Photo by Jeff Lautenberger
When Jeff and I went to Miller Plant Farm Tuesday to pick up our first CSA share of the season, I at least was in for a bit of a shock.
I’m still not sure what I was expecting, but when I saw that we were to choose one head of lettuce, one bunch of spring onions, one carton of strawberries, one head of broccoli and one bunch of kale, I suddenly felt very vulnerable.
Jeff and I have a Sunday routine: We get the morning paper, look at the grocery store circular and determine our general menu for the week. Then we go to the store and buy any fresh or special ingredients we need for the meals we just planned.
Goodbye, Sunday routine. Now that we’re challenging ourselves to rely almost entirely on our weekly CSA shares for our supply of fruit and vegetables, we’re no longer in charge. It’s Miller Plant Farm and the growing season who are dictating our menu.
We used up about half of our strawberries by making a savory strawberry pizza.
Another part of our CSA self-challenge is to use our fresh ingredients in ways we normally wouldn’t. Jeff was keen on using strawberries for a savory-not-sweet dish, so this made for a great late breakfast/early lunch. It’s quick and easy, so it could work for an afternoon snack, too.
First, Jeff lightly brushed the top of the flatbread with olive oil and added a sprinkle of salt. He then layered 3 very thin slices of fresh mozzarella and placed a dozen or so thin strawberry slices on top. Next, he sprinkled 1 tablespoon of goat cheese and drizzled balsamic vinegar over the whole thing.
The pizza went into the oven at 450 degrees for six minutes. Jeff put the oven on broil for 2 minutes, but you’ll want to keep an eye on your pizza and take it out whenever the cheese browns and becomes bubbly. Once it’s out and cooled a little, top it with a basil chiffonade (which sounds a lot fancier than it is).
Check out No Sweat, York, for the Grilled Caesar salad recipe and more on Chris’s CSA adventure.
