So I’ve got some depressing news. Aside from the fact, I haven’t seen the sun in a while, which means my vitamin D must be low; hence everything seems depressing. The weather really is partially to blame for my sad little news. Instead of dragging it on, I’m just going to come out with it. I picked up our very last half-share from our winter CSA program. My season is done, and my CSA Finito. Damn Ohio, and its cold climates, non conducive to growing fresh fruits and veggies year round.
Then again, without the cold climates, we’d never look out into our backyard and see scenes like this.
Or have snow days or go sledding or have a need for drinking hot cocoa and roasting chestnuts by the fire (yes, I just wanted to say nuts). It’s a trade-off, I suppose. Snow, sleet and ice for fresh local eats. Seems a little unbalanced, but whatever.
What I really need to do is learn how to save my produce, so I can use it year round. I need to freeze it and stockpile it the same way squirrels stockpile nuts (again with the nuts). The only problem is I have no idea how to can or stockpile things, and I definitely don’t have the right equipment. I can’t even keep my frozen bananas from getting freezer burn, and I use the heavy-duty, specially designed for the freezer, Ziploc bags. It’s nonsense, although I still eat the bananas.
You know who is up on their storage game though. Kirsten over at Farm Fresh Feasts. Not only does she live somewhere in Ohio, but she also feeds her family all winter long from CSA produce she “put up” earlier in the season. She doesn’t know it yet, but I’m going to show up on her porch, one day this summer, as soon as I find out where she lives (minor detail) and begin an apprenticeship. I will stay with her and learn her ways, and I will pay her in candied nuts (it’s a sickness, I know) and homemade granola.
Before I become a stalker or truly a student, seeking to gain the talents of others, we need to bid a fond farewell and a formal adieu to my winter CSA. Let’s take a peek at what I got in my final share. Drumroll please.
My final half-share brought me a few more apples, a bunch (literally) of Romaine lettuce, more radishes (holy crap, I’m drowning in radishes over here) and some of the cutest and weirdest shaped sweet potatoes. I think the one on top looks like a little alien baby. Perhaps Ohio is the new Area 51, or maybe it’s just all the fracking, tainting our food supply. Whatever the case may be, I put our produce to use.
The apples I ate plain, or with my hand, if you want to get all technical about it. Truly, there’s nothing easier than eating an apple, and yes, they were quite scrumptious. Well, except the last one. He (of course, it’s a man) was a tad bit wrinkly and a little too far gone for my taste. I ended up tossing him partially because he was bad and also because I had recently watched Snow White and the Huntsman (save your money), and sometimes, an apple is not just an apple. Not that I’m claiming to be a princess or that my CSA is trying to poison me, although I wouldn’t object to the princess part, especially if a tiara was involved. Sadly, not every single piece of produce is a winner.
Speaking of Charlie Sheen (or really just winners), I made Parmesan Roasted Sweet Potatoes again, because they rock, and you get to pull the crispy bits off the bottom of the pan and eat them when nobody is looking.
You can also plate them up and pair them with some fried eggs if you’re trying to be more civilized. I could go either way.
The lettuce was a different story. I’m going to be frank. I love a good salad, but in the winter time…not so much. We actually had one day last week where the temperature was nine degrees in the morning, and on days like that or pretty much anything below fifty, I’m not dying to stick my face in a bowl full of greens. Beans and rice, oh yeah baby. A green smoothie, sure, but a salad….not even a little bit.
Yet, I had a full and beautiful head of romaine leaf lettuce and about a bazillion radishes, so I sucked it up and made a veggie version of a Cobb Salad. Rest assured, I threw some cooked bacon in the Hubby’s bowl; can’t have the poor fella starve to death on rabbit food, although I truly wouldn’t label this Cobb Salad as mere rabbit food.
Despite having zero interest in actually eating a salad, this one was The Bomb.Com. It was phenomenal, and absolutely worth ridiculous statements like the Bomb.Com and maybe even a Caps Lock OMG. Whatever the verbiage may be, I’d eat an entire second bowl if I had any lettuce left. Sadly, I don’t.
Into my Cobb Salad, I added a handful of chopped CSA radishes, which barely put a dent in my radish stash (it’s weird I have a radish stash, yes?), some shredded carrots, hardboiled eggs, blue cheese (mmm, cheese) and half an avocado. I topped the entire thing with a quickly tossed together dressing of olive oil, fig vinegar, lemon juice, minced garlic, Dijon mustard, vegetarian Worcestershire sauce and of course a little salt and pepper. Seasoning is important people! Unseasoned vegetables will be the downfall of the veggie kingdom, so get your spice on, and save the next generation.
While I didn’t actually get my Acorn Squash in this week’s CSA (he came from one of those other weeks), I decided to finally cook him this weekend. Isn’t he lovely?
I’m going to be honest here, and let’s be real, when am I not? If anything, I’m a little too honest and sometimes a touch crude, but the simple fact is, I’m not a squash expert. Up until this winter CSA, I rarely dabbled in squash and definitely never went outside the Butternut Family. I’m learning (and counting on my apprenticeship to teach me new skills), but I don’t entirely know what to do with an Acorn Squash. This one, let’s call him Fred, I cooked up over the weekend. Then, I dissected him, cutting him into melon type slices and small chunks from there. I placed the pieces of Fred into a Tupperware and stuck him in the fridge, which is where he now resides. I kind of envision sautéing him with some black beans (no surprise there), a bell pepper for color and flair, some kind of liquid so he doesn’t dry out and seasoning (see note above), but I’m not sold on this idea, which is where you come into play.
