Recipes for your CSA

By Megan Wicks

Hey East Nashvillians!

This week I got to bring my mom with me and show her around the market. She was fascinated by the variety of offerings and insisted on checking out each tent, which felt like rediscovering the market for me. It was hot, but it was wonderful to see my neighborhood's market again through fresh eyes.

This week, my box from Delvin Farms contained the following:

Cantaloupe
Watermelon
Cabbage Two kinds of potatoes
Tomatoes (slicing, roma, and cherry)
Yellow crookneck squash
Zucchini
Eggplant
Bell peppers

If you're like me, you may feel like you're drowning in tomatoes (not that that's a bad thing necessarily)! I'd like to offer you a couple of new ideas on how to use them in tasty ways.

Orzo Pasta Salad

1 cup orzo pasta
1/2 cup spinach
10 leaves basil
1/2 cup cherry tomatoes
1 lemon
2-3 Tb olive oil
Salt

Boil water and cook 1 cup orzo according to package directions. While the pasta cooks, julienne the basil and spinach and slice the cherry tomatoes into halves or quarters. I like to use a variety of colors in cherry tomatoes to add to the beauty of the final dish. Place the tomatoes, spinach, and basil in your serving bowl and add the zest from the lemon. Drain the pasta and add it to the bowl containing the the basil, spinach and basil. The heat of the pasta will wilt the greens slightly and draw out the oils of the basil and lemon. Add olive oil, squeeze in the juice of the lemon, and salt and pepper to taste. Stir gently to incorporate. Serve warm. Can be served chilled if preferred.

Caprese Salad
Tomatoes Fresh mozzarella
Basil
Olive oil
Balsamic vinegar

This salad can be served on a bed of greens, but it is perfectly delicious on its own. Slice tomatoes between 1/4 and 1/2 inch thick (per your own preference). Slice fresh mozzarella approximately 1/4 inch thick. Lay out tomatoes on serving platter (or on greens of your choice - spinach or arugula are especially nice). Top each slice with a slice (or half slice) of mozzarella. Place a basil leaf atop each stack. Drizzle lightly with olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Enjoy!