CSA Week #2

Just as we had almost finished eating all of our veggies we got from week #1, it was time to pick up our vegetables for week #2. In just these two weeks, we have had to completely change the way that we make dinner. When I was a teenager, my mom taught me that dinner should consist of a meat, a vegetable, and some type of starch. When you have two shelves of the refrigerator plus the crisper full of vegetables, things start to change. Starches are more or less out of our diet. We will occasionally have pasta for dinner, or share a baguette, but fruits and vegetables have definitely taken center stage. Breakfasts have become fruit salads, lunches have become wraps filled with different types of greens, and dinner has become meat with a side or two of vegetables. We absolutely love it, and just two weeks in, pick up days have become something that we look forward to every week. Thom is already talking about renewing our investment for next year.

This week's share consisted of a head of Boston lettuce, a bunch of Japanese turnips, a bunch of chives, a baggie of mixed fresh herbs, a kohlrabi, 1.5 pounds of potatoes, a zucchini, and 1/3 pound of arugula! Again, this is early in the season, and our shares will get bigger as the growing season continues. So far, the lettuce has been used in lunches, some of the chives have made friends with the potatoes to create an amazing batch of mashed potatoes, the zucchini was sliced and sauteed with fresh lemon juice and garlic, and the arugula was transformed in to an amazing lemon arugula pasta dish that I found on Pinterest. I promise I will post the recipe in the future. I need to have a chance to take a picture of the finished product. We still have turnips and the kohlrabi to figure out. The turnips can easily be sauteed and are really tasty, but I have never had kohlrabi. We were told it can be shredded and turned into coleslaw. Does anyone have any experience with this? Or other recipes that involve kohrabi?

One of the things I love about participating in a CSA is discovering new vegetables that I have never tried before. At the same time, that can also be the most frustrating aspect.

CSA Week #1

Thursday evening marked our first CSA pick-up. We really had no idea what to expect, and I am happy to report that we are more than impressed. We were expected a light pick-up because previous emails from the farm indicated that pick-ups would be light early in the season and larger towards the end of the season. When we got to our pick-up location, we were surprised to find out the amount of veggies we would get to take home. Every CSA member got a head of lettuce, 1/10 pound of chives (that is a lot of chives), and half a pound of Japanese turnips, then we got six additional picks, which we used to get another head of lettuce, a half pound of spinach, two half pound picks of baby bok choy, and two half pound picks of rhubarb. I would say we made out quite well, and if this is a light week, I am excited to see what is in a heavier week towards the end of the growing season.

Now we are in the process of figuring out how to use all the fresh veggies. 1/10 of a pound of chives goes a long way and we have been adding them to dinners for extra seasoning. The rhubarb was combined with a container of fresh strawberries I purchased from the local grocery store and became pie. The lettuce and spinach will be used for fresh salads for our lunches, and I am going to use some of the baby bok choy in a batch of Asian noodle soup. As for the rest, we will see what Thom and I come up with. The best part? We pick-up more veggies on Thursday!

CSA Update

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I got an email last week from the farm that we invested in to inform me and Thom that our first pick-up will be tomorrow! (Squeee!) On Monday, we received an email that explained what our available selections would be. The way our CSA (community supported agriculture) works is you pick out a size of share to invest in; small, medium, or large. Each week, everyone gets certain vegetables, then, depending on the size of share you purchased, you get a specified number of picks out of a selection of other vegetables.

Our CSA is a bit different from traditional CSAs in which everyone gets an evenly distributed mystery box. Thom and I can be picky eaters sometimes and we were concerned abut the possibility of getting a box of bell peppers or onions. This way we get a little more say into where our investment goes. We were also looking at a CSA that utilized a debit card system, the way that works is once you purchase your share, a certain amount is loaded into your account to spend at that farm's stand. After a little deliberation, we opted for our current CSA; it sounded like a better value over the course of the season, we do not have to keep track of numbers, and they have pick your own peonies.

Thom and I purchased a medium share. This week we get a head of lettuce plus six additional picks. The choices are rather scant right now because it is very early in the Maine growing season, but the farm promises to make up for everything in August and September. Regardless, I am still excited to have fresh, local, organic lettuce for our lunch wraps, zucchini for our grill, fresh potatoes, and baby bok choy, which will be a new vegetable for me.

Getting Healthy, or Why We Started Eating All Natural/Organic

I look like a cow in this picture

Thom and I have never pretended to be examples of someone physically fit. Whether we like to admit it or not, we are overweight. For several years, we have both been saying that we want to lose weight, but we never did anything seriously about it. We joined gyms, but never went; started a diet, but cheated on it all the time. The intention was there, but the commitment was not. Enter our thirties, when everything starts to fall apart. To spare details, Thom has always had gastrointestinal issues, and things really came to a head in March of last year. He was referred to a gastroenterologist and had to go through several tests, but no real diagnosis was found. On a whim one day, I suggested that we try cutting corn syrup out of our diet. I had a friend growing up that had an intolerance to it, so I figured why not give it a shot. Within 72 hours, Thom's issues had disappeared. We found the culprit.

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This led to research about corn syrup, specifically high fructose corn syrup. We learned that it was made through a chemical process that is currently unregulated through the federal government. We learned that it is related to intestinal issues, and it makes the body resistant to insulin. As well as some other really ugly facts about it, you can read for yourself here. What was even more infuriating was the fact that high fructose corn syrup is in everything; soda, cookies, candies, bread, crackers, ketchup, fruit juice, yogurt, the list goes on.

This caused a bit of a dilemma, how to we eat without poisoning ourselves? Our answer? Thank goodness for all natural grocery stores. In a matter of days we went from shopping at traditional grocery store to the all natural grocery store. I am so happy we made the switch. We are fortunate to have a Trader Joe's in town, so the switch actually saved us money. I can buy anything I want without having to worry about high fructose corn syrup or other nasty preservatives that we really just should not be eating. The best part? I get to fill up my cart with fresh veggies every week. Well, for now.

It turns out switching to all natural and organic food has caused a bit of a lifestyle change. Thom and I are quickly learning that when you eat better, you feel better. My own IBS has disappeared, our skin is clearer, we sleep better at night, and we have more energy during the day. To go along with this lifestyle change, we have joined a CSA for the summer. CSA stands for Community Supported Agriculture. Thom and I have invested in a local farm, and as a result we will get a portion of their harvest from June through to October. Fresh local veggies, I am so excited!

The additional energy has helped out too. Our Portland has hiking trails throughout the city, and now that spring has finally started to arrive, we have taken to after work hikes with the dog. It is a nice opportunity to spend time with Thom, take some pictures of the beautiful landscape around us, and, of course, get some exercise!

Our new, healthier lifestyle is yet another thing that I have to look forward to, and my jeans are definitely starting to get a bit looser by the day.