Shrimp Lettuce Wraps

Last spring one of my friends was preparing for a surgery and was on a very restrictive diet. To liven things up, I offered to make supper with lots of fresh ingredients from the farm. It was a really fun challenge to prepare a 5-course meal that was under 1000 calories.

This is the first course in the Asian-themed, low-calorie, five-course meal: shrimp lettuce wraps as an appetizer.

ingredients

• 2 Tbsp lime juice

• 1 to 2 Tbsp gochujang (which is a Korean hot pepper paste), or your favorite hot sauce

• 1 Tbsp oil (try sesame if you have it)

• 2 tsp honey

• 1 green garlic, grated (or 1 clove garlic)

• 2 tsp grated fresh ginger

• 1 lb small shrimp, peeled and deveined

• 1 head romaine lettuce (or other head lettuce), leaves separated

• 1 cucumber, cut in small cubes

• several radishes, sliced (or substitute salad turnips)

• several leaves fresh mint (or basil, or cilantro), cut in small ribbons

directions

Combine lime juice, gochujang, oil, honey, garlic, ginger, and shrimp in a bowl, stir, and let marinate in the fridge for an hour.

Preheat oven to 425. Arrange shrimp on a sheet pan and roast until just opaque throughout, about 10-15 minutes.

Allow shrimp to cool slightly, then lay out lettuce leaves and fill with shrimp, cucumbers, radishes, and mint.

Roasted Sweet Potato and Arugula Salad

The first boxes of the spring CSA season went out this past week! Here’s what they included: sweet potatoes (stored from last fall’s harvest), green garlic, arugula, leaf lettuce, french breakfast radishes, and chive blossoms.

One of the perks of CSA membership is the weekly CSA email. This email includes a list of each item in the CSA box that week along with storage and preparation tips. It also features one of the items in the box with a deep dive into its history, nutrition, and additional preparation suggestions. And, each week Farmer Katie selects or creates a recipe that utilizes some or all of the items in the box.

This week’s recipe utilizes all six of the items in the box, and it is delicious!

Roasted Sweet Potato and Arugula Salad

INGREDIENTS

Salad:

2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and diced

1/2 red onion, thinly sliced (or substitute green garlic)

1 tablespoon oil

1/2 teaspoon chili powder

Pinch of cayenne pepper (optional)

Salt and pepper to taste

6 cups baby arugula (and/or other salad greens)

4 radishes, sliced very thinly

2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds

2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh chives (or chive blossoms)

Honey-balsamic dressing:

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

1 tablespoon honey

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

4 tablespoons olive or sesame oil

Salt and pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 375°F. Toss the sweet potatoes and onion with the oil, chili powder, cayenne, salt, and pepper. Place on a baking sheet and roast for 20 minutes, stirring gently every 5 to 10 minutes. Increase the heat to 400°F and roast for another 5 to 10 minutes until the sweet potatoes are golden brown. Continue to stir the sweet potato pieces as needed to prevent over-browning. Remove from the oven when soft throughout and let cool slightly.

In the meantime, whisk together vinegar, honey, mustard, and olive oil. Season with salt and pepper and set aside.

In a medium bowl toss together arugula, sliced radishes, and chives. To serve, arrange arugula mixture on plates. Spoon sweet potatoes over arugula, sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds, drizzle with dressing, and serve. (Serves 4)

Recipe adapted from: The Iron You

Cream of Asparagus Soup

This recipe is absolutely perfect for springtime: warm soup for a rainy day, the springtime-only chance to eat local asparagus, and the fresh, springy flavors of lemon and herbs.

Ingredients

• 1 pound fresh asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1 inch pieces

• 1 (14.5 ounce) can chicken broth, divided

• 1/2 cup chopped onion, or green onion, and/or green garlic

• 2 tablespoons butter

• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

• 1 teaspoon salt

• 1 pinch ground black pepper

• 1 cup milk or cream

• 1/2 cup sour cream

• 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

Directions

Combine asparagus, 1/2 cup chicken broth (or more to cover asparagus), and onion/garlic in a large saucepan; cover and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, uncovered, until asparagus is tender, about 12 minutes. Transfer the mixture to a blender and puree until smooth (or use immersion blender). Set aside.

In the same saucepan, melt butter over medium-low heat. Stir in flour, salt, and pepper; cook, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes.

Increase heat to medium; add remaining chicken broth, stirring constantly, until the mixture boils. Stir in pureed asparagus and milk/cream.

Place sour cream in a small bowl and stir in a ladleful of hot soup until blended; pour into the soup and stir in lemon juice. Warm soup through to serving temperature, without boiling. Serve immediately. Garnish bowls with fresh dill, chives, or garlic chives.

Serves 4.

Recipe adapted from: AllRecipes