Category Archives: CSA

Pantry items for the beginning of the CSA season

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Our CSA started up again and it’s our fourth year as site hosts for Wimer’s Organics. Wow, time flies!  I wanted to share some tips as well as some must-have pantry items. The beginning of the CSA season is heavy on greens and I have found that sauteing and fresh salads are the quickest options for week night meals.

For collards, swiss chard, spinach, beet greens, kale, dandelion greens: saute them in a little bacon or pancetta, garlic, sliced onions, crushed red pepper and you are set. It only takes a few minutes and you can serve them with some whole wheat pasta or protein.

For arugula, baby spinach, romaine, red leaf lettuce, baby salad mix, green butter lettuce: make a simple salad with olives, cheese and a great dressing. (I love curly shards of Parmesan on top of an arugula salad!) To make my own dressing I keep it simple with dijon mustard, vinegar, salt, and good olive oil. If I’m feeling fancy, I’ll add minced garlic and some herbs. Shake it all up in a small ball jar and store any leftovers in the refrigerator. I buy extra virgin olive oil from A Taste of Olive in West Chester, I was introduced to them by my friend Anne and I try to go back a couple times a year to stock up. They have great quality products so if you are in the area, check them out! If you are not up for making your own salad dressing, I highly recommend Brianna’s Real French Vinaigrette (it has a picture of an artichoke on the front). My friend Leya introduced it to me last summer and I love the tangy citrus flavor.

I highly suggest prepping everything the night you pick up your share. Get a great salad spinner and wash and chop the greens right away for ease throughout the week. On the weeks we don’t do this, we don’t go through all the vegetables and feel really guilty. We store everything in large tupperware containers or you could use gallon sized zip lock bags.

Any tips or pantry items that you like to use for your CSA box? Please share!

Up next: CSA Recipe Binder

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CSA coming soon…

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We just got an email from Bud with Wimer’s Organics letting us know that we’ll receive our first CSA box on May 4th.  ahhhh Spring…I’ve never been so excited to eat salad.  I can’t wait to get a box full of those greens that I can drizzle with homemade dressing.  But in the meantime, here is a list of farmers markets that are open in Philadelphia in the winter.

Tuesdays

Rittenhouse Farmers’ Market
Hours: 10 am to 1 pm
Location: Walnut Street (south sidewalk), west of 18th Street
Products: fruits and vegetables - beef and eggs from pastured animals

South & Passyunk Farmers’ Market
Hours: 2:30 to 7 pm
Location: On Passyunk Ave, off South Street just east of 5th Street
Products: organically grown vegetables and berries - beef, pork, poultry & eggs from pastured animals - artisan bread - John & Kira’s chocolate

Wednesdays

University Square Farmers’ Market
Hours: 10 am to 2 pm
Location: 36th St at Walnut Street
Products: Conventional vegetables - fruit & berries – dairy products from pastured animals – Amish canned & baked goods – artisan baked goods
 

The Mayor’s Farmers’ Market at Love Park
Hours: 11 am to 3 pm
New Location: In Love Park, 15th JFK.
Products: fruits & vegetables – vegetables from the urban farms of Teens4Good – baked goods

Fountain Farmers’ Market
Hours: 3 to 7 pm
Location: East Passyunk Ave, at 11th and Tasker Streets
Products: IPM fruits & vegetables - Amish cheese and baked goods – cut flowers
Local partner: East Passyunk Business Improvement District

Girard & 27th Farm Stand
Hours: 10 am to 1 pm
Location: NW corner 27th and Girard Avenue
Products: fruits, vegetables, and baked goods
 

Thursdays

Suburban Station Farmers’ Market
Year-round market!
Hours: 2:30 to 6:30 pm
Location: 16th Street Concourse between Market and JFK near the 16th Street elevator
Products: fruits & vegetables – beef & eggs from pastured animals

Jefferson Farmers’ Market
Hours: 11 am to 3:30 pm
Location: Chestnut Street east of 10th Street
Products: fruits & greens – beef & eggs from pastured animals – jams & baked goods from seasonal fruit – bread

Saturdays

Rittenhouse Farmers’ Market
Year-round market!
Hours: 10 am to 2 pm
Location: Walnut Street (south sidewalk), west of 18th Street 
Products: fruits & vegetables – mushrooms – goat’s-milk cheeses – milk and yogurt from pastured cows – meat and eggs from pastured animals – regular and gluten-free bread - honey – artisan chocolate made in Philadelphia - cut flowers

Source: Farm to City

Simple can also be perfect.

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Jeff gave me Michael Psilakis’s cookbook, How to Roast a Lamb, which also serves as a memoir and collection of family stories which guides you through the steps of Michael becoming a chef.  It’s quite lovely and the recipes have served us well, especially when we decided to buy a lamb from a local farmer last year.  And the garlic confit – which he admits could be the sole recipe that makes buying this book worth it - is so delicious and makes a great homemade gift.

