The CSA Eating Experience
This past week you received what we consider to be more challenging items, chard and broccoli shoots. We don’t know what happens after you get the veggies home but we make assumptions leaning toward the theory that you each are doing everything you can to figure out how to get your produce used up. There will be weeks when you have the best intentions to be a super-chef and maximize your CSA experience, and then life sets in and you find yourself eating raw broccoli with ranch dip.
It can feel like you’re “failing” at your original goal to change the way you eat, but remember that eating more vegetables, even if it’s just with dip, is already a win. Some veggies may rot in your fridge in a particularly hectic week, and that’s okay. Believe it or not, this still happens to us too. It takes time to develop new habits, and learn to enjoy the spontaneity of a CSA share. Being flexible in your weekly menu is key. Afterall, you’re giving up control over what veggies come to your kitchen each week.
We are not huge fans of chard, but tonight we tried a creamy bacon chard recipe and gave it one last whorl. Over a half pound of chard and our family of four ate nearly the entire pan full. So now we wave the white flag and stop fighting something we did not think we liked. Chard is our new side!
A good CSA will push you to try new foods and explore variety in your kitchen while eating with the seasons and being able to shake the hand that feeds you. Our ultimate goal is to change the way you eat. Slow down. Think about not only what you put into your body, but the social aspect of supporting local people. Gathering over a meal made of food grown by hard work and determination by someone you know is meaningful. It is not a secret that we rely on you for our livelihood. We are of course grateful that you have chosen to support our family, but perhaps more so that you eat what we produce. Afterall, there is hardly a more intimate choice than the food we choose to nourish ourselves and our family. Knowing your farmer makes eating a whole new experience.
Until next time,
