This week is earth week! Produce-wise, April and May can be the slimmest pickings of the year on local PNW farms, when the overwintered and stored crops have mostly been eaten and we turn our attention to growing and transplanting seedlings. It can sometimes be difficult or uninspiring to cook with locally grown fruit and veg at this time of year so I am going to list two recipe suggestions that are fun, unique ways to eat on Earth Day, using Red Dog Farm ingredients provided to all our CSA members!

1: PSB Pizza — a Red Dog crew favorite! Anyone who enjoys making pizza from scratch knows how fun it is to get creative with the toppings, and purple sprouting broccoli should not be overlooked! Prepare PSB for pizza by rinsing, pat drying and cutting to desired piece size, and par-cooking them or fully sauteeing them ahead of placing on pizza with the rest of the toppings, and then baking the pizza accordingly. This can be an interactive design/artistic task, involving family friends and kids, and PSB pieces can be arranged into attractive designs on pizzas: its color contrasts with most cheeses and you can have fun pairing brightly colored toppings with this deep green and purple beauty. If your kids approve of pizzas and broccoli with cheese, then this is a must-try to brighten up the night and cook with awareness of the current season, and the bounty that our earth (and local farms) offers up even during the annual times of slim pickings. Talking about sustainable and seasonal Earth Day cuisine choices is a simple but important educational discussion that you may want to bring up while preparing and consuming Purple Sprouting Broccoli Pizza!

2: Pommes Chateau/Chateau Potatoes! Potatoes are one of those things that are eaten all year round, and can be prepared in versatile ways to fit the season and occasion. Chateau Potatoes are a simple way to mix up your routine, and elevate your potato-game! As for describing how to carve Chateau Potatoes — I encourage you to prepare yourself with a paring knife and do some online video research to get a visual lesson on how to carve the potatoes into 7-sided football shapes. The visual payoff of preparing potatoes this way is that they look extremely appetizing, fancy and beautiful, and their taste will be richer, because removing the skin allows flavor to soak into the spuds! To cook Pommes Chateau, place the carved potatoes in a pan with 1 inch of cold water, black pepper, several sprigs of fresh thyme or several teaspoons of dried thyme, 1-2 bay leaves, 2 cloves of crushed garlic, skin still on, several tablespoons of butter, and kosher salt. All added ingredients quantities can be adjusted to taste preference. Bring water to a simmer and cook for 12 minutes, until potatoes are almost tender and slightly undercooked. (The potatoes will be done when they slide off the blade of the paring knife when pierced.) Turn the heat off and leave potatoes in the warm/hot water until you are ready to finish cooking them. When ready, use a slotted spoon to remove potatoes from the cooking water to a small saucepot set at medium-low heat. Add several tablespoons of butter and swirl the potatoes to coat in butter for several minutes until they are finished cooking. Garnish with salt, Red Dog Farm chives (available in Red Dog Farmstand) and other toppings to your desired taste.

PS — the tulips included in this week’s CSA share can be a lovely addition to your dining table! Best wishes to your Earth Day celebrations!

~Reuben