Community Supported Agriculture (CSA)

Our kitchen has been an exciting place for the last few weeks. As my readers already know, I'm a firm believer in good nutrition, having become convinced over the past few years that good nutrition is the foundation for good health.

That being said, my readers also know that one of the most difficult things I've found about having 2 kids under 2 is how to find the time to cook well. On any given day, the scenario in my kitchen is this - I am juggling a baby being strapped to me while trying to make sure the toddler isn't getting into trouble, all while trying not to burn whatever I'm cooking, all while trying to make sure the baby who is strapped to me doesn't get burnt or the toddler doesn't get into the oven. This makes cooking challenging, to say the least. And in order to cook, I must have the ingredients. This means grocery shopping with the toddler in the shopping cart and a baby strapped to me.

Grocery shopping with 2 under 2 is like planning a covert operation. I have the toddler in the cart and the baby strapped to me, and I am trying to do it quickly before the baby wants to nurse or the toddler throws a tantrum from not being able to eat the bananas in the shopping cart (he can't eat them because you pay by the pound). My solution is to try to sing songs while parading down the aisles, distract him with "I Spy" games, or trying to convince him to consume something that isn't pay by the pound. Still, he always seems to want the bananas. I always enter the supermarket with a perfectly organized list (a necessity), and yet it's nothing short of a miracle if I make it out without forgetting an item.

The concept of supermarket shopping is one-stop shopping. Yet the quality produce in all of the local supermarkets is "questionable." One day I made it home, cooked supper, sat down in hopes of enjoying my beautiful meal only to taste the pesticides in the lettuce. It was gross and disheartening. There has to be a better way to do this, I thought, without having to go to several different stores in order to gather the ingredients for one meal.

Well, I think I have found the solution...

The CSA - Community Supported Agriculture. The concept behind the CSA is that families invest in a local farm at the beginning of the season. They pay a fee upfront which helps local farmers buy seeds and supplies for the season. In return, 'investors' get a share in the crops for the season (most seasons last May-October, and usually there is the option of buying a half share or a full share). Then each week 'investors' go to the farm and pick up a box with all of their produce in it. I'm told that in some CSA's the 'investors' are actually expected and/or encouraged to participate in some of the farming. I think this concept is really neat, because it's a way to teach children where their food comes from and all the work that goes into growing it. However, at this stage in my life I was happy to find a CSA where farming isn't a requirement.

It all started when our friends Jennifer and Brian went on vacation and asked if Ben and I would be interested in picking up their CSA share since they wouldn't be able to use it for the week. I googled CSA, and became very excited. I was thinking that this would be the perfect solution for our family, but my husband doubted my ability to cook all of the vegetables since some of the vegetables are unusual varieties and a lot of creativity goes into meal planning around them. I was up for the challenge.

He and I are happy to report that I proved him wrong. Not only was I able to use all of the vegetables (and there were a TON of them in this large share we picked up), but I actually ENJOYED meal planning around them and using them as a starting point for learning how to make some really creative meals.

The vegetables were DELICIOUS and after tasting them, we're completely hooked. And did I mention how EASY it was picking them up? I literally just pulled up to the farm stand and the farmer loaded them into the car for me in a giant crate! This means that I could keep the boys buckled into their carseats in the back. I didn't even have to get out of the car!

I picked up the fruits and veggies last Thursday and then planned our meals for the week around the vegetables in my box. Some of the fruits and vegetables were foreign to me, and some of them I had never cooked with before. So I relied on the help of some friends and some YouTube cooking videos to teach me.

Here are some of the things that came in my box:

*and all of these vegetables were just for 1 week! We will get a new box every week!

*click on photos to enlarge

• Cucumbers (yellow, pickling, and regular)
• Green Beans
• Squash
• Zucchini
• Eggplant
• Green Swiss Chard
• Broccoli
• Corn
• Potatoes
• Green Peppers
• Onions
• Lettuce
• Arugula
• Little Orange Tomatoes (these were so sweet and yummy!)
• Large Red Tomatoes
• Beets
• Peaches
• Early Mac Apples
• Shiro Plums
• 2 Pints of Blueberries

Here are some of my week's creations...

I sauteed the green swiss chard in garlic and olive oil. It was delicious!

I made a nice large salad using the lettuce, a red onion, the cucumbers, and some of the tomatoes.

String Bean Salad Recipe which I've posted on here before...

• 2 lbs of string fresh string beans (trimmed)
• 1/2 a red onion (diced)
• 1 cup of fresh feta cheese (crumbled)
• 2/3 cup of your favorite balsamic vinaigrette dressing
• 1/2 a cup of dill weed (chopped)

• Boil beans in water for approximately 10 minutes (until tender)
• Drain and rinse beans with cold water
• Place beans in a large bowl and add ingredients

I made one of my favorite chicken recipes using the yellow onions - saute the chicken breasts in olive oil and garlic and caramelize 6 large sweet Vidalia onions. Place chicken over onions in a baking dish. To make the sauce, combine 1/2 cup of balsamic vinegar, 1 cup of chicken broth, and 2 tablespoons of corn starch in a sauce pan. Poor sauce over chicken in baking dish. Then put sun dried tomatoes and goat cheese over the chicken. Bake in oven at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. This is one of my all-time favorite recipes.

Yogurt and fresh blueberries as a healthy afternoon snack

I even made Ben an omelette with farm fresh veggies in it for breakfast...

One of the neat things about the CSA is that I felt the need to use up all the vegetables, so I ended up cooking things I wouldn't normally cook. Another benefit is that for the past 2 weeks our entire family has enjoyed a very well-balanced diet.

Fresh Mozzarella, Tomato, and Basil with homemade balsamic vinaigrette

My first attempt at Eggplant Parmesan was a success! Here is the recipe. I'll be making it again this week.

Breaded Lemon/Garlic Haddock with Wild Rice

Broccoli with a homemade yogurt/beet sauce (just combine a handful of roasted beets with 1 cup of plain yogurt in a food processor).

Yes, it's hot pink, I know...

Mystery vegetables I had to Google...

Verdict: Green Swiss Chard (correct me if I'm wrong)

Verdict: Strange Yellow Cucumbers (correct me if I'm wrong)

I thought it would be fun for my readers to post recipes in the comments section that use some of the ingredients I was given. For example, if you have a good recipe that uses zucchini, beets, eggplant, etc. please post it in the comments section of this post so we can have a giant recipe exchange!