Our second CSA delivery just arrived! And it's gorgeous!We got cherries again, and both kale and chard (rainbow with reddish stems in the back right) plus that adorable little head of red leaf lettuce, the multicolored carrots, and a zucchini! Also more beets, a small bunch of basil, garlic, spring onion, and some peaches, a plum, and a kiwi. I'm particularly excited about that giant hierloom tomato. I'm going to try a tomato tart with parmesan crust tonight from a recipe on the CSA's website. I'll post it for you below this post.
Also, that white bag in the foreground says "Snickerdoodle." The CSA we belong to is Auntie Em's in northeast Los Angeles county, and the restaurant that organized the CSA is known not just for their food, but for their delicious baked goods. Apparently, we'll be getting a little something with each delivery because we received this cookie today. Last time we got a scrumptious toffee bar and I assumed it was for being a new customer. But I guess not! I never turn down baked goods.
So tonight we'll have the tomato tart and a simple salad, and then I'll use the greens this week and the carrots and potatoes and beets will still be good for next week.
Joining a CSA is like bringing the Farmer's Market to you. And one thing I'm really enjoying so far is trying out new recipes and things I might not have chosen on my own. Are you a member of a CSA? Do you have a Farmer's Market close by? Let me know if you have any good ideas for any of this produce in the Comments section.
6 comments:
That looks great!!! I'm jealous of the cookie ;-)
I signed up for a CSA share, but the young couple split up and stopped farming before we got our first share :-( I am putting stuff in the ground this week, with my parents' help.
I am just curious, how much is your share? I love the variety, especially the carrots.
Angela,
Clever marketing - a box of produce and a sweet treat. You're wise not to turn down baked goods.
Bravo for eating all of your CSA drop from last week!
How was the tomato tart?
Kate
This is my 3rd year getting a CSA share. But we don't have near the variety you do, especially of fruits. Some things just don't grow in Kansas, I guess! We do often get raw milk yogurt and soft cheese and eggs, especially in the early bags when there isn't a lot to harvest yet.
For some reason, I was thinking about the way my mother used to live. We take SO MUCH for granted!
"Before the government hooked up farmhouses to electricity, farm life was very different and much more work. There were no electric lights, radios, air conditioners, washers and dryers, electric irons. Of course, there were no computers, televisions, microwave ovens, or video games (and for my mother's family, no phone). In farmhouses and barns, light came from kerosene lamps. On the farm, men and women, boys and girls did work by hand: hauling water, milking cows, pitching hay, picking corn, and cranking the cream separator or corn shelling machines by hand. Women cooked meals on a stove that burned wood or corncobs. Families heated water on the stove to take baths and wash clothes. Before electric irons, women pressed clothes with a wedge of iron heated on the stove. The family's bathroom was outdoors, an unheated shack over a deep pit."
(That's from a website about York, Nebraska, in the 1930s. My mother lived in Pennsylvania, but it was a similar situation.)
Canadian Saver- Sorry about your CSA, but planting your own sounds even better!
Kim- Aren't those carrots beautiful? I was showing them to my husband, but he wasn't as excited. Our share is $42, and I'm doing it every other week. So that will be $84 a month. I'll have to supplement with bananas and berries and probably greens during the off week, but I don't think it will affect my budget, which I try to keep between 80 and 100 per week for two of us. The past three months I've kept it at 80 with no problem. That doesn't include wine, bulk paper items, or eating out. Thanks for asking- I'll put that info. in my next CSA post.
Kate- The tomato tart was so good it almost made me cry (reminiscent of Eat, Pray, Love- if you've read that). It's also very easy- I made it without a food processor. The crust was delicious, but the tomato was what put it into the heavenly category.
ksmedgirl- yes, I am so thankful for the variety of produce we enjoy here in California- even before we got the CSA share. It's one of the things I really love about living here and have missed when I've lived other places. The eggs and cheese and yogurt sound like a delicious substitute though!
Marylyn- Yes, it's incredible how quickly we became used to "modern conveniences." People used to work SO hard and die so young. We're so lucky really, and we can do things like make our own bread or yogurt because it's healthier and cheaper and tastes better, but we have choices.
Thanks everyone for coming by and leaving a Comment!
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