Keeping the local farms in mind

Winter seemed so long, not only because we had a ton of snow in New Hampshire or that it was incredibly cold but also because the fresh fruits and vegetables from my local CSA aren't arriving weekly. Every Wednesday is like my birthday because my husband walks in the house with a bag of fresh local grown fruits and veggies from our local CSA.

Well...it is back! The Spring Share has started and the loot was amazing on the first week!

We signed up for a single serving share and received bokchoy, lettuce, spring mix, spinach, radishes, rutabaga, kale and even a dill plant [not pictured]

I got busy making our first CSA meal.  I decided to take some mushrooms we had and saute them with red onions and garlic, then adding in the bokchoy until tender and serving with 1 tbsp of soy sauce. Delicious. Fresh bokchoy is an amazing experience.  I typically only taste this flavor is Chinese vegetable dishes.

I sliced the radishes on the mandolin to prepare them to be grabbed quickly and added as salad toppers. The kale was next...I have always wanted to try kale chips.

I decided to go with flavored kale chips, spicy.  I took the spines out and broke the leaves up into chip sized portions, placed it all in a large bowl and added 2 tbsp of EVOO, salt, also adding ground red pepper and cumin. Tossed it all together with tongs and baked in batches on a cookie sheet at 300 degrees for 14 to 20 minutes until they were crispy.  I loved them! Such a low calorie, healthy snack.

Now you might ask why do we choose to participate in our local CSA instead of buying from the grocery stores produce section...first, freshness! If you think you have been eating fresh tomatoes for example...ha, try your local CSA's tomatoes [mind blown]

Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) brings the community and farmers together to share in a mutually beneficial relationship. CSA is a food subscription service that provides you with a weekly supply of high-quality, locally grown, great tasting, and seasonally fresh food at an affordable price. Members purchase a share at the beginning of the season, which gives local farmers important early support for seeds, greenhouse and farm supplies, and labor.

The above is as explained on my local CSA's website. Local Harvest CSA in New Hampshire...check them out. The variety from season to season is also rewarding. You get a lot of lettuce and leafy greens but who doesn't love a great salad in the summer time, I use Pinterest to find fun recipes to try to keep using the veggies I get in unique ways. Check out my CSA Recipe Ideas board to see what I have so far. You can choose to follow my board and let me help you gather recipes too.

So do you CSA?