Sorry the oil tracker was up there for so long– let’s move onto something a bit more positive, okay?  This week I picked up our first CSA share from the good folks at Evensong Farm. I picked this farm for a number of reasons: 1) it’s owned by women (and you know I’m all about the girl power), 2) it’s near Antietam Battlefield (hello 19th century history, my favorite), and 3) they don’t use “synthetic fertilizers, pesticides or genetically modified inputs.”  Oh, and if you’re confused by what the hell a CSA is look here.

We’re just doing a half-share; Jon and I can barely plan when we’re doing laundry let alone an entire week’s worth of dinners-at-home (between classes and lectures and friends and work happy hours we eat out more than I care to admit).  Anyway, this week we got an enormous head of romaine lettuce, a “spicy” greens mix, peas, radishes (yum), bok choy,* green onions/chives, cilantro (yessss!), and garlic scapes.  Sorry, does that read like I’m bragging?  I kind of meant to.  Kind of.

A recipe for the excellent and 100% vegan dip I made from the radishes is after the jump…

This recipe is a variation of one in this month’s issue of Martha Stewart Living.  I can’t find it online yet, but it’s in the one with the hamburger and person in a blue checkered shirt on the cover (by the way, looks like there is a $1 off coupon on the site– wish I’d seen that).  Anyway, here is my variation on her garbanzo and radish dip– it is a bit more garlicy and I used cilantro instead of basil because a) that’s what we had and b) we are BIG cilantro fans in this house:

Ingredients:

2 cans unsalted garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed (keep about 1/3 cup of the liquid)
2 Tbs olive oil
Sea salt, pepper to taste
Cilantro to taste
9 radishes, chopped
2 cloves garlic
juice from 2 fresh lemons
Pita chips and/or bread for dipping

Instructions:

Lightly mash garbanzo beans, oil, salt, and pepper in a bowl until creamy but still chunky.  Stir in the lemon juice, radishes, garlic, and cilantro.  Stir in some of the reserved garbanzo bean liquid until dip holds together.  Refrigerate at least 30 min before serving.

Note: I tried mushing up the beans with forks and a blender.  The blender did NOT work well– spewed beans all over the kitchen.  If you have a stick blender like you use for soups I’d suggest using that.  If not, one of those things you use for pie crusts.  I have no idea what they’re called– the semi circle of like 4 wires on a handle.

*If you play your cards right, maybe I’ll share Jon’s insanely good recipe for spicy Asian noodles with Bok Choy.  I have no idea how he makes it, so actually paying attention for once might be smart.