kitchen adventures
Our farmers at Beaverland Farms have given us another great box, and CSA 2022 week 11 brings us a happy surprise: strawberries! We have a lovely bowl of ripe berries that will get eaten today, because who wants to wait around when there are ripe berries? In the box this week, we
It’s CSA 2022 week 10 weeks have gone by so very quickly. Our farmers at Beaverland Farms have given us another great box. More garlic scapes! There’s such a short season for garlic scapes in the spring, and I look forward to them every year. Garlic scapes are the shoots of the
I used to make jam in big, big batches. I’d start with 4 quarts of fruit, and end up with 8-10 jars of jam. You know what? I’m not cooking for a business or a passel of farm hands, so I have moved entirely to small batches. Not only are
It’s CSA 2022 week 9, and our farmers at Beaverland Farms have given us another great box. We have garlic scapes! There’s such a short season for garlic scapes in the spring, and I look forward to them every year. Garlic scapes are the shoots of the hard neck garlic plant; our
Everybody needs good nibbles! In the spring and late spring, when local radishes are at their best, I like to make these little radish snacks. They’re good at tea-time, for lunch, on a picnic, or whenever you need just a little something. Based on the classic French combination of radishes,
CSA 2022 week 8: can you believe it’s June already? Wow, and this is the 8th box from our farmers at Beaverland Farms. This week, the box moves away from all greens all the time, and starts to add some of the tender young peas I’ve been hoping for. After a
This weekend – Memorial Day weekend – marks the beginning of picnic season, and also CSA 2022 week 7. Warm weather is in the forecast, which means, at my house, cool suppers with lots of salads. Happily, our farmers at Beaverland Farms have packed a box full of leafy greens and interesting
When the weather begins to warm up, it’s time to lean on interesting salads. This year, our farmers at the CSA are delivering truly excellent produce in great variety. For this warm weekend, I wanted to make a bowl of a vegetable-forward salad – but not in a huge quantity. This
It was raining fiercely when I drove to pick up this weeks’ box at Beaverland Farms. I suppose it’s good for growing things, but I’d rather not be sopping wet! Ah well, it’s CSA 2022 week 6, and not only is there more rhubarb, but there’s asparagus! Asparagus is one of
I know that spring has arrived when the sorrel in my garden bursts forth with a profusion of lance-shaped green leaves. Sorrel is a perennial, and the leaves have an intense lemony tang. People use it raw in salads, but it also makes a fabulous quick classic sorrel sauce. While
Springtime in Michigan always has unpredictable weather. April was rainy and cool, while mid-May has seen the thermometer reach 90 degrees for a few days. A big thunderstorm comes through, and we’ll be back to 60s and low 70s. It’s CSA 2022 week 5. The farmers at Beaverland Farms are harvesting newly grown
It’s CSA 2022 week 4, and it’s clear that our farmers at Beaverland Farms are starting to harvest new-sown crops. This week’s box includes little Tokyo (hakurei) turnips, which are crunchy and mild: similar to radishes, but all white. We have more rhubarb and spinach, as well as a big bunch of
I’m Maurita Plouff, and I write about cooking and preserving the local harvest in Southeast Michigan. Any recipe you find here is something I have cooked myself, and enjoyed, and think you might like too. I invite you to try the recipes, and leave comments.