Hello from the Crooked Carrot kitchen!

Our fifth spring share takes some familiar wintery ingredients and uses them in a distinctly springy way! Bright, fresh herbs, asparagus, and the magic of lacto-fermentation transform beets, beans and butter to create a lively, cooling combination of flavors.

Summer Session

Signups for our summer session are open! The session will include 11 bi-weekly pick-ups of four items each, running from June 19th until November 6th, roughly corresponding with the main CSA season in our region. Shares are $422 for new members, while returning members pay a discounted price of $395. We're also pleased to announce that, in addition to to our usual Stick & Stone and Three Swallows pick-up locations, we'll be adding a distribution point at Sweet Land Farm! Delivery through Garden Gate is available as always. Email us at info@crookedcarrotcsk.com to sign up or if you have any questions.

The Share

Download the Share Possibilities Chart (PDF, 157kb)
Or grab the printer-friendly version (PDF, 24kb)

Live Culture Borscht (best used by 5/26/12)
Chock-full of beneficial microorganisms, our version of this traditional Eastern European soup features three live-culture ingredients - lacto-fermented beets from Stick & Stone, cultured buttermilk, and raw, unfiltered apple cider vinegar. Dill from Blue Heron and garlic from Red Tail round out the bright, tangy range of flavors, while a touch of cream provides some mellow body. Serve chilled on a warm Spring day, either straight from the jar or with added veggies and herbs such as tender new radishes, diced onion, and minced chives or mint. Add a generous spoonful of sour cream or yogurt for a richer flavor.

Asparagus Bean Salad (best used by 5/23/12)
Following the positive reception of our first Chive-Carrot Pinto Bean Salad, we were excited to try another variation of this classic deli-style dish!  This time we've combined pinto, kidney, and navy beans from Cayuga Pure Organics with asparagus from the Good Life Farm for a seasonal treat.  These are all dressed with a vinaigrette-style verjus-mustard sauce featuring verjus from Red Newt as well as thyme and oregano from Stick & Stone.  Enjoy on its own, or use it to top a greens salad.  Add chopped hardboiled egg, diced onion, or radishes.

Thyme-Chive Butter (best used by 6/13/12)
This herb butter is packed with fresh thyme and chives from Stick & Stone, giving it lots of armoatic flavor. Use as a spread on bread or crackers, in sandwiches, or as a sauce on sauteed veggies (goes great with asparagus or any cooking green) or even grilled meat. If you have a Double E mushroom share, use the butter to fry your mushrooms! Put a skillet with plenty of room for all your mushrooms over high heat and give it a few minutes to get up to temperature. Once it's quite hot, add a generous amount of butter, let it melt completely and sizzle for just a few seconds, and drop in the mushrooms. Let them sit for a minute or two until they develop some nice brown color, stir/flip, and repeat once or twice, taking care not to overcook them.

Enjoy, and don't hesitate to contact us with any questions or comments!

Silas, Johanna, and Jesse — the Crooked Carrot Team