Anna & David's CSA Experience

it's been a long time...

2007-07-01T15:45:00.000-07:00

our schedules over the past few months have made it difficult for us to keep up with this blog. it was great fun to chronicle our first year of a csa and we hope that it was helpful and fun for all those that read along.

we are not going to keep up this blog this year due to new jobs, triathlons, etc, but hope to see you at the farm stand!

thanks for reading and letting us know how much you have enjoyed the last year of postings.

david and anna

happy holidays

2006-12-18T21:34:00.000-08:00

time to curl up by the fire and enjoy the holidays. see you next year!

merry chirstmas and happy new year from anna, david and pebbles.

week 27

2006-12-18T21:27:00.000-08:00

week 26

2006-12-18T21:25:00.000-08:00

wow, our natural light is gone quick these days... some new things this week that i have not seen before..

week 25

2006-11-29T17:58:00.000-08:00

happy thanksgiving everyone!

2006-11-21T16:29:00.000-08:00

from the sugar pie pumpkin we got last week...

shh...don't tell anyone it's egg and dairy free!

thanksgiving week box

2006-11-21T16:26:00.000-08:00

.... acorn squash, parsley root, celery, onions, spinach and salad!!!

week 23

2006-11-19T13:36:00.000-08:00

if you have not seen the article in the NY Times that features Tierra Vegetables and a great photo of wayne, CLICK HERE

pebbles weighs in

2006-11-08T11:07:00.000-08:00

what a treat for Pebbles...the butternut squash was a big hit...not only did she lick her bowl clean, but she chased it around the kitchen trying to get the last little bit! (this from the dog that usually ignores her food)

thanks for the suggestion, Evie....

squash and broccoli

2006-11-07T21:50:00.000-08:00

just baked it up and smashed it up...a little olive oil, a little cinnamon...and for David, some maple syrup

fantastic...bring on the piles of squash, Lee...

gently roasted the broccoli with olive oil, shallots and chile...have enough to toss into dishes all week!

week 22

2006-11-07T21:49:00.000-08:00

mmmm...breakfast

2006-11-06T16:00:00.000-08:00

we know Evie says that these acorn squash will keep, but i just can't seem to wait to find out....

she's also right....no sugar required....these are the sweetest squashes ever

week 21

2006-11-02T18:28:00.000-08:00

its starting to look like fall...

get them before they are gone

2006-10-28T12:45:00.000-07:00

week 20

2006-10-28T12:41:00.000-07:00

week 19

2006-10-28T12:39:00.000-07:00

week 18

2006-10-28T12:35:00.000-07:00

week 17

2006-10-03T18:02:00.000-07:00

wow, the melons are amazing. be sure to pick up some extras.

week 16

2006-10-03T18:01:00.000-07:00

ok, how much longer can we use the "we are moving" excuess for why we are late in getting photos up on the site.

bear with us, we are trying to catch up

week 15

2006-09-19T16:26:00.000-07:00

great box this week - lots of cooking to do!

all kinds of squash...carrots....orange flesh honeydew...potatoes...green beans....anaheim chiles...tomatoes and broccoli is back!!!

(we've gotten several questions about what happened to last week's blog -- the answer is: we fell down on the job -- between the Van Morrison concert on Tuesday night and the general chaos of preparing to move into our new home, we just got lazy -- our apologies; please bear with us as the move process continues!)

pesto and tomatoes

2006-09-18T07:46:00.000-07:00

week 14

2006-09-16T11:08:00.000-07:00

forgot to post this on tuesday. all the food shown here is already gone.

from bean stalk to mouth

2006-09-05T19:11:00.000-07:00

week 13

2006-09-05T18:09:00.000-07:00

good looking box this week. green beans, summer squash, HUGE cabbage, tomatoes, corn, soy beans, broccoli and a very large cucumber.

better than fries....

