Today is a day Mrs. LaKathie and I look forward to all winter and spring: the first delivery of our box of fresh, locally grown produce from Angelic Organics, the community-supported-agriculture (CSA) farm we've been shareholders in for the past 8 years.
Last year, I got the idea to chart my weekly voyages into the wild and often unwieldy world of local, in season vegetables... To talk about what's in season, how I'm using it, anything anecdotal that comes up, and to swap stories and recipes with other CSA subscribers, or farmers market shoppers, or farmers themselves, or general foodies in Kos world. Join me for installment number one of What's in Your Box? after the jump.
First by way of intro, a little info about Mrs. LaKathie and me. We have been conscious eaters (no fast food, no soft drinks, as little processed fod as possible for example) for a while now, increasingly so with every year. We're neither of us vegetarians, although we eat vegetarian for about 60-70 % of our diets and know our ways around a block of tofu or a slab of tempeh.
I'm a good, passionate cook. It wouldn't be a stretch to say I am a hardcore foodie. I've even been a food writer and restaurant reviewer for our local alternative paper. I sprout my own sprouts, occasionally I make bread, (although I've fallen out of the habit of late) and we've made our own goat cheese (only once or twice), but mostly we're two working women who try to eat healthfully and well, under the time and economic contraints that so many of us experience.
I also enjoy a nice bottle of wine quite a bit.
So, first day of our pick-up. I walk the mile or so to our pick up site (hoping it wont rain on me on the way -- I have my umbrella just in case), and go around back to the garage where the treaure-yielding boxes are kept. The shareholders who volunteer their garage for twice-weekly pick-ups have a lovely brick bungalo with a yard overgrown with basil plants, raspberry bushes, lilies, ferns. It's sometimes a challenge to get to their garage door! They also have a lazy cat who is often sunning his or herself on the back porch when I arrive.
I take my stuff out of the box on the spot and transfer it to a giant Tescos bag we use just for the veggies -- this way I don't have to rememeber to return the box the following week. So, I take a box, open it, and....
and....
and....
Holy guacamole! That's a lot of lettuce! Three bountiful heads: red leaf, romaine, and green leaf, from what I can tell. There's also an abundant bag of arugula, and a bag of muddy spinach. Three zucchinis. A huge head of bok choy. (Already my mind is working on menus, recipes). A bunch of red and green scallions. Radishes with their green tops. and herbs; fresh basil, thyme, and sage. There is also popcorn on the cob, but since I know from experience that I wont use it, I trade it for another bunch of basil from the swap box.
I hoist the bag over my shoulder and duly laden, head back home. I'm glad I already cleared room in the fridge!
In the past, The Mrs and I have shared our boxes with other families or individuals, but over the years, we've made CSA such a part of our lives that we find we can usually manage the whole weekly 3/4 bushels ourselves (and our recipe repetoire has expanded).
So, here's what's for dinner tonight:
Penne pasta with arugula, basil, and zucchini in a garlic-paremesan cream sauce, and a big honkin' green salad with fresh radishes.
I think I might use the scallions in a miso soup later this week, also maybe in some sesame noodles. And the bok choy will most likely be stirfried with some spicy chili paste and tofu. Naturally, a huge salad is in order every day -- it's the only way we are going to get through those three enormous heads. And then, let's see, there's the spinach. What should I do with the spinach?
Other recipes for the zucchini?
And you? What's in your box? What recipes do you want to share? Headaches, heartaches or love stories associated with your CSA? Questions or comments about how it works? Let's share what we know and keep the conversation going. Happy vegging!