Gaga for Greens! - CSA Week 2

This week's CSA was similar to last: asparagus, lettuce, strawberries, kale!, garlic greens and thyme. Our pick-up location has a trade-in box where members can discard items they won't use and pick up ones they'd rather have. A bunch of fellow CSA-ers decided to forgo their garlic greens.
I can see why! They are pretty difficult to find a use for. Really, you have to cut off the tough leafy parts and only use the green stem to the white bulb. I picked up a few extra stalks and made...Green Garlic Soup!



Just like onions, sauteing garlic greens produces a soft, sweet flavor. I cut off the dark green, flat leaves and the garlic bulb. I then cut the garlic stems into about 2 cups of thin rounds (took me approximately 7 stalks.) Half a stick of butter went into a heavy-bottom pot on medium heat along with 2 medium, diced red onions. I sauteed those until clear and tender. Make sure not to brown them. I added in the garlic greens and 3/4 lb diced red potatoes (skins on.) Added salt and pepper and cooked another 5 minutes. I then added 4-5 cups organic vegetable broth, sliced baby portobellos and minced thyme, brought it all to a simmer, covered with a lid and let it be until the potatoes got soft, but not mushy.

From the same basket we made Southern Style Greens:
I used the garlic bulbs I had cut off of the greens, sliced them thin, sauteed them with a bit (just a bit!) of bacon fat, home-made butter, salt, pepper and half of a small red onion. Then I added some apple cider vinegar (to taste) and organic chicken stock, enough to cover the bottom of the pan and then another big splash, oh so scientifically precise! Add the coarsely chopped kale, cover with a lid and turn the heat way down. Wait for the kale to cook down to your liking (whether that be crunchy or soft.) I like mine pretty soft.

All that is left is asparagus - that one always goes quickly, who doesn't love asparagus?! lettuce, strawberries and the rest of the thyme.