Today was CSA day, which meant we got to pick up another box of produce from our Amish farmers and figure out what the heck to do with all the vegetables before they go bad.
This week’s box included:
- a cucumber (which we chose from the farm stand since Mrs. B forgot to put one in the box)
- a round squash which is supposed to be similar to zucchini in flavor
- about a pound of kale
- a very large head of lettuce
- the biggest white onion I’ve ever seen
- two yellow peppers, possibly hot
- a small bunch of broccoli
- a jar of sweet pickles
I really enjoy getting the CSA box each week. Of course it’s local food, and organic, and outrageously good compared to what’s in the grocery store. But there’s also the challenge of figuring out how to cook and use up what we receive in each box.
My friend and I are sharing the boxes, and we usually split everything quite literally in half. This week I traded her my share of the broccoli (not a fan) for her half of the onion (she still has quite a bit from the last few weeks’ boxes).
The pickles will be demolished by S5 sometime before tomorrow’s lunch, or whenever she discovers that they’re in the fridge. The cucumber and lettuce will likely become salad (which we’re eating lots of these days). As for the kale, I’m not quite sure what to do with it just yet, but my friend suggested sauteeing it with butter and either onion or garlic, which sounds quite palatable. There was also a recipe in the Rodale cookbook for some sort of greens-soup that also looked good. I will see how I’m inspired tomorrow.
I was wondering if the box you share is a half-bushel or a full bushel? I am considering joining a CSA and I wasn’t sure if I would need to split a share or not. How many people does your box feed?
Hi Andie,
Our box is a half-bushel. I am sharing it with a friend this year since it was less expensive than each of us buying a half share (plus this was the first time we’ve ever done a CSA and I really didn’t know what to expect). This size box would easily feed 4 people. However, since my husband’s idea of a well-rounded meal is a sausage patty, and since my kids are pretty young and don’t eat too much yet, the sharing arrangement has worked out pretty well. We usually go through our half of the box in a few days.
Thanks! I’ll let you know how it goes…our farm’s winter CSA starts in November.