CSA Share 1:: Recipes

I’ve been giddy with excitement and anticipation for days now!  I woke up extra early this morning cuz I could not wait to get out the door and off to the farm.  It was just me & Bear, windows rolled down, enjoying the breeze from this perfect November-in-Florida day.  I was in a great mood, I may have even been glowing.  Is that normal?  I mean, its just vegetables for heaven’s sake!

Oh, but it’s not just vegetables!  These vegetables come from Swank Specialty Produce, “purveyors of the finest HydroNatural greens, herbs, and specialty produce to South Florida’s best restaurants and gourmet markets”.  If you are local to me and want to see for yourselves, you can find them every Saturday at the West Palm Beach Green Market.

Here is what I picked up today; this is how it comes…

In our “share” this week…

• Baby Lettuce
• Romaine Lettuce
• Arugula
• Spring Raab
• Watercress
• Pea Greens
• Frilly Cilantro
• Scallions
• English Cucumbers

It is a HydroNatural farm, meaning it “combines hydroponics with natural, sustainable agriculture”…

That is only part of what I love abut our CSA – everything (possible) comes with its roots!  Why is that good?  Because “The plants are harvested live with the roots attached, enabling them to stay fresher longer. Properly stored, the plants last up to three weeks.”…

So I take them out of their baggies, and put them in pretty vessels with a bit of filtered water…

Beautiful, isn’t it?  And what you can’t get from these pictures is how good everything smells!!!  That fresh fragrance is definitely lacking in the produce we buy at the grocery store, organic or not.

CSA Share 1::  Recipes:

• Baby Lettuce:: Baby Lettuce with Pears and Raspberries
• Romaine Lettuce:: Winter Fruit Salad with Lemon Poppyseed Dressing (family favorite)
• Arugula:: Chicken Sandwich with Arugula and Sun-Dried Tomato Vinaigrette
• Spring Raab:: just sauteed with a little garlic & soy sauce
• Watercress:: Salmon with Wilted Watercress and Balsamic Drizzle
• Pea Greens::  just sauteed with a little garlic & soy sauce
• Frilly Cilantro:: Black Bean and Cilantro Quesadillas, Easy Broiled Chicken Fajitas
• Scallions:: Ginger-Soy Chicken Thighs with Scallion Rice
• English Cucumbers:: just sliced, as a side

Well, that’s the plan anyway.  Stay tuned and see how it all turns out!  I love this feeling of accomplishment… my menus are planned, my grocery lists are made, and my coupons are clipped.  Meal planning around our CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) share definitely fits into Sofia’s Ideas on Simplicity, Frugality, and an Eco-Mentality!

Tagged as: Nutrition, Recipes