How are we already EIGHT weeks into our Fresh Fork summer share? It may seem weird to say this – and somewhat cheesy – but I feel like it’s become a part of B and me. We look forward to picking up our weekly share, trying the new recipes and enjoying all the glorious fresh produce and some other local grub (those local corn chips … and local oats … and more – were SO good!).

Anyway, enough blabbering with how much I am loving my Fresh Fork. Here’s what we got this week:

• 1 lb grassfed ground beef
• 1 bulb fennel
• 3# red skin potatoes
• 1 candy onion
• 1 head red cabbage
• 1 lb yellow beans
• 1 cucumber
• 1 dozen eggs
• 1 pint sweet cherries
• 1 quart apricots

And a blurry photo of what we got (I may have been at Parnell’s for happy hour before the pick up):

We’ve finished pretty much everything, minus the beef, which is in our freezer until B figures out what he wants to do with it. Because I don’t really like ground beef unless it’s in a meatball. Even then I prefer turkey. It happens.

Some of our meals:

B made this dish, featuring the cabbage (doesn’t it look professional?!)

We had a wine and cheese night – and the apricots went deliciously with it!

A summery meal featuring potato salad from the potatoes (and the corn, tomato and eggplant are from week 9 – shhhh yes I’m skipping ahead)

And my favorite (well, not my favorite – the pork and cabbage was probably the best, but don’t tell B) – fennel, tomato and avocado salad – which we enjoyed with the beer can chicken.

You can make the fennel salad too – it was really easy so here’s another non-recipe for you to enjoy for the next time you get fennel. There was something just so delicious about the sweetness of the fennel with the bitterness of the balsamic. And who doesn’t like tomato and avocado?

Fennel, Tomato & Avocado salad

Here’s what you need:

• 1 bulb fennel
• 2 fresh tomatoes
• 1 ripe avocado
• Your favorite balsamic vinaigrette. Don’t have one? Make your own! Here’s my favorite recipe – it makes more than enough for this salad plus more:
  • 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground pepper
  • 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
  • 3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 garlic clove, crushed or minced

Here’s what you do:

1. Cut up the first three ingredients. Chop up the fennel bulb into 1/2 inch thick slices. Cut up tomato into thin slices. Find a ripe avocado and cut it into bite sized pieces.
2. Arrange tomato, avocado, and fennel on a plate.
3. Drizzle about 1-2 tbs of your favorite balsamic dressing over the salad. If you’re making mine, combine vinegar, oil, mustard and garlic in a jar and shake well to combine before drizzling a little over the salads. You’ll have leftover dressing for later.
4. Enjoy!

For other Fresh Fork Recaps:

• Summer Yellow Beans with Onions, Lentils and Toasted Almonds (And a mini Fresh Fork Week 7 Recap)
• Fresh Fork Week 6 and B Cooks: Pasta with Zucchini and Garlic in a Red Sauce {Recipe}
• Fresh Fork CSA Week Four And An Asian-Inspired Bok Choy Stir Fry {Recipe}
• Fresh Fork CSA Week Three And Tomato, Corn, Onion and Cilantro Salsa {Recipe}
• Fresh Fork CSA Week Two And Kohlrabi Slaw {Recipe}
• First Week of our First CSA and my First Roast Chicken