The Great Utah CSA Experiment - Week 5!

Week 5 was a little worrisome! I was preparing to attend a week-long conference and knew that anything that wasn't eaten or stored would most likely not be touched while I was gone (I knew my husband well enough to stock the freezer with quick and easy 'bachelor' foods). In addition, I needed to make arrangements for the food I would not be available to pick up.

As you might imagine, having a share of fresh produce every week all summer long might conflict with things like conferences, family vacations, and even day-long outings to places like Lagoon. Sometimes, arranging for a neighbor or a family member to pick up the share for you is not a big issue, but other times it might be nice to defer it and pick up a double share during a different week (so long as this is not done on a regular basis). That's exactly what both these CSAs do, so I contacted them both and asked if I could have my double share moved to mid-August. I'll be honest - I picked August because I hope to get a lot of tomatoes!

So here's my haul for the 4th week of July, East Farms share:

	CSA SHARE		Price(Organic)				Price ('Normal')	Value
	0.43 lb Rainbow Chard						3.54/lb (Red)	$1.52
	1.07 lb Green Beans						5.32/lb	$5.69
	1.18 lb Mixed Lettuce		5.31/lb				3.54/lb	$6.26
	1.06 lb Zucchini						1.49/lb	$1.58
	0.46 lb Beets						1.99/lb	$0.91

I knew what to do with the chard and lettuce, and I had suspicions about the beans and the zucchini, but the only dish I know of with beets is Borscht and I know it's not a family favorite. I parked my car and pulled out the box of goodies when I saw my neighbor sitting on his front porch. I asked him if he liked beets with my winningest smile, and to my surprise his face became very solemn. "Are you kidding me?" he asked. "I LOVE beets!" I put down the box, pulled them out, and asked him how many he would like. (He took the lot).

Then, because he seemed so genuinely excited about the prospect of fresh beets I ventured to see if he'd like some of zucchini, beans, and greens, to which he also responded with delight. This man is more excited about fresh locally grown produce than I am! Of the whole I kept only a portion of the lettuce, with which I made Caesar Salad (pictured at right). I think I had more fun giving the food away than getting it. I told him about the program and he asked me to set him up with the information. I feel like a CSA missionary!

The Borski share came several days later with more beans, zucchini, and squash; so I didn't feel terribly bad about having given away the first zucchini of the season.

	CSA SHARE		Price(Organic)				Price 'Normal')	Value
	1.0 lb Green Beans						5.32/lb	$5.32
	0.91 lb Summer Squash						1.99/lb	$1.81
	0.75 lb Cucumber (1)						0.79/ea	$0.79
	1.19 lb Apricots						1.99/lb	$2.37
	2.0 lb Corn (3 ears)						0.50/ea	$1.50
	1.0 lb Zucchini						1.49/lb	$1.49

I'd tried the green beans just steamed with butter, salt, and pepper a week ago and Craig wasn't impressed. This time I pulled out a recipe for glazed green beans and tomatoes given to me by my sister - they were fast to make, fabulously tasty, and received a thumbs up for 'will eat again'. Bonus: the recipe gave me a chance to use fresh basil and garlic I received in week 3!

The apricots became midday snacks and what I couldn't finish by snacking before the trip I tossed into apple-carrot-bran muffins which made great snacks for the plane. The (very) sweet corn was eaten on the cobb with butter and salt and pepper. The zucchini and squash just weren't going to be eaten before the trip so I took them upstairs to my neighbor, who was just as excited to get another stash of fresh veggies as he was a few days beforehand.

Frozen greens update: I made spicy sausages on wheat hot dog buns the other day with saurkraut and spicy mustard, and couldn't help myself but to put some cooked arugula on top (a la Peppery Pastrami Sandwiches from week 3). It just didn't taste the same without the greens. I've come to the conclusion that. . . I'm an ADDICT! No, really. I don't have greens coming any more with my shares, but I still have a delicious compulsion to put them on everything. What will I do when my stash in the freezer runs out?!

Recipe for Week 5:

-----Glazed Green Beans and Tomatoes-----

1 lb fresh green beans, trimmed
2 T. butter
2 T. sugar
1 t. garlic powder
3/4 t. salt
1/2 t. black pepper
1 1/2 t. dried basil
6 oz. cherry tomatoes, halved

Cook green beans to desired firmness; dreain and place in a serving bowl. Return pan to heat, add butter and stir in the next 6 ingredients. After butter is melted and mixture is heated through, add the tomatoes and stir until they are seared off and some of the juice has made the sugar and butter into a glaze. (1-2 minutes on medium-high heat). Pour over beans in the serving bowl and toss until the beans are coated and tomatoes are mixed throughout. (Serves 3-4).

