I have so been enjoying receiving my CSA share this summer! I love the MYSTERY of discovering which new vegetables I receive each week and the CHALLENGE to come up with creative new ways to eat things I don't normally eat otherwise. Best of all, I am enjoying the COMMITMENT it takes to get to the bottom of my green mountain by the time another Tuesday arrives.
Joel always talks about how important it is to know where our food comes from, so I love this new cooking area of the website that offers a glimpse into where all the food is going to make us more healthy and whole!
I got inspired yesterday when I brought home my week 5 share, and came up with this quinoa salad as the perfect vehicle to stuff in as many vegetables as possible. I love the vibrancy of all the colors, especially the beets and broccoli! The base of this salad is perfect for any vegetable combination -- modify with whatever is in your weekly share and enjoy!
Salad:
1 C quinoa
1 15-oz can beans (chick peas, black beans, cannellini beans etc)
4-6 oz Feta, crumbled
1/4-1/2 c nuts or seeds (sunflower, pepitas, walnuts, pecans, etc) (opt)
CSA veggies: cucumbers, radishes, turnips, broccoli, beets, arugula, etc
Other veggies: green onion, red onions, tomatoes, bell pepper
Dressing:
1/3 c fresh lime juice
1/3 c olive oil
2 T red wine vinegar
1/4 c chopped CSA dill (or any herb)
1 tsp salt
1tsp black pepper
2 cloves garlic or garlic scapes, minced
To assemble:
Combine the quinoa with 2 c water. Bring to a boil then cover and simmer 15 minutes. Turn heat off and let the quinoa cool a bit. You can spread it out on a plate or pan to speed up the cooling.
Whisk together the dressing.
Chop all the vegetables.
Toss everything into a big bowl and stir. Can be eaten immediately or chilled for a couple hours.
Wow, Whitney! That looks stellar. I love the ease of the recipe, and the way it accommodates ALL the veggies. Feta always livens things up too. Thanks for sharing!!
-Megan