Falling into line with the CSA

My weekly CSA share is in full fall force. Sweet potatoes, turnips, bok choy and fall lettuces stuffed my container this week.

I've admittedly become paranoid about bok choy after it's gone wilty a few times. But I found this tip from Ken Horn's Easy Family Recipes from a Chinese-American Childhood:

Store bok choy wrapped tightly in paper towels in the vegetable crisper of your refrigerator and it will keep for up to one week. The best way to rinse bok choy is to cut it according to the recipe, then rinse in at least two or three changes of cold water. Drain thoroughly before cooking.

Feeling somewhat better about this week's share, I've been on the lookout for new recipes. Here are two I've already tried this weekend. I'm still on the hunt for a decent turnip recipe.

Chinese Chicken Soup
Loosely adapted from the Subgum Chicken Soup recipe in Easy Family Recipes from a Chinese-American Childhood. In other words, I didn't have all the ingredients it called for!

3/4 lb. bok choy
1 can water chestnuts
2 cans mushrooms
4 cups chicken bother
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 tablespoon soy sauce
3/4 cup cooked chicken, diced
3 green onions, diced
2 teaspoons sesame oil

Put chicken stock in a pot and bring to simmer.

Prepare the bok choy: Separate the leaves and stalks, and cut leaves into 2-inch pieces. Peel the stems, cut into slices and wash well.

Sprinkle sugar, salt, pepper and soy sauce into stock. Toss in bok choy and vegetables. Cook 5 minutes.

Remove soup from the heat and toss in cooked chicken and green onions. Drizzle sesame oil and serve at once.

Sweet Potato Pecan Bread
from Traders Point Creamery's newsletter this week. I used skim milk instead of whole and had good results.

1 1/2 cup organic white flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 cup sugar
1 large egg
1 stick butter, chopped
2 tablespoons Traders Point Creamery whole milk
1 cup cooked mashed sweet potato
1 cup toasted pecan pieces

Preheat oven to 350. Grease and flour loaf pan.

Peel and dice a medium sweet potato. Boil until very soft, drain, mash. Set aside.

In a saucepan, heat milk. Remove from heat, add butter. Set aside to cool.

Combine flour, baking powder, sea salt, nutmeg, cinnamon, and sugar. Whisk egg into milk mixture and fold into dry mixture. Add sweet potatoes and pecans.

Fill prepared pan. Bake until toothpick inserted into middle of loaf comes out clean. Bake one hour. Cover with foil if loaf needs more time. Serve and enjoy.