the many reasons I don’t know what I’d do without her.

CSA Pick-Up #6 Included:

• Beets
• Carrots
• Garlic
• Cucumber
• Zucchini
• Eggplant
• Bell Peppers

What We Cooked:

I’ll try to be brief — even I’m semi-bored listening to myself go on and on about farm fresh vegetables — but the gist of this week was purple veggies and meals that were almost too pretty to eat (or so I thought at least), and tasted even better.

Heirloom Tomato and Beet Salad

Although the beets were great (and so colorful!), this salad was just okay and I won’t be making it again.  But those tenderloin filets!

Curried Veggies with Roasted Eggplant & Chickpeas

Does anyone know what kind of eggplants those are?  And does anyone know how someone could not like eggplant?  Cough, Joey.  I could’ve eaten this roasted eggplant by itself but I’m glad I didn’t because this curry dish was really tasty.   Also, cutest teensy purple bell pepper and eggplant rounds ever.  I may have squealed when I first saw them.  Mini eggplant parm, anyone?

Kale, Mushroom and Sundried Tomato Lasagna Rolls

I’m so over kale.  Actually, I’m just over washing it and tearing the leaves off the stems.  Annnnd, I’m now realizing how lazy that makes me sound.  Anyways, after slaving away at that kale for a whole 5 minutes, and assembling these lasagna rolls, we had such a good dinner.  Sautéed up that CSA zucchini in some olive oil for a side dish.  Simple but I LOVE it.  I would certainly make this whole meal again.

Garlic, Carrots, Cucs

While I think the difference between farm fresh and store-bought garlic is kind of subtle, I could tell which was better.  Guess which!  The taste, smell and color is just enhanced.  We used it in all of the above.  What if someone didn’t like garlic?!  In other news, CSA carrots have become the bane of my existence because I can’t for the life of me get to them before they get kind of…flimsy.  I used those flimsy carrots and the cucs in a soba noodle salad with an almond buttery dressing (yum!) and the rest of the cucs were eaten alongside some roasted red pepper sabra, aka the best hummus in all the land.  Did I really just say “cucs” that many times?

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What’s your favorite purple food?  Please don’t say it’s that purple ketchup they used to make.  Remember that?!

Do you like eggplant?

What old sayings do you wish we still used? I wish I could still tell people not to “have a cow.”  What does that even mean?