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CSA Recipes!

The Olde Nourse Farm CSA is an awesome way to get fresh veggies and berries on a weekly basis. But now that you have them, what do you do with them?! Especially when you recieve an abundance of one crop, it can be difficult to get creative. I hope this post can lead you in a delicious and interesting way to eat all these vegetables! I collected a couple recipes from experience and my mom (how could mom's food go wrong??)

Jon Nourse told me kale has been abundant at the farm. This is an incredibly easy recipe that me and my roommates love and it is so delicious!

Kale Chips

Kale

Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Salt & Pepper

- Break kale into medium pieces, wash and spin dry

- Lightly toss kale in extra virgin olive oil

- Toss kale in salt and a little bit of pepper

- Spread the kale out on a baking sheet

- Bake the kale at 400 until crispy (about 10-15 minutes)

- Let cool and then snack!

Here is a Mom recipe. A delicious way to prepare almost any fall and winter vegetables! You can vary the recipe to your liking by using any vegetable in any quantity:

Salad of Roast Vegetables in Balsamic Vinegar

Eggplant (any variety) cut into long thin strips about 1' x 1' x 5'

If large: use 2

If small: use 6-8

4 red and 4 yellow peppers cut into long strips about 1/2' wide

4 purple onions cut into 1/4' thick slices. Separate the rings

1 head of garlic broken into cloves but leave the peels ON

- Put the cut vegetables in a large bowl and liberally toss with olive oil. Arrange in a single layer on a cookie sheet. Roast in a preheated 350 degree oven for 45 minutes

to an hour. Check at the 30 minute mark; turn them over and continue baking until they are roast to your liking.

- Remove from oven and let cool on the counter

- When cool enough to touch, squeeze the roast garlic into a bowl. Whisk in 3/4 cup of balsamic vinegar. put cooled vegetables in a shallow bowl, toss with dressing, chopped cilantro (1/2 bunch), and salt and pepper to taste.

My roommate just made this next recipe last night. I definitely recommend it!

Zucchini Pancakes

2 medium zucchini

2 tablespoons grated red onion

2 extra-large eggs

6 to 8 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

olive oil

- Grate the zucchini into a bowl

- Immediately stir in the onion and eggs

- Stir in 6 tablespoons of the flour, the baking powder, salt, and pepper (If the batter gets too thin from the liquid in the zucchini, add the remaining 2 tablespoons of flour)

- Heat a large saute pan over low-medium heat and cover surface with olive oil

- Use large soup spoons to scoop batter into the pan.

- Cook the pancakes about 2 minutes on each side, until browned.

Here is one more from Mom:

Soup of Butternut Squash

1 large butternut squash, peeled and cubed

2 medium yellow onions, sliced in half-moons

3 parsnips and cut in 1' pieces

3 pieces celery, cut in 1/2' pieces

3 quarts chicken or vegetable stock

8-10 ounces spinach, cleaned and stems removed

1 cup French lentils

1 can coconut milk

olive oil

- Saute first 4 ingredients in olive oil in a heavy soup pot

- Meanwhile heat stock in a separate pot

- When the vegetables are lightly softened (7-10 minutes)

- Add the stock and lentils and simmer for about 40 minutes (until the lentils are tender)

- At that point add the spinach and the coconut milk.

-Adjust salt and pepper and serve

Hope these delicious recipes give the vegetables from CSA's a little more variety. I would love to hear any other favorite recipes people have made from their fresh vegetables!

What to look for in a CSA

As my last post showed, CSA's are becoming more popular every year. There are now so many farms that offer the shareholder service, how does one choose a CSA?

There are many ways in which CSA's differ. I looked at a few aspects that are likely to decide whether the CSA is right for you.

1. Price

2. Types of shares available

3. Pick up convenience

4. Crop list

I did some research to compare other CSA's that were easy to find on google maps that were within 25 miles of Nourse Farm. Here is a brief outline of each CSA.

