Generally speaking, it was a good experience. I enjoyed anticipating what I would get each week by refreshing the Golden Earthworm website a bazillion times every Tuesday morning. The type of seasonal crops varied each week, as we received the best crops from that particular week. I looked forward to Tuesdays and planned my menu around the vegetables would get.

Why I liked being a part of a CSA:

- It was great to receive organic, in-season produce at a reasonable price. I did the math and the produce came out to about $10 a week.

- I loved that I was supporting local agriculture in NY.

- Freshness: the produce was not only fresh, but it tasted great(yes, Tony The Tiger style). My favorites were the fresh herbs and garlic!

- I was introduced to new types of vegetables, such as kohlrabi, Cippolini onions, celery roots, purple potatoes, rhubarb, just to name a few.

- It helped me discover new cooking methods, as well as learn that certain parts of specific items are not meant to be eaten. Oops.

- Having half a share helped me not waste food since one share would have been too much for 2 people.

Why I didn’t like being a part of a CSA:

- I had to commit to picking up the goods every Tuesday. I got used to it, and had my sister help me out when I couldn’t make it out there. But it’s definitely a chore. (If you don’t pick it up, they donate the leftovers to charity).

- As I mentioned above, sharing was good but also bad at times. Since we split everything down the middle, I sometimes had to get creative and figure out what to do with half of a small acorn squash, or 3 beets.

- It was fine when I was able to think ahead, but I begrudingly threw away some vegetables because I was busy, even with my half share.

- Naturally, since the produce was direct from the farmer, I had to wash everything extra carefully as to not chew on sand as I eat my arugula salad(yum).

- It’s not fun when you get something you don’t really like (for me, radishes) for three weeks in a row. I think I ended up giving them away.

All in all, it was a great experience and I would highly recommend it! As long as you are able to plan out your meals well, this experience should be a positive one. I didn’t sign up for the winter share because I don’t want to be outside when it’s snowing (read: I’m lazy) but I may think about doing it again in the spring. If you’re interested, you can go here and look up relevant information for your particular area!

Many thanks for my CSA partner Yvo of Feisty Foodie for being such a great person to share produce with!

This is something I whipped up together with a few ingredients I had on hand. I used a couple of pieces of anchovy fillets just to see what it would taste like. I was pleasantly surprised, as it added an entire new dimension of flavor to the salad that I didn’t expect! It was scrumptious!

There is nothing more delicious than eating fresh vegetables that are in season. Check out the gorgeous colors on this swiss chard!

This salad is delicious cold or hot, depending on your mood. A quick blanching of the vegetables seals the nutrients, as well as the crispness. I have a taste for root vegetables that are bitter. If you prefer to add a bit of sweetness, try adding some honey to the dressing. Give it a whirl; I promise you won’t be disappointed!

This was my first time cooking with rhubarb. I never even knew what it looked like before, to be honest. To me, rhubarb = celery + a little bit of tomato + more tart than a lemon. Would you say that is a pretty accurate description?

I can see why strawberries are so often paired with rhubarb in pies and other desserts, as the flavors harmonize very well. But I didn’t want to go in that direction.
 

I cut the rhubarb into thirds and added a little bit of sugar. I boiled, then strained the pieces, then ran it through a sieve. This gave me about 1 cup of rhubarb sauce.

I added some of it to a smoothie (bananas, strawberries and rhubarb sauce), and the other half as a sauce over white fish, paired with blanched bok choy. Simple and yummy!!

I wasn’t as creative with exploring the flavor as I could have been. Next time, I will definitely be more adventurous. I’m enjoying this journey of learning about all these different vegetables though!

In other news, I don’t think anyone will even notice, but just as a FYI, I won’t be able to blog for a little while. But don’t you worry- I will be back before you know it!

Be well until I return

I hate dislike beets.

Hate is such a strong word. Since I couldn’t remember why I didn’t like it in the first place, I decided to try it. Plus, it was included in last week’s share and I couldn’t let it go to waste!

My sister wisely suggested adding it to a salad with goat cheese, which was an excellent idea. I used blue cheese crumbles, pan fried tofu for protein, with a side of homemade vinaigrette dressing over arugula.

I cut off the beet greens(they are totally edible and quite yum), peeled the skin, then boiled the beets for about 7 minutes.

Then I pan fried some tofu for firm texture and protein. Yum!

And finally, I blended balsamic vinegar, extra virgin olive oil, garlic, dijon mustard, salt and pepper together to make a simple dressing. I don’t mind the beets as it compliments the cheese quite nicely, as long as you don’t ask me to eat raw beets!

Now that I’m on this journey of exploring new kinds of vegetables, I am happy to report that I got through my first box containing rhubarb, bibb lettuce, radish, Japanese radish, romaine lettuce, bok choy, beets with only a half head of lettuce leftover. It is quite overwhelming when you have a lot of fresh produce to use before it goes bad!

This week I learned how to store lettuce – leave it unwashed, in a plastic bag, with a wet paper towel and change the towel every few days. If you do this, the lettuce will last for up to a week. It’s also super important to wash everything carefully to get all the dirt right before eating!

I wanted to add a little tidbit about radishes from the farm website and found this:

“This root vegetable is a relative of the turnip and horseradish. The elongated pink and white roots are usually eaten raw as an appetizer or in salads, and the leaves are usually not edible.”

Say what??

I’m such a dork. I found this out AFTER I ate it. So that explains the tough texture of the leaves!! I mixed in a handful of watercress that I had from earlier to the dish, which helped, but yeah… the leaves weren’t particularly tasty. I remember eating it and thinking, something is not quite right. Try mixing the radish part with a different kind of green, like spinach or watercress.

Aren’t you glad that I make these mistakes for you to learn from?

To cook – I just threw everything into a pan with olive oil and garlic. I added a hint of balsamic vinegar. The radish looks orange when cooked. I found the color contrast interesting, so I added thinly sliced raw radishes on top.

Feel free to share your favorite radish recipes!