Twenty Bag | Mar

Something’s growing in the Lowcountry 365 days a year, with the warmer months, of course, producing a whole lot more than the cold ones. The Twenty Bag CSA does a great job of keeping my pantry full all year long, with the root veggie-heavy winter haul—think sweet potatoes, beets, turnips— giving way to this more varied March bag. Cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, broccolini, a mix of greens, radishes and cabbage. I ripped into it with the inspiration of springtime at my back…

Since there doesn’t seem to be enough time in the day to chow down all the greens your body needs I popped the radishes into a savory smoothie along with the kale and arugula, added my own grape tomatoes and carrot, a pinch of turmeric and cayenne, and a cup of organic beet juice from Harris Teeter. Spinach is another great choice of green for this crave-worthy power drink that delivers a full ration of CDC recommended veggies. Check out this fun infographic from the American Heart Association that spells out the servings amounts with pix!

If you prefer your greens on a plate, try tossing the kale along with some kohlrabi and escarole in a Caesar dressing like the tangy one whipped up by Post House executive chef Nathan Hood. Talk about crave-worthy!

Wanting to keep things light, I followed Ina Garten’s cue and blanched the broccolini and sauteed it in extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) with a couple of smashed garlic cloves and red pepper flakes. A delicious solution for an easy dinnertime side.

The huge head of cauliflower was broken down into florets and tossed in EVOO and salt + pepper on a sheet pan and roasted for 25 minutes at 400 degrees. The result: a super healthy, salty/ sweet appetizer that’s both tender and crunchy. If this doesn’t look like a party in a pan, I don’t know what does. You may wish to experiment with spices and citrus, but the flavorful cauliflower needs no help, in my opinion.

I would like to take a moment to share my love for my new sheet pans acquired when my originals started to show their age. Research directed me to a two-piece set from Chicago Metallic, a non-non-stick variety of steel/ aluminum construction professional grade pan with a heft and surface that sneers at tin foil. In case you’re wondering, here’s the word from Epicurious on foil usage pros + cons. And contrary to what you may think, the buy was very economical.