Today is the first Thursday since June I won’t be picking-up a mystery box of fruits and veggies for the week. Our CSA is officially over for the year. Since this was the first time we’ve joined a CSA, after years of thinking about it, I thought I would fill you in on what we found to be the best and worst parts, along with photos from some of my favorite meals based on CSA ingredients (click on the pictures to see the recipe)!…
Whole Wheat Cherry Zucchini Bread
Pros:
-I have tried SO many new foods and recipes! Foods I had never even heard of (kohlrabi, anyone?) and recipes that I only would have tried having an abundance of one ingredient.
Eggplant Caponata
-I learned so much about what foods are grown in what season and temperature. Chilly spring weather? Scallions, cilantro and bok choi. The heat of summer? Cucumbers, basil and zucchini. When Hurricane Irene hit the East Coast, it affected the tomato plants. Although I was extremely disappointed to not get one of the foods I was looking forward to most, I realized that what I’m eating should be affected by the environment.
Corn & Radish Salad
-We have been able to eat fresh, local, organic foods and saved money while doing it! Not only is the farm our food was grown on local, but it also employed local youth and supports community/urban gardens. In addition, the foods could not have been fresher and cost less than the same product in the grocery store that may have been shipped from another country!
Roasted Acorn Squash Stuffed with Jira Rice
Cons:
-We still end up paying for CSA shares on weeks when we couldn’t pick them up. After paying a one-time fee for the entire CSA, each week is then paid-for, whether or not the box has been picked-up. Due to travel, weather and other scheduling conflicts there were about 5 weeks we couldn’t pick-up our share. Thankfully, we were always able to find an appreciative friend who would enjoy the produce for the week (and our CSA donates the extra food to local soup kitchens) but I would always prefer to save money, when possible.
Winter Squash Biscuits
-There are just some foods I couldn’t eat anymore of. Beets. I don’t love beets. My husband doesn’t even like beets. They take an extreme effort to make (and clean). We got a lot of beets in the last few months. I made beet salad and roasted beets and then got exhausted at eating and preparing them, and every time we received more of them, I just couldn’t imagine peeling another one.
Vegetable Pot Pie
In my opinion, the pros far outweigh the cons of doing a CSA and I have looked forward to it every week! I’m actually still in a bit of shock (and mourning) that I have to go to the store for my produce and will struggle to find seasonal items that were grown locally. If you’re considering joining one, I would definitely recommend it!
~Have you ever joined or thought about joining a CSA? What do you look for when buying foods?
