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.
This is the second post and was written by Jess Anderson who is both a veggie shareholder as well as in our Meat Subscription program. Enjoy reading the post and look forward to more insight to come from other CSA members!
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"I've never really blogged anything before, but I am a full-blown
CSAholic. I currently belong to 5 different CSAs at 3 local farms,
with very minimal waste. Here are some quick things that have helped
me along the way so far. If you're reading this, hope they'll help
you, too!
Plan ahead-
When you pencil-in your trip to the CSA pickup, also pencil in time
afterwards to prep and plan a basic meal structure for the week. When
you and your bounty get home from the farm, put it all on the table
and deal with it right away. Look at what's going to stay fresh for
the shortest amount of time and move it to the top of the recipe list
for the week. Google for recipes and ideas for those tougher items,
there are a lot of options out there to choose from.
Keep it simple-
Most fruits and veggies don't take a lot of prep work, and pack a
nutritious punch. Aside from a quick wash, many of those fruits and
veggies can be eaten right away as-is. Keep them in accessible
places, like a bowl on your counter or an eye-level shelf on the
fridge.
Another simple use for some of those veggies is to keep your blender
handy and whip up a nutritious and energy-packed smoothie. You'd be
surprised at what veggies you can sneak into a yummy smoothie base
without notice! There are a lot of good recipes out there to start
with, but feel free to experiment, too.
Preserve what you can in the short term-
Separate greens from beets, radishes, and turnips to preserve quality
and for later use (Sautéed radish or turnip tops are great, and
carrot top iced tea is a nice summer beverage) If you don't have room
in your fridge for all the greens, you can wilt down some right away
for easier storage. Some herbs, like mint, will be happy sitting on
your table in a vase of water until you are ready to snip it.
Preserve what you can for the long term-
(Canning, freezing, food savers, herb butters, oils, drying, whatever
works.) When a good season of zucchini hits, for example, you are
best served with a plan (or you may run the risk of being zucchinied
out). This goes for many other veggies. Refrigerator pickles are a
yummy way to make your cuke cravings last all season long, and
freezing/canning any veggie extras gives you the life raft when
hitting the winter veggie doldrums. Be sure to keep an inventory list
on your freezer/pantry door, with dates and quantities so that you
know what's in there. (There are some great free printable freezer &
pantry inventory lists and meal planners available on the web.)
Waste not, want not-
A good team works very hard to nurture this good karma food. Once
the food comes to your house, consider yourself part of that team. If
you are not finding a use for something, share it with friends,
neighbors, and other shareholders. If something went by before you've
made use of it, don't consider the journey over. Compost remains at
your house or at a local farm or community garden. Find animals near
you that appreciate overripe veggies and greens, perhaps a neighbor is
raising some chickens that could use a snack.
Share the share-
Find friends that may not yet belong to CSAs and share some nibbles,
share the love, the excitement of it all. Check the blog and
Facebook, see what other people are doing with their shares, share
what you are doing with yours. Ask lots of questions. Embrace the
challenge of emptying the sharebox. Lets all learn from and inspire
each other!"