Ingredients:
3 cups garlic cloves, peeled
1 fresh bay leaf or 2 dried leaves
8 to 10 sprigs fresh thyme
Kosher salt and whole black peppercorns
About 2 cups blended oil (50 percent canola, 50 percent extra-virgin olive), as needed

Cooking Directions:
Put the garlic cloves in a heavy, covered braising pan or Dutch oven. Add the bay leaf and thyme, a scant tablespoon kosher salt, and 15 or 20 black peppercorns. Barely cover with the oil.

Cover the pan and braise in a 300°F oven until the cloves are pale golden and very tender, about 1 hour to 1 hour and 15 minutes. Cool it to room temperature.

Transfer the garlic and all of the oil to a sterilized jar. Press a square of plastic wrap down directly onto the surface of the oil. Place another square of plastic over the rim of the jar and twist on the lid or secure with a rubber band. With every use, replace the square of plastic that touches the oil and use a perfectly clean fork or tongs each time to prevent cross-contamination from other surfaces in your kitchen. As long as the cloves and Garlic Purée are covered with oil, they will last for at least 3 weeks in the refrigerator.

I feel really lucky to have access to farmers markets where I can talk with the person who grows my food or email Bud over at Wimer’s Organics to see what extras him or his neighbors have.  I know that my produce, yogurt, eggs, meat and poultry are the safest and highest quality of food. 

Here is a great exerpt from the book:
“We are so often removed from the origins of our food that to meet the farmer who raises the animal or grows the vegetables brings a whole new respect for the food we eat and the people with whom we share our food. The food is more special because we know where it came from, and the respect that we show for it – by cooking it well, by enjoying it, and by gaining nutrition and life from the animal that gave its life.”

Girls Weekend

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Sorry I’ve been been MIA this week.  I started a new job, and well, it’s not really leaving much time for blogging.  But it’s all good and I’m sure I will find my rhythm soon. 

I’m headed down the shore this weekend with my closest gals and we are supposed to have perfect beach weather.  We plan on making homemade avacado and salmon rolls and other fresh farm foods like corn on the cob and tomato salads.  I love cooking for others and getting in some quality time with these fun friends.

Have a great weekend!

In the Garden – Pickles

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I recently spent some time in my mother-in-law’s garden and was able to bring home some of the harvest.

It isn’t summer without homemade pickles and I came across this easy recipe in the August/September issue of Organic Gardening from the Rodale Production Kitchen.

Audrey’s Pickles
1 pound medium cucumbers
3 garlic cloves
1/2 teaspoon black peppercorns
1/2 teaspoon whole mustard seed
1 teaspoon fresh dill weed
1 whole dried bay leaf
2/3 cup brown sugar
6 1/2 tablespoons white distilled vinegar
6 1/2 tablespoons white-wine vinegar
3/4 cup water
1. Cut the cucumbers into spears or slices and place in a 2 quart container or jar with a lid.  Add the garlic, peppercorns, mustard seed, dill weed, and bay leaf.

2. Stir together the brown sugar, vinegars, and water.  Pour the vinegar mixture over the cucumbers and shake the jar well to combine.  Cover and chill.  For the fullest flavor, wait at least 24 hours before serving.  These pickles will keep up to 3 months in the refrigerator.

Tonight I’m making bacon, lettuce and tomato sandwiches for dinner and having this juicy lady from our CSA for dessert.

Dinner Tonight

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Last week we received a beautiful purple cabbage in the CSA box and I’ve kind of been ignoring it because I wasn’t sure what to make.  After some research, I decided to keep it simple with some salt, lemon juice and creamy avocados on top.  I made some chicken on my favorite grill pan, placed it over some baby spinach and topped with a dollop of sour cream.  I pulled the whole thing together in 20 minutes or less.

Recipe:
2 lemons (juiced)
2 avocados (chopped up)
1/2 tsp salt
3 cups of shredded purple cabbage
1 cup of spinach
grilled chicken (or leave out if you are a vegetarian)

Toss the shredded cabbage with the juice of 2 lemons and salt.  Top with avocados and mix everything together with a bit of olive oil.  Place spinach on the plate, top with cabbage salad, grilled chicken and a little sour cream.

CSA – Week 3

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Lots of great news has come our way this week.  I was beginning to feel like a dark cloud was permanently hanging over our heads but I am thrilled to report that we have turned over a new leaf.  Jeff will be student teaching in the Fall and wrapping up his masters program and I completed a big project at work that is getting lots of good attention.  This past year has been especially trying and transformative.  I learned lessons of resilience, letting go of the plans, and choosing to be positive and grateful in the darkest of times.  You know that saying – life is 10% what happens to me and 90% how I react to it?  That’s the stuff. 

[Sorry, not the best picture]

In the box this week: 1 head romaine, 1 bunch spinach, 1 large bunch spring onions, red potatoes, 1 bunch chard, 1 bag salad mix, 1 bunch parsley, 1 bunch of broccoli. 

On the menu this week: 
- Pasta with white beans, chard and bacon 
- Grilled steak sandwiches with goat cheese and spinach
- Chicken caesar salad
- Cheesy broccoli
- Lots of salads with herbs, spring onions and homemade dressings. 

Here is our boy running free. He is the one in black.  Life is good.