Love the CSA box of fruit and vegetables

[niccig]

DS's school has parntered up with a non-profit that does a box of organic fruit/vegetable delivered to the school. The school gets 20% of the money, and any other profit goes to the non-profit's mission of low income housing help.

I've been meaning to sign up for something similar forever, and now it's super easy. Pick DS up from school on Thursday and get my box of fruit/vegetables. And my main reason for doing this is to get out of a cooking rut and for the first time ever, I've used all the vegetables over the week and none to throw away.

Argula - apple/blue cheese salad and then sauteed another night
Radish and turnips - i have never cooked before, but yummy roasted, threw in some sweet potato and carrots.
English spinach - sauteed with raisins tonight and on Sunday I'm going to make lentil spinach veggie patties.
Mushrooms - need a recipe to disguise them as DH won't eat them
Rhubarb - I am so making a pie or muffins this weekend...

DS didn't like the argula or the spinach, but he tried them. I expected this and cooked frozen beans. He liked the roasted radish/turnip chips. He'll eat the lentil patties and the rhubarb pie.

So, if you've been thinking about signing up for a box of vegetables, do it. It's fun to look at what you get, scratch your head then go searching for a recipe. I'm actually looking forward to cooking a little more...

[WatchingThemGrow]

How fun for you! It does take some sense of adventure, doesn't it! We have a cookbook that comes with ours. Hold onto the recipes you like and share them with all of us when everyone starts asking.

[Melaine]

Sounds awesome! I need to research CSAs again, I really want to try one this spring.

[gobadgers]

Wow, what an enlightened program!

Can I ask about the logistics - it hectic? I don't have kids at elementary school yet, but I know the parking lot is a zoo at pickup/dropoff time.

[SnuggleBuggles]

That's a fantastic idea for the partnership! My friend manages a CSA and I am totally going to suggest something like that to her.

I just joined a small CSA share to see if we will use it. I'm excited though.

pp- though the school is a pick up site for our CSA, the CSA is also available to anyone in the community. As such there are pick up sites all over town. I don't know if the OP's is like that too.
bBeth

[gobadgers]

pp- though the school is a pick up site for our CSA, the CSA is also available to anyone in the community. As such there are pick up sites all over town. I don't know if the OP's is like that too.
bBeth

I may not have phrased that right - I was wondering specifically about how pick up at the school works, since it seems so busy and chaotic at our school at pickup time.

Our previous CSA pickups have been in neighbors' driveways, on the honor system, and this year we are picking up from the farm (10 minutes away!). But I don't think those pose the same logistical problems as a pickup at the elementary school when school lets out...

[jenfromnj]

Thank you for posting this! I have been torn between 2 CSAs for a couple of weeks now--one has much more conventional fruits/veggies and the other has more adventurous selections (including lots of things I haven't cooked before). I know I need to sign up soon before all the spots are gone, and this just totally gave me the extra push to be adventurous!

[SnuggleBuggles]

I may not have phrased that right - I was wondering specifically about how pick up at the school works, since it seems so busy and chaotic at our school at pickup time.

Our previous CSA pickups have been in neighbors' driveways, on the honor system, and this year we are picking up from the farm (10 minutes away!). But I don't think those pose the same logistical problems as a pickup at the elementary school when school lets out...

Ah, gotcha!! I chose the school as my pick up site and I am thinking of having ds1 take the bus home like normal and just driving back to get the box later (we live less than 10 minutes away). I'm hoping that keeps me out of craziness! Even better would be going before dismissal maybe and staying out of the after care pick up. I did mention that I was willing to host a drop off site. There isn't one in my neighborhood yet so I have my fingers crossed on it. :)

Beth

[SnuggleBuggles]

So, if you've been thinking about signing up for a box of vegetables, do it. It's fun to look at what you get, scratch your head then go searching for a recipe. I'm actually looking forward to cooking a little more...

My friend recommended this book as a handy resource if you need ideas on what something is and how to prepare it. I think I'm going to get it. :)
Deborah Madison's Veg Cooking for Everyone

[daisymommy]

How cool! What a great idea!
FYI...here is a website where you can find recipes and do meal planning based upon what is in your CSA box:
http://www.eatrealgood.com/

[Twoboos]

This sounds great! I can't wait for ours to start up again, probably in APril. I looooove arugala (or, however you spell it)!

