csa share time, recipe and contest winner

Picking up my first CSA share of the season is like a little holiday for me. As a city girl with no plot of land, getting a cornucopia of fresh-picked organic produce makes me feel vicariously connected to the earth. I purchase my bi-weekly share from Wimer's Organics as I have for the past several years. This week, my treasure chest included sweet potatoes, 2 bunches of bok choy, a head of green leaf lettuce humongous enough to feed the Waltons, kale, spinach, radishes [my favorite!] and spring onions. Needless to say, I've enjoyed plenty of fresh salad this week. And I still have loads of dinner inspiration to tide me over until I pick up my next share.

I immediately cooked up the kale and radish tops with plenty of garlic and olive oil. I tossed them with some cannelini beans: voilà,  Greens and Beans.

I used many of the other ingredients to create a versatile, pilaf-like salad with a sweet-hot dressing, courtesy of horseradish. Like many of my recipes, this salad is modular. So feel free to mix and match according to what you have on hand. For example, you could use any salad green or even finely chopped kale or chard instead of spinach. For the grain, I used bulgur [cracked wheat] because that's what I had on hand. But if you're gluten-free or would rather use a different grain, feel free to substitute quinoa, barley, kamut, spelt, wheatberries or farro. Just cook your grain of choice until tender. No mangos? No problem. Substitute dried or fresh apricots, apples or pears, Just add some lemon juice to prevent browning. You get the idea...

Before I give you the recipe, I'd like to announce the winner of the Morocco Method hair care product contest. The lucky person is......drumroll..... Audrey! Congratulations! Email me your address so we can send out your prize.

Modular CSA Share Salad with Sweet-ish Horseradish Dressing

Grain:

• 1 cup dry bulgur
• 2 cups vegetable broth

Dressing:

• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 T extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 T red wine vinegar
• 2 tsp agave nectar
• 1 tsp miso
• 1 T horseradish [or less, to taste. Start with 1 tsp]
• Salt and fresh-ground pepper, to taste

Salad:

• 1 bunch spinach, finely chopped [about 6 cups]
• 2 champagne mangoes, diced
• 1 cup red onion, thinly sliced
• 7 radishes, thinly sliced
• 1 can of your favorite beans, rinsed and drained [I used chickpeas]

Serves 4 as a meal or 6 as a side

Bring broth and bulgur to a boil in a large sauce pan over medium, Reduce heat and simmer for 15-20 minutes or until bulgur is tender. Drain.

Meanwhile, whisk together dressing ingredients in a medium bowl.

Toss cooked bulgur and salad greens with dressing. Adjust seasonings. Enjoy!