Although true spring seems to be taking its time coming to Wisconsin, last weekend it seemed right around the corner at the Community Supported Agriculture open house at Olbrich Gardens in Madison.
Each year, the Madison Area Community Supported Agriculture Coalition (MACSAC) provides a forum for the public to meet with representatives of some of the 35 different member CSAs in the Madison area in order to find the right CSA program for your family.
Additionally at this year’s open house, Chef Steven Buchholz of Crema Cafe on Monona Drive in Madison, did a brief demonstration of cooking with fresh ingredients from your CSA.
In addition to demonstrating a couple of recipes, Chef Steve kept a running patter of cooking tips that you just wanted to write down, including shopping the restaurant supply store Kessenich’s for good deals on things such as sheet pans, and trimming out the green germ of garlic to keep it from giving a bitter taste when cooking.
Below is his simple recipe he shared for making a quick and fresh Italian vinaigrette dressing for your CSA produce, with only a couple of minutes of prep and a quick blend in a food processor:
- 1/4 Cup Red Wine Vinegar
- 1 Tablespoon Garlic, minced
- 1 Tablespoon Shallot, minced
- 1 Teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 2 Teaspoons Oregano, dried
- 1 Cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Simply combine ingredients in food processor, blend, and then check for seasoning.
All we need now is for spring to cooperate with the season’s first leafy greens.