We did it! We made it over the hump that is spring’s non-stop chaos as CSA veggie farmers. We only had one or two emotional breakdowns. We only cried a handful of times. And we delivered our first CSA boxes will relative ease, though without fully functional brakes. Yup, that was terrifying.

The brakes need to be fixed and the week 2 harvest needs to be done, but at long last, the to-do list in front of us is manageable. We even found a way to take a full weekend off! Our days were filled with wine and family and bike rides, a little brother’s graduation party and a first grill out of the season, a picnic complete with ants on our blanket and lots and lots (and maybe too much) really delicious food.

Enjoy all the drool-worthy pictures of just a few of the yummy things I’ve been whipping up with goodies from the fields.

All my love,
Leek

HOW TO: HAVE A PERFECT PICNIC
Here’s all you need for a super fun, super quick, super easy dinner al fresco. You could probably even skip the kale quinoa salad if you are extra short on time. But if you’re smart, you have a jar of this tahini sauce in your fridge anyways (like I told you to four months ago) and then this salad requires zero effort. Plus, if you’re anything like me, you have kale coming out of your eyeballs and need to eat kale pretty much every day to keep up. I know, being me ain’t easy.

Chili-grilled asparagus (the same recipe as before, just grilled instead of roasted and a little more charred)
1/4# burgers (we use beef, but any meat will do)
Sliced cheese
Lettuce leaves (from the fields of course)
Sliced red onion
Spicy mayo
Spicy bread & butter pickles
Pretzel buns
Kale Quinoa Salad with Tahini Sauce (below)

KALE QUINOA SALAD WITH TAHINI SAUCE

Serves 4
Takes 20-30 minutes, depending if you made the sauce ahead of time or not

1 cup quinoa, rinsed
2 cups water
1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt, divided
1 tablespoon sesame oil, feel free to sub olive oil
1 tablespoon peanut oil, feel free to sub olive oil
1 bunch curly kale
1 shallot, minced, feel free to sub a few scallions or a 1/2 red onion
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
Freshly ground black pepper
3 heaping spoonfuls of tahini sauce

Place rinsed quinoa in a medium saucepan. Turn heat up to medium and stir a few times until quinoa starts to crackle just a little, but before it starts to stick. Add water and 1/4 teaspoon Kosher salt. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, cover and cook over low heat for 12-15 minutes until quinoa looks “puffed.” Remove lid, fluff with a fork.
Add oils to a large cast-iron skillet. Warm over medium heat while you quickly prepare the kale. Rip the leaves from the center rib. Tear it into pieces and loosely chop the torn pieces. Toss the kale and shallot into the hot pan. Saute for 5 minutes. Add remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt, red pepper flakes and a bunch of freshly ground black pepper. Cook 2-3 minutes longer until kale is wilted and shallots are soft.
Combine quinoa, kale and sauce in a large bowl. Toss to combine. Taste and adjust seasonings as desired. Feel free to add more sauce too. It’s so delicious! Enjoy!