As I wrote out a hefty check ($500 plus dollars) for my CSA share the other day, I was transported to warm weather moments of crispy kale chips, pastel colored cauliflower sauté and green garlic scape stir fry. I imagined times together with Debbie, scrubbing the dirt off the summer vegetables and talking about what to create with our weekly bounty. I pictured how excited my three children would be, nibbling salted salad turnips, sweet garden peas and fresh Edamame. I remembered kitchen conversations about colors we didn’t know vegetables came in, how our CSA share supports the farmer and the benefits of eating locally grown foods.
As the pen hit the paper, I realized just how much I’ve missed my farm fresh organic vegetables as a source of cooking inspiration and dietary variety. The Crocus flowers may be blooming on my neighbor’s front lawn, but to me, the signature on this check is the surest sign of spring and summer.
To find out about CSA’s in your area, this website is a great resource: http://www.localharvest.org/csa/