Any ideas what to do with my Acorn Squash? Are you sad my CSA is over? Do you know how to “put up” produce, and will you teach me your ways? I will pay you in food.
To check out other very cool, delicious, and local produce, be sure to head over to Heather at In Her Chucks and Kristy at Gastronomical Sovereignty to see what they’re doing with their fruits and veggies.
I need to freeze more, too, Meghan. 2 summers ago, blueberries were incredibly cheap and I froze a bunch. Lasted me a year and a half and they were still perfect. Now I have to buy them… 🙁 Next summer…
I need to find a better way to freeze things too because these Ziploc bags aren’t cutting it. Any ideas?
What is CSA? in the UK it is the Child Support Agency a government body. I am indeed sad that you have lost it though, even though I dont have a clue what it is. Did you take that photo of the snow? because it is really beautiful, one of the best snow pictures I have ever seen.
Hi Tom; thanks for stopping by. The CSA I’m referring to (although it can stand for Child Support Agency here too) is Community Supported Agriculture. Basically, you pay for a “share” in your local farm(s). This share or payment gleans you fresh, local produce every single week of the CSA season. I participated in one all summer long and just wrapped up my winter season now. For me, there’s nothing quite like receiving a bundle of fresh produce every week, which has been ripened in the sun and was picked only days before and then shipped less than a hundred miles to make it’s way to me. It’s hands down my favorite way to get my fruits and veggies.
Thank for the lovely compliment about my snow picture. I did take it one day last week, from inside the house (obviously) and it’s of our backyard. I was trying to capture the accumulation of snow. I’m glad you enjoyed it, and I’m thrilled you popped in and said Hello.
Meghan,
Ohio (and before that for me, Virginia) kinda sucks for the whole year round local eating thing. Oh to be near Heather from In Her Chucks, getting local fruit year round . . .
This year I have a resolution that I think will stick: I’m going to add more avocado to my life! Your salad looks so delicious I wish I had some radishes (sent them off with my Dad) as well as salad greens.
There’s hope, though–I got an email from Patchwork Gardens (my CSA) saying sign ups for the 2013 farm share are now open. Something to look forward to!
I put cubes of a peeled acorn squash into a fake Moroccan (yes, I will title it Faux-roccan and cringe when I do) stew. It was ok. I have a few more acorns in the Strategic Winter Squash Reserve that will become . . . . right. I’ll get back to you on that. My family sure doesn’t like them just split open, baked and buttered. So I need to be creative. (Hence the Moroccan seasonings).
I know; Heather’s boxes are amazing! Ridiculously good! Make me wanna move to Florida good! She gets so much fruit each week too.
You should add more avocado to your life or at least 2013. It’s so rich and creamy and one of the good fats. If it helps with the kiddos, I have a recipe for chocolate pudding which includes avocado and my Hubby loves it. You can’t even taste it in there.
And faux-roccan’s better than no-rocking (I can’t believe I just typed that and now I’m cringing with you). 🙂
I get depressed when there’s no sun at all too….blah. Those sweet potatoes look fabulous- I have to make them!
I know; a life without sun is horrible. But I did get quick peek at it today, and it was wonderful. Please make the sweet potatoes and then let me know what you think. I love them, and I’ve eaten them like three weekends in a row now.
I am so with you on the winter salads thing (and the beans and rice!), which is sad, because I usually love them when I DO put them together!
Oh, and those sweet potatoes look amaaaaazing. I’m definitely going to have to try that soon.
I highly recommend the sweet potatoes. I’ve been eating them like they’re going out of style too.
Your cobb salad looks DELICIOUS!!
Thanks Jessie. It really was delicious.
Beets! I seriously could live on those haha. Everything looks great!
It took me forever to grow a taste for beets, but I love dinking them now. Thanks Sunnie.
I am so excited!!! I received a sweet potato and some avocado in my box this week and have decided that I am going to give your parm sweet tatoes a try as well as that amazing super salad 🙂
Thanks for the inspiration.
I am sorry you are done with your CSA for the season 🙁 don’t forget to come by and visit the party from time to time…
I wouldn’t miss it for the world. And I really hope you give the Parmesan Sweet Potatoes a try. I know you’ll love them.
haha..”nuts”. hahahaha…..
your salad looks divine Meghan – in fact… i think i might make a cobb salad this week. Look at all those beautiful vegetables!!
also, acorn squash = roasting with maple syrup and seeds. but i have yet to do it successfully. Both times it burnt. ack. so maybe don’t listen to me at all.
….i miss my csa. and i’ll certainly miss yours. here’s to the spring when they come back! (i’m toasting you with my tea because it’s much too early for wine…or is it?).
thank you for sharing with us at the Wednesday Fresh Foods Link Up – i hope to see you again this week with more seasonal & real/whole food posts. xo, kristy
One of the things I love about a CSA (other than local, organic produce) is it takes some of the guesswork out of cooking. You get some items, and you plan your dish around them as opposed to starting from scratch (not that there’s anything wrong with that), but I like having a jumping off point.
They started a winter farmer’s market in downtown Cleveland. I went on Friday with some high hopes, and it was dismal. No fruit, no produce, just five vendors, one of who was just making gyros. The others sold homemade peanut butter, granola, herbs and spices, and grass fed cheese. I bought some stuff because you got to support it, but it was sad. Even sadder is I think I was one of the their only customers. Most folks around here don’t get it. Awareness is key, so I think you may be onto something with regards to your advertising campaign. I’ll be in touch.