Cooking with Tat Soi and Turnips!

If you had told me 3 months ago, I would be cooking tat soi and turnips and liking it, and my boys would be liking it, too- I would have probably said, "tat- what?".   This very green leafy veggie is one of the choices we get with our CSA share.  I picked it out on Sat. because I had never heard of it, much less eaten it!  After Monday, there was no more soup in a pumpkin left, but there was plenty of cold, soup eating weather still hanging around.  So, I put on a pot of beans to simmer, then I pulled out all the veggies in the fridge and started chopping.  One of the veggies was tat soi.  I still was unsure what to do with it, but to me it looked and felt similar to a collard, so I decided to chop it up to and add it to my soup.  Into the soup went beans, turnips, sweet potatoes, onions, celery, carrots, and yes, tat soi!  I also browned some fresh chicken sausage given to us by my father-in-law from a local meat man in Lexington- it is delicious!  I added this to the soup as well, and let the soup simmer all afternoon.  The soup filled the house with warm, earthy scents and made it feel very cozy inside while it was still icy and cold outside.  The boys and I also made more homemade bread to dip in the soup.  We had a side salad with fresh greens from Johns Island top with fresh goat cheese.  So far, nobody is complaining about eating locally, and we are still in winter- just imagine the meals when spring and summer roll around!  I can already taste and smell those vine-ripened tomatoes with homemade mozzarella cheese!    Today, we are headed out to pick up our weekly share from the CSA, and make a big batch of egg salad.   Our hens have been laying like crazy, apparently this cold weather does not bother them at all!   Once you taste fresh homemade egg salad, you will never want to eat any other kind again- nothing beats collecting the eggs in the morning and having an egg salad sandwich by lunchtime! 
Update- I will not be blogging for the next five days because my sister is coming home- finally- all the way from Montana!  We are all going to be in Beaufort at my parents house- 6 boys under the age of ten- all under one roof!!  My parents are very brave and/or crazy!  Guess, we will find out what is growing locally right now in Beaufort!  Can't wait to bring home some more fresh lemons and make a lemon pie!  And, of course some more hot toddies!  Happy eating everyone!