Recently we asked for veteran CSA members (whether veteran to our program or those with experience at various farms) to help share some insight into how they use their CSA and get the most of it.
The post below was written by Susan MacDowell who has been a member of our farm for a long time. Enjoy reading the post and look forward to more insight to come from other CSA members!
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People
sign up for a CSA for different reasons.
Some want to support local farms, others are looking for convenient
one-stop shopping, others want a reliable source of produce grown without
harmful pesticides, and others just think it’s a cool idea. No matter what your reasons, however, if you
haven’t done your homework, you may be surprised by the changes that need to
occur in your weekly routine once you start getting that large basket of fruits
and veggies every week.
A CSA
shares the farm’s bounty – that means you get a share of what’s in season. You may see lots of asparagus and spinach
every week in the spring, for example.
By the third box you may be wondering if anything but asparagus and spinach
grow on the farm…then all of a sudden that will end, and your box will be
filled with another vegetable.
Springdell
Farm does supplement their summer CSA with fruits and vegetables from other
local growers, which tends to provide a bit more variety than some other CSAs,
but getting the most out of your CSA does require a change in headset.
I
subscribe to the Spring, Summer, and Winter shares from Springdell. Here are some of the things that have helped
it work for my family.
1.Plan
your shopping list after you see what’s in the basket
Springdell
sells a number of items that help to “round out” what’s in the share that
week. I stop by the stand after picking
up my share, adding staples like onions, eggs, garlic, potatoes, milk, and meat
to my order. Then, when I get home, as
I’m unpacking the items, I “earmark” each one for a meal during the week. This may mean thinking creativity – for
example, if I have three heads of lettuce, which is more salad than I care to
eat, it may mean lettuce wraps, or tacos, or even include some of the lettuce
in a mixed-green stir fry.
Only after
I do that do I jot down a shopping list to fill in the gaps.
2.Stock
your pantry with basics that help make a complete meal out of CSA items.
We are
omnivores, so some nights we eat meat with meals, some nights we don’t. I know that if I have olive oil, pasta, and
quinoa on hand, I can make a dinner of almost anything Springdell sends me home
with.
3.Find
several recipes that will work with whatever is in the basket.
My go-to
“recipe” is just sautéing whatever vegetables I have with olive oil and garlic,
then serving them over quinoa with some crumbled cheese – goat cheese goes well
with strongly flavored greens, feta with more mild vegetables, and I personally
find that blue cheese works with everything.
If I don’t
have quinoa, I find the vegetables also work well over a baked potato (white or
sweet) or pasta.
You can
find lots of great recipes for all the items Springdell carries on the
Springdell Pinterest site.
If all
else fails, post a request for help in the Facebook group. You’ll get lots of suggestions about what
everyone else is making for dinner!
4.Use
the shortest shelf-life items first
Because
Springdell’s vegetables are farm- fresh, you can expect them to last a bit
longer than supermarket veggies that have traveled from California or Mexico.
Some supermarket items, however, are treated with extenders that keep
them from softening and discoloring. So
Springdell scallions may last longer than you’re used to, while the berries
need to be used within a day or two. If
you’re not sure how long something will keep, ask. Heidi and Jamie are always happy to talk
about their products!
5.Preserve
what you can’t use within the week.
If you
have a chest freezer, you’re all set!
Almost all the fruits and veggies can be frozen to use later. Some need to be blanched for a few minutes
first, others can be frozen as is. I
personally have fillings for 4 rhubarb pies already saved in the freezer (4
cups of sliced rhubarb and strawberries, mixed with tapioca, sugar, and orange
peel. Zucchini can be grated and frozen,
then thawed over a colander, ready to be added to muffins, breads, or
meatloaves.
Canning is
not as much work as you may think, and is a great way to store foods if you
don’t have a freezer.
Dehydrating
is also a great way to save fruits, and some vegetables like mushrooms and
scallions.
Labels: Straight from a Shareholder