Welcome to Week 1 of our Fall CSA!
This week’s harvest includes plenty of familiar favorites, plus one veggie that might have you scratching your head when you open your tote: yard long beans!
Don’t let their crazy length intimidate you. They’re actually incredibly easy to prepare, and you can use them in many of the same ways you would use traditional green beans.
We’ve rounded up a few EASY ideas for this week’s veggies—because enjoying your CSA shouldn’t require spending all evening in the kitchen!
🌱 First Up: What Do I Do With Yard Long Beans?
Despite the name, yard long beans aren’t usually a full yard long—but they can get pretty close!
They have a slightly different texture than traditional green beans and are especially delicious sautéed or stir-fried. Simply wash them, trim the ends, and cut them into whatever size you prefer.
🧄 Easy Garlic-Sautéed Long Beans
This may be the easiest way to try them for the first time.
You’ll need:
- 1 bunch yard long beans
- 1–2 tablespoons olive oil or butter
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- Salt and pepper
- Optional: red pepper flakes
Directions:
Trim the ends from the beans and cut them into roughly 2–3 inch pieces.
Heat olive oil or butter in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the beans and sauté for about 5–7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until they’re tender but still have a little bite.
Add the garlic during the last minute or two of cooking. Season with salt, pepper and a pinch of red pepper flakes if you like a little heat.
That’s it!
CSA TIP: Don’t feel like chopping them? Leave them LONG! Sauté the beans whole and serve them as a fun side dish. Kids especially may get a kick out of eating a giant green bean.
🥓 Southern-Style Long Beans with Sausage
You already have pork sausage in this week’s CSA, so why not put the two together?
You’ll need:
- Yard long beans, cut into pieces
- Pork sausage
- 1/2 onion, diced (optional)
- Garlic
- A splash of chicken broth or water
- Salt and pepper
Brown the sausage in a large skillet and remove any excess grease if necessary.
Add the long beans, onion and garlic and sauté for a few minutes. Add a small splash of chicken broth or water, cover, and cook until the beans reach your preferred tenderness.
Serve it as-is for an easy farm-to-table dinner, or spoon it over rice.
🥒 Crispy Parmesan Zucchini & Squash
When you want a veggie side dish that takes almost no effort, this is a good one!
You’ll need:
- Zucchini
- Yellow squash
- Olive oil
- Grated or shredded Parmesan
- Garlic powder
- Salt and pepper
Preheat your oven to 425°F.
Slice the squash and zucchini into rounds or spears and toss with a little olive oil, garlic powder, salt and pepper.
Spread them onto a baking sheet in a single layer and sprinkle generously with Parmesan.
Roast for approximately 15–20 minutes, or until tender and beginning to brown. Broil for the last minute or two if you’d like the Parmesan extra crispy.
🍳 Easy Squash & Zucchini Skillet
This is one of those recipes that doesn’t really need a recipe.
Slice your yellow squash and zucchini. Add a little butter or olive oil to a hot skillet and toss in the veggies.
Season with salt, pepper and garlic and sauté just until tender.
You can also add:
- Sliced onion
- Fresh herbs
- Parmesan
- Crumbled bacon
- Cooked sausage
- A handful of spinach
Use what you have and make it your own!
🍝 Got a BIG Zucchini? Don’t Toss It!
Sometimes zucchini hide under those giant leaves and seemingly turn into baseball bats overnight. 😂
Those larger zucchini may not be quite as tender as the smaller ones, but they’re still incredibly useful.
Turn them into zoodles!
Use a spiralizer to make zucchini noodles, or simply slice the zucchini lengthwise into very thin strips.
Use them for pasta:
Sauté your zucchini noodles briefly, then top with your favorite pasta sauce, meat sauce, Alfredo or pesto.
OR make zucchini lasagna:
Slice a large zucchini lengthwise into thin, flat strips and use them in place of traditional lasagna noodles.
Layer the zucchini with meat sauce, ricotta, mozzarella and Parmesan just like regular lasagna.
Important tip: Zucchini contains a LOT of water. Lightly salt your zucchini slices and let them sit for about 10–15 minutes, then pat them dry before assembling your lasagna. This helps keep the finished dish from becoming watery.
🥒 BONUS: Don’t Forget Those Cucumbers!
For the absolute easiest cucumber side dish, slice your cucumbers and toss them with:
- A splash of vinegar
- A pinch of sugar
- Salt and pepper
- Thinly sliced onion, if you have it
Let everything chill in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes. It’s crisp, cold and especially good alongside sausage or grilled meat.
🌻 The Best CSA Recipe Is Sometimes the Simplest One
You don’t need complicated recipes to enjoy farm-fresh vegetables.
Roast them. Sauté them in butter. Toss them on the grill. Add them to eggs. Throw them into a skillet with your pork sausage.
And if you find something unfamiliar in your CSA tote, don’t be afraid of it! Part of the fun of joining a CSA is getting to try something you might never have picked up at the grocery store.
Happy cooking, CSA Crew! 🌱