What’s in a Winter CSA?
4March 18, 2013 by saltedplates
This year we enjoyed our summer CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) so much we decided to find a winter option. There are fewer out there but still plenty to chose from. We ended up choosing Greensgrow Farms because it was biweekly, included a variety of items not just veggies and the pick ups fit with my calendar.
This weekend was our 8th winter pick up and I am still very happy with our decision. We decided on a “meat” share because the veggies seemed like it would be too much for us to consume without waste and Clay does eat meat but is trying to only have high quality local or organic if he can help it. We have been almost completely able to avoid buying meat since it started so that has made it a worthy choice.
With this pickup you can see that spring is starting to show from the inclusion of the Pea Shoots. I am excited to add them to my salads this coming week and have the first taste of the goodness to come this season.
Also included this week were Apples, Kennebec Potatoes, Popping Corn (on the husk!), Green Cabbage, Frozen Broccoli, Eggs, Thyme, Green Head Lettuce and Philly Cow Share Ground Beef.
I have quite a few recipes in mind for all of this: the pea shoots and lettuce will be used in salads throughout the week with some arugula we have from the store. We used some of the thyme with brunch on Sunday and I will probably dry the rest. The eggs will go quickly as always with various breakfasts for both of us. I think I will save the Popping Corn for our next big movie night (maybe Argo? I can’t wait to see that!) The apples will get eaten as snacks and in salads. The broccoli will probably end up on pizza and in a curry or stir fry. Haven’t come up with something to use the cabbage for so if anyone has any suggestions please share them. Clay is thinking of making chili with the beef but it could also become burgers. I love all the possibilities that a CSA provides. It is almost like a game to me to come up with tasty ways to use it all.
Do you participate in a CSA? What is your favorite item to receive?
Looks like you got some good stuff in there! I loved my winter CSA share, and feel the same way you do. It is definitely like a game to try to use everything up! I also love how I received several items that I had never tried or cooked with before, so it forces me to be creative, to try new things and has definitely improved my cooking skills. Not to mention, we save money because I’m so obsessed with using everything in my share that we rarely go out to dinner any more!
Cabbage was always a tough one for me because you can only eat so much cole slaw. But now I have collected a few recipes I am very happy with and they actually get me excited to get cabbage…
http://inherchucks.com/2012/03/02/hearty-italian-stew/
http://inherchucks.com/2012/01/22/best-ever-chinese-chicken-salad/
http://inherchucks.com/2012/03/27/fish-tacos-with-lime-cilantro-crema/
let me know how they turn out.
thanks for sharing and linking up!
Thanks! I know my bf loves cabbage on this fish tacos so that is a good idea of some thing to make soon. I might try to adapt the chinese salad to our tastes as well. I had no problem using up our napa cabbage in the summer but regular green is a lot harder.
Great! Glad the ideas can coming in handy