The Great Utah CSA Experiment - Week 4!

Here we go again! Without further ado or introduction, here is the share I received from the first CSA:

	CSA SHARE		Price(Organic)				Price ('Normal')	Value
	1.19 lb Red/Green Lettuce		5.31/lb					$6.50
	0.81 lb Romaine Lettuce		3.53/lb					$2.86
	0.74 lb Rainbow Chard						3.54/lb (Red)	$2.62
	1.55 lb English Peas						2.99/lb	$4.63
	0.26 lb Yellow Summer Squash						1.99/lb	$0.52

This week began with a surprise vegetable in my CSA share that wasn’t green. My very first summer squash – does that mean it’s really summer? There was just one, and weighing in at 4.20 oz I thought I might have preferred the 3 lbs I mentioned in my opening blog. Apparently it makes a great dish sliced and sautéed with caramelized onions – but there wasn’t nearly enough for that! At bottom is a recipe for Vegetable Hash I put together to stretch this small squash into a full meal.

I also found that though I still prefer sugar snap peas, I’m getting really fast at shelling the English peas, so that’s okay. They make great healthy midday snacks, easy additions to salads and soups, and they freeze well for later use too.

I gave the lettuce to my mother and two friends of mine (still feeling a little queasy, I was trying to limit my wanton salad making ways), but I kept the Rainbow Chard (pictured at right) – this was a treat I’d read about and I was very excited to try it out. The stalks of the chard varied from bright yellow to white to red (see picture, at left). I chopped it up with the remaining spinach from last week, added some Zesty Italian flavored cashews and mild cheese, and served it as a big salad for a family occasion – everybody loved it.

The Borski CSA share came several days later, right on time. Again, it contained a great variety of items which complemented the 1^st share nicely.

	CSA SHARE		Price(Organic)				Price ('Normal')	Value
	0.34 lb Garlic						2.99/lb	$1.01
	0.75 lb English Peas						2.99/lb	$2.24
	0.69 lb Broccoli		1.89/lb					$1.30
	0.5 lb Handcrafted Cheese		15.99/lb					$8.00

By this time I was feeling a little overwhelmed by peas, but at least they freeze well! Craig LOVES broccoli so that was easy to prepare – I served one head chopped and steamed with melted cheddar on top, and he ate the entire thing without leaving any for me. The garlic again went into my pantry for use as I cook – it smelled wonderful.

The real surprise in this share was the cheese. It’s not a fruit or a vegetable, and I didn’t know Borski Farms had a partnership with Beehive Cheese Company. But I was super excited to find a product from another locally owned company in the bag, and very curious to try the cheese - 8 oz. of their ‘Full Moon’ variety which is made from raw (unpasteurized) milk. The website claims this cheese has an ‘earthy’ flavor which reflects the season and weather at the time it is made – I thought it had a delicious sharp, strong flavor: but I’m no cheese-tasting professional.

Included was a small brochure on the Beehive Cheese Co. and a small insert from the farm – Predicting that next week's share will include summer squash and including preemptive cooking instructions (steam or sauté 3-4 minutes). Also, apparently the garlic will last twice as long if the tops are left on and they are stored in a dry place (not the freezer or refrigerator), which I did. That was laziness on my part - not knowledge - but hey, sometimes procrastination pays off!

That was it for our CSA offerings for this week, but I still have greens in the freezer. I have found that I compulsively crave greens in everything now, and I toss them in while cooking to satisfy that craving. Craig thinks I’m crazy, but they just make everything better. Below is a recipe for Breakfast Burritos: complete with blanched mizuna greens.

Recipes for Week 4:

-----Vegetable Hash-----

1 pkg. skillet potatoes, with seasoning
1 small onion
3-4 small peppers (or 1 large pepper)
1 clove garlic
1 small summer squash
1 large sausage (3-4 oz)
pepper, to taste

Prepare the package of skillet potatoes as directed (homemade skillet potatoes from scratch may be substituted). While the potatoes are cooking, dice the onion, garlic, and sausage, and sauté in a separate skillet. Slice the summer squash and peppers. When the potatoes are nearly done and seasoned, combine the onion mixture, potatoes, sliced summer squash, and peppers. Add seasoning to taste. Serves 3-4.