2006-09-02T16:38:00.000-07:00

the red potatoes were incredible...sliced 'em all up, tossed with a little olive oil, garlic, onions, salt and pepper and they were gone almost before we could get a picture...no ketchup required!

evie's roasted veggies

2006-08-29T21:18:00.000-07:00

took Evie's advice and roasted up the squash and eggplant with garlic, onions and olive oil...steamed the green beans with some garlic for just a minute and then tossed them in too....seasoned with salt and some of the espellette chile powder...she was right, it was very good

sorry, Evie...left out the tomatoes...just can't bear to cook them, they're so good just the way they are!

week 12

2006-08-29T18:08:00.000-07:00

another beautiful box....

summer squash...slicing cucumber...tomatoes...fresh onions...chard...eggplant...carrots...red potatoes...and green beans are back!

lazy girl's dinner salad

2006-08-26T17:50:00.000-07:00

one of the best things about tierra veggies is that it takes so little work to make a great tasting dinner...here the ivory peppers, sweet corn, lemon cucumbers and tomatoes star in a terrific dinner salad....

roasted corn

2006-08-22T19:28:00.000-07:00

couldn't resist diving into the much-anticipated corn....

just lightly steamed and then pan roasted just until hot...lightly brushed it with olive oil and sprinkled with basil

it was so sweet...probably didn't even need the embellisment...but the basil was a nice complement...

did anyone out there do anything interesting with the corn?? please let us hear from you!

week 11 (click here for this week's menu)

2006-08-22T19:04:00.000-07:00

the corn finally made it....there's also basil...stays green and ivory bell peppers...parsley...lemon cucumbers...summer squash (what would we do without it!)...celery....lots of tomatoes....and garlic!

friday night pizza

2006-08-18T23:03:00.000-07:00

...with tierra peppers, onions and garlic.

would write more, too busy eating.

lunch special

2006-08-17T18:23:00.000-07:00

try to get at least one tomato into every meal...

one of the things we're curious about is how other CSA members use your weekly box...do you plan meals around it or throw meals together as the urge strikes?

when we started CSA-ing, we were most concerned that we wouldn't be able to use all of the vegetables each week...but are happy to report that nothing has gone to waste (we have "gifted" several squashes, though...wanted to let some friends in on the fun)

we try to plan out our week in advance using the menu provided, recipes given to us by friends and our personal taste...it seems to help make sure that nothing gets left in the crisper..

so that we don't get lazy mid-week, we also try to get things cleaned up and put away ready to use (except the potatoes, which under Evie's direction, don't get washed until we're ready to eat them)...

anyway, we'd love to hear other creative strategies for managing the weekly box...or any thoughts/comments our fellow CSA'ers might have...so if you're out there, please post (and read the other posters comments)

guacamole al fresco

2006-08-16T11:08:00.000-07:00

so, we've been looking for something to do with tomatillos besides salsa and recently found a recipe for tomatillo guacamole...had to get the avocados at the grocery store, but everything else is from one of our boxes...

had to stop and take a photo before mixing it all together...wish my camera skills would do the veggies justice

if you have any good ideas for the tomatillos, please post us a comment and let us know what you're doing with them...

week 10

2006-08-15T19:05:00.000-07:00

what a great looking box this week!

tomatoes...lemon cucumbers...italian sweet peppers...inferno hot peppers!..strawberries...zuchinni...carrots...squash...tomatillos...and eggplant!

another use for tomatoes and lemon cucumbers

2006-08-14T14:50:00.000-07:00

had so many tomatoes and cucumbers, we had to get creative...made up some taboulleh for a party this weekend....the sweetness of the tomatoes really made the dish.

breakfast of champions

2006-08-09T10:13:00.000-07:00

mmmm....tomato sandwiches

the tomatoes in the box this week are so juicy, it took two napkins to eat breakfast this morning....they're so sweet, it's like candy!

the startings of soup

2006-08-08T17:21:00.000-07:00

...decided to make soup for dinner....figured there'll be leftovers so we can be lazy the rest of the week! the chard was so beautiful this week, i just couldn't wait to use it..

using no recipe here, just trying something loosely based on the "vegetable hot pot" from Nooshi, in Washington, DC...they use bok choy instead of chard, but basically, it's a bunch of veggies, sauteed and then simmered in broth...finished off with a bit of soy sauce, chile flakes, basil and sesame oil....might throw in some rice noodles...probably toss in some tofu....

