Wordless Wednesday: CSA Goodies

I absolutely love our local, certified organic CSA! Look at all of the goodie I get, including the fresh cut flowers.

Wordless Wednesday: First CSA Pickup of 2012

This is our third year with a share at the local organic CSA farm. I look forward to June just for this. I went on Saturday for our first pickup and was able to pick fresh sugar snap peas and strawberries.

The first few weeks are usually thin as far as how much we get to bring home, but this was pretty good for week one: 1 bunch radishes, 1 bunch spinach, 2 romaine lettuce heads, bag of salad mix, 1 quart sugar snap peas, 2 quarts strawberries and 2 Dahlia bulbs.  

And finally I purchased some organic plants so I can try growing some food myself. I bought two cherry tomato plants (sweet 100 and sungold) one red bell pepper plant and one zucchini plant.

Hopefully I won't kill them. (I probably will).

CSA Pickup: September 17, 2011

The cooler weather sure did hit fast here in Connecticut. I feel like it was just in the high 80s and now we are in the 60s. While I do enjoy a crisp Autumn morning, this time of year also means the harvests will be coming to an end soon. Our CSA runs till the very beginning of November so we have a few weeks left, but the goodies are already dwindling. I went from a crazy amount of food two weeks ago which included tomatoes, zucchini, squash, cucumbers, lettuce, etc. to just a basketful of veggies.

Here is this weekend's loot. Potatoes, acorn squash, salad  mix, carrots, red & yellow bell peppers, eggplant and kale. Last night I made sausage and peppers so those are all gone now. I will be making some mashed potatoes at some point for my hubby, who complains that I don't make them enough. And I think I will try making some kale chips again. I tried once last season and was not all that thrilled. But they are so nutrient dense and good for you that I figured it was worth another shot.

I have never cooked acorn squash before so I will have to find something yummy to make with these. Do you have any acorn squash recipes that you can share with me?

CSA 2011 Pickup 4: Flowers Galore!

For my fourth CSA pickup of this year (I am so behind on posting these by the way) we got to pick the usual herbs, plus green beans and lots of flowers. When we first joined our CSA last year I was pleasantly surprised that we got to pick fresh flowers. I wasn't expecting that at all and it is so nice to have a fresh flower bouquet in my kitchen. Unfortunately I forgot to take a picture of all my loot which included carrots, zucchini, cucumbers, tomatoes, sweet corn, eggplant, lettuce and so much more. But here are some shots from me doing my picking.

I was able to pick a huge bag of green beans, which requires a lot of bending. My back hurt but they were delicious!

The flower fields have rows upon rows of flowers and I am clueless as to the names of most of them.

So pretty! I ended up picking a bunch of the flowers that you seen on the bottom there. I think they are snap dragons.

Then I made my way over to the sunflower fields where we were allowed to cut 5 flowers. The outer rows had pale yellow petals and I wanted the darker yellow ones that were on the inside. So deep into the fields I went. I felt like Children of the Corn.

I took the above 2 pictures at eye level to try and capture just how tall these things were. I won't be going that deep into the fields again.

I love sunflowers!

The bouquet of snap dragons I ended up with.

And the bouquet of sunflowers. You can see the two different colors of petals here.

Join me next week as I post pickup number 5! Then I will be up to date. Lots of goodies to be seen and eaten.

Lots of Goodies from Our CSA

I am a few weeks behind on sharing my CSA pickups. I could have jut let it go, but the veggies are just so darn fresh and pretty that I MUST share them. Every week we seem to get a little more as more crop come to harvest. I am usually amazed with how much I leave with.

CSA Pickup 2

First week being able to pick fresh herbs. They give us some scissors and send us out to snip them ourselves. It smells so good here.

Then I was able to pick a huge bag of sugar snap peas. These are delicious and make for a sweet and healthy snack. I keep them in a bag in my fridge and just reach in and grab some whenever I need a quick bite. I just wish my kids would eat them.

First harvest of garlic scapes. This is the top half of the garlic plant and so funky looking. Have you checked out my Garlic Scape & Basil Recipe yet? Delicious!

The full stash! Romaine lettuce, kale, salad mix, basil, garlic scapes, tomato, strawberries, zucchini, summer squash, cilantro, parsley, radishes, sugar snap peas and broccoli.