-----Breakfast Burritos-----

2 eggs
1/2 pepper, chopped
1/2 onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, chopped
1 c. mizuna greens: chopped, blanched, and drained
grated pepperjack cheese
salsa
4 12-inch flour tortillas
Salt

Mix the eggs in a bowl with 1 t. and water and scramble. Heat a small skillet on medium and add 1 T butter, then cook the scrambled eggs inside, adding salt and pepper to taste. When the eggs are nearly done, add the chopped pepper, onion, and garlic. Cook until all are heated through, then divide between four 12-inch tortillas. Layer on grated pepperjack cheese, salsa, and mizuna greens, then fold the tortillas into burritos. Serve hot! (Serves 2)

The Great Utah CSA Experiment - Week 3!

This week announced the opening of a new grocery store by the Fashion Place Mall called the 'Sunflower Farmer’s Market’. It is misleading in that the name makes it sound as though it’s a true farmer’s market, where farmers come to sell their goods. Unfortunately, most of the produce sold was California grown – not surprising since the growing season is early here, but don’t be fooled into thinking that just because the name says Farmer's Market that you’re supporting local growers. Even the greens (which are in season here) were Californian. I suppose I should be happy I know where they’re from - nearly every sign was clearly labeled with both price and source. Some of the meat appeared to be local, though.

However, they did have some better organic prices than my local grocer, and confirmed other prices. They too had the organic arugula, baby spinach, and spring mixes in the 5 oz prepackaged varieties for $3.99. That was the only source of arugula they sold, confirming the price from the last few weeks; but they also sold organic spinach in bulk for $4.99/lb. Today, the prices given for each item are the best value between both stores.

	CSA SHARE		Price(Organic)				Price ('Normal')	Value
	0.67 lb Red/Green Lettuce		1.32/lb					$0.88
	0.51 lb Spinach		4.99/lb					$2.54
	0.83 lb Chard						3.18/lb	$2.64
	0.63 lb Romaine		1.32/b					$0.83
	0.94 lb English Peas						2.99/lb	$2.81

Either way, it’s still looking to be a good value, especially since I’m not likely to be driving 5 miles out of my way just to shave a dollar off the cost of my lettuce when I can give business to a truly locally owned store just a block away. (The Sunflower Farmer's Market is a small chain serving western states).

The romaine and red/green lettuce went with us to a friend’s house for a dinner salad. We also took the peas (pictured at right, shelled) for snacking – it was all very good. The chard I split with my mother, then blanched the rest and put it into lunch pockets – Craig was fooled into thinking it was spinach, which he likes, instead of chard, which he doesn’t: so that went well =)! The spinach sat in our fridge and was slowly whittled away in small salads and on sandwiches.

This week was rough on me and Craig. We went into it with room in our fridge and confidence in our ability to use anything sent our way, but we both got sick early in the week and weren't interested in adding more fibrous vegetables to our diet. Hence, the salads became smaller and we tried to share everything we could. As a result I was really excited to get our 2^nd CSA share for the week and find that again, it was full of diversity.

CSA SHARE		Price(Organic)	Price ('Normal')	Value
1.43 lb English Peas			2.99/lb	$4.23
0.34 lb Red/Green Lettuce		1.32/lb		$0.45
1.0 lb Bing Cherries			1.99/lb	$1.99
0.25 lb Garlic			2.99/lb	$0.75
2" pot Parsley		3.99/4" pot	2.49/2" pot*	$2.49
2" pot Basil		3.99/4" pot	2.49/2" pot*	$2.49

*2” herb start prices obtained from Millcreek Gardens

The first thing I noticed when I opened the bag was an overwhelming potency of garlic. It was as over the top as the peppery flavor in the radishes from the last two weeks. I call it an overabundance of flavor, but it’s likely more correct to say that the store-bought varieties I’m used to just have a lack of it. The garlic went into my pantry, and though I haven’t used it yet, I’m VERY excited to do so.

The peas were shelled and frozen, and I must say I’m longing for young sugar snaps I can eat whole without the bother of shelling them. The lettuce was given to a friend; the cherries again made delicious midday snacks. I was most excited about the herb starts (pictured at left).

