I Continue to Amaze Myself

Week 1 CSA update!  Are you all aflutter?  (I mean everyone besides you, Margo.)

My goals in paying too much money for weekly, non-negotiable produce:

1. Support local business.
2. Support sustainable agriculture.
3. Have a constant supply of vitamins, minerals, and fiber.
4. Be forced to try things I won’t pick up in the grocery store or farmers’ market because I’m scared of them.
5. Learn to cook vegetables.
6. Give my money to people whose political beliefs are diametrically opposed to mine. (OK, that wasn’t really a goal, but I’m one of those people who adds tasks to my to-do list even after I’ve completed them, just so I can cross things off.)

First impression: that does not look like $25 of produce to me. I mean, they call this a family-of-four box. Maybe, they meant a family of four smurfs. (Oh my god, ‘smurfs’ does not show up as wrong on spellcheck…but ‘spellcheck’ DOES!)

Here’s what I got: a bag of mesclun, some baby bok choy, six baby turnips, eight radishes, some rainbow swiss chard (I think), and a little bit of butterhead letttuce or baby green romaine (I’m not sure which). Are radishes $15 a pound these days?

Anyway, the cooking. Have I mentioned that I’m a complete idjit when it comes to my stove? My parents both cook delicious foodstuffs; my siblings, also very talented with a spatula. I don’t know, I guess I just never had to prepare meals.

Well! I. Am. Cooking.

And by that, I mean, I. Have. Cooked. Three. Times.

First up, bok choy, sauteed in butter and olive oil with garlic and soy sauce—delicious!

Next, rainbow swiss chard (I think) and radishes, prepared same as above (did you know you could cook a radish?!?!)—magnifique!

Tonight, baby turnips…well, I tried to braise them…ended up—let’s call it—burnaising them. But whatever, butter and brown sugar! Yum!

The mesclun…ick. Made a salad with pineapple and cheese, but the lettuce is so bitter! I think I’m going to have to throw it out.

There you have it. I’ve pretty much killed my first week’s box with four meals. That don’t seem right.