Gastography

CSA Box 11

3 South Carolina peaches
1 lb. strawberries
6 oz. local Florida blueberries
7 Fair Trade bananas
3 ears local Florida corn
3 portabello mushrooms
5 oz. baby arugula
2 slicing tomatoes
2 Vidalia onions
4 zucchini
10 red potatoes
2 heads broccoli

How I Used My Share

I sauteed the portabellos with zucchini, garlic and a shot of balsamic vinegar for a sandwich

I ate the peaches out of hand

I turned the strawberries and blueberries into a jam with oregano and balsamic vinegar

My DH ate the bananas

I ate two ears of corn with fresh Italian sausage

We ate the other ear of corn with vidalia onion, arugula and potatoes in a roasted potato salad

I ate the tomatoes on sandwiches for lunch

We ate the broccoli on hummus pizza

My Favorite Recipe From This Box

Roasted Potato Salad with Bacon, Corn and Arugula

1 Year Ago

1 pound strawberries
6 oz. local Florida blueberries
7 Fair Trade bananas
1 Tommy mango
3 peaches
3 ears local Florida corn
2 local Florida yellow squash
1 bunch spinach
2 slicing tomatoes
2 Vidalia onions
2 large cucumbers
6 red potatoes
2 large heads broccoli
1 head garlic

What I Made: Roasted Potato Tacos with Corn; Malaysian Curry; Thai Salad; Squash and Egg Stir Fry; Vidalia Onion, Spinach and Toasted Broccoli Risotto Topped with a Fried Egg; Mango and Pepper Rice with Cucumber

***
This will be my last CSA-related post until November. I have made the decision to switch from a buying club-style organic focused CSA to a more local CSA that produces all of their fruits and vegetables in a small urban garden less than 5 miles from my house. This CSA runs from November-April and should provide more than enough veggies to feed the two of us well each week.

The decision comes hard, as I love thinking of new and exciting things to do with the vegetables I get with each share and new ways of wringing every last bit of goodness from each box. I will miss having year-round convenience, but it’s a small trade-off to be able to support a local garden.

The particular CSA I have been partaking of is an organic produce buying club, and while certainly worthwhile, there have been a number of smaller, more local-focused farmer’s markets and CSAs that have cropped up in the year and a half since I first joined the CSA. That, and frankly, since the CSA I joined has been growing leaps and bounds (and expanding way out of Florida), the quality and variety have suffered. Partially from this year’s drought, frost and flooding and partially because the CSA has grown so quickly. Organic is lovely, but I’d much rather support someone right in my backyard producing varieties of produce that aren’t farmed with longevity in mind. I’ll take taste over shelf stability any day.

I will continue to post my favorite recipes (maybe even more often!) and what to do with a box of vegetables as I am able. I have a year and a half’s worth of info to share—maybe even in cookbook format–if I can find the time and/or lazybones motivation.