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Local farms connect with healthy produce
(by Lauri Gross - February 01, 2012)
VITAL TRIFLE, BY LAURI GROSS
Local farms connect with healthy produce
It's the middle of winter, the perfect time to daydream about fresh local produce. Last winter we joined a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) farm, and we plan to do the same this year. These farms sell memberships in exchange for the promise of weekly supplies of fresh vegetables, herbs and more.
We paid upfront in the winter, and then, from June through October, we received a box each week overflowing with an eye-popping assortment of gorgeous leafy greens and vegetables of every other color. We signed up for a half share, and it was plenty for our family of four, and all of us are big vegetable eaters. To make use of a full share, I think you'd have to have a large family or freeze or can some of your bounty.
Often, CSA farms offer other membership options for seniors or people in other situations.
Every Wednesday evening, we drove the couple miles to our farm, happily anticipating that week's surprise. We soon became friends with our farm lady, Kathy, the helpers she sometimes employed and the menagerie of critters who lived at her farm. There was a horse, some chickens, several emus (like a mini-ostrich but not too mini), goats and more.
Our favorites were Ben, Cocobutt, Sweetie and Buddy, the four dogs who live there. Ranging in age from puppy to over the hill and in size from a few pounds to more than 50, Ben, Cocobutt, Sweetie and Buddy greeted each visitor and kept everyone entertained with their playful wrestling. Sweetie served as the farm's tour guide, leading visitors to the emu enclosure for a closer look at these exotic birds and then back to the barn for your veggie pickup. Each week, Kathy warned us to be careful of the dogs jumping into our car.
As she handed us our box, Kathy would tell us what it contained, for each week there was something different. Usually, she included a newsletter with tips for storing and using the vegetables, and sometimes there were recipes too.
In our family, none of us had ever eaten kale, but, since there was often kale in our box of goodies from Kathy's farm, we followed her advice on how to prepare it.
She suggested making kale chips as follows: Rinse and dry the leaves, and place in a single layer on a cookie sheet. Rub or brush the leaves with olive oil and then sprinkle with salt. Cook in an oven preheated to 400 degrees for about eight minutes, until parts of the leaves turn brown and crispy. That's it.
We often laughed at the site of each other stuffing these large leaves into our mouths, but we all loved our kale chips so much we didn't care if it looked odd. Every week, the kids would ask hopefully, "Did we get kale?" as they searched through our box of CSA produce.
It had been a long time since we had fresh beets, but last summer and fall we enjoyed them frequently and the leafy beet tops when I sauteed them in garlic and olive oil.
We learned other things about vegetables from our CSA too. Grilling okra removes that otherwise unpleasant slimy quality. We had to cure our CSA sweet potatoes for a few weeks in a warm, dark place wrapped in newspaper to allow the potato to make its sugar and achieve the desired sweetness. And it turns out radishes come in a different shapes and colors.
I was always amazed at the variety we found in our box. Here are the items I can remember receiving: apples, beets, bell peppers, bok choy, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, carrots, celery, cucumbers, eggplant, eggs, figs, garlic, gourds, herbal tea, fresh herbs, hot peppers, kale, leeks, lettuce, okra, onions, potatoes, pumpkins, radishes, snap peas, spinach, squash, string beans, Swiss chard, tomatoes, watermelon, yams and zucchini.
Most CSA farms are certified organic, or like ours, certified all natural. As I understand it, the "All Natural" designation is similar to the "Certified Organic" identifier, but it is cheaper for farmers to obtain, and the paperwork is less daunting.
There are CSA farms all over Northeast Ohio.
Many CSA farms also sell flowers and produce at summer farm markets around the area, and many offer fall and winter gift baskets containing fresh-baked bread, locally made cheese and more.
For my money, the CSA is a great deal. We support local farmers, enjoy healthy, all-natural produce and make some new friends.
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