Welcome to our 2024 CSA season, Marc and I are so excited to get this great year started and share with you the wonderful things we grow. We are confident you will enjoy this culinary journey. Each week you can visit this page to see what you can expect in your upcoming week’s share. That way you can plan your meals and adjust your grocery shopping accordingly. Here are some tips for getting the most of your share, clear out your fridge and give yourself a refresher on best ways to store fruits and veggies. Deal with your produce right away to prevent waste. Clean, store and have a plan for how you are going to use everything. When in doubt, just about any vegetable can be roasted, stir fried or made into soup. Any excess can be shared with friends and family. We also carry lots of items in our on-line store so if you want to do some preserving or supplement your share with other items, please place your order by Tuesday and we will have it ready when you pick up your basket.
Here is what you can expect in your basket this week:
Large Green and Red Head Lettuce If you are sick of the tasteless grocery store lettuce you will welcome the earthy flavour of our certified organic/biodynamic greens. Large leaves can be used for sandwich wraps.
Bunch of White Hakurei Turnip with Greens Super sweet, delicate almost fruity flavour and crunchy texture make them a new popular variety developed in Japan. Can be pared with almost anything, most commonly grilled, stir-fried, added to soups, roasted, braised or they can also be eaten raw. Grate it into salads or slice it like an apple to eat with dips. No need to peel, simply wash and prepare. The greens can be added to your salad.
Asparagus Fresh hand picked, with many delicious ways to prepare. Boiling, steaming, roasting, sautéing, broiling and pan roasting are ways to make the tender green spears pop with flavour. We love to grill it right on the BBQ for a 15 minute smoky and sweetly caramelized side dish. Just toss with olive oil, perpendicular to the bars so they don’t fall through! Squeeze a bit of lemon juice and top with grated parmesan cheese and kosher salt.
Rhubarb Fresh tasty bunch. There are so many ways to enjoy, starting with your classic crumble with ice cream for a fast dessert. But why not try something new, pickle it and add to your salad, slaws or with your sandwiches. a couple of years ago our farm intern Christian, shared an old Polish family recipe we tried and loved. Take 6 1/2 cups of water, 1/2 cup sugar, your rhubarb chopped, and juice from 1 lemon. Bring water and sugar to a boil, add rhubarb, boil and simmer for 5 minutes. Strain mixture into bowl and add lemon juice…chill for a delicious rhubarb lemonade. The pureed portion can be used as an ice-cream topping and for the grownups, the lemonade can make a great cocktail (add vodka, ice and sparkling soda for a rhubarb lemon fizz).
Arugula The peppery taste pairs nicely with other strong flavours. My favourite arugula salad uses 4 cups arugula leaves, 1 cup cherry tomatoes, 1/4 cup pine nuts, 2 tbsp olive oil, 1 tbsp rice vinegar, 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese, salt and pepper. Takes only minutes and tastes great.
Asian Greens with Flowers Easiest way to use these are in a stir fry. They can also be wilted in soup, boiled in hot pot, pickled in kimchi and minced as a filling for dumplings. Also good raw and shredded fine, especially in salads, slaws and wraps. Use the flowers as an edible garnish.
Enjoy
