Should I Join A CSA?

Yes, it's the fall CSA season here. (I know, it's weird to me too!) I am thinking about joining one. Pickup is at the farmer's market downtown on Wednesday from 4-8pm. Not only would I be getting my vegs, but I'd also be in place to do some fun things downtown. Should I give it a try? It's an expensive proposition. I think most of my problem was the CSA itself back in Cleveland and the fact that I was working such an irregular schedule that summer. But give me some opinions and reasons why/why not, please!

Oh Noes!

That red bell pepper in the last CSA bag? Not a red bell pepper. Thank heavens I took a little bit of the membrane when I was cutting it up to put it in my pasta dish.

Hot, hot, hot! Funny face!

Week 16--The Experiment Ends!

The last CSA bag held the following:

1 pint red grape tomatoes
1 pint yellow grape tomatoes
1 butternut squash
1 bunch kale
1 yellow squash
1 acorn squash
1 unidentified squash, orange and pumpkiny looking--maybe a sugar pumpkin?
1 eggplant
2 regular tomatoes
1 bag MacIntosh apples (my least favorite apple)

This week's eats are leftover and possibly lethal vegetarian chili, chai-spice brined pork tenderloin with delicata squash, turkey sandwich, toast, tea and whatever I figure out to do with the above. And leftovers.

Week 15--The Penultimate Bag

CSA deliveries end next week. I'm relieved.

This week's bag:
Buttercup squash
Garlic
Tomatoes
Golden Delicious apples
Eggplant
Red bell peppers
Delicata squash
Poblano pepper
Grape tomatoes

What to do, what to do....I made vegan chili today for the Castaway Cats Clambake. I don't know that it will feed 20(!) so I am going to freehand a batch with the leftover can purchases and use the poblano, one of the red peppers (the peppers and cucumbers have been very, very good), garlic, and whatnot.

I haven't put the food processor on the curb yet (it's falling apart) so I might make the eggplant thing again, as it was pretty good. However, I am working until 8pm every night until Friday, so I might not feel like eating or cooking. I have a recipe for the delicata that looks good. I'll be toting the apples around with me, and if there's any left at the end of the week, I'll make applesauce.

I was telling about my squash stockpile at the Euc this week and one of the librarians said, "wow, that is a LOT of squash." Yes, yes it is.

CSA, Week 14--Same Old, Same Old

Pecans
Popcorn
Sweet corn--I need to make corn fritters, and I can't figure out what else to do. Once upon a time I made an excellent corn stew, but I have no clue where that recipe is.
Tomatoes
Green Bell Pepper--SuperC let me have hers, because she and her husband do not like them. They are HUGE.
Sweet Dumpling Squash--A sweeter variety of acorn squash, with a lovely yellow and green speckly skin.
Pie pumpkin--It is lovely, and I had composed a poem about it, but I forgot it. Silly Kerry.

CSA, Week 13--It's Starting To Peter Out

Spaghetti Squash--I am fundamentally disturbed by foods whose main purpose or use seems to be as a substitute for other foods. Hence my sigh when I recognized this squash. Pasta is pasta and squash is squash and it's not the same thing, understand?
Watermelon--The most tiny wee watermelon yet! 1 pound of tasty goodness!
Tomatoes--I'm making tomato, onion and cucumber salad. Classic.
Grape tomatoes--I might have pasta one night this week. Usually I don't eat pasta, due to the Italian foods rule, but I'm kind of in the mood.
Yellow zucchini
Red and green bell peppers
Garlic
Fresh oregano!--Finally, not basil!
Basil
Eggplant--At the moment, I am roasting the eggplant, half the red pepper, and the garlic. I'm going to smush it together with the oregano and some lemon and tomato paste and hope it will be something dip-like and tasty.
Delicata squash--I have 3 in the house at the moment.

I'm going over to SuperC's tonight to hang out with her and another librarian. We were going to cook, but it would be mean to ravage her kitchen so late.

CSA, Week 12

This week's bag:

Peaches--SuperC confirmed that these were a bit watery. I think I am going to freehand Roasted Peach Pecan Sorbet, based on the Roasted Apricot Sorbet that was awesome, but oh so labor intensive.
Sweet Corn--My corn chowder was a hit at the office.
Purple Cauliflower
Cubbannelle Pepper
Acorn Squash
Yellow Watermelon--Wee baby watermelon! So cute! So sweet!
Tomatoes--I have no idea what to do with all these tomatoes.
Cucumber
Yellow Zucchini

I'm pulling out Mark Bittman's How To Cook Everything for ideas. I am fres out.

