I’m really excited for tomorrow. Yes, it means we’re that much closer to the weekend, but what I’m excited for is something new to me, and something that’s been a long time coming.
It’s my first CSA pickup!
It’s true, this summer will be the first time I’ve participated in a CSA, or Community Supported Agriculture (localharvest.org has a good rundown of the pros and cons in CSA participation). Basically, a CSA allows you to “subscribe” to a farm’s wares. Every week in the spring, summer, and fall, you pick up a bountiful box filled with all the produce you’ll likely need in a week’s time. It’s a great way to expand your kitchen repertoire, eat good, clean, and fair, and support a local farm.
Not only is this my first CSA, but the partnership I’m forming with the farm that grows my future veggies is invaluable.
I first noticed Three Rivers Community Farm (Elsah, Illinois) at the Schlafly Farmer’s Market, then heard Amy Cloud speak at SLOWednesday’s, a free event provided by Slow Food and Schlafly Bottleworks that highlights local farms and farmers.
So can you imagine how excited I was when Amy emailed me asking for help with CSA recipes?!
This partnership is a dream come true for me. I’ll receive a weekly CSA from tomorrow through mid-November 2012 and in exchange, will create 1-2 recipes a week using the CSA items.
What great timing – I finally feel comfortable enough in the kitchen to experiment with a few weekly surprises, and a farm like Three Rivers that uses chemical-free, sustainable farming methods certainly fits in with the mission of Every Little Thing!
I also plan to help out at the farm at least once or twice this summer, as a way of saying thanks for the beautiful vegetables that Amy, her husband Segue, and their son Diego work so hard to produce.
I will be posting the recipes using Three Rivers’ CSA here on the blog, and Amy will also email them out to CSA subscribers, to help all those busy families trying to eat right and support Three Rivers.
(all the above photos belong to Three Rivers Community Farm)
Also, now that we’re definitely into market season, I’ll be posting a short market report each week, to let you know what you might expect before you go. Look for this logo to help guide you through all that good food!
I’ll be sure to report what I get in my first CSA box tomorrow. Amy has already told us to expect a bounty of greens for the first few weeks – kale, salad mix, lettuce, bok choy, spinach… I’ve already been researching some fun ways to cook the leafy stuff and even found a recipe for beer-braised greens that could get the most green-hating member of your household to try them.
Can’t wait to show you!
Question: Have you ever subscribed to a CSA? What do you think would be the most challenging aspect for you?
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That sounds like a great opportunity!
I’ve done CSA’s a couple of times. The biggest challenge is adapting your eating routine to what you get, rather than what you’re in the mood for or feel like making. It’s easy to stare at a big pile of greens or potatoes, etc. and think that you don’t feel like working with it so you’ll just do it tomorrow. Then a few days go by and you still have a lot of it that you haven’t used and then the next delivery comes and it’s more of the same because it’s still that season.
So really it just takes a bit more discipline to use what you have when you have it so you don’t end up wasting anything.
The hardest thing for us in the Spring CSA is all the greens! In SC we are in our 4th week and the greens are coming out our ears! We’ve started putting all greens in our morning smoothies and experimenting with how to consume sprouts
Yup, we joined Three Rivers last year. The hardest things for us is using the vegetables we’ve never had before, like radishes. We never know what to do with radishes. In the beginning a lot of food went to waste so we quickly learned how to properly store every thing to make it last. That helped tremendously. Also, planning our meals before we even pick up our share. It gives us an idea of what we will eat for dinner the day of pick up.
What a great opportunity for you to showcase your blog some more and help other people learn how to cook with local produce! I would definitely struggle with the whole aspect of not getting to “choose” my groceries. I don’t even like it when my husband does the shopping!
Woot! Can’t wait to pick up our two shares tonight. This is our third year with Three Rivers. They are wonderful.
Monica, my husband love to dip radishes in sour cream and eat them that way. I slice small amounts thinly in to salads.
Wow — what a great opportunity! The greens may seem intimidating at first, but remember, they cook down A LOT! I just discovered a new greens recipe that will be in regular rotation at our house — Crustless Kale Quinoa Quiche. It calls for kale, but I used Swiss chard, and other greens should work as well.
Here’s my post, which has a link to the recipe: http://wp.me/pxqDf-SX
I’ve never subscribed to a CSA, but our weekly garden hauls have a similar effect as far as planning meals around whatever you get. Depending on exactly how much you’re getting, you can also consider freezing or canning.
Have fun! I LOVE being part of a CSA. In San Diego, it was a wonderful way to get a lot of produce into my diet, and to challenge myself with cooking new things. In Washington, none of the CSAs are local because of our weather, so I usually only subscribe during the Fall and Winter months. I prefer Farmers Markets in the Spring and Summer, because that produce is local and usually from small farms.
One of my favorite ways to use greens is what I call a Sausage Skillet and we are going to have some for supper tonight. I brown some onion with a pound of bulk pork sausage and then add whatever greens and other vegetables I don’t know what to do with, or are getting old. I add some grass fed animal fat, a little stock, and salt and pepper. Then I put the lid on and cook on low heat until everything is well cooked. The sausage flavor permeates everything and makes even strong greens easier for our kids to eat. My husband and I really enjoy it.
You’re right, it really just comes down to discipline. I’m ready for the challenge!
haha yes, just this first delivery of greens is plenty for us!
yes, I think the pickup the week before gives you a good idea of what’s coming, plus Amy emails you info too. It definitely requires some planning!
I’m usually very anal about what I buy at the grocery store but even without knowing EXACTLY what’s coming, you know what you’ll likely get based on what’s in season.
I’m going to saute my radishes in butter
That looks great!
I will miss getting everything from the market but at least I can still get eggs and bread there.
That’s perfect!