Contents of this week’s box: quart of strawberries, mixed salad greens, radishes, spinach, spring onions, tomato, kale, head of red leaf lettuce, head of green leaf lettuce, bok choy (w the white stems).
In many ways 2021 just keeps getting better and life keeps improving. Today’s gorgeous box from Riverview was a real bright start to my May. An early start to the CSA year meant a quart (!!) of sweet strawberries. So far, I’ve just been eating them out of hand, but I hope to leave enough to make strawberry pops. Not sure why that’s what I’m craving right now, but there you are. Five years ago I did a story with Steven Carse and he shared their recipe for Strawberry Basil Pops. Time to get out that recipe again. It takes a pound of strawberries so I’ve really got to stop stealing berries out of that basket!
Maybe I say this every year, but were those the largest heads of lettuce you’ve ever seen? The ruffled green lettuce head was so large it wouldn’t fit in my canvas grocery sack. I had to put it on top like gorgeous spring hat. And the red lettuce, and the bag of mixed lettuce with frisee. And a tomato! What a bonus.
Seemed appropriate then that what should arrive at my door today but America’s Test Kitchen’s newest publication, The Complete Salad Cookbook. Seems the muses knew I would need lots of inspiration to get the best out of all that lettuce. And spinach!
But I’m sharing a recipe salad using some of the other vegetables in the box, a takeoff of the Marinated Tofu and Vegetable Salad on page 243 of the cookbook. And that’s only about halfway through the book. Imagine how many recipes there are in a book that’s almost 400 pages long.
Marinated Tofu and Vegetable Salad
The official recipe calls for Napa cabbage, but I’m going to use that bok choy when I make this for dinner tomorrow.
28 ounces tofu, cut into 3/4-inch cubes
1/4 cup unseasoned rice vinegar
2 tablespoons sriracha
2 teaspoons honey
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 cups thinly sliced bok choy, core removed
1/4 pound thinly sliced snow peas (I’m going to use my radishes)
1 bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and cut into 1/2 inch pieces (this will be optional in my salad because I don’t want to go shopping!)
Salt and pepper
2 green onions, thinly sliced on the bias
2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds
Press tofu cubes dry with dish towels or paper towels.
In a large bowl, whisk together vinegar, sriracha, honey and salt. Add tofu and toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate for 20 minutes.
After 20 minutes, remove bowl from refrigerator and add bok choy, snow peas or radishes and bell pepper if using. Toss well, then season to taste. Add green onions and stir again. Garnish with sesame seeds. Serves: 4