CSA Pickup 3

More fresh herbs this week! I decided to get some close ups in the field. I was happy to be able to cut some dill this week. I love to break off some into a fresh salad. Yum!

The first fresh flowers to cut were Dahlia.

They look so beautiful sitting on my counter!

More garlic scapes. I just love taking pictures of these.

Biggest load yet. Salad mix, romaine lettuce, dahlia flowers, broccoli, broccoli rabe, cucumbers, basil, cilantro, dill, parsley, garlic scapes, white turnips, beats, tomatoes, zucchini, summer squash and cucumbers.


This upcoming weekend will be my 4th pickup. It looks like carrots, sweet corn, garlic, eggplants and cauliflower will be available. Can't wait!

Have you visited a CSA, farmer's market or farm stand recently? What delicious fresh foods did you pick up?

My First CSA Pickup of 2011

It was a long, long winter especially without no fruits and veggies from our local, organic CSA. It runs from June through November and so my sister-in-law and I have been counting down the days till it started up again. We split our farm share and take turns picking up our produce every weekend. We decided that I would go the first week and then she would go the following week and so on. So two Saturdays ago I headed out, sans kids, with my basket in tow ready to enjoy the peace of the farm.

As I started walking across the fields I felt so happy to be back. Rows and rows of growing crops greeted me and off in the distance I could see fellow shareholders picking fresh strawberries.

I stopped in at the stand to check in and find out what I could pick. Each shareholder was allowed to pick 3 quarts of strawberries on this first week.

I love being able to pick fruits and veggies fresh myself but let me tell you, picking 3 quarts of strawberries on your own takes a long time. I have no idea how long I was out in the fields, but it was a good chunk of time. But just look at these beautiful strawberries!

These are by far, hands down, the most delicious strawberries I have ever eaten. It is well worth the time it takes to pick them. We were able to enjoy these for a week and since they are so fresh, they never spoiled.

After finishing my picking I headed back to the stand to get the rest of my goodies. I snapped a picture of the greenhouses in the distance which house rows upon rows of tomatoes.I can't wait for those to be ready to harvest!

Inside I was also able to get some salad mix, a huge bunch of spinach, a head of lettuce, radishes and scallions. When I got home I laid it all to admire how pretty it all was.

They were also selling some of their organic plants really cheap. So I was able to pick up an heirloom tomato plant and a cherry tomato plant for just $2.00 a piece. If I had any confidence in my gardening skills I would have also grabbed the $1.00 zucchini and squash plants, but I figured this year I will stick with tomatoes.

This weekend I will be returning to the farm for my next pickup and I think they might have some broccoli for us. I'll continue to share my CSA goodies here throughout the year. If you haven't looked into joining a CSA I highly recommend researching to see if there are any in your area. Be sure to check out my post on things to know about community supported agriculture. Nothing tastes better than locally grown produce!

9 Things to Know About Community Supported Agriculture

Last year we had the pleasure of joining a local, certified organic CSA (Community Supported Agriculture). It is by far one of the best "green" thing I have ever done. We were on the waiting list for two years but finally got the call last year and believe me, it was well worth the wait. I was absolutely floored by how much food I would come home with. The picture you see below is just a sampling of the goodies I picked up one weekend. Of course you can read more about how much I love my CSA.

We split our share with my brother and sister-in-law to help keep the cost affordable for both of our families. Since joining many people have started asking us about what Community Supported Agriculture is. So I put together some basic info on what CSA's are all about.

What is Community Supported Agriculture / CSA?
Community Supported Agriculture or CSA is a farming system where the farmers and consumers share both the benefits and risks of food production. The farmer will set up a certain number of "shares" and sell each one to the public. The consumer then gets to pick up their "share" of produce every week during the allotted season. Shares are usually either in the format of a pre-done box of produce or mix and match style where the shareholder can pick and choose, with limits, on what they want that week. If its a great growing season than the consumer benefits from the plentiful harvests. If it is a bad growing season then unfortunately the consumer may not get as much as they had hoped for.

What are the benefits for the consumer?
The number one reason, in my opinion, to join a CSA is because you get the freshest and tastiest produce possible. Plus fresh produce has more nutrients. From the moment a tomato is picked at a farm, then shipped to your grocery store and then bought by you, it actually loses some of its nutrients. You can also find a lot of organic CSA'a so in addition to fresh, you are getting pesticide-free fruits and veggies. It is also great to get your kids involved and bring them with you to the farm so they can understand where their food comes from. Last year the very first thing we got to do was pick our own strawberries. I am telling you they were the best tasting strawberries I had ever had in my life. And my son loved being able to help me pick them.



