Summer has truly arrived! I picked up our first share from our local CSA (community supported agriculture) on Tuesday. We got red leaf lettuce, radishes, fresh oregano, pepper crest, mizuna and leeks. Super easy to make some excellent salads this week. My husband was particularly pleased to come home from work (at the crack of 9pm) to find a lighter dinner on such a hot night.
Joining a CSA has not only pushed me to eating new vegetables (mizuna?) but also keeps food present in my mind on a weekly schedule. Sometimes it saves dinner. Sometimes it’s a bit of a chore. But I always appreciate the incredibly fresh, organic food on my table, grown by a neighbor and shared with my family.
The way CSAs work is that you purchase a share of that farmer’s harvest. Some CSAs will deliver, but our farmer brings his produce to one central spot. Members drop by on Tuesday evenings to pick up their share. It’s a nice way to meet like minded people, share recipes and meet your neighbors, all while supporting the local economy by keeping your food dollars in the area. For me, I am reconnecting with seasonal eating which makes strawberries and tomatoes taste that much more amazing after a winter of anticipation. (I can’t bring myself to bother with those pale pink things one finds in the grocery in February.) My sisters both belong to CSAs and their kids love it (except, the boys tell me, the onslaught of beets…)
Just Food is an organization in the metro area that provides administrative and organizational support for CSAs in the area. They are a great source of information. Sustainable Table, a project of GRACE has plenty of information and links. I’m sure you have at least one CSA near you, even if you live in an urban environment.
CSA is becoming a trendy thing. Many of those at our pick-up were hipsters; design types. I felt cool just being there. I’m guessing I’ll meet some new moms. Who knows – maybe before the season is finished in November, I’ll be a new mom-to-be!
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