CSA, Weeks 10-11

I spent a lot of the weekend transforming produce. I would say it kept pretty well despite my sojourn at hiking camp (which was fun and very healthy.)

Week 10
Cabbage (I did not get this! It was on the list, but not in my bags! I love cabbage--I think it is my top vegetable.)
green pepper (used in green tomato chutney)
sweet banana pepper
yellow summer squash (a yellow and green crookneck, which sounds like a dragon breed. "Honey! Lasso the Bicolored Crookneck! Quick! Before it spits at you!" I've been reading too much Temeraire.)
3 green tomatoes (chutney)
3 red tomatoes (used in salad, BLT, and a notably Fronchy-style tomato and brie sandwich. 1 spoiled after 10 days on the counter before I could eat it. I feel cheated.)
yellow beans
basil
orange honeydew (Tasteless. I had it yesterday breakfast. I needed a BLT to cut the blandness.)

Week 11
Wee baby watermelon! (Again, delicious! I am eating it right now whole drinking Assam tea.)
2 colored bell peppers
white peppers
Delicata winter squash (They gave us a recipe that involves baking it with orange and sugar that I am going to try)
1 pt red and yellow grape tomatoes
1 pt Juliet tomatoes (little smaller than a roma)
cucumber (used in salsa)
beets (I made a dilled cucumber salsa to go with these.)
broccoli

As I have started my 2nd part-time job in a far suburb and will be even more on the go this week, I doubt my ability to keep up with the eating but I am going to try. Things are getting squalid around here--I need to find my pink tormaline ring, and until I do I can't throw anything away.

CSA, Week 9--The Good Stuff Pours In!

A wee baby watermelon! That was what was in my CSA share. Just right for me.

I also got basil (blah), corn, beets (a different, lighter, more fuschia type), a zucchini, a pepper, broccoli, cucumber, yellow beans, and tomatoes. i made BLTs today and will make corn chowder tomorrow.

Julie Powell's love of the baked cucumbers? Yeah, I don't get it. They tasted okay, just not worth having again. Very odd idea, I must say.

CSA--Week 8, Midterm Grades

This week's bag had:
garlic
beets
Pontiac Red potatoes
okra
pecans
white stuffing pepper
cubannelle pepper
poblano pepper
yellow beans

Judgements on past veg:

I joined the CSA for a bunch of reasons 1) I'm very lazy about grocery shopping, and the idea that there'd always be fresh farm veg appealed to me, 2) I know all about my crappy dietary practices, thank you, 3) I felt like supporting a family farm, and there's no farm stands here in Cleveland, 4) I know I have limited tastes and need to branch out a bit in what I eat, and it's better to do that with veg than meat based dishes and 5) I need to lose weight.

However, midway through the season, I have to say I don't think this is playing out well.

Part of it is me. I really need people to eat with and cook for. I am a pack animal. Dusie is right--we should pool our money and flummox some real estate agents and build a family compound of the non-polygamist variety. I can have the house on the corner and tend her turkeys and make dinner for everyone, and encourage my sisters to have babies so I can be Aunt Kerry. Or live in the same single girl apartment complex as Aces and make dinner with her. Problem is I don't have enough friends out her to have over to dinner every week to test myself. Add to this the fact that I work varied shifts, extra hours when I can get them, and don't even bother to eat dinner if I come home at 8:30pm, and don't have a/c--cooking may not happen here.

But the CSA also bears some blame. I'd like it if they told us what it looks like we'd be getting in the next few weeks, even if it's an approximation. I'd also like more variety--I don't need any more okra or popcorn or pecans, thank you! Or zucchini! Basil is overrated!

Some things have been awesome, some not. Worth detailing:

The lettuces have been great--really sturdy and delicious.

The peaches--Eh. Kinda watery. Not a lot of flavor at all. I like a really good peach, even with the fuzz, but these are just lackluster.

Cucumbers--all good.

Beets--yeah, I do like beets. I had forgotten that.

Okra--I know from descriptions that I don't like okra. Yes, I can say that without trying it--all my food aversions are based on texture, not taste. When people give you this look and say "It's slimy but less so if you fry it," I know I'm in trouble. So when in doubt, pickle some shit .

