Farm Fresh Fried Rice

What is this and what do I do with it? That's a question nearly every CSA member asks at one point in time or another. One of the great benefits of joining a CSA is the abundance of (often times) organically raised fruits and vegetables you receive each week. Some are easily recognizable - lettuce, onions, snap peas, cucumbers, zucchini, while others may not be quite so familiar - kohlrabi, bok choi and hakurei turnips. 

NOTE: I didn't stage this photo well, there's a bundle of beets hidden in there. More on those in a future post.

I've learned a couple of things over the years. 

1. Nearly any vegetable can be tossed in EVOO (extra virgin olive oil) and sea salt, then roasted. Don't pressure yourself to find a new recipe for every item in your share each week. We're all busy, and roasted veggies are GOOD (they're also good FOR you)!
2. Nearly any vegetable works in fried rice (or a frittata more to come on that too).

I had to remind myself of #2 when I received a rather large bundle of salad (aka hakurei) turnips recently and didn't have the time, nor energy, to figure out what to do with them. I immediately began chopping and the process looked something like this...

I sliced up the turnips, then halved or quartered each slice, depending on the size. I also chopped up the greens (they're loaded with vitamins A and C)! I sliced up the spring onion that was in our share, including some of the ends. I also sliced up a couple of a carrots I had left over from a package I purchased at Guido's. Once I was done doing that, I quickly fried up a couple of fresh eggs from Square Roots Farm, then I put them aside. I poured a couple Tablespoons of EVOO in a non-stick pan and added a generous Tablespoon of butter, tossed in the onions (including the green ends) and sauteed them until they were limp. Then I added the turnips and carrots, which I cooked 'til they were tender at which point I tossed in the greens and pre-cooked rice (either white or brown works here, you could even try other grains like quinoa). I added a bit more butter, a couple Tablespoons of Tamari (I used Tamari, but you can use soy sauce if that's what you have in the pantry, we're mostly gluten free here, so that's what I had on hand) and a Tablespoon or so of sesame oil and let it all heat through so the flavors meld. Last, but not least, I added the egg back in at the end.

This is one of those dishes that's just as good (if not better) reheated in the microwave the next day, so I cook a LOT when I make it and pack it for lunch!

As I said up above, this recipe works with nearly any vegetable. Personally, I always add an onion to it, cuz that's the way I roll, but it's entirely up to you! Let me know how you end up making this recipe 'your own.'

Buon appetito!