Hello Oahu Fresh world!  We hope you had a memorable Labor Day holiday and are ready to get your next bag of local goodness tomorrow.  We’ve got a great bag this week-hydroponic lettuce, swiss chard, sweet potato, papaya, round eggplant, avocado,and daikon.  What can you make with this great local produce?  Here are a few recipes!

Chicken and Daikon Soup   You cook this soup in a rice cooker…so easy!

another variation of daikon soup:  Mushroom and Daikon Soup   Tofu can be added to this also.

Eggplant Moussaka   In case you missed the Greek Festival at Ala Moana you can use your eggplants to make your own moussaka!

Bacon and Swiss Chard Pasta   This has only a few ingredients…make this dish when you want an easy but really tasty dinner!  And you can easily change it up…add prosciutto instead of bacon, throw in a few cherry tomatoes, some spinach…YUM!

Cinnamon Bacon Backyard Sweet Potatoes   I bet these are great the next morning…IF any last that long!

Aloha Oahu Fresh Members!  I am so excited about this week’s bag…I can’t wait to get mine and I’m already looking forward to what I’m going to be making with it.  This week’s bag will provide you with butternut squash, tomatoes, green long eggplant, mint, hydroponic lettuce, avocado, and pineapple.  It’s late summer bounty, and it ‘s really speaking to me.  I’ve been thinking about how to “clean up” my eating lately, specifically to cut out processed foods and extra sugar–and of course that means cooking with whole ingredients, just like what’s coming in the bag.  This week’s recipes will reflect that  and I hope you try a few of them and let me know what you think, or even better email us and provide your own.  Happy local eating!

Butternut Squash and Coconut Curry

Pork Chops over Roasted Summer Vegetables in Citrus Balsamic Vinaigrette and Avocado Cream   This is an uber long title but the picture of this dish looks fantastic!!

Pineapple Mint Punch   This looks wonderful…if you’re skipping the alcohol just leave the rum out.  I am sure it’ll be great with or without it.  And if you have a lime leftover from last week, even better!

Cottage Cheese with Minted Pineapple   Perfect for a light breakfast, mid day snack, or dessert after lunch!

Long Green Eggplants Cause an Uproar!   Green eggplants are just one color that eggplant comes in, and this article includes some tips on easy ways to cook them.

Avocado Salad Lettuce Wraps   An easy way to make a wrap using avocado and any other veggies you like…

Summer is winding down, but we’re bringing the fruits of summer to your door 🙂  This week’s bag will have Hauula tomatoes, Italian basil, mixed sweet peppers, Japanese cucumbers, hydroponic lettuce, and a mix of fruits–lilikoi, lime, and avocado.

What do you do with it all?  Here are a few of our favorite ideas:

Pasta Provencal with Basil, Sweet Peppers, Tomatoes, and Olives   Easy to put together and great to have on hand for a meal or a side.  Chilled white wine would be great, along with some Naked Cow Dairy feta cheese!

Cucumber Tomato Basil Salad with Arugula and Bok Choy flowers   It may be difficult to find the flowers this recipe suggests, so either leave them out or add arugula leaves instead.

An easy lunch or snack…Toasted Avocado Tomato Basil Sandwich

Chilled Cucumber soup   The last time I had extra cucumbers I made this soup…and ate it for dinner and breakfast the next day.  It’s that good, especially in hot weather!

Ono!  Let us know what you create…info@oahufresh.com.  Aloha til next week!

Aloha Oahu Fresh Members!  We’re heading into the last weeks of summer but this week’s bag is still full of sun ripened fruits and veggies to keep you healthy and eating local! We’ve got mixed herbs, avocados, tomatoes, sweet potatoes, hydroponic lettuce, & braising greens to fill your plate this week.  A great way to use these items is in a big salad-almost everything in this week’s bag can be used in one meal.  For some ideas on how to make that happen see below, and enjoy!

Salad Nicoise   This is a French inspired salad which is traditionally made with tuna, anchovies, potatoes, green beans, and a vinaigrette.  You can make a similar dish with your bag items this week, substituting as you see fit.

Garlic and Herb Grilled Sweet Potato Fries

Braised Greens and Sausage Soup Recipe   This makes me think of a summer day outside with a beer…

Wurtz avocados are in the bag this week, from a farm on the North Shore.  Many people say this is one of the best tasting avocados available.  Let us know what you think!

A great bag is on it’s way this week:  nalo greens, lilikoi, swiss chard, butternut squash, hydroponic lettuce, slicing tomatoes, and green onions!

A few recipe ideas to use your fresh veggies in this week:

Rustic Chard and Tomato Tart    This does call for a pie crust (uncooked) so you can pick up one in the dairy/freezer section or be ambitious and make your own.

Caramelized Butternut Squash   This recipe calls for 2 butternut squash, so halve the ingredients if you are only using the one in your bag.

Baby Greens Salad with Almonds and Strawberries   Use blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, or whatever fruit you like on this salad!

Roy’s Lilikoi Shrimp Salsa   Roy serves this salsa with seared ahi; you can choose whatever fish or chicken you would like!  If you don’t have a fine sieve as the recipe calls for to push the lilikoi pulp through, improvise with your colander, a strainer, or even a slotted spoon!

Enjoy this week’s delicious bag and please let us know what you like and what you cooked– Aloha!