CSA Week 16
This was our last week of the CSA - I'm sad that it is over, but at the same time it's nice to have a break from the constant rush to cook and eat all that produce before it goes bad each week. I'm glad we did it this way for our first time, it really pushed me out of my cooking comfort zone and forced me to use ingredients that I wouldn't normally buy. I'm really grateful for the learning experience, but next year I think we will do a half-share.
In the share:
Green beans
Kale
Onions
Bell peppers
Tomatoes
Eggplant
Corn
Jalapenos
Apples
Peaches
CSA Week 15
These posts are a little behind schedule - the CSA finished a couple of weeks ago, but I have been bad about posting. Sorry about that!
In the crate:
Eggplant
Bell peppers
Red onions
Kale
Potatoes
Jalapenos
Tomatoes
Cucumber
Apples
Peaches
Pears
Plums
CSA Week 14
Oops! I forgot to take a picture of the crate this week, so I took some pictures of individual produce.
Red and yellow onions.
Peaches and tomatoes (some of the tomatoes were already rotten and I had to throw them out).
Corn.
Bell peppers (I had already sliced them up for a party snack).
Eggplant - the small ones were from the week before, the large one was from this week.
Apples and nectarines.
Pears.
CSA Week 13
In the crate this week:
Corn
Bell Peppers
Tomatoes - large and small
Onions - red and white
Eggplant
Peaches
Apples
Pears
Plums
CSA Week 11
It's a short post this week, because we got the crate a day before we left for Las Vegas for a week (oh yes, there will be posts about that). So I only had one day to make, eat, and store what I could. That is also the reason that we will skip from week 11 to week 13 - I had a friend take our share while we were out of town.
In the crate this week:
Watermelon
Korean Melons
Peaches
Plums
Large and small tomatoes
Corn
Green Beans
Bell Peppers
CSA Week 10
In the crate this week:
Watermelon
Cantaloupe
2 Korean Melons
Chinese Melon
Cucumbers
Zucchini
Corn
Large tomatoes
Cherry tomatoes
Bell Peppers
Peaches
Plums
CSA Week 9
Lots of good stuff this week!
Cantaloupe
Peaches
Plums
Tomatoes
Eggplant
Bell peppers
Corn
Cucumbers
Squash
Zucchini
Kale
CSA Week 8
In the crate:
1 cantaloupe
pint of blueberries
small peaches
Swiss chard
2 bell peppers
tomatoes
cucumbers
zucchini
yellow squash
onions
green beans
CSA Week 7
It's gonna be a short post this week because right after I picked up my basket I left town for a week! But I am doing a post anyway to show you what I got from the CSA and give you tips on storing produce.
In the crate:
lots of onions
red potatoes
beets
Swiss chard
cucumbers
zucchini
blueberries
white cherries! I had never seen these before! They are lovely and very sweet.
Storing Produce
- Heartier vegetables like the squash will be fine in the refrigerator for a week.
- Cucumbers will not last as long as the squash, nor will they freeze well - UNLESS you make freezer pickles. Mix white vinegar and sugar together (adding flavorings like celery seed and dill if you like); pour over sliced cucumbers and onions; chill in the refrigerator for a couple of days, stirring occasionally; freeze in containers and enjoy whenever - best when not completely thawed.
- Beets will keep for several weeks, but the greens wont - so cut those off and use them or get rid of them.
- Store potatoes in a dark, cool place - like your pantry.
- Chard and kale are pretty sturdy, they might last as long as a week depending on the freshness.
- Berries do not last long at all - freeze them if you are not going to use them quickly (pit cherries first, hull strawberries)
- Finely dice extra onion and carrot and freeze. Use for the base of stews, soups, and braises. The green tops of onions, spring onions, scallions, can also be cut up and frozen (to be used in cooked, not raw preparations).
- Unfortunately celery does not freeze well or I would add it to the above for mirepoix. The ice crystals destroy the cellular structure and turn it to mush. The same goes for lettuce and cabbage. You can however attempt to rescue these vegetables (and others) by soaking them in cold water if they are wilted. Usually, they will absorb the water and become refreshed.
I hope that was helpful!
CSA Week 4
In the basket this week:
pint of English peas
kale
spring onions
beets
1 huge cucumber
2 little zucchini
4 yellow squash