[geochick]

I signed up with a CSA farm here in Utah a few weeks ago. I got the fruit, veggie, and honey share. I'm so excited for summer/fall to get here!!!

[niccig]

To the PPer that asked about logistics, I pick DS up from after care on Thursdays. I park right in front and there's no one else there. I'm not sure what happens when school gets out, I can ask as I know the women running the program for the school. There is no parking lot for DS's school, you have to find street parking. There is a car pool lane for pick up.

So far, the CSA is just at a few schools, but our school intends to advertise to the local business and hospital that's 3 blocks away, that we're a pick up point. You can pick up from 2-5pm.

We have to have a minimum no. of people signed up, it's 45, which sounds like a lot, but it's been easy to get people so far. I think it does help that DS's school is very civic and environmentally minded, so it's an easier sell than perhaps elsewhere.

Thanks for all the website and cookbook recipes....I need them. I've been meaning to menu plan forever, and never got around to it. When I open the box, I've sat and looked for recipes and working out what night to make them... It is nice to know what to cook before 5pm that day...so another benefit of the CSA.

[lovey]

How cool! What a great idea!
FYI...here is a website where you can find recipes and do meal planning based upon what is in your CSA box:
http://www.eatrealgood.com/

What a fabulous idea! And thanks for the recipe link, daisymommy!

[clb]

Nice. That is very convenient.

Wanted to let you know... if you use them the first day or two, the turnip greens are good sauteed with garlic and a little olive oil. I was discarding the tops in the beginning. What a waste. They taste so good. The salad turnips are one of my favorites from my CSA.

Can't wait until mine starts again. I've been in a cooking rut since it stopped for winter.

[gobadgers]

To the PPer that asked about logistics, I pick DS up from after care on Thursdays. I park right in front and there's no one else there. I'm not sure what happens when school gets out, I can ask as I know the women running the program for the school. There is no parking lot for DS's school, you have to find street parking. There is a car pool lane for pick up.

So far, the CSA is just at a few schools, but our school intends to advertise to the local business and hospital that's 3 blocks away, that we're a pick up point. You can pick up from 2-5pm.

We have to have a minimum no. of people signed up, it's 45, which sounds like a lot, but it's been easy to get people so far. I think it does help that DS's school is very civic and environmentally minded, so it's an easier sell than perhaps elsewhere.

Thanks for all the website and cookbook recipes....I need them. I've been meaning to menu plan forever, and never got around to it. When I open the box, I've sat and looked for recipes and working out what night to make them... It is nice to know what to cook before 5pm that day...so another benefit of the CSA.

Thanks - that sounds much easier than what I was imagining :-) I don't know of any CSA's in our area that have a school as a pick-up point. Now that you've posted about it, I don't know why, it sounds so convenient!

SnuggleBuggles - thanks for the second reply - it does sound much easier to wait for the bus and go back later to pick it up.

[geochick]

Thanks - that sounds much easier than what I was imagining :-) I don't know of any CSA's in our area that have a school as a pick-up point. Now that you've posted about it, I don't know why, it sounds so convenient!

SnuggleBuggles - thanks for the second reply - it does sound much easier to wait for the bus and go back later to pick it up.

Around here, CSAs are available June - Oct (growing season). Our school season starts at the end of August. I'm sure it wouldn't work at a school here.

[gobadgers]

Around here, CSAs are available June - Oct (growing season). Our school season starts at the end of August. I'm sure it wouldn't work at a school here.

Hmmm, that's a good point. Our summer share starts in June too. The spring share starts at the beginning of May, but then that's really only a few weeks overlap before the end of school. The fall share is October to November so maybe that one would work.

[AnnieW625]

Nicci, which CSA are you getting? I used to get one from Tanaka Farms, but it was just TOO much (and we eat a fair amount of veggies) so we stopped getting it. My DCP just started getting this one from Farm Fresh To You (http://www.amazon.com/Munchkin-Disposable-Changing-Pad-Pack/dp/B002KCMSPQ/ref=sr_1_28?s=baby-products&ie=UTF8&qid=1298175167&sr=1-28) and really likes it because they have different sizes and it's delivered right to your door! (Plus a plus is that some of the items come from where I was raised:))