CSA Box!

Today was the first day of the CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) season! Dan and I went in on a small share to split. It costs $27.75 a week for 18 weeks at Helsing Junction Farm, I think they still have shares available if you are interested!. We prepaid because I signed us up in March, so it is smooth sailing from here! The pickup location is about a mile from my house so I can just swing by after work and pick up the box. The instructions say to bring a bag to put your share of the produce in and leave your box to be refilled next week. The share we got also includes bouquets of flowers most weeks too :)

This week our box included

A bunch of Tokyo Cross turnips, 1 bunch of  Pink Beauty  radishes

1 bunch of arugula, 1 bunch of rapini

1 bunch of cilantro, 1 bunch of mint

1 bunch of chives, 1 bunch of garlic scapes

4 pints of strawberries

I  meant to take a picture of everything in the box before I packed it and brought it home, but I was just too excited, maybe next week I will remember. Now, out of this selection I have never tried rapini and garlic scapes, so naturally I used these tonight for dinner. I read online to treat the rapini like swiss chard, kale or other leafy green that can be blanched and then sauteed. I blanched the rapini and then put in ice water, dried it off and then sauteed it with fresh bacon pieces. It was delicious. As for garlic scapes, where have they been my whole life?! I am going to look for them at a farmers market this weekend and get some more! YUM! I turned it into pesto using some olive oil, pine nuts, and finely grated parmesan in the blender. The garlic scape pesto is amazing, a little hot and lots of flavor. Dan grilled some steaks and we put the pesto on top. I know I already like cilantro pesto too, so I might be starting a pesto obsessed summer.

Pesto, it was so good I was eating it plain before the meat was ready

Blanched rapini and cooked bacon ready to go into the  skillet with red pepper flakes and  S&P

Completed meal, this picture was snapped right before we ate. 

I am so excited for the next 17 boxes and to see what creative meals we come up with. Dan is a great cook too, but he is more of a griller so we will see where that goes.

On a separate note I got my itinerary for my trip to Israel next month and I cannot wait! It is going to be so fun, more on that in the coming month. 

Until next time,