Green tomatoes are welcome for chutney.

I like potatoes (I'm Irish, you know) but it's the middle of summer! It's too hot to roast anything! Or boil! No, I'm not going to make soup!

Too many green beans. I never thought I'd say that, although they've all been good.

Basil--Why not rosemary? Or tarragon?

Genital wart squashes. That says it all.

Other things have gone bad before I've figured out how to use them or remembered their existance.

CSA, Week 7--It's Getting Scary!

This week's haul:

Broccoli. Sigh
1 large, rather attractively striped, zucchini. Its hide would make a lovely dress.
6 small Rock Haven peaches
Lettuce
1 pickling cucumber
3 green tomatoes
1 lb green beans
1 green pepper
1 cubannelle pepper. This wins the "what the hell am I going to do with that?" award for the week.

The Romance Heroine did make it over for dinner this week. We broke out the grill and had pork tenderloin, grilled corn, zucchini fritters, and blueberry gelato and cookies. We are both in bad sorts with lots of troubles. The food, while very good, did not fix anything.

What's up next: I'll report back on the Julie/Julia Project's baked cucumbers, make a batch of green tomato chutney, more zucchini fritters, and heaven knows what else.

CSA, Week 6

This is the week in which I have too much food. I did get my veggies last week, and SuperC picked up my share for this week. I now have way too much vegetable matter in my house. Complicating matters is the fact that I am still commuting by bus and train, so that sucks up a lot of time and isn't necessarily conducive to grocery shopping.

Also I think I want to grill since it's only in the 70s today, but it's raining and I have no matches. Also it might lure Mencken and the other neighborhood kitties.

What I've got (the last 2+ week's pickups):

1 pt blueberries (I don't understand why people like commercially grown blueberries, but I can get behind farm berries. I just don't know what to do with them.)

4 wart squashes

3 pickling cucumbers, which I just added to the brine I already used for the other pickles.

4 regular cukes (Wait! Inspiration has struck! Ever since reading Julie Powell's blog, I have wanted to try the Mastering the Art of French Cooking recipe for baked cucumbers that Powell swears is awesome. Is this the week?)

6 corn (2 of which I am having for lunch with chicken and bbq sauce)

1 head garlic

more popcorn (I'll say this--every time I see the popcorn I remember how much weight I lost at Weight Watchers and that the Core Plan isn't that bad.)

2 bunches of basil, starting to turn

1 head of bok choy. (I'm a little afraid of the bok choy)

1 lb string beans

lots of red, white and Yukon Gold potatoes

3 zucchini

kale

2 very pretty green peppers

lettuce!

okra (i am both dismayed and afraid of the o-k-r-a)

broccoli (Let's not mention the broccoli.)

There's other stuff too, bought at the ( hushed voice) grocery store.

Off to consult Cooking Light and make a shoppng list! Thank heavens the Romance Heroine might be coming over for dinner this week.

The Use it Up Challenge, Or CSA Week 5

I did not pick up my vegetables this week, as I got a last minute chance to work an extra shift at work that ran until 8pm. My coworker and her husband are my secondary pickup peeps, but were unable to get there, and I didn't think to call my pal SuperC who is in the same CSA. Ah well. Dan supposedly has my bag, and I sent an email via the LEAF website, but I haven't heard back.

There's too much around here to cook and eat. I've introduced the Use It Up Challenge. New food items may be purchased if only they help me use up what I've already got. Yes, I realize this just continues the cycle. Hush.

Roto Chicken--Turned into chicken salad, which used from the stash: raisins, pecans, curry powder and mayo. Put the carcass in the freezer for soup, because I am constitutionally unable to throw away a carcass that can be turned into soup.

Apricots--Apricot-Cherry Chutney. Used: dried Bing cherries (the dried tart ones are better for eating), bourbon, cider vinegar, sugar, fresh apricots, cake spice, a star anise and a half a vanilla bean. And half an apple from the chicken salad recipe. I totally freehanded this recipe, and it seems okay--I forgot to add garlic, and went heavy on the vinegar.

Brown Sugar Icebox Cookies--Used: CSA pecans, homemade vanilla extract (oh, what else was I going to do with that extra vodka? Note to self--check the amount of vanilla extract you have on hand first!), brown sugar.