***i agree with Evie at Tierra, sauteeing the chard is definitely worth the few extra minutes...makes a huge difference in flavor

week 9 - what's in the box?

2006-08-08T15:01:00.000-07:00

what a beautiful box this week.....

swiss chard...basil...garlic (who doesn't need more)...tomatoes....eggplant....summer squash....lemon cucumbers...and yukon gold potatoes (mmm...we feel rosemary roasted potatoes coming on..)

we're thinking something with the chard for dinner...check back later, i'll let you know if i come up with anything!

garlic roasted broccoli

2006-08-04T17:29:00.000-07:00

almost forgot to share this...like i "forgot" to share it with David!

been waiting to roast the broccoli until it cooled down a bit...did this batch in the toaster oven to prevent heating up the house and save electricity....turned out really well...roasted brocolli doesn't look as green and pretty as steamed, but it sure tastes fantastic!

week 8

2006-08-01T16:15:00.000-07:00

fresh from the farm stand!!

loads of brocolli...red onions are back!...cabbage (the tierra menu has a terrific sounding thai salad recipe for this)...tomatoes...summer squash...the world's sweetest carrots...and last, but definitely not least, seascape strawberries.

(Not sure what the seascape variety is known for -- all these details are rather new to us -- but I do know that only 2/3 of them made it home from the farm...and that took considerable restraint on my part.)

really fresh tomatoes...and a request...

2006-07-28T15:20:00.000-07:00

...all they really needed was a little coarse salt and pepper

...at the farm stand yesterday there was some talk about making a fantastic sounding tomato sauce...i'm hoping, we'll be restrained enough to get past the slice and eat instinct one week so we can try it

...that's one of the great things about going out to the farm stand, it's a real community where people share ideas for recipes and just chat...

that gives me an idea

to our fellow CSA subscribers: we'd love to hear from you...please post some comments* about what YOU are doing with your weekly box! actually, anyone with recipe ideas or good stories or anything vegetable related, please post your thoughts!

*you do have to register with blogspot.com to post to the site, but we hope you might be willing to do that to help us start up a little community spirit here! thanks to Sarah for the carrot recipe...see "Week 5 Cont..." for her post

Caramelized Onion Bruschetta

2006-07-27T21:07:00.000-07:00

Used the pearl onions and some of the red onions...

since the chile cucumbers were for me, these toasts were all David...they didn't last 5 minutes after this photo was taken, so I'd say the pearl onions were pretty darn good...

cucumbers with chile and lime...mmmm

2006-07-26T18:47:00.000-07:00

Evidently, this is a popular road side treat in Mexico...all I have to say is that it is addictive! Evie, at Tierra, provided the recipe on our weekly menu...she says it's also done with melon...we'll keep you posted on that...for now:

Slice cucumbers, dress with lime juice, salt and chile powder...the heat from the chile and the cool of the cucumber is a terrific summer treat...please try it!

Week 7

2006-07-25T18:54:00.000-07:00

Wow, it's been hot! But, we have great veggies again this week.

Clockwise from left: Zuchinni, early girl tomatoes, brocolli, carrots, lemon cucumbers, pearl onions, squash and espelette chile powder!

Week 6

2006-07-18T18:37:00.000-07:00

Wow, 6 weeks flew by! This week we have:
...tomatillos...garlic...basil...lemon cucumbers...zuchinni...Jersey Wakefield cabbage...fennel...summer squash...and green beans!

Lots of possibilities here. Of course, pesto (David's favorite) is first on the list! It will be used on everything....bread, pasta, pizza, potatoes--it will probably also dress the green beans and squash. Everyone always says you can freeze it, but we never seem to have any leftover!

Almost forgot these...

2006-07-14T20:04:00.000-07:00

Summer squash grilled and tossed with the blue lake green beans, some peppers and those incredible red onions...yum!

