Here We Go Again, CSA Year Two

    It was the third week of July and I finally mustered my energy and ordered my CSA subscription.  It only took a couple of trips to the insanely  busy local farmers market to convince me, sometimes I just hate crowns and of course deciding what to buy.  By joining the CSA I ovoid both and still get yummy fresh vegetables.  I'm using Arlington Garden Treasures again this year and encourage everyone to check them out.  I will again try and blog about what comes in my bi-weekly box, wish me luck.

CSA Week One:

Let the mystery begin..

Drum roll please....

My first box had swiss chard, raspberries, tomatoes, beats, cauliflower, onions, garlic, zucchini and the only thing I didn't recognize....

What is it?

I wasn't feeling to adventurous so I sauteed down the swiss chard with bacon, sausage, onions and garlic, grilled the zucchini, ate the tomatoes in salad and sliced, steamed the cauliflower, the beets are waiting to roasted and the raspberries, well that is a story for another day.  So what was the unidentified green stuff?  It was purslane aka pig weed, that's right a weed.  I guess you eat it like lettuce but since I'm very picky about my lettuce, it is moldered in the fridge.  Oh well, you can't win them all.

TTFN everyone!

CSA Reflections

Today I was readying my yard for the coming of Spring and noticed the garlic I planted last fall from my CSA box is coming up and my mind wandered back to the last few CSA boxes of the fall.  

For many years, I had thought of participating in a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) but never pulled the trigger for multiple reasons.  Finally I came across a CSA that fit my needs and I jumped in.  I decided to use Arlington Garden Treasures.  They offered a pick up location very close and very convenient to my home and an every other week box that looked prefect for a single, CSA/vegetable virgin.

 I strongly believe in supporting the local food movement and small farmers for many reasons.  I feel that the food they provide is healthier, fresher and better tasting. I also believe in the importance of the biodiversity in our food chain that they provide.  I feel that small local farmers preserving important land, skills and knowledge that large scale agriculture ignores,  much to our potential detriment.  Also a CSA is a fun easy way to be forced to eat more vegetables, cook at home and try new things.   All in all this experiment was a success and I will most likely participate again this coming summer.

Box Six

Box Seven

The Final Box

Preparing the bounty of the final box.

Enjoy!

CSA Box Week Five and the Attack of the Beet!

Friday night, on the way to some good friends for dinner.  I stopped and picked up my fourth CSA box and wondered what treasures were with in.

And the treasures were...

It held a bag of mixed greens, a bag of green beans, a bunch of onions, a bunch of carrots, a pint of tomatoes, random peppers, potatoes, two apples, garlic and the worlds largest beet!

Not many huge plans for this box.  I'll eat the mixed greens as salad and on burgers and sandwiches.  I'll maybe freeze and pickle the beans and peppers  for later.  But the BEET, I will make borscht.

CSA Box Week Four

Sorry everyone, I've been a bad blogger and photographer.  This is from the box two weeks ago.  I knew what everything was and mainly just ate it.  No cool recipes, just good basic food.

The box....

 

The contents....

There was a bag of mixed greens, a bag of green beans, a pint of cherry tomatoes, two onions, two cucumbers, a bunch of arugula, a bunch of dill, miscellaneous peppers,garlic, a bunch of carrots, potatoes, pears and potatoes.

I shared the mixed greens and arugula in salad at a dinner with friends and on my own.  For some reason, I thought I didn't like arugula.  Well I do,  it has nice spicy/zippy flavor.  I steamed up the green beans multiple nights as a side dish and the pears made a good addition to my breakfast. The potatoes, carrots, garlic and onions are waiting for another day.  Sadly the dill, cucumbers, and some of the peppers went to waste.  I was going to make pickles, but it never happened.  Check back in a few days for some recipes from before and this weeks box.

Box three and a long week

This has been a long week and I was really dragging when I stopped at the pick up point and the box was a little uninspiring.  Maybe after a recharge, I'll feel a bit more inspired.  But until then, behold box three....

....and the contents.....

One head of garlic (I hope it isn't rotten like the last on), 1.5#'s potatoes, on bunch of small Walla Walla onions, 1 # carrots, one bunch beets, three ears corn, 1.25#'s cucumbers, .5 #'s mixed greens, 1.75 #'s small tomatoes, one bunch radishes and 2 peppers.


 Since I'm very uninspired any suggestions would be nice.  Oh and keep you eyes open over the next few days for the post on what I did with the kale and collard greens.


Update...

I gathered enough energy to toss a quick salad.   Mixed greens julienned carrots and cucumber, salted tomatoes, peperoni, black olives, goat cheese and the magic ingredient, Aunty Lilikio Passion Fruit Vinaigrette. The goat cheese merged in with the vinaigrette to dress the salad in yumminess.  It was so  good  Dhugal even wanted some.

CSA Box Number Two

I picked up my second CSA today on the way home from work.  Peeking out from under the giant leaves were some gorgeous looking strawberries and a heirloom tomato.

As I unpacked the box this is what I found.

A bunch of beets, 2 bunches of carrots, a head of cabbage, 2 tomato, a bunch of kale,a bunch collard greens, potatoes, an onion, a head of garlic, a bunch of basil, and 2 cucumbers.

I have to admit these are two of the stranger cucumbers I have seen.

Since I was starving and the smell of basil was driving me nuts, I made a quick batch of  Pesto.  I made the recipe up.  Basil, olive oil, garlic, parmesan cheese, almonds, and sea salt.

 Viola, Pesto!

Slice up one of the beautiful tomatoes that came in the box.  Then sprinkle on some salt, toast a slice of home made bread, spread with left over pesto and finally top with some melted mozzarella cheese and boom! A great a easy dinner.

One last thing, I now have a head and a half of cabbage.  Should I try kimchi and if so do anyone out there have a easy recipe?

First Go

The first thing I made from my first ever CSA box, you ask? Lets see if you can guess.

Why yes, Cole Slaw.  You're a winner!  It made a nice accompaniment to the crab boil we had for family brunch.  I also made some jam from the remaining raspberries in the box. I haven't tried the jam, but it should be good. Since I'm not a huge lettuce fan I gave it to a lettuce loving co-worker.