Our CSA has finally begun! We received our first box June 1st and are now getting weekly boxes. If you are not familiar with a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture), you purchase a "share" or "membership" to a farm at the beginning of the season and receive weekly boxes with local, fresh produce. It is an awesome way to support local farmers and get incredibly fresh produce. You also get the opportunity to build a relationship with the farmers. Our CSA is through Blue Gate Farm in Chariton and they are absolutely wonderful. We participated in their winter CSA last year and have been anxiously awaiting the beginning of the summer CSA.
Our first box included eggs, asparagus, bok choy, garlic scapes, radishes, several types of lettuce, tapestry salad mix, and fennel. We roasted the asparagus with olive oil and salt & pepper (our second favorite preparation after grilling) and have been eating salads regularly. The garlic scapes were new to us and we loved them! I have been using them in cooking as I use green onions, but my favorite use was in garlic cheese bread made with ciabatta from La Mie. Simple, but delicious.
Our second box from Blue Gate Farm included spinach, more garlic scapes (last of the season), braising greens (mizuna, chard, mustard, senposai, purslane, lambs quarters, amaranth), bok choy, spring turnips, and the usual tapestry salad mix.
Our third box had eggs, sugar snap peas, Michilli chinese cabbage, easter egg mix radishes, oregano, spring onions, and tapestry salad mix.
The fourth box had a beautiful bunch of basil, more braising greens (amaranth, lamb's quarter, purslane, sorrel, chard, dandelion, and sour dock), garlic, turnips, and squash blossoms. This box was a little light because of all of the rain. We were extremely excited about the squash blossoms as they are one of our favorites. I usually stuff them with ricotta and fresh herbs and then pan fry them, but this time I simply dusted them with flour and pan fried them. Divine.
Last week we received 2 beautiful eggplant (orient express), 1 green pepper, lemon balm and tapestry salad mix. We used the eggplant in a completely local frittata with eggplant, eggs, lemon balm, and oregano from the CSA and yellow zucchini from Maharishi Vedic City Organic Farm (which I bought at Gateway).
