Our First CSA

For the last few years I've made an intentional effort to buy at farmers markets and Easy Way. Local food is better food and it's better for the environment. I've considered doing a CSA the last couple of summers but have shied away. You see, I'm a bit of a control freak. Especially when it comes to my kitchen and what happens in it. Down to where things go in my fridge. It's really a problem. Anyways... I meal plan. And not having the ability to select what food I receive each month terrifies me.

This year I decided to swallow my fears, put aside my control issues and just go with it. I signed up for a classic plan with Bring It Food Hub back in March. I've been eagerly waiting my first CSA share since. And last week we finally got one! 

Let's back up, what is a CSA? CSA stands for Community Support Agriculture. It's paying it forward to the farmers for the food you will receive over a set time period. Basically it helps the farmers know how much to produce and gives them some much needed consistent cash flow. In return you get delicious veggies and fruit. Win/Win! 

Here's what was in our first bag: 

1 lb red potatoes

1 pint strawberries

1 large head broccoli 

1 large head of lettuce

2 leeks

1 lb swiss chard

1 lb red onions

I received an extra pint of strawberries because I helped pack up the bags. I already had half a pint at home. They were looking a little on the sad side so I decided I needed to deal with them right away.  First order of business: Strawberry Ice Cream following the recipe from How To Cook Everything. Next, strawberry freezer jam.

Wednesday night I made something called "the dish". I pulled it from an Edible Memphis magazine a year or so ago. I used one of the onions - onion and greens - and kale for this dish. It was hearty, healthy, and delicious.

Thursday night I steamed some broccoli as a side dish and I used another How to Cook Everything recipe for the chard. Chard is related to beets! I didn't know that. We shall be having more chard in our future!

With Memorial Day and Levitt Shell concerts we didn't even get around to the potatoes and leeks yet, so I made them the following week in a frittata.

I still have a few onions leftover from the first week. Need to do something with them, but not sure what yet.

Have you done a CSA before? Where do you find recipe inspiration?