Roots and Shoots Farm - 15th Week of CSA Food 2011

As half share participants in Roots and Shoots Farm's CSA program, this is our last food basket of the 2011 season. It has been a wonderful summer of produce for us and we have been very pleased to be associated with a certified organic farm. Particularly this farm. Their constant care and attention over 'my food' in the fields amplifies why I am feeling melancholy about this milestone of lasts.

What has resonated loudly with me is the strength of the farm team. Steely determination and unwavering resolve appears to be the motto at Roots and Shoots Farm. I lived in a rural farm setting for 15 years. I get how much work it can be and how sometimes Mother Nature will hijack your agenda, despite your best efforts.

Thankfully, Roots and Shoots Farm will be participating in the indoor market at Lansdowne on Nov 20, 27 and Dec 4, 18.

We have been CSA members with them for the two seasons they have been in business and we plan to continue with them again next summer.

OBSERVATIONS FROM THIS SEASON:

• I love kale. Last year I didn't know much about kale. Kale intimidated me. I now pine for kale. And when I get it, whether it is Russian Red or Tuscan or some other variety, I have lots of ideas for my kale.
• The farm made improvements in the weekly communication. It was great to hear what had happened over the week. Their challenges, their strategies, their future plans. It helps to get the list of basket contents ahead of time. That extra day allows for planning and complementary shopping to round out the food supply.
• There were many wonderful recipes shared with the weekly newsletter. Some we tried and some we used as inspiration. Even though I am a happy kitchen person and now a CSA sophomore, I still appreciated this direction. Freshmen would have been even more delighted, I am sure.
  
• I would love to get more specific information about the varieties for plants and produce. As an easy example, all potatoes aren't equal. Some are better for baking. Some better for boiling. Etc. The same can be said about radishes and beets and lettuces, etc. Even garlic. Some garlics are stronger than others. Knowing the varieties allows me to use the produce to best show off its great taste. I hesitate to suggest things that involve extra work by the farm team since I prefer them in the field vs. on the computer, but maybe there could be a static page on the website that shows a picture of the plant and its name. I am happy to help with that too.
• This year I am more relaxed about not knowing what was coming in my food basket until the day is almost upon us. I have become a better planner around this 'black box competition' challenge. I have learned to embrace the uncertainty. No one is more surprised by that breakthrough than me. We Type A people do have our issues.
• I felt that the produce was consistently better this year.
• I found the size of the basket suited me and our family well.
• I did a better job of prepping the food once I picked it up. Cleaning produce well before putting it away and wrapping well what needed to have its moisture preserved. I was surprised at how long some things lasted. But who knows how old things are already when you buy them in the grocery store. My CSA food is picked same day or sometimes the day before.
  
• I liked that the farm had a stand at my drop-off to allow me to make extra purchases or to go there on my off week to shop for their produce.
• I liked getting extra news and pictures on the Roots and Shoots Farm Facebook page.
• I liked the Swap Box. I only used it once. I traded bok choy for a red cabbage. I am greedy about red cabbage. I did try to stick with my basket and not do trades. I accepted that this was likely the best way I would learn about something I had not tried before.
• I wished I had done more freezing. I did not really get much further than my usual of freezing soups. This is my challenge for next year. Unrelated to this farm's produce, I did freeze big batches of pesto in tiny jars and also many tiny jars of minced garlic in olive oil.
• I wished I had done more preserves this year. Unrelated to this farm's produce, I did peach and red pepper relish and also tomato sauce and tomato juice.
• I was most successful with using my produce when I figured out its destination dish as soon as the basket came home. "Hey Mr. Napa Cabbage! You are going to become coleslaw with Bobby Flay's famous dressing." Done.
• I have found a few CSA members that are blogging a bit about their food and I also have a few friends that have joined Roots and Shoots Farm this season. I would love to be a part of a more active network of those using the same CSA basket. There were times when I wanted to shout out to someone, "What are you planning to do with those Hakurei Turnips this week?"

Did you participate in a CSA program this summer? How did you enjoy it? What did you learn? About the produce? About yourself and how you engage with food?

What a beautiful Thanksgiving CSA basket to close out my season. Enjoy the pictures.


Carrots


Brussel sprouts


Celery


Lettuce greens


Hakurei turnips


Tuscan kale


Beets


Red onions


Potatoes


Butternut squash


Garlic



If you want to learn more about the farm, the contact information for Roots and Shoots Farm is:
ROBIN TURNER
robin@rootsandshootsfarm.com
www.rootsandshootsfarm.com
613.897.8975

Roots and Shoots Farm - 11th Week of CSA Food 2011

The contents of this week's CSA basket from Roots and Shoots Farm is quite mainstream by most people's veggie shopping standards.

The focus this time is to get the more delicate and well-ripened produce used up in the early days - the cut lettuce, cherry tomatoes. Plus the melon.

The Napa cabbage is heading to a coleslaw for our contribution to this weekend's street party. I hope coleslaw sells on this street because that head will make a very big batch.

Roots and Shoots Farm provided a wonderful recipe called Easy Garden Curry. If I go for it, then there is the home for the jalapeño, cherry tomatoes, some potatoes, some onions, some garlic, a pepper, some beet greens and some carrots.

The mister is a radish fiend but will they all go snack bound? It is a VERY big batch. We have not ventured past the raw nibble on these. It is time to get more creative.