What are the benefits to the farmer?
Collecting money for shares in advance, usually a few months before the season begins, gives them the cash flow they need to get the plantings and farming going. If it happens to be a horrible growing season, then it is not a total loss for them financially. It is also a great way for them to build relationships with members of the community and gain life long customers.

How much does it cost?
There may be a bit of sticker shock when you first start to look into a CSA in your area. Yes usually hey have a large upfront cost. Obviously this will vary depending on your area and length of the growing season. I would expect that a year-round CSA is more money then a 5 month CSA. For our farm, the cost of a single share is between $560 to $660 depending on which type you choose. The mix and match shares are usually less expensive because you are putting it together yourself and in many instances picking the produce fresh from the fields yourself, so the farm saves on the cost and time of having staff do it for you. I highly recommend this type of share as well because it is so much fun and you really feel connected to the farm and food. Believe me the cost is more than worth it. I walked out with so much stuff some weeks that I felt like I was robbing them!

How long is the growing season?
Obviously this will vary depending on your region and climate. Up here in Connecticut where we have long winters, the season is usually June through october. However if you go down South to warmer areas then you can find year-round CSA's. Oh how I envy you in the warmer climates.

What kind of food will I get?
Again, this will vary by region and climate. All CSA's are going to have typical produce like tomatoes, lettuce, strawberries, carrots, potatoes, and so on. I even know people who purchase locally raised, grass fed beef through their CSA. Our CSA also has herbs and fresh flowers that you can cut every week. It is such a nice touch being able to put some fresh flowers in my kitchen.

I have all of this produce, now what do I do?
Start searching for recipes! This would be a great time to talk with the farm staff and utilize their knowledge. Chances are, they have eaten and cooked almost everything grown on that farm and can help you find a recipe. Many CSA farms also have websites and will list their favorite recipes on it. If all else fails, Google it. You'll find something!

How can I be more involved?
If you fall in love with your CSA and want to find a way to be even more involved, ask them about any volunteer opportunities. On our farm, all of the staff are volunteer's and I know they can always use an extra set of hands!

How do I find a CSA near me?
The first place I would check is LocalHarvest.org. You can search for a CSA by zip code or city, state and it will give you a listing of the closest ones. If you can't find anything there, you may want to check to see if your state's department of agriculture has any type of listings for farms. For my fellow Connecticut residents, I am compiling a list of all Connecticut CSA's which I hope to have up in the next week or two.

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I hope this helped answer some basic questions on CSA's and how they work. Did I forget anything? If you have more questions please ask them and I will do my best to answer them or point you in the right direction! 
If you already participate in a CSA, I'd love to hear about your experiences!

I Am In Love With Our CSA

A few years ago, my sister-in-law found out from a friend that there is an organic CSA farm in our town. We both got so excited! It is expensive, so we agreed we would split the share and she put us down on the waiting list. It took 2 years but she finally got the email over this past winter saying we made it to the top of the list and we could get a share this year. YAY!

With our CSA, you pick up once a week so we have been alternating weeks. I went week 1, she went week 2, etc.  The first week that the farm was open they had Strawberry picking and my 5 year old had a blast. I swear they were the best tasting strawberries I have ever eaten.  That first week was mostly salad greens and other greens like spinach. As a bonus I also got a Dalia bulb to plant!

As the season has been moving on each week there is more and more food to choose from. A few weeks ago we got to pick our own Sugar Snap Peas and Basil. This past week was my 3rd pick up and I was in complete shock with how much they had out and how much we were allowed to take. I know we paid in advance but I swear I feel like I am robbing them. Just take a look at what I cam home with on Saturday.

I still can't believe how much food I got. My favorite part is going out into the fields and cutting my own herbs or picking my own veggies/fruit. I told my sister-in-law that just the experience alone is worth the money. I feel more connected to the land and the food, as silly as that may sound. And while I absolutely hate bugs like spiders, I find comfort in seeing them crawling over the plants as I am picking because it is a reminder that there are no pesticides being used.

Who else out there in the blogosphere is part of a CSA? I'd love to hear about your experience and why you enjoy it? Have a blog post about it? Share it!