To CSA or not to CSA - My Take

Like Heather, this was my first experience with a CSA and while we’ve definitely had some struggles (lots of kale/chard, too many turnips and those funny looking white carrots), we’ve loved the experience overall and enjoyed experimenting with new (to us) produce. While I’d heard of and enjoyed bok choy at restaurants, I’d never purchased or cooked it and beets were something that came out of a can. With my CSA, I’ve learned to appreciate the adventures that come with fresh, seasonal and local ingredients and have found an appreciation for that bulbous root vegetable – the kohlrabi.

It’s been fun to see how our produce changes with the weeks, evolving from mostly greens and root vegetables to more of the fruits and veggies associated with long summer days: tomatoes, cucumbers, melons and the like. And I’ve enjoyed learning new methods and techniques for preparing my weekly CSA bounty while subbing in seasonal options instead of my usual go-to ingredients.

In an ideal world, I’d travel out to the farm each week to pick up my share, choose my options on the selection table, and take home any extra you-pick items on the board that week. But it’s just not feasible for my husband or me to trek out to Carnation once a week so we opted for the delivery option, which brings our share a mere few blocks from our house. Unfortunately, our delivery location isn’t a farmers market, but a front porch, from where I pick up my box and try to leave as quietly as possible but it’s quick, easy and convenient.

The biggest challenge I've faced with my CSA, has come the last couple of weeks while my husband’s been traveling. Our weekly share is a challenge for the two of us to complete and virtually impossible for me to conquer alone. So I’ve become a bit more creative, shucking and freezing corn, creating casseroles for later consumption (I’ve heard Heather’s mom’s squash casserole keeps well and have one in my freezer right now) and filling my freezer to the brim with different pestos and sauces. While these concoctions will be much appreciated during the cold winter months, it has caused quite a bit more work than I’m used to taking on when home alone.

So will I renew my CSA membership next year? I think Will and I are CSA-ers for life…or at least for as long as we live in the great Pacific Northwest. I’ve never tasted such wonderful fresh produce while really forcing myself to push my kitchen comfort level. Yes, it’s a challenge to use every random item each week – and I must confess I’ve ignored kale and chard several times, leaving me no choice but throw it out – but it’s such a fun surprise to open my CSA box each week.