CSA - week 1

Yesterday was an exciting day {and no, i'm not referring to Cinco de Mayo} - it was exciting because it was the first day of our yearly CSA. What is a CSA, you might ask? Well, CSA stands for "Community Supported Agriculture" and basically, it's a way to source locally grown food to local people, in the appropriate season. Because it is community supported, we pay a flat fee to our CSA farm and then sit back and wait to share in the bounty of the harvest. The risk is that if the weather does not favor a bumper crop of tomatoes {like last season}, we do not get a bumper crop of tomatoes. The reward is that no matter the weather, our CSA goes on providing us with as much local, organic food, herbs, and flowers as possible.  This is our fourth year to participate in the CSA and our CSA farms fourth year to offer the service {which means we have been there since the beginning...oh yeah!}. Our CSA is from the delightful Whitton Farms in Tyronza, Arkansas. The owners are the ever inspiring Keith and Jill Forrester {if you are a Memphian, you may know the Forresters as the owners of the amazing Trolley Stop Market in downtown Memphis}.
So what is the point of this post? Well, I wanted to share with you what is in the CSA bag this week and what I plan to do with my goodies!

Here's a peek:

{L to R, front row: sorrel, spring onions, mint, strawberries 

back row: fresh baked bread, lettuce mix, sweet potatoes}

This week's most challenging ingredient? Sorrel!  Sorrel is a spring green with a sharp lemony flavor. It can be used to substitute for spinach (in small quantities) or along with other greens in a salad mix.

While searching for sorrel inspiration, I came across a blog called Two Small Farms filled with recipes for their CSA subscribers. These two small farms are located in California.  

Here is a link to their sorrel recipes: Two Small Farms

There were several recipes that caught my eye, but I think that this week I have decided to make Sorrel Pesto to use as a sauce for fish (I think the lemony flavor would be delicious!). Here is the recipe:

2 cups coarsely chopped fresh sorrel, ribs removed
1/3 cup packed fresh parsley leaves
2 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
1/3 cup freshly grated parmesan
1/4 cup pine nuts
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup olive oil

In a food processor or blender puree the sorrel, the parsley, the garlic, the parmesan, the pine nuts and the oil, transfer the pesto to a jar with a tight fitting lid and chill it, covered. The pesto keeps, covered and chilled, for 2 weeks. Makes about 1 cup.

As for my other CSA goodies, they seem a bit easier to use. The salad greens will be used for {obviously} salads. The strawberries will most likely be eaten straight from the container {yum!} or perhaps mixed with mint to make a Strawberry Caprese Salad { My dear friend Artsy Fartsy has been talking about this recipe and I am so intrigued by it!}. 

Take a look at this:

Strawberry Caprese Salad

The spring onions, bread, and sweet potatoes will also be delicious additions to our meals this week.  

What would you do with these ingredients?