Enjoying community-supported agriculture

Community-supported agriculture, or CSA, has always been special to vegetable lovers.

When I checked with my fellow CSAers to survey what they like and dislike about their memberships, I assumed that such prime produce would be responsible for their smiles too.

But I was way off the mark. Three factors rank higher: the challenges, the surprises and the close working relationship with the farmer to whom they have paid an upfront fee for a share of the harvest.

Weekly surprise

“We're continuing to enjoy the experience,'' says Winifred Conkling of Vienna, Virginia. She and her family joined the Potomac Vegetable Farms CSA in Vienna so they could track the source of their food and experience dealing with the surprise of each week's bag.

For Conkling, some of the irritants of CSA life (unfamiliar vegetables, too much of one thing and too little of another) have been challenges she has taken on with enthusiasm.
“In the beginning, I didn't know what to do with all the greens. But now I find myself missing them if they're not in the bag,'' she says.

When my family's share included less than a pound of carrots, I bemoaned the small quantity; she served hers as a snack. Inundated with basil, I tried presenting the herb like a flower arrangement. Conkling made batch after batch of pesto and stored it away in her freezer for less-bountiful days ahead.

Jim Knoke is in his third year as a CSA member. He has few complaints about his take. Favourites at his house include potatoes and corn but it's the produce the CSA has introduced to the family that he talks about.

New staple

“I had never seen Swiss chard or bok choy before we joined the CSA and now they have become staples,'' he says.
The Knoke family opted for the smallest share offered so they would not be overwhelmed.

Richard Hsu and family joined the Fresh and Local CSA, owned and operated by Allan Balliett, a farmer in Shepherdstown, West Virginia. As a stay-at-home dad who takes time off from the kids to volunteer at the CSA, Hsu helps organise his local drop. His interaction with Balliett is part of his appreciation of the CSA experience.

“Allan is so honest and genuine. This guy gets up in the middle of the night and harvests the vegetables, stops to send us an e-mail so we'll know what to expect, then drives to Washington and spends the day making deliveries,'' Hsu says.

The Hsu family splits a regular share (designed to feed two adults most of their weekly vegetable needs) with another family but Hsu's mother gets a shot at the goods as well. “Some of the stranger vegetables my mother, who's Chinese, runs off with and cooks for us, such as the white bok choy,'' he says.

Hsu also likes the perks of CSA life. Balliett, like many CSA farmers, has agreements with other local producers, and members can order special items such as chickens, eggs and flowers.

Cooking hiccups

As for me, a hectic and uneven schedule has provided the biggest hurdle to maximising our CSA share. Since we signed up, the end of my sons' sports seasons has kept us running instead of cooking in the evenings. We've had three long weekends away; a spate of business trips has taken my husband out of town for days at a time. I've gotten pretty good at produce storage and I'm also learning to turn almost everything into a salad or a dish I can use for several meals.
Recently I took a squash, a tomato, an eggplant and an onion and turned them into a gratin I was able to eat for dinner and then make lunch out of the next day.

The corn, sweet onion and some celery became the inspiration for a lobster-and-corn salad that I dressed with a herb-laden vinaigrette.

RECIPE

Vegetable gratin

Servings: 4 (side-dish)
Vegetables are so good on their own you really don't need to do much to them. They also mix well with one another.

This gratin, which can be assembled in minutes, is a perfect example. Each vegetable is thinly sliced, then layered together with olive oil, Parmesan cheese, salt and pepper.

The cooking times will vary based on how thinly the vegetables are sliced.

Save any trimmed ends or odd bits of vegetables left over; coarsely chop and sauté with a little meat for another meal.

• 1 eggplant, small, preferably round (about 4 ounces), stemmed and cut crosswise into 1/8- or 1/4-inch slices
• 8 basil leaves, large, cut into chiffonade (stacked, rolled tightly and then cut into thin strips)
• 4 tbs Parmesan cheese
• Salt
• Black pepper, freshly ground
• 2 tbs extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 small pattypan squash (about 4 ounces), trimmed and cut crosswise into 1/8- to 1/4-inch slices
• 1 sweet onion (about 4 to 6 ounces), medium, stemmed and cut crosswise into 1/8- to 1/4-inch slices
• 1 yellow or red tomato (6 ounces), medium, cored and cut crosswise into 1/8- to 1/4-inch slices
• 1 tbs breadcrumbs, plain, fine
  

Preheat the oven to 350°C. Lightly grease a 9-inch pie plate or a similar-sized baking dish with non-stick cooking spray oil.

Create a single layer of eggplant slices at the bottom of the dish; the slices should overlap only at the edges. (They will not cover the bottom completely.)

Sprinkle 1/3 of the cut basil leaves over the slices, then 1 tablespoon of the cheese; season with salt and pepper to taste. Drizzle a teaspoon or two of oil over the layer. Repeat with the squash, then the onion and tomato slices.

Sprinkle the remaining tablespoon of cheese over the top, seasoning with salt and pepper to taste and then scatter the breadcrumbs evenly over the cheese. Drizzle about 2 teaspoons of the oil over the top, then cover the dish tightly with aluminum foil. Bake for 30-40 minutes until the vegetables are tender.

Remove the foil; increase the temperature to 375°C and bake for 15-20 minutes, until the excess moisture at the bottom of the dish has gone and the top of the gratin begins to brown.
Let sit for about 15 minutes before serving. Use a thin, sharp knife to cut the gratin into four equal portions, then use a spatula to transfer to serving plates.

Nutrition per serving: 246 calories, 13g protein, 16g carbohydrates, 16g fat, 6g saturated fat, 25mg cholesterol, 522mg sodium, 6g dietary fibre.

RECIPE

Herbed corn and lobster salad

Servings: 4 to 6 (appetiser or lunch)
This salad is filled with fresh corn, sweet onion and celery, which allow the relatively small amount of lobster to go far.
It can easily be made a day in advance, to be served on a buffet, as an appetiser or for lunch.

• Zest of 1 lemon, large
• 2 tbs lemon juice, freshly squeezed
• 1 tbs white vinegar
• Salt
• Black pepper, freshly ground
• 1/4 tsp sugar
• 3 tbs assorted herbs, such as basil, chives, parsley and oregano, chopped
• 3 tbs olive oil
• 1 pound lobster meat, cooked or steamed, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 1-1/4 to 1-1/2 cups sweet-corn kernels, cooked
• 2 to 3 ribs celery, cut into kernel-sized pieces (3/4 cup diced)
• 1 sweet onion (3 to 4 ounces), small, cut into corn-kernel-size pieces (3/4-1 cup diced)
  

Whisk together the lemon zest and juice, vinegar, salt and pepper to taste, the sugar and the herbs in a bowl large enough to hold all the salad ingredients. Slowly add the oil, whisking to combine.

Add the lobster meat, corn, celery and onion; stir to distribute evenly in the dressing. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.

Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve. Stir to redistribute the dressing just before serving. Nutrition per serving (based on 6): 173 calories, 17g protein, 10g carbohydrates, 8g fat, 1g saturated fat, 54mg cholesterol, 350mg sodium, 1g dietary fibre.