CSA update

[jmc_bks]

As spring has turned to summer, the produce distributed through my local CSA has changed. The strawberries have evaporated; potatoes and cabbage have become regulars, and less lettuce is included. (There were three or four types in the first bundle of produce, down to one type last week.) Chard is still a mainstay, sadly. Fresh onions, radishes and beets have appeared.

What have I been cooking with all of this produce? Well, let’s see. Vegetable lasagna. Pickled beets. Radish greens soup (very good) along side of steamed radishes (okay, better than raw radishes). Orzo & kale. Sauteed sweet potato greens. Cabbage and potatoes. Fresh cole slaw.

I’ve been trying to figure out what to do with the beet greens – they look so pretty but bleed terribly. And red cabbage – what to do with it? I can only eat and give away so much of the stuff.

What hasn’t appeared? Well, cucumbers, which I adore. Snap peas. Squash and zucchini. So I’ve been getting them from other vendors at the farmers market.

The culinary adventure planned for this weekend: chilled blueberry soup. And attempting to make butter from local milk.

Comments

[carrielofty.livejournal.com]

We've had cucumbers, snap peas, squash and zucchini for about four weeks now--maybe just because of the cooler weather here in Wisconsin? But the cucumbers were hoophouse grown. No chard. Radishes are gone, as are the strawberries. We've had a few raspberries (eaten straight as desert one night), bok choy (don't care for it), kale (good in soup), kohlrabi, and herbs like parsley, chives and fennel. I've just been steaming the beats--love them. And we only got one bunch of radishes, just after I learned that I like them steamed. No carrots, and lettuce has dwindled to one head per shipment.

[jmc-bks.livejournal.com]

Mmmm, raspberries.

Probably the cooler weather in WI does influence what's available. Snap peas are usually available fresh in June and early July, but zucchini and squash are normally available all summer long. When I checked the CSA's website (they have a farmer's diary), the owner mentioned that the very warm spring shortened the season for some of their vegetables. And heavy rain at the same time meant that some crops had to be replanted and are running late.

I've come to the conclusion that leafy greens are (for me) better uncooked. Greens that require cooking (collards, chard, kale) are just never going to be my favorite. I can find recipes and make edible dishes with them, but they won't ever my first choice when it comes to produce. The exception to this was the radish soup...which was a puree of the cooked radish leaves, potatoes and onions.

[nm-eviled.livejournal.com]

I have only learned about CSAs this year, too late to participate in my local one. I don't know anyone else who participates, so I hope you don't mind me asking if you think it's worth it? About how much vegetables do you get and how much do you pay (sorry, kind of nosy questions, I know). I'm trying to decide if it's worth it for me, because I eat a ton of veggies, though Josh and Brianna are much more picky.

[jmc-bks.livejournal.com]

My CSA is $525 for a full share. It runs from the first week of June to Thanksgiving week, so that works out to $21/week. So far, there have been 8 or 9 items to pick up each week.
The produce really varies -- the only constant so far has been chard. The quality is very good, though. If I comparison shopped, it would probably be slightly cheaper to buy comparable amounts of similar vegetables at the grocery store. But participating in the CSA has really been about behavior modification for me, because I would never have bought most of these vegetables at the grocery store, at least not in the same volume or quantity. I'm cooking more; I used to eat out a lot more and packed my lunch less.

It has been worth the price for me so far, but I'm already thinking about next year. The CSA farm also participates in a new farmers market near me, so I may decide to just rely on weekly visits and pay as I go, rather than the share up front.

[jmc-bks.livejournal.com]

After thought: I wish the CSA had a share of some sort of dairy or eggs, but those have to be purchased separately at the farmers market from other vendors. I would *love* to be able to get everything from a single farm, but no one around here seems that diverse.

[(Anonymous)]

Our CSA does dairy and eggs, and is starting a meat offering. You might let yours know that you're interested in dairy and eggs.

BTW, we split our share with another household so during beet season they get 'em all and during chard season we get 'em. (If you're not a chard fan, try stewing it with something strong-flavored like sausage and crushed tomatoes or orange squash. If you cook the chard long enough it gets less tough and less bitter.)

RfP (http://www.readforpleasure.com)