Those of you on social media might have noticed that all I post are cat pictures, political rants, and food pics.
The latter’s number increased when I signed up for the UCD Student Farm CSA this summer.
The Pros
So much fresh fruit & veg!
The Cons
So much fresh fruit & veg, but Dante & I are just two people, and he’s picky as hell.
The Challenges
I didn’t want to let anything go to waste, which was difficult due to the amount of produce, the smallness of my freezer, and time.
I had to change the way I do meal planning. Normally, I plan out what I want way in advance and shop for what I need. In this system, each Monday had new surprises, and since there was just so much, I had to do meal planning around the vegetables.
A lot of family favorites got put on hold, since they didn’t call for summer produce.
And I’m proud of myself for finding so many new recipes to use what I got, but it took a lot of time each week to make it work.
I just don’t have those hours to give right now.
The Products:
Gazpachos, frozen watermelon concoctions, zucchini in all its forms, cobblers, stews, quiches, stir fries, pestos, pizzas, salsas, salads, mexican, indian, thai, and lots of cocktails with lemons and cucumbers.
I’ve roasted poblanos, baked beets, and cured my own pastrami.
I’ve tried (and failed) to find a watermelon potent potable I enjoy.
What I Learned:
I like eggplant.
Though he doesn’t like eggplant or zucchini, there were ways I could prepare both that Dante could stomach.
Gazpacho is better with corn.
Watermelon Gazpacho is also awesome.
I’m not just a good planner; I improvise well.
New Favorite Recipes:
Honey Mustard Ribs (from White on Rice; I did a boil and bake method.)
Pork Tonkatsu with an apple-sauce-based sauce (from Food & Wine)
Mexican Street Corn Chowder (Tiffany’s recommendation, from Taste of Home)
Roasted Chicken with Figs and Rosemary (from The New York Times)
Sweet Corn Tomalito (like Chevy’s, from All Recipes–I followed the microwaving tip from the reader comments)
Creamy Gazpacho (from The Food Network; I added sweet corn)
Eggplant Ikra (slow roasted eggplant, tomato, and garlic dip, from Food & Wine, though I didn’t have to mash it–I let it simmer on low for several hours)
Thai Chicken with Basil (and Egglant, if you add it like I did, from Food & Wine)
Eggplant with Basil and Chili Paste Stir Fry (from Hot Thai Kitchen)
Oven Fried Chicken (from Cafe Delites; I haven’t actually made the accompanying sauce. It’s so good already, especially with a little peri peri sprinkle in the mix)
Crock Pot Honey Garlic Pork Chops (from Dinner at the Zoo)
Honey Curry Glazed Chicken (from Oprah; we pair with East Bombay Potatoes, from Tales From the Kitchen Shed–if you roast the potatoes a little longer, you can do the chicken and the potatoes in the same oven)
Greek Chicken Kabob with Lemon and Oregano (from Food & Wine; you don’t have to use skewers if you don’t have them; you can also put green beans or something below them in the pan to roast while they do; we paired with rice and tzatziki)
My friend Tim’s zucchini bread
The best amateur butter chicken I’ve pulled off so far (from Two Sleevers)
Tomatillo Pork Stew (Chili Verde, from Simply Recipes; the CSA wouldn’t always give me enough tomatillos for this, so I would round this out with a jar of Safeway-brand chili verde stew simmer sauce. I also always add fresh corn, rice, or potatoes).
Zucchini Fries (from Gimme Delish; you can do this with okra as well; I also like to either add cajun seasonings, Indian spices, blackening, or peri seasonings to give these more kick. I bought an air fryer, and used it constantly for these and for reheating things without turning the oven on)
Asian Boiled and Baked Ribs (from All Recipes)
Watermelon Gazpacho (from Gimme Some Oven; I added basil and balsamic)
Watermelon Sorbet (from Delish; I added balsamic vinegar)
Chicken Milanese with Sage-Butter-Lemon Sauce (from Food & Wine)
Sweet Corn Pesto Pasta (from Last Ingredient; I tried it with Chicken and Shrimp)
Roasted Okra with Rosemary (from Decor Chick)
Corn Bread (take that jiffy box–follow the instructions, but add in fresh herbs and veg (diced jalapenos, chives, and/or shredded zucchini + some cheese)
Figgy Bread Pudding (make your usual bread pudding, but add diced figs to the batter)
Curried Chicken and Zucchini (from The New York Times; we discovered this is best with mashed potatoes and sauteed corn, all mixed together; two minor changes: I shredded the zucchini and cut the chicken into cubes before marinating)
It’s not new, but here’s our other favorite zucchini pasta recipe, from NPR.
This also isn’t new, but if you have okra and fresh corn, cut the kernals off the cob, slice the okra and saute them in a little oil or butter with salt and pepper and/or peri/Indian/blackened/cajun spices. I serve this side dish constantly in the summer, often with fish.
Two of the most successful dishes were almost pure improv (I promise to give you the recipe before I tell you my life story):
Curried Lentils with Eggplant & Okra
Marinara with Eggplant and Fresh Tomatoes (My CSA Marinara)
And Then What Happened?
It was time to re-up, but the freezer was bursting with veggie dish leftovers, I was starting new rounds of physical therapy, my teaching load was increasing, and I was cowed by the thought of trying to enjoy mountains of collards and other winter things that I’ve just never loved.
So my first CSA experiment is over.
What I’m Doing Now Instead
Imperfect Foods–I can actually buy enough food for two instead of a big family, they have local meat & dairy & snacks as well as veggies and fruit, and I can customize the cart so there’s nothing we won’t eat.
Want to try it? Let me know–we could both get $10 off.