I’ve always loved gardening; it is unfortunate that our little apartment complex doesn’t have a room for it. Though I have a green outdoor thumb, it turns black the moment I come indoors. No indoor plants survive long in my house – it might be the black curtains hung to keep the light out =P. So I gave the two to my mother, and I know where she planted them. Every week when I go to visit I’ll be sure to clip a little of each for myself. =)

Recipe for Week 3:

-----Peppery Pastrami Sandwiches-----

2 large wheat ciabatta rolls, toasted
6 oz peppered pastrami, sliced
2/3 c. sauerkraut*
1/2 c. tat soy, chopped and blanched
2 oz pepper jack cheese
Spicy mustard

Spread the spicy mustard on the ciabatta rolls. Heat the pastrami, sauerkraut, and tat soy in the microwave until steaming. Layer the sauerkraut, pastrami, cheese, and tat soy between the ciabatta. Serve hot! (Serves 2)

*I made this initially without the sauerkraut and the sandwiches were good, but tasted as though they were really missing something. Don’t leave anything out!

The Great Utah CSA Experiment – Week 2!

With a refrigerator still well stocked with arugula, mizuna, and tat soy salad greens, as well as a small helping of radishes (all from week 1), it was with some trepidation I approached week 2. After all, the growing season for most plants isn’t over in under a week, and I suspected I might get hit again with a slew of greens before I was able to finish the last of the old ones.

Well, East Farms delivered just as I had expected, but even more generously, if it was to be believed. This time, with 5 types of greens: for a total of 4 lbs 10 oz. No newsletter in the box, though, so I had to deduce as best possible what was there. Among the bunch I received a mix of green leaf and red leaf lettuce, arugula, mizuna, spinach, and chard. Plus another 13 oz. of radishes.

The exact numbers follow, as well as a best estimate of the value from my closest local grocery store which carries a selection of regular and organic produce. CSA weight measures were taken on an American Family food scale.

CSA SHARE	Price(Organic)	Price ('Normal')	Value
0.75 lb Red and Green Lettuce	3.35/lb		$2.51
0.5 lb Spinach	12.75/lb	7.78/lb	$6.34
1.25 lb Mizuna	(12.75/lb arugula)		$15.94
1.13 lb Arugula	12.75/lb		$14.41
1 lb Chard		2.89/lb	$2.89
0.81 lb Radishes		0.69/lb	$0.56

Again, the numbers are difficult to pin down, but this time I know I can use spinach or even chard as a good guideline for the mizuna and arugula if it was to be purchased non-organic. Even if I were able to purchase all 4 lb 10 oz of greens at $2.89/lb, which would still add up to $13.36 and that doesn’t include the radishes. So, I’m still feeling good about the overall value. A newsletter came via email a day after the CSA delivery, but it only had a recipe for a spinach salad and recommendation for storing and eating peas (apparently they begin the sugar to starch conversion immediately after being picked, so they should be eaten as quickly as possible. Too bad I didn’t get any peas in my share.)

Knowing how many greens I still had in my refrigerator, and anticipating the first delivery of my 2nd CSA coming in this week as well, I quickly offloaded what I could to friends and family. The chard was split with my father, and a portion of the lettuce, spinach, mizuna, and arugula went with a friend. Even so, this week was one to get creative with salad greens.

I took advantage of the influx of red and green lettuce to make big salads with ham and shredded cheese that used up a portion of mizuna and arugula. Unfortunately, as I had split it, the lettuce was gone with one set of salads. The next day I cooked the remaining chard and spinach for lunch, happy to have 3 sets of greens down! That left the bitter greens as well as the remaining tat soy from the week before – what, exactly, to do with those?

What came next was disastrous. Lacking any normal salad greens I decided to experiment with a salad made entirely of the arugula and mizuna with a little shredded mild cheese, topped with balsamic vinaigrette. I’ve read since that it’s a possibility when paired with sweet and fruity offerings (like the grapes and apples, and perhaps raspberry vinaigrette dressing) but unfortunately we didn’t have those on hand and I wasn’t aware of the requirement. Anyhow. Just take it from me: if you’re not used to it, you might not want to try it. I was able to choke down about ¾ of mine but I don’t think Craig made significant headway into his. The salad was incredibly bitter.

A sample of the tat soy told me that while it was ‘advertised’ as being good for stir-fry (and I wouldn’t mind trying it, really), it was decent enough by itself to eat fresh. That gave us several more salads (in the which I could offload some mizuna and arugula), this time with baked chicken and Caesar dressing. It tasted great! Craig asked for seconds for the first time since I’ve been serving him near-daily salads.

