Bok choy, lettuce, Chinese cabbage, arugula, mizuna, rhubarb, garlic chives and sage

Yesterday was the first pick up for the new CSA from Stoneledge Farm. Scored bok choy (two big heads), Red Tide red leaf lettuce, Chinese cabbage, arugula, mizuna (whatever that is), rhubarb, garlic chives and sage.

The email from the farm says mizuna is good in salads or lightly cooked, but I'm going to have to investigate more. Just posted a query on facebook, so we'll see if any of my FB friends knows what to do with mizuna. My CSA cookbook does not list any recipes for mizuna, so if FB doesn't pan out may have to dig deeper. But maybe this is overthinking and I should just toss a salad.

On the menu last night was mushroom, onion and sundried tomato sandwhiches with feta cheese (filling already prepared), which were probably calling out for a salad to accompany them, but by the time I got home I was pressed for time and didn't feel like giving the lettuce the thorough washing I could see it would need. Bok choy is much quicker! I cut off the bottom inch and a half of the head, which dispensed with most of the dirt. Then quickly rinsed, chopped, and stir fried with peanut oil, soy sauce, and some of the garlic chives. Which is when I learned how mild the garlic chives are; next time I'll need to add more -- and/or use them raw. So we had a mediterranean vs. asian clash of flavors, but no one was complaining. My son's vegetable repetoire begins and ends with broccoli, carrots, tomatoes and corn, so he would have nothing to do with it. But my daughter deigned to try the bok choy -- then took a full serving (and went back for seconds).

Tonight we had roasted salmon (finally, the warehouse store has wild caught!), accompanied by an arugula salad. As the farm email warned, it was full of small, round (and only "cosmetic") holes, thanks to the flea beetle, since even the "floating row cover" could not dissuade these pests from snacking on the greens. One way we know we're eating organic! Hole-y or not, it was delish. As my mother-in-law pointed out, it actually tasted like arugula, unlike what she'd just had in a mesclun mix from the grocery story. After rinsing it in two changes of water to get rid of the grit, I tossed the arugula with tomatoes, avocados, olive oil and balsamic.

But all I've been thinking about is what to do with the rhubarb. And will we get more next week, so I'll get another chance to experiment? Or is this my one shot for the season? My mother in law mentioned the NYT this week had recipes for rhubarb, so I just looked those up (http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/10/dining/10Appetite.html?scp=1&sq=rhubarb&st=cse). Think I'm sold on the simple compote recipe, but if I get some time this weekend may go for the cobbler. Or maybe a crisp.