First Share and Meals!

On Saturday, I received my first share (well, half share - we are a small family of 3). I went to the local farmer's market to pick it up. I could have had it delivered for a small fee, but I chose to pick it up. It would give me a chance to check out all of the other yummy treats!

This is what was in the bag this week:

• Kale - Mmmm...I love kale. Yes, I'm a little strange
  
• Tokyo Bekana (tender Asian green) - had no idea what to do with this
  
• Head of lettuce
• French breakfast radishes - my 3yr old jumped for joy when she saw these! Who knew! Turns out she was just excited for her stuffed friend, Peter Rabbit
  
• Field greens
• Spring onions - looked almost too pretty to eat!
• Strawberries - strawberries? None of these made it home

Well, the strawberries never made it out of the farmer's market. Between my three year old and my husband, they were gone within minutes! It's amazing that something could taste so different from what you get at the grocery store.

So the fun begins. What to eat first...what to cook.

I've been feeling a little under the weather, so the first thing that came to mind was some sort of kale soup. I searched recipes online and BINGO! I found a Martha Stewart recipe that I had all of the ingredients to in the house! This one won.

Sausage-and-Kale Soup

Serves 4

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 onion, diced
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red-pepper flakes
• 5 waxy potatoes (1 1/2 pounds), peeled and cut into 1/2-inch chunks
• 3 cans (14 1/2 ounces each) reduced-sodium chicken broth
• 1 bunch kale (12 ounces), stemmed and shredded
• 12 ounces smoked chicken sausage, cut into 1/2-inch half moons

Directions

1. In a large pot (6 to 8 quarts), heat oil over medium. Add onion and cook until soft, stirring, 2 to 3 minutes. Add garlic and red-pepper flakes; cook unti fragrant, 1 minute. Add potatoes and broth; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer until potatoes are tender, 10 to 15 minutes.
2. In a blender, puree half the soup. Return to pot; add kale and sausage. Simmer until kale is wilted, 10 to 15 minutes.

Mmmm...this was very yummy. I tend to simplify recipes, so in this one, instead of putting half of the soup in a blender, I used my hand, immersion blender and blended until I thought about half of the soup was purreed. Tasted great to me! I also used Italian sausage instead of chicken sausage (usually already cooked) so I had brown the sausage with the onions.

Great first dish with my CSA produce!!