Thankfully onions, garlic, beets, carrots and potatoes store well.

I am getting the feeling that the recipes this time around need to take a slant towards going to the freezer. We love, love, love soups and these are great ingredients to end up in the pot.

How are things going with your local foods? Are you enjoying the harvest? I would love to hear about your cooking adventures and also your challenges.

Now check out this week's basket. Local, seasonal, organic, full of flavour. Did I mention beautiful?


Cut lettuce


Napa Cabbage


Cherry Tomatoes and ground cherries


Onions


Potatoes


Carrots


Beets


Garlic


Celery


Radishes


Cucumber


Green Pepper


Red Pepper


Jalapeño


Watermelon

Someone asked me once if I get paid to write posts for the farm. I don't. I am a happy CSA member in our second year with this program. I write about Roots and Shoots Farm out of love. The love of sharing the good news of using a CSA basket as a food source. The love of sharing the visuals of great certified organic food. The love of sharing new and different recipes using our new and different food.

We have developed a great respect for Robin Turner and his team. We have grown to trust them to keep our dining room table healthy and full.

If you want to learn more about the farm, the contact information for Roots and Shoots Farm is:
ROBIN TURNER
robin@rootsandshootsfarm.com
www.rootsandshootsfarm.com
613.897.8975

Roots and Shoots Farm - 9th Week of CSA Food 2011

I could use some help. If this was your CSA basket, what would you be making? I would love to hear what my Roots and Shoots CSA buddies are up to as well.

We are over half way through our CSA season. Many feel like summer is drawing to a close with the start of the new school year so close. But there is still many good weeks of harvest in the fields.

My CSA basket this week from Roots and Shoots Farm is particularly purple.

A few weeks back, the farm instituted a Trade Box with our pickup. If there was something we did not want to take from our share, we could then do a trade with another item in the Trade Box. When I first heard of the concept, I thought it was brilliant. Except that I had no plans to use it. I was going to take what I was given and rise to the challenge of liking it and liking to cook with it.

But this week I peeked in the Trade Box just to see what temptations lay inside. Bad idea. There was a solid, fresh red cabbage. I love red cabbage. I closed the lid and walked away, so disappointed that I had been tempted. I was going to stick to my guns and keep my contents. It felt like a culinary version of Lets Make A Deal. In the end I buckled and traded my big, bad boy, bok choy for that luscious red cabbage. I traded something green and white for something purple. No regrets.

With my last basket, I made recipe plans for the produce the day I received it. This proved to be very helpful. I changed my mind once but other than that, I forged ahead and made the meals as the occasion suited. I wish I was feeling so clever about this basket. I am wondering if I need to be considering more ideas around preserving or freezing.

Just a reminder: There is a concert at the farm Tuesday evening. Read all about it on Facebook. It is potluck. Don't over think that part. Just a little offering. The 'fishes and loaves' parable works for all faiths! Lawn chair, utensils, plate, cup and a wee dram of your favourite drink. (Tuesday is Sunny. High of 24°C and a low of 12°C.)


Red cabbage


Red Russian Kale - a great abundance actually.


A small bunch of purple beets.


Sweet carrots. They were very dirty and hairy (roots) when I picked them up but I gave them a good scrub down before the camera saw them.


Red Scallions


Zucchinis - they look very fancy pants, don't they.


Peppers - I look at these and think I should be pickling.


Cucumbers - now for sure I should be pickling. Time to hit the books. It's been a while.


Mixed heirloom tomatoes - nature's candy.


Another garlic for our stockpile.


A mix of potatoes.

If you want to learn more about the farm, the contact information for Roots and Shoots Farm is:
ROBIN TURNER
robin@rootsandshootsfarm.com
www.rootsandshootsfarm.com
613.897.8975

Roots and Shoots Farm - 7th Week of CSA Food 2011

This week's CSA basket from Roots and Shoots Farm feels like a solid collection of the basics. I have already fantasized about the dishes they will be turning into over the coming days.


Carrots are headed for a carrot and coriander soup.


These beautiful cucumbers want to be in a Greek salad.


The onions are going to help the carrot soup and the Greek salad along.


Zucchini loaf (I have never made that before.)


Russian red kale. I have been loving the kale in our crazy pesto pasta dish. Probably on the menu again for veggie night.


Arugula on homemade pizza done on the BBQ, along with goat cheese and caramelized onion. Maybe chipotle caramelized onion.


French fries! Just kidding. I wonder if the potatoes will get mashed since the teenager will be here for a few days and that's his favourite potato (after poutine).


These beautiful collection of tomatoes are going into the Greek salad and crazy pesto pasta dish.


The Boston butter lettuce will be in one of my most favourite salads. Special cut oranges, toasted pine nuts, red onion and blue cheese with citrus dressing.


Green peppers can go in Greek salad, can't they? It is probably breaking some Greek salad rule. I was supposed to get two peppers at pickup. The brain shorted for a moment. Poor me.


It is tempting to use the whole garlic bulb in the crazy pesto pasta dish.

What do you think? Do you have any recipe suggestions for me? If this was your CSA basket, what would you be making? I would love to hear what my Roots and Shoots CSA buddies are up to as well.

If you want to learn more about the farm, the contact information for Roots and Shoots Farm is:
ROBIN TURNER
robin@rootsandshootsfarm.com
www.rootsandshootsfarm.com
613.897.8975