Do you know what kohlrabi or celeriac are? I didn’t. What was I going to do with this purple space ship- looking thing and this lumpy root vegetable? When I joined a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) a few years ago, it was a challenge to learn what all these new vegetables were and what I could do with them. I quickly turned to the Internet and found some good resources, but didn’t find one website that addressed all my concerns about cooking or preserving this unusual produce.
Joining a CSA can be
intimidating. (When you join a CSA you pay the farmer up front for a “share” in
the vegetables he will grow that year.) Sometimes the sheer volume of produce
you receive can make you wonder what you’ve gotten yourself into. My mission is to help you appreciate the fresh local food
you are receiving each week. If you are sitting on the fence about joining a
CSA go and visit, get as much information as you can. It seems expensive;
shares run from $450 to $500 for a small share, and $700 to $750 for a large
one. But that averages only about $25 a week. Not much more than you would
spend at the supermarket. Share with a
friend; that can help you not to be so overwhelmed by the cost or the produce.
In my twenties and thirties,
“where my food came from” didn’t concern me. I was busy being a single mom and working
full time. I was not looking for new experiments, and what we ate was what the
supermarket had to offer. But then one October a friend of mine asked me if I
wanted to pick up her share of vegetables at the CSA. I had gorgeous peppers
and butternut squash. After the first pick-up I was hooked. I loved that I was
getting vegetables that were picked that morning, and I could have a
conversation with the people who grew them. I never realized what a variety of
different vegetables there were and how delicious and fresh they tasted.
After that I decided I wanted
to learn more. I went back to school and
earned a Bachelor’s degree in Nutrition.
I read, lots, including all of Michael Pollan’s books and also Barbara
Kingsolver. Each in their own way goes
on a journey to connect with the food they eat.
I am back in school again,
this time in pursuit of a degree in Culinary Arts. I have learned how to make my own yogurt and bread,
and with my husband I make beer, mead and the new project, cheese. There is
usually always something bubbling or fermenting in our kitchen.
I have learned how to can,
pickle, and ferment. The bounty of
tomatoes from August can be enjoyed in December, and the cabbage overload from
October is quickly turned into sauerkraut for New Year’s Day.
I am still challenged from
time to time, but keep reading to see how I handle it. Let me know if something
is particularly challenging for you and we can work through it together.
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