The box today was filled with lots of lovely treats and two ugly chunks of squash my daughter told me I should throw out – immediately. I reminded her than any poor, ugly squash can become rolls and thus, become instantly loveable.
This week we received: fresh lavender, baby carrots, potatoes, pears, spinach, the ugly squash chunks, fresh rosemary and very full bag of lentils.
The kids were relieved to see the spinach, instead of mixed weeds again. 🙂 Particularly since the very first day I used it in lasagna rollups. And yes, I am pandering again. I am also thinking I might try Kirsten’s spinach pizza crust from Farm Fresh Feasts. Pizza? More pandering, I know.
I have a legumes cookbook, so this weekend I am going to explore it for something new to create with the lentils. A dish with squash and curry sounds very seasonally appropriate.
Oh! Speaking of curry, my sister and I had a girls’ weekend in Seattle with some friends last weekend and they let me go into the Penzey’s store. THAT was a very bad idea. $93 later, I had a bag loaded with all the spices I could ever dream of, including a large bag of Indian curry. I am excited to explore all my new spices! Happy Birthday to me! (next week).
I am debating what to do with the pears. A dessert would be a nice Valentine treat. Maybe with the cranberries I have left? Sounds like an opportunity for creativity.
Potatoes and carrots never go to waste at our house.
I usually save the lavender as a dried flower, but would like to come up with ideas to cook with it or infuse it into a dish. Have any of you cooked with lavender and what did you try?
No parsley, just sage, rosemary and thyme, and oregano.
We have amassed a nice stash of herbs the past few boxes, which I store on one plate in the corner of the kitchen. I love walking over and picking off some sage leaves, or crumbling oregano or thyme directly into a dish. The rosemary lives with them now.
I do believe this is my favorite Winter CSA box so far. 🙂
csamom 
I tried lavender in shortbread and custard but found it a bit overpowering (maybe I just used too much though). It works well with blackcurrants or blueberries either in jam or a compote.
You get a wonderful variety in your box.
I am usually envious of Heather at In Her Chuck’s boxes for the fresh fruit in winter, but now I’m going to be envious of you for lavender . . . no idea what to cook with it (jelly? My daughter and I made wild violet jelly which we loved).
Do the spinach crust! It’s very tasty, and if you make a triple batch and throw the extra balls of dough in the freezer–without a label–you immediately know what kind it is. Unlike, say, the eggnog and butternut squash dough which may or may not have been used in a zucchini corn leek pizza recently . . .
We did make the spinach pizza crust and it I loved the color. We never have left over pizza dough to store in the freezer. Those 15 year old boys can eat lots of pizza in one sitting and will eat it for every meal until it is gone. 🙂