CSA week 20 start-up

No wrap-up for week 19 as I wasn't up to much cooking or eating for most of the week. I'm feeling somewhat better now so my project for the day is the mysterious beet recipe I've mentioned that should use up most of the leftover week 18 ingredients and some week 19 stuff too. Consider that post the wrap-up if you strongly feel you must have one.

Straight on into our final week, then. Quite a big haul to send us off with too.

Starting in the upper left corner, there's a big bunch of scallions. I'm thinking of follow-up my leek bread recipe with Chinese steamed scallion buns; I could easily see deciding to make Chinese roast pork and char siu bao instead, though.

The honey doesn't require a plan, but I do have a simple candy recipe I want to try with it.

I'm glad to see some corn again. I haven't peeked inside to see what shape the ears are in. Last time we got corn (or the previous time? I don't recall), it was clear the bugs had had their way with them first and I didn't have much to work with. Margie, or whoever writes the newsletter's Featured Items section, suggests eating it raw. I don't know about that, but maybe a light steam if I'm not going to use them as an ingredient.

I haven't touched the potatoes from week 18 so these just go on the pile. I don't cook much with potatoes since I freeze portions of all my big meals for lunches and that makes potatoes mushy. But that's just for soups and stews; hash browns freeze fine. Hmm...

No need to worry about the pepper, cilantro or lettuce. The first two will get used somehow and the third will rot and get thrown out eventually.

For the turnip, I want to try varying the glazed turnip recipe I posted about last month. Maybe I'll simmer them in stock instead of water or drop some herbs in. Or maybe I'll just toss them in a spice mix instead of a vinegrette.

Two small caimitos isn't enough even for a test batch of ice cream. Should be enough to substitute into my piña colada sorbet recipe, though. On the other hand, I've got no idea what caimitos taste like so adding them to coconut milk, pineapple and/or banana might be awful. I'll have to taste one and see.

Two big cucumbers, plus one left from last week, means I need to find an actual cucumber recipe for a change. I like cucumber sandwiches, but the bread I just made is a terrible choice for that. And in salads then tend to rapidly go limp and watery. I guess I'm cooking with them, then. I have seen stuffed cucumber recipes. I'm doubtful, but I've seen them.

That leaves the largest head of celery I've ever seen. That would intimidate me even if I liked celery. Which I very much do not. But I've never had fresh, local, organic celery so I'm giving this a chance. To use this much, I think I'll need a soup or stew. ... I've found a couple interesting ones. Celery keeps so that's probably for next weekend.