CSA Joy

It's time for me to once again sing the praises of community sponsored agriculture (CSA) shares and how valuable they can be to creative cooks without a lot of time, but with the desire to make sure their families have a wide variety of healthy fruits and vegetables in their diets. My family is fortunate enough to have a bi-weekly CSA share that brings with it the chance to try vegetables we might otherwise not have access to (ever tried finding nettles in your local grocery store?) or simply not consider for lack of time some weeks. We get about a bushel of vegetables every couple of weeks and it then becomes my challenge to incorporate that bounty into our menus for the next couple of weeks. I consider it a fun challenge to do so and have gotten incredibly good at balancing a given box so that we're using the last of it just as a new box arrives. Moreover, items that are more perishable are used early on and items with more staying power come into play shortly before another box arrives.

One of the keys to getting the most out of a CSA share is blending two approaches:

1. I pick out a few items to make meal centerpieces and might even find or create special recipes that will showcase them. This tends to involve a fair bit of planning and forethought and tends to be a bit adventuresome. Maybe it's trying stinging nettles for the first time as a bruschetta blended with garlic and onion, or roasting a pile of heirloom tomatoes for the base of a late summer pizza. Either way, these dishes tend to take some time, whether it's finding out how to prepare nettles without swollen skin or taking the time to roast a pan of tomatoes.
2. Understand that most of your CSA boxes will include some tried and true items. You might end up with spinach one week and a blended salad mix another week, but you can be pretty sure that most of your spring and summer boxes will have great salad fixings in them. Use that information. Plan at least one main dish salad, like the one below, for each box. Plan side salads to complement other meals as well. I like to also plan one stir-fry or fried rice dish for each box because I know I'll have items that will be great for chopping and including in dishes like that. One time it might be pea pods and another time it might be fresh carrots, but you'll have items to include. Another favorite go-to recipe for CSA season is spring rolls. I keep the wrappers on hand and a bottle of teriyaki sauce or the like to help make those a quick and fun meal.

To get you started, I'm including a typical CSA-inspired main dish salad recipe below. Chock full of fresh greens and vegetables, it gets a protein kick from fiery chicken and chopped peanuts. It's really a meal unto itself and one we rather enjoy. You can opt to switch out the selection of greens, veggies, and protein to fit what you have available on any given day. The idea is to take advantage of the fantastic local produce while it's available and at its freshest. If you don't have access to a CSA share, consider frequenting your local farmers' market. It's a great time to be eating fresh!