Why join a CSA?

There are so many positives to being a part of a CSA.  Aspects that I would love to share, such as freshly picked, organic produce every week and the introduction of new foods to my young children (and husband).  

What I did not expect was the sense of pride I would feel in supporting my local farmer.  I also did not expect my children to take such an interest.  My boys are 4 and 7, and they were excited every week to see what our share included.  There was the usual summer in New Jersey bounty, tomatoes, cucumbers, lettuce, peppers, eggplant, strawberries, snap peas etc.  Then there was the more unusual to us such as bok choy, chard, kale and many other vegetables that we wouldn't normally pick up in the grocery store and add to our daily meals. 

Last season, I was a little unprepared when I arrived home with my weekly share.  It's produce.  You need to act pretty quickly. 

Whether it was incorporating the freshly picked veggies into our dinner for the week, canning an abundance of tomatoes, or making a few casseroles that I could freeze, I definitely had my work cut out for me.  I hate nothing more than to waste food, so I make a commitment this year to myself, that I would make good use of every fruit and vegetable that we receive. 

As the season unfolds, I would like to take readers on a journey through a season of CSA, provide resources for identifying and preparing different types of produce and tell you about some of the wonderful things my family is learning.  My boys are ages 4 and 7, and it takes some creativity to get them to try certain foods.  My son said he hated bok choy before he even knew what it looked like!  

I hope you'll stop by in the weeks to come as our season here gets started.  It's an interesting, delicious journey!