Nourse Farm

Westborough, MA

Standard Share (2-4)- $600.00

Small Share (2) - $450.00

Pick-Your-Own-Share - $150.00

Pick up is from farm on Th, F, Sat

Crop list posted and flexible, includes berries

Heirloom Harvest

Westborough, MA

One size share option -

$ 625.00

Work share available - 8 hours/ week

Multiple pick-up locations and delivery on T, Th, Sun

Sample harvests posted

Sweet William Farm

Uptown, MA

Full Share (4) - $750.00

Half Share (2) - 550.00

Work shares available

Pick up at farm T,Th,S

Anticipated crop list with egg and bread add on shares available

Pakeen Farm

Canton, MA

One share size - $650.00

Pick up from farm on T, F

Typical crop list posted, includes flowers

Land's Sake

Weston, MA

One share size $650

Pick up at farm on T, Th

Crop list posted, some flexibility to pick your own

*waiting list for 2011

Lindentree Farm

Lincoln, MA

Large Share (family) - $775

Small Share (2) - $625

($50 fee for new member

s first year)

Work commitment fro

m each adult - 4/season

Work shares available

Pick up at farm T, Th, Sat

Sample crop list posted, apple share add-on available

The most obvious thing that sets Nourse Farm apart from the other local options is price. There is no cheaper local CSA than Nourse Farm. Their weekly value for a full share is about $30 of vegetables and berries. This easily beats any supermarket price and competing CSA.

The program also has a good variety of available shares. You can choose a size that is right for the number of people in your family, or you can opt for the pick-your-own option. This allows you to go pick your own berries, cherry tomatoes, and pumpkins as available for the 20-week share period!

As far as convenience, Nourse

Farm is pretty similar to other local CSA's. It has multiple times for pick-up and the farm is easily accessible.

The most notable aspect of the share that puts Nourse Farm higher in the rankings than other CSA's is the crop list. It is typical for farm shares to produce only vegetables. With a Nourse Farm share-hold you receive BERRIES as well as veggies. With the flexibility to pick your own share (there may be limits on how much of certain items you can take) this is a great balance to the weeks with an overabundance of lettuce or zucchini.

berries fresh from the farm!

The application to join the CSA is easy and on their website. Check it out to join the Nourse Farm CSA! http://oldenoursefarmgourmet.com/store/page11.html

The Locavore Trend

We have all heard of terms such as herbivore (only eats plants), carnivore (only eats meat), and omnivore (eats both meat and plants). Many people make a concious decision for different dietary, environmental, and moral reasons for how they eat. Now a new movement is gaining speed: The Locavore Movement.

This is basically defined as someone who only eats locally, or at least attempts to make local food a larger part of their diet.

Locavor(ism?) is then leading to a rise in CSA's (Community Supported Agriculture).This is a symbiotic relationship where citizens pay a share to a farm. This supports that farmer in all their production costs. In return, the shareholder receives a box of fresh produce every week. All CSA's work a little differently but this is the basic formula.


There are many reasons behind joining the locavore lifestyle through a CSA. I will briefly summarize a few:

1. Economic Reasons
When you eat locally, the money spent on food goes right back the the farmer who grew it. This supports local economy. Statistics show that when buying locally, the farmer gets approximately 90% of the dollar rather than the normal 20% (eco-wisdom.com) Eating locally supports the community.

2. Health Reasons
Local produce is usually within 10-100 miles of your home. Therefore the distance your food travels to your table is very short. This greatly minimizes the chances for the food to be exposed to foreign bacteria or disease before it gets to your kitchen table. Many of the food epidemics that have occurred the past few years could have been avoided through local eating. Eating locally is safe.

3. Environmental Reasons
Through my research I have found that this point is actually pretty controversial. There is an idea of "food miles" that is calculated by how many miles your food traveled before it reached your dinner table. If you buy imports from around the world you can see how these miles would collect to huge numbers. This is theorized to cause immense air pollution, use resources, etc. for all those bad things we do to the environment. While this is true, other studies show that even cutting out these miles doesn't make a huge difference. It is proven if you want to help the environment by your eat habits, go veggie. But in my opinion: Any small act helps.

4. Building Community
Buying locally usually leads to meeting the people growing your food. You also form a bond with other CSA members. Everyone who eats locally by joining a CSA is invested in the same plot of land. Forming a relationship with farmers and shareholders ties everyone together for a common cause. Eating locally creates support for the farmers.

5. Fresshhh
Local food is fresh! You as the buyer, know exactly where it came from. Local food is commonly picked within 24 hours before it is sold. This means that the produce has had a full life span on the vine or tree to ripen. As a result, it will be packed with more flavor and all the vitamins and minerals that fresh food has to offer! Local food is healthiest and tastiest!


There are more reasons out there in favor of CSA's and local eating. One of the best ways to achieve eating locally on a regular basis is by joining a CSA. I am dedicated to living a healthy lifestyle and this is why I think the CSA movement is so great! In such a globalized planet, it is refreshing to move back to community and the roots of nature.

Become a Locavore!
Eat Well!