What a great way to start the week. This is what was delivered to our door this morning. It's like receiving an incredible gift every other Monday: you know you're going to love it, and you know generally what it will be, but at least part of it will be a surprise.Like those dates, for example. What a nice surprise! And I was expecting tomatoes, but look at them. They're gorgeous. I'm going to make the incomparable "Tomato Tart with Parmesan Crust" tonight for the 4th or 5th time this summer. It might be my last chance. Click here if you missed that recipe. It really is divine, and it's simple too.
Here's what we got, roughly clockwise from the back: Frog Skin melon, red peppers, white scallop squash and yellow squash, sun gold tomatoes, green beans, pluot, nectarines, cookie, crimson grapes, heirloom tomatoes, dates, caliope eggplant, white garlic, red onions, red butter lettuce, baby carrots, and watermelon.
I'll post a recipe that will use up all your late summer produce below this post (hint: it's the name of a Pixar film), plus an article called "30 Days of Ripe Tomatoes" for all of you who grow your own and can't eat them fast enough.
It's almost impossible NOT to eat healthfully when you get a CSA delivery. Produce this fresh makes it easy to turn down the junk.
Are you a member of a CSA or do you go to a Farmer's Market? Either way, you're supporting local farmers, and doing a big service for the environment and for your health. Please share your thoughts, plus preparation ideas for anything you see in this photo in the Comments section.
3 comments:
Hi Angela,
Love your blog!
We have a phenomenal farmers' market in my town of Peterborough, Ontario -- it runs a smaller version on Wednesday in the downtown and the full-scale version is Saturday in a large parking lot (moves inside to a large building in November). It runs all year. Right now it is chock full of great stuff: the mushroom man has oyster mushrooms right now as well as his usual white, cremini, and portobellos, all the fruit from the Niagara Penisula is showing up, the local melon lady is back on Wednesdays, and there's lots of local corn, potatoes, greens, peppers, broccoli, cauliflower, beets, carrots, garlic. We have several baked goods vendors (some using locally grown wheat and spelt), both goat and cow cheese, eggs and honey. We can get locally grown meat (always without hormones, sometimes grass-fed): elk, buffalo, emu, beef, goat, and pork.
Your green beans and red pepper will combine nicely with Thai green curry paste, coconut milk, and either firm tofu or chicken for an elegant curry over rice.
Yum!
I would love to join a CSA, but there are very few in this area, and the ones that are here don't seem to be very organized. Until I can find one that works for us, I buy our produce at the farmer's market, a local orchard, and a small, local grocery store in the off-season.
annet- Thanks! I'm so happy you enjoy the blog. And thanks for taking the time to comment. Your Farmet's Market sounds amazing.
And my husband and I both love curry- thanks for the great idea! That's exactly what I'm going to do!
Frugalchick- It sounds like you've got some great options. A CSA isn't really necessary, it just makes buying local super convenient. I think Farmer's Markets are great too, I'm just not that good about getting there because we don't have one in the immediate neighborhood (that's not strictly true, but our Farmer's Market includes- I kid you not- a lip-syncing Elvis and donkey rides, it's fun but not exactly the best place to buy your produce)
Thanks for commenting!
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