Two years ago, I picked up our first CSA share.
It was definitely a challenge at first. There was a learning curve. We composted a lot of vegetables. I learned to cook a lot of new items. My palate has expanded. My cooking skills have improved. Our health is better. We’ve both lost weight. We’ve saved money. We’ve felt more involved in our community and local foodshed.
We still don’t always use everything up. My husband still won’t eat beets. But I can hardly imagine not getting our CSA box.
This week we have summer’s last hurrah – again. The last two boxes have been “the last” summer produce, but it stayed warm enough to fill another box with summer’s bounty. Based on this week’s weather, they might even be right this time.
Most of my CSA-centric meals have been salads and green smoothies as of late. Delicious, but not exactly riveting blog fodder, I know.
I do have a bunch of photos to turn into posts, however. Don’t give up on me yet!
What have you been eating lately? Seriously: green smoothies, salads, sweet potatoes, repeat.
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Hey, I ate some of that watermelon! Delicious…
LiztheChef recently posted..Revenge of the Pear Crisp
They do grow really amazing watermelons.
Love the photos of your CSA produce! I want to reach out and grab them. They look so tasty!
Thanks, Cynthia! I barely remember what it was like to grocery shop all the time, and I rather like it that way.
Instant breakfast, swamp-water-colored smoothie, cream of wheat, repeat. Today I had mashed mystery veggies from the work cafeteria. Ugh.
I’ll make you guys green smoothies when you’re here for Thanksgiving. I won’t make you Instant Breakfast. Mystery veggies, I make no promises…
So interesting to see what different veggies you get in California compared to me in Vancouver! Tomatoes still?? I’m amazed!
Beautiful! I keep thinking of doing a CSA, I think next summer I just need to take the plunge and do it. I love buying week to week, but I feel like having veggies delivered that are outside my comfort range might help me to expand my food base as well.
Kristi@ 30 Pounds of Apples recently posted..Sweet & Savory Pumpkin Dips
Thank you.
It’s a mindset shift, but I love the challenge and the surprise. The CSA gets credit for me learning to love greens. And if you wanted things to be easy you wouldn’t have gone into stage management. 😉
Stacy! I have never know anyone who can make veggies look as gorgeous as you do!
Sandy recently posted..Pumpkin Spice Cranberry Scone Recipe with Homemade Butter
And no one makes me blush like you do, Sandy!
I have to give credit to the raw modeling talent, too.
Stacy- Great to see you at the Pie baking. LOVE your blog. I always enjoy your pics of the week’s CSA box. Soooo inspiring.
Jenny (VintageSugarcube) recently posted..There’s a New Charlie in Town [Angels & Bubbles Pops]
That was so fun, and it’s always a delight to see you (charming outfits AND charming personality!). Gotta spread the veggie love!
I had a lot to learn about cooking with my CSA stuff too. I resorted to splitting a box this summer with my SIL which cut down on waste. I also learned that my husband and my younger daughter *love* beets! Who knew? My favorite thing about joining a CSA is the fresh taste of the food. Even my husband raves about it, especially the salad greens. “Now *this* tastes like salad!” he’ll declare each week. I just laugh at him, but he’s right.
Ooh, jealous. The hubby hates beets. I feel you, though, the other day I literally said, “This celery has such a strong celery flavor!” It’s amazing what really great produce tastes like when we get used to anemic all-season produce shipping halfway across the country or the world.
that’s awesome!
looks like some yummy stuff in there.
emily recently posted..{Project: Food Budget} Week 4
The good and the bad news is that it’s almost all gone! I don’t get another box for a week!