Somehow I had made it through my entire life as someone who loves to cook and support local, without knowing about the amazing thing that is a community share agriculture program. But you can be sure that the second I found out about one, I was eager to be a part of a system that links me in the most direct manner to the food grown near to my home, and supports the people growing it.
For those who (like a very recent version of myself) may not know what a community share agriculture program entails, I will give you a short run down: CSAs work with various local farms, which offer a set amount of "shares" to be sold to local consumers. The interested public purchase these shares through a subscription-like basis, where they pay a monthly fee and commit to picking up a box of produce on a weekly basis.
This symbiotic relationship has benefits for both the farms and consumers involved. The consumer gets the benefit of early access to ultra-fresh food for a more than reasonable price. The farms get the chance to market their goods early in the season, while receiving early-season payment, helping with the cash-flow of the farm.
We were fortunate enough to sign up for one of our area's CSAs before the limited slots filled up. And from there it was months of anticipation about the ample local vegetable
Our first box did not disappoint. This week we were treated to garlic scapes, sugar snap peas, turnips, carrots, a variety of salad greens, fresh sage, and fragrant green onions. Everything was absolutely marvelous looking, not a wilted leaf or malformed piece in the bunch.
If you don't know what garlic scapes are, I didn't either. I discovered they are part of the garlic plant that grows above ground. They are snipped early in the season, to prevent nutrient loss in the garlic bulb that we are all familiar with. Apparently, they are very similar in taste to garlic, but somewhat more subtle and versatile. I am looking forward to learning how to cook with a new vegetable!
Stay tuned for the recipes I make with my CSA goodies!