CSA Fun

So this summer we subscribed to a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) called Zephyr Farm. They and many other small farms around Rhode Island are indexed online so that any consumer who wants to try and eat locally and in season can have easy access to types of food, CSAs, farmer's markets and more.

Each Tuesday we go to a designated pickup location and gather our veggies and fruit for the week. It's spread on tables with a quantity above each bin saying, "1 bunch dandelion greens" or "5 lbs. tomatoes." This year we've had eggplants, squashes, basil, sage, tomatoes (cherry and heirloom), carrots, fennel, broccoli, TONS of cucumber (more about that in another post), green beans, melons, onions, garlic, various lettuces, and peppers (and more that I can't remember). We also get a dozen eggs every other week. All this for only $30/wk for 20 weeks! Amazing!

To the left here is the haul from last week, artfully arrayed in the kitchen sink after we washed them. Our vegetable wash is just a simple white vinegar/filtered water mixture in a spray bottle. We've found that if we wash all the veggies at the beginning of the week, and then store them in most paper towels and plastic Ziploc bags (all are reusable!) that they last much longer. Also, we are more willing to just, say, munch on a carrot if it is already washed.

Of course, all this farm-fresh produce is spoiling us just in time for winter. We're hunting for a winter CSA, but I'm not sure how prevalent those are. Stay tuned.