So here it begins.
CSA= Community Supported (or Sustained) Agriculture. An alternative (and better) way of getting your food. I won't wax poetic about the virtues and personal satisfaction being part of a CSA can bring, but click here for a definition and also, the organic farm in Long Island that provides the goods. The 2008 season runs from June through November, and I paid for a half share combo, which means I get a mix of veg, fruit, flowers and eggs every other Saturday, or as my confused Irish-born boyfriend corrected me, "you mean, every fortnight?" As if 'fortnight' is any clearer than 'every other'. Americans please back me up.
June 21st, Saturday, 2008 -- 1st pickup
Vegetable:
Cilantro - 1 bunch
Spinach - 1 bunch
Pea Shoots - 1 quart
Sugar Snap Peas - 1 pint
Mixed Greens (baby kale mostly) - 1 quart
Red oak leaf lettuce- 1 head
Fruit:
1 bunch wildflowers (cosmos, snapdragons, queen anne's lace, mini sunflower, rye)
Half dozen eggs*
*A note about the eggs. There is a huge difference in quality of eggs straight from a small farm compared to those of a mass-produced kind. Once you see these orange-yolked beauties, you would hesitate to go back to the thin-shelled, pale yellow norm you pick up at the local store. Happy chickens=happy eggs=good eats!
I have the advantage of vegetarian-focused culinary training, so not knowing in advance what I'm going to get works just fine. As long as my pantry is stocked with versatile staples, coming up with dinner on the fly is no problem.
Meals
1. Spinach and Pea Shoot Salad with Bacon and Shiitake, Mustard Vinaigrette
Got inspiration for this from a recipe on epicurious.com. Definitely a keeper. Delish!
2. Sugar Snap Pea Salad
Blanched sugar snap peas, green, herby olives, slivers of Romano cheese, on a bed of torn red-leaf lettuce dressed with a simple lemon vinaigrette.
Just a quick lunch before going out for dinner. This light salad was great for off-setting the rich meal-to-come.
3. Pea Shoot and Tofu Stir Fry
A solo Monday dinner. Usually when I eat alone I crave Asian flavors and an abundance of fresh vegetables. It must be because I cook/eat grandiose full-fat meals when I'm with the boyfriend. I stir-fried this meal with a saucy mixture of tamari, sesame seeds and toasted sesame oil, a splash of mirin, and Korean chili flakes. Ginger matchsticks, chopped garlic scapes and cilantro were added in the beginning for the flavor-boosting aromatics that are key to a good stir fry.
*No solo meal of mine is complete without a side of kimchi. It's my ultimate comfort food. It might be the answer to that question "what would your last meal be?" (Which is worthy of its own post, as I've read that most death-row inmates end up choosing foods that are cheap, simple, and bring them back to good childhood memories. Things like certain cereals, and meals their moms cooked for dinner.)
4. Frittata.
Dinner with the boyfriend. He and I just returned from post-work workouts, so we needed a quick re-feuling, as it was late in the evening. I whipped together a frittata of spinach, bacon and sweet onion. My new enameled cast-iron pan was the perfect two-person serving size. This is a great way to use up sparse bits and pieces of veg, meat, cheese sitting in your fridge. I like dishes that clear out the leftovers. Fried rice is another one of these quick, fridge-clearing meals.
The eggs were just as I had imagined and expected- orange orbs sitting thick and high in the bowl- I whisked them into a gorgeous sunny yellow. Chris echoed his approval, I doubt he had seen such deeply colored yolks before, sign of a healthy flavorful egg. That alone is the easiest way to convert a free-range skeptic to farm-fresh eggs. No words necessary.
Fruit:
Rhubarb - 2 stalks
Strawberries- 2 pints
Flowers/Eggs:1 bunch wildflowers (cosmos, snapdragons, queen anne's lace, mini sunflower, rye)
Half dozen eggs*
*A note about the eggs. There is a huge difference in quality of eggs straight from a small farm compared to those of a mass-produced kind. Once you see these orange-yolked beauties, you would hesitate to go back to the thin-shelled, pale yellow norm you pick up at the local store. Happy chickens=happy eggs=good eats!
I have the advantage of vegetarian-focused culinary training, so not knowing in advance what I'm going to get works just fine. As long as my pantry is stocked with versatile staples, coming up with dinner on the fly is no problem.
Meals
1. Spinach and Pea Shoot Salad with Bacon and Shiitake, Mustard Vinaigrette
Got inspiration for this from a recipe on epicurious.com. Definitely a keeper. Delish!
2. Sugar Snap Pea Salad
Blanched sugar snap peas, green, herby olives, slivers of Romano cheese, on a bed of torn red-leaf lettuce dressed with a simple lemon vinaigrette.
Just a quick lunch before going out for dinner. This light salad was great for off-setting the rich meal-to-come.
3. Pea Shoot and Tofu Stir Fry
A solo Monday dinner. Usually when I eat alone I crave Asian flavors and an abundance of fresh vegetables. It must be because I cook/eat grandiose full-fat meals when I'm with the boyfriend. I stir-fried this meal with a saucy mixture of tamari, sesame seeds and toasted sesame oil, a splash of mirin, and Korean chili flakes. Ginger matchsticks, chopped garlic scapes and cilantro were added in the beginning for the flavor-boosting aromatics that are key to a good stir fry.
*No solo meal of mine is complete without a side of kimchi. It's my ultimate comfort food. It might be the answer to that question "what would your last meal be?" (Which is worthy of its own post, as I've read that most death-row inmates end up choosing foods that are cheap, simple, and bring them back to good childhood memories. Things like certain cereals, and meals their moms cooked for dinner.)
4. Frittata.
Dinner with the boyfriend. He and I just returned from post-work workouts, so we needed a quick re-feuling, as it was late in the evening. I whipped together a frittata of spinach, bacon and sweet onion. My new enameled cast-iron pan was the perfect two-person serving size. This is a great way to use up sparse bits and pieces of veg, meat, cheese sitting in your fridge. I like dishes that clear out the leftovers. Fried rice is another one of these quick, fridge-clearing meals.
The eggs were just as I had imagined and expected- orange orbs sitting thick and high in the bowl- I whisked them into a gorgeous sunny yellow. Chris echoed his approval, I doubt he had seen such deeply colored yolks before, sign of a healthy flavorful egg. That alone is the easiest way to convert a free-range skeptic to farm-fresh eggs. No words necessary.
1 comment:
Thanks for this blog. For sharing your experience as part of a CSA, that is so exciting. Your descriptions and pics are a treat for the senses. Thanks for sharing your culinary expertise, too. I will definitely follow this blog and look forward to reading about delicious healthy eating and community sustained agriculture.
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