Best. Investment. Ever.

The brilliant colors and smells of the season are officially upon us here in New York City, while a summer is speeding into view with gusto! I can barely believe that we are half way through 2012 and June. Yet, I am so glad that we have arrived at this magical time, a time I've been anxiously anticipating,summer crop season. Late last summer I added myself to the waiting list for our our local CSA after learning about it locally. For those of you that aren't familiar with this acronym, CSA stands for "community supported agriculture", which is defined as a food production and distribution system that directly connects farmers and consumers. Consumers like myself buy "shares" in a farm's harvest in advance allowing farmers to invest in their productivity for the future. It is a wonderful way to support your household while supporting community.


Along with another couple, we made the decision to become members and invest in this years season (if we were offered a coveted spot) that runs from June 2nd thru October 27th. For 22 weeks, we will go to our pick up location every Saturday morning between 9am-11am to gather our fruits and vegetables. Financially it made a ton of sense for us too. We paid for a "family share" vs. a "single share" so that each household could receive equal product for the week ahead. It cost us about $950 for a family vegetable and fruit share. This averaged out to about $475 a household which is $21 per week. In my mind, one of the many draws of doing the CSA is that it will keep fresh fruit and veg in my home consistently for 5 months while maintaining and supporting a local/community based endeavor in the tri-state area. Win win!


This was our 2nd week of the CSA and received the following items:

Turnips
Radishes
Carrots
Snap peas
Kale
Romaine lettuce
Spinach
Strawberries
Rhubarb

Once the pick up was made, the wheels started turning with recipe ideas and "what the heck am I going to do with this?" fears. I quickly got over my hang ups and utilized my share for some tasty concoctions. For my first meal of the week, Mu Shu lettuce wraps (see recipe on this blog) with sautéed snap peas w/sesame. This meal utilized the head of romaine that we received and the pods. A simple recipe, but I feel that this time of year best calls for simple and clean dishes. Nothing complicated, just good local food.

Sautéed snap peas

1 1/2 pounds of snap peas
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 bunch of scallions, sliced thin
1/2 tablespoon sesame oil
1 tablespoon low sodium soy sauce
1 teaspoon salt
Sesame seeds


1) Heat oil in large skillet on medium heat.
2) Add cleaned and trimmed pea pods to the skillet and stir to ensure that all pods are coated in oil. Cook about 2 minutes.
3) Add soy sauce and sesame oil and stir to combine. Cook another 2 minutes.
4) Cover and let steam for another 2-3 minutes or until pods reach your ultimate aldente. I steamed them for a little under 2 minutes because we enjoy a crisper product. Transfer to a serving bowl.
5) Finish with sprinkling sesame seeds over the pods and serve.


Tip:
This can be served warm or cold. As with other dressed veggies, these pea pods build flavor over time.To add some more punch, add grated fresh garlic or ginger to this side during cooking process.

The CSA has inspired me and made me experiment in ways in the first two weeks of distribution than I could have ever imagined. As always, I urge you to go to your pantry and local markets to create your own story with what is before you. I want to wish a Happy Father's Day to the men in my life who are fathers and father figures. Although my biggest inspiration isn't here any more, I know that he would be loving the CSA as much as me and menu planning right by my side.

Happy Father's day, Pop and happy eating everyone!

Location:Carlton Ave,Brooklyn,United States