Fall CSA Session 2, Week 1: What’s in the Box + Recipes

By /

Welcome to Week 1 of Fall CSA Session 2!

There’s something especially fun about fall CSA boxes because they bring together hearty fall vegetables with some of the warm-season crops that are still hanging on here in Florida. This week we have potatoes, eggplant, kale, Asian greens, and—for our full-size members—kabocha squash, fresh basil, and okra.

If a few of those ingredients aren’t normally on your grocery list, don’t worry. That’s part of the fun of a CSA! Here are some easy ways to turn this week’s harvest into meals your family will actually want to eat.

🍆 Easy Parmesan Roasted Eggplant

If you aren’t sure you like eggplant, start here. Roasting gives it a soft interior with delicious browned edges, and Parmesan makes just about any vegetable better.

Ingredients

  • 1 eggplant
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
  • Salt and pepper
  • 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Directions

Preheat oven to 425°F.

Slice the eggplant into approximately 1/2-inch rounds or bite-sized cubes. Toss with olive oil, garlic powder, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper.

Spread in a single layer on a baking sheet and sprinkle with Parmesan.

Roast for about 20–25 minutes, flipping once if using rounds, until the eggplant is tender and browned around the edges.

Serve as a side dish, add it to pasta, or dip the rounds in warm marinara sauce.

🍆 Easy Eggplant & Basil Pasta

This is a great way to use two CSA ingredients in one dinner.

Ingredients

  • 1 eggplant, diced
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2–3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 jar marinara sauce
  • Cooked pasta
  • Handful of fresh basil, chopped
  • Parmesan or mozzarella
  • Salt and pepper

Directions

Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the diced eggplant, season with salt and pepper, and cook until browned and tender.

Add garlic and cook for another minute.

Pour in the marinara sauce and simmer for 5–10 minutes. Stir in fresh basil just before serving.

Toss with your favorite pasta and top generously with Parmesan or mozzarella.

Make it heartier: Add browned Italian sausage or ground beef.

🎃 Savory Stuffed Kabocha Squash

Kabocha squash is sweet, creamy, and hearty enough to become the centerpiece of dinner. And yes—the skin is edible once cooked!

Ingredients

  • 1 kabocha squash
  • 1/2 pound ground sausage or ground beef
  • 1/2 onion, diced
  • 1–2 cloves garlic
  • 1 cup cooked rice
  • 1/2 cup shredded cheese
  • Salt and pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried sage or Italian seasoning
  • Olive oil

Directions

Preheat oven to 400°F.

Carefully cut the kabocha squash in half and scoop out the seeds. Brush the cut sides lightly with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.

Place cut-side down on a baking sheet and roast for approximately 30–40 minutes, or until the flesh is tender.

Meanwhile, brown the sausage or beef with the onion. Add the garlic and seasonings and cook for another minute. Stir in the cooked rice.

Turn the roasted squash halves over and fill the centers generously with the meat mixture. Top with shredded cheese.

Return to the oven for 10–15 minutes, until everything is hot and the cheese is melted.

Scoop some squash into every bite of filling when serving.

🎃 Simple Maple Roasted Kabocha

Sometimes the easiest recipe is the best one.

Ingredients

  • 1 kabocha squash
  • 1–2 tablespoons olive oil or melted butter
  • 1 tablespoon maple syrup
  • Salt
  • Cinnamon, optional

Directions

Preheat oven to 425°F.

Cut the squash in half, scoop out the seeds, and slice into wedges. There’s no need to peel it—the skin becomes tender when roasted.

Toss the wedges with olive oil or butter, maple syrup, and a pinch of salt. Add cinnamon if you’d like it a little sweeter.

Arrange on a baking sheet and roast for approximately 25–35 minutes, flipping halfway through, until tender and caramelized around the edges.

This makes an easy fall side dish for pork, chicken, or beef.

🥬 Garlic-Sautéed Asian Greens

Not sure exactly what to do with bok choy or mustard-type greens? Keep it simple.

Ingredients

  • 1 bunch Asian greens
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil or butter
  • 1–2 cloves garlic, minced
  • Salt and pepper
  • Splash of soy sauce, optional

Directions

Roughly chop the greens, keeping thicker stems separate from the leafy portions.

Heat oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the stems first and cook for 2–3 minutes.

Add the leaves and garlic and sauté until the greens are wilted and tender.

Season with salt and pepper or add a small splash of soy sauce.

Serve alongside rice and grilled chicken, pork, or beef.

🥔 Crispy Garlic & Herb Potatoes

Ingredients

  • Potatoes, cut into bite-sized pieces
  • Olive oil
  • Garlic powder
  • Salt and pepper
  • Italian seasoning or rosemary
  • Fresh basil, optional

Directions

Preheat oven to 425°F.

Toss potatoes generously with olive oil, garlic powder, salt, pepper, and herbs.

Spread them out on a baking sheet, leaving a little room between the pieces so they roast instead of steam.

Roast for 30–40 minutes, stirring or flipping halfway through, until golden and crispy.

Finish with chopped fresh basil if you have it.

💚 Crispy Oven-Roasted Okra

If you don’t love boiled okra, don’t judge okra until you’ve roasted it!

Ingredients

  • Fresh okra
  • Olive oil
  • Salt
  • Pepper
  • Garlic powder

Directions

Preheat oven to 425°F.

Trim the okra and either leave the pods whole or slice them lengthwise.

Toss lightly with olive oil, salt, pepper, and garlic powder.

Spread in a single layer and roast for about 15–20 minutes, stirring once, until browned and slightly crisp.

For even more flavor, sprinkle with Parmesan during the last few minutes of roasting.

🥬 Quick Crispy Kale Chips

Need to use your kale but don’t feel like cooking another vegetable side dish? Turn it into a snack.

Remove the tough stems and tear the kale into pieces. Wash and dry very well.

Toss with just enough olive oil to lightly coat and sprinkle with salt.

Bake at 300°F for approximately 15–20 minutes, checking frequently toward the end, until crisp but not browned.

Try adding garlic powder, Parmesan, ranch seasoning, or nutritional yeast before baking.

One Box, One Easy Dinner Idea

Want to use several CSA vegetables at once?

Make a Fall Harvest Sheet Pan Dinner.

Dice potatoes, eggplant, kabocha squash, and okra and toss them with olive oil, salt, pepper, garlic, and your favorite seasonings. Add sliced smoked sausage or chicken sausage and roast everything at 425°F until the vegetables are browned and tender.

Add your kale or Asian greens toward the end so they have just enough time to wilt and crisp around the edges.

Finish with chopped fresh basil.

One pan, very little cleanup, and several items from your CSA box taken care of at once!

Enjoy Week 1!

One of our favorite parts of CSA is encouraging our members to try something they might not have picked up at the grocery store on their own. Don’t be afraid to experiment, substitute ingredients, and make these recipes your own.

Thank you for supporting Wesley Wells Farms and choosing to eat locally and seasonally. We hope you enjoy the first box of Fall Session 2!

Scroll to Top