What hasn't been used up? The snow peas, kale, a cucumber--sadly, they fell to the fridge rot.

More Cooking Chat

Those salad greens I got from the CSA 2 Thursdays ago? Still good. I am finishing them up tonight.

Depending on if I am still hungry after that, I will have more roto chicky and steamed broccoli with lime dressing (recipe from 9/05 Everyday Food--1tbs lime juice combined w/ 1/2 tsp toasted sesame oil, covering 1 1/2 lbs broc (my ass that is enough dressing for that much broccoli) w/coarse salt). I also have cherries for dessert. Speaking of cherries, I was talking with Genevieve and she mentioned that she would be grilling plums and apricots for her Saturday dessert, and so I bought some apricots myself today. Is there a more beautiful fruit? My favorite thing to do is apricot cherry pie or cobbler or whatnot. But I may also make some chutney. And I will grill them, I think--with vanilla or coffee ice cream?

Those little cukes from 2 CSA ago--made into quick pickles. Turned out well. Have to finish them.

The 2 huge zucchini--I am going to brave hot oil and make zuke fritters tomorrow.

This weekend, I made pork tenderloin with Coffee Bourbon Barbeque Sauce. I can attest that if you accidently put 1/2 cup cider vinegar in the pot instead of 2 tablespoons, you can increase the brown sugar to 3/4 cup and it will turn out fine. Thank you for the hint, Genevieve! It is so thin that it would make an excellent marinade along with a sauce, I think.

The good thing about having no working car is that it does force you to use up and be a bit creative in your cooking, since there's no running out to get stuff--a walk to the grocery for me is about 20 minutes each way. Later I will inventory the fridge, I promise.

Attack of the Broccoli, or CSA--Week 4

This week's CSA haul:

Broccoli--Broccoli is a vegetable I'm not super fond of. That is because I don't like the texture of florets. Just ew--they are squeaky and sort of bristle-like and big in you mouth. I do like broccoli stalks. They gave us what I would call spears, so I think it would be okay.
String beans
Small cuke
HUGE zucchini
Pecans--The suggested recipe is for a broc and pecan salad, but the idea does not make me leap with excitement.
Pattypan squash
Little red and white potatoes--perfect for potato salad, or broasting with a hunk of meat.

Any suggestions? I need ideas of things to make. I should post the contents of my fridge and run a contest.

CSA, Weeks 2-3

The CSA share is a great investment. Life is a little chaotic, so I haven't updated you on the goodness.

This week:
Garlic
Basil (I don't care for pesto, and not much for basil in general, so if anyone has ideas for alternate uses I'd appreciate it)
2 HUGE zucchini
6 ears sweet corn
6 or so pickling cucumbers (Kay from the farm said you can eat them in salad, but I might try a quick pickle method on them)
Snow Peas
Big bag of lettuce--I bought some more beets, so I am making more beet salad. Yum yum.)

The Romance Heroine came over for dinner last night and we had spicy chicken thighs with yogurt sauce ( Cooking Light recipe, couscous, and zucchini-corn-onion-red pepper saute. And we had the Lime Rum Shrub, which turned out awsome. You can drink it straight or mix it with ginger ale and add maraschino cherries and a little lime. Then, somewhat tipsy, we went to DQ. And then we played The Sassy Experience, which is somewhat lame.

Last week's CSA haul:
Garlic
1 big onion
2 cups popcorn
Zucchini
Cucumber
Kale
Shelling peas

And a pattypan squash, which I hate to say, but it is true--looks like a genital wart.

Off to cook some dinner!

Yay, Yay, CSA!

So for years and years and years I've been hearing about the joy of community supported agriculture, aka CSA. And it so happened that I happened to be reading The Lakewood Observer this spring and noticed an article for LEAF, which is working with two farms to bring CSA to Lakewood. I paid $240 for a half-share and the season runs from this week into October. Pickup is at the library from 6-8 on Thursday nights.

So what did I get?
*a bunch of beets
*2 cups of pecans
*1 bunch onions (fat round globes with stalks)
*about a pound of peas in shells
*1 head red leaf lettuce

The beets mean salad, of course, probably with the pecans. The onions make me think of corn chowder or corn stew. Peas remind me of these risotto cakes that I've been thinking of making for a while. And lettuce is salad. Thank god for my secret identity of Salad Girl!

Any other suggestions?