But more salads isn’t a lot more creative, and it wasn’t helping me use significantly more of the arugula and mizuna. So I tried cooking them with other things: a portion of the arugula was chopped and blanched, then combined with ham and cheese to make a filling for lunch pockets. That was a great idea, and very delicious – better than the version I’d made before with only ham and cheese.

The radishes again became midday snacks, and I was surprised to find them a little more woody, and a LOT more peppery, than the store variety. Not that I mind, I love radishes, but it was a little overwhelming in the spice department. It's just as well there weren’t a lot of them.

Four days after the second delivery of my 1st CSA share came the first delivery of my 2nd CSA share - from Borski Farms. I was a little nervous to find what might be waiting for me - I’m eating salads as fast as I can and there just isn’t a lot more room for greens in the refrigerator! but I needn’t have worried. This week the two CSA shares complemented each other nicely. Since the year has been a little cooler, meaning the growing season has gotten off to a slower start, this week's fresh share contained just spinach, peas, and cherries. To compensate for the lack of fresh food, some dried beans left over from last year’s crop were included. That's great – give me dried goods any time, those I can be sure won’t spoil!

The exact numbers follow, as per usual. CSA weight measures were taken on a fancy new digital scale! (Pictured above, at right.)

CSA SHARE	Price(Organic)	Price ('Normal')	Value
0.98 lb English Peas		(2.99/lb snow/snap)	$2.93
0.5 lb Spinach	12.75/lb	7.78/lb	$8.54
1.06 lb Bing Cherries		5.99/lb	$6.35
0.98 lb Anasazi Beans		(1.50/lb dry beans)	$1.47

I picked it up on the way to the grocery store, where I nabbed a few more bottles of salad dressing (surprise - we were running out!) and several pounds of flavored cashew nuts on sale. They made good salad additives – that night we had spinach salad (and mizuna and arugula greens!) with shelled english peas and honey sesame cashews. Later we had taco salad with chopped greens and guacamole flavored cashews. The cherries also made great midday snacks and the beans (pictured at left) went into my food storage, to be used another day.

Finally, I noticed about this time the greens from last week’s share were starting to spoil – apparently 10 days is the outer limit on them. So in part because I didn’t want anything to go to waste, and in part because we were really struggling to keep up with the greens offered, I went ahead and chopped, blanched, and froze all the remaining arugula, mizuna, and tat soy (0.25 lb each).

It’s taken some time, but I’m happy to report that not one of the vegetables delivered has stumped me for longer than 7 days. I’m also happy to find that normal grocery shopping is quite easily adapted to what I have in fresh produce – knowing I’ll make salads and finding gems on sale (like the cashews) that will help me expand on the variety I’m able to serve. Additionally, I feel confident in my ability to store the produce I can’t use quickly. Going into week 3 I have managed to eat, share, or store all the extra greens I was worried about and I have only one small bag of peas left in my fridge. =)

Recipes for Week 2:

----- Lunch Pockets-----

11.25 oz package refrigerated crescent roll dough (makes 6 rolls)*
½ c. chopped ham
¼ c. shredded pepperjack
½ c. cooked arugula (chopped, blanched, and strained)

Roll out the crescent roll dough, and arrange 4 triangles into 2 rectangles. Pinch along the seam to secure it. Layer the ham, cheese, and arugula on one side of the rectangle, then fold the dough over and seal on the edges. Bake according to directions on the roll package. (Serves 2).

(The remaining 2 crescent rolls can be used to make dessert crescents with a little butter and cinnamon sugar rolled up inside!)

*Your favorite biscuit dough recipe will substitute nicely for a slightly different (but still delicious) result.

-----Spring salad with Cashews-----

3 c. spinach, torn
1 c. arugula, chopped
½ c. shelled fresh peas
½ c. honey sesame cashews
balsamic vinaigrette

Divide the greens between two large dinner plates. Top with peas and cashews. Drizzle balsamic vinaigrette over the salads. Serve immediately. (Serves 2).

-----Easy Taco Salad-----

1 can pinto beans, drained and rinsed
1 c. chopped fresh spring mix
¾ c. medium salsa
½ c. mild cheese
½ c. guacamole flavored cashews
sour cream
tortilla chips

Combine the beans, greens, salsa, cheese, and cashews in a bowl. Cover the bottom of 4 dinner plates with tortilla chips, then spoon the bean mix on top. Spoon on a dollop of sour cream and serve. (Serves 4).