Okay, if I had a dog I would totally name it “Zucchini.”  Wouldn’t that be cute?!  Ahem, I swear there’s a tie-in somewhere here.  Oh right, this week we got zucchini from the farm and they were so cute.  In addition, we got a bunch of other things that I’m pretty familiar with.  Half the fun of a CSA is working with never-before-seen/heard of/eaten/used/all-of-the-above produce but some weeks it’s nice to just get a bunch of stuff you already know how to work with.

CSA Pick-Up #4 Included:

• Carrots (orange AND purple!)
• Zucchini
• Beets
• Lettuce
• Onions
• Cabbage
• Fresh Oregano

What We Cooked:

We like to have something super quick and easy on our menu for the night that we actually do our pick-up since it takes a good 45 minutes to get there and another 45 minutes to get back home.  This week’s no-brainer dinner was pesto pasta (we already had the pesto made from garlic scape week) and decided to sauté up one of the zucchs to mix in with the pasta and cherry tomatoes.  This meal was so simple but also really flavorful.  The pesto makes it!

So funny story.  When I fired up the grill to make this Grilled Asian Flank Steak with Mango Salsa (and Sesame Wonton Crisps, of course), a huge flame exploded out of the grill and literally singed my arm hair off.  I sprinted to the bathroom to make sure my eyebrows were still there — they were — then wandered around my apartment like a stupefied zombie, trying to calm down and not throw up.  I coped by eating mass amounts of this Asian slaw, made with our CSA cabbage.  It was so fresh and crisp!  Also, I ended up adding a tablespoon of soy sauce to the slaw because, well, I heart soy sauce.

We used up the beets in these Berkeley Veggie Burgers and let’s just say our version didn’t look exactly like Cooking Light’s.  But since when do homemade veggie burgers hold together like they’re supposed to?  Instead of looking at messy burgers, let’s look at the inside of this amazing beet, shall we?  Too cool.  Also too cool?  The grater attachment on my food processor.  I love a good opportunity to use that thing.  I half expected these “burgers” to turn out horribly but we were both surprised by how good they were.  A definite re-make meal.

How cute are these onions?!  That red bell pepper is supposed to help you gauge their size.  I’m pretty sure all 4 amount to one normal grocery store-sized onion.  I love them.  And I used them for something else I love; Stacked Roasted Vegetable Enchiladas.  Nothing beats making a casserole for an easy reheat and eat lunch option, right?  Right!  Plus what’s not to love about 3 layers of cheese?  Also, I made my own enchilada sauce.  Hey look, I’m a domestic!

I was pretty hesitant when Joey suggested we choose oregano — we had our choice between the oregano, parsley, mint, thyme and garlic — but I ended up using all of it pretty easily.  It went in a fajita marinade, in my enchilada sauce and someplace else that I can’t exactly remember.  I just know I used it all.  I wish I could say I really tasted the fresh oregano but I’m not really sure it could compete will all the other Mexican flavors in both dishes.

As for the fun-colored carrots and the lettuce, simple hummus snacking and side salad eating.  Hardly blog worthy, but convenient and quick.  Oh and one last cute thing for this post…little llamas on the farm! 🙂

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Have you ever eaten a purple carrot?

What herb do you prefer to eat fresh?  Basil all the way!

What’s your go-to no-brainer dinner?