The little head of cabbage sure made a lot of slaw...used the same marinade as the refrigerator pickles below...rice wine vinegar, a little sesame oil, salt, a bit of sugar and a dash of chile de arbol.

Tierra cucumbers are unbelievably sweet...especially the ones that look a little tough on the outside...here they're making a terrific salad with some red onions (I think we've decided to use these in everything we make!) and some little tomatoes!

Week 5 Cont...

2006-07-12T07:22:00.000-07:00

amazing how the chard shrinks when you cook it...i have to say that i have never enjoyed chard as much as this bunch...it was great sauteed with garlic, red onions and some vegetable stock...David even tried it (and had more than the usual obligatory bite!!!)...score one for Tierra!

A side note...I'd love to be able to do an antioxidant count on our weekly box...just looking at all the deep, beautiful colors, we know it's got to be good for us!

sweet, sweet, sweet carrots...too good to cook with...made old school carrot sticks (remember the days before baby carrots???)...

CSA Week 5

2006-07-11T18:19:00.000-07:00

This week's box includes:
...Blue Lake green beans...zucchini...chard...carrots...basil..cucumbers...broccoli...red onions...and mint(smells AWESOME)!

Week 4 - continued...

2006-07-04T20:29:00.000-07:00

Plenty of stuff to choose from for dinner tonight! We settled on sesame noodles with stir fried broccoli, yellow squash, red onions and garlic with some bell peppers...adding some chile de arbol for a little kick!

On the side: refrigerator pickles! We used the recipe on the menu list that came with our box and added some red onions and chile de arbol for extra interest! They were great...very refreshing.

CSA Week 4 (Happy 4th)

2006-07-04T15:32:00.000-07:00

Week 4's bounty!

This week our "box" included: green beans... zuchinni... broccoli... "gonazales" cabbage... turnips... beets... pickling cucumbers... leaf and freckle lettuces... and exactly one-quarter pound of garlic!

Also pictured the impulse buys we picked up while we were at the Tierra farmstand: strawberries (we've vowed never to buy them at the grocery store again)...tomatoes...and the awesome red onions!

As soon as we got home, it was time for lunch and we began feverishly chopping veggies...

...washing and drying lettuces is new for us, the former "salad in a sack" devotees, but you can't get better than the lettuces from Tierra. Makes us wish we hadn't sold the salad spinner at our last yard sale, though.

Voila! Our star-spangled red-white-and-blue(well, almost) Independence Day salad!

Can't wait for dinner!

Rhubarb Update!

2006-07-04T15:26:00.000-07:00

For those of you who were worrying about what we were going to do with the rhubarb from week 2...never fear! We made impromptu blueberry-rhubarb jam...very tasty, if a little tart!

Most importantly, this means that, to date, we've put everything in our boxes to good use!

Meet Pebbles - Our New CSA Blog Dog

2006-07-01T19:11:00.000-07:00

She won't be eating any of our veggies, but likes hanging out in the kitchen with us while they're cooking!

Of course, if she does form any opinions about the selections in our weekly boxes, we'll be sure to let her post her thoughts...

Pebbles is a Chihuahua/Boston Terrier mix who was rescued by another great Sonoma organization -- A Leg Up Rescue. We're happy to say that we have adopted her and are looking forward to giving her a long, healthy and happy life!

CSA Week 3

2006-06-28T21:53:00.000-07:00

We dove into this week's box before even getting a chance to take a photograph...this pic is missing several squash, onions and some baby lettuces. But, as you can see, the interesting stuff is still here...

... summer sqash...2005 vintage black beans...dried chile de arbol (read: HOT)...red onions...nopalitos (yes, it's cactus)...and tomatillos.

peeling nopalitos is not hard, but not easy either...

they sautee up easily, making a thick gummy sauce (which is supposed to cure everything from diabetes to high cholesteroal to GI distress) and taste a lot like very sharp okra...kind of a cross between a green pepper and okra.

The finished scramble: summer squash, onions, garlic peppers, nopalitos and tofu with cilantro and just a touch of chile de arbol...enough to make it hot!

Next up: veggie sautee over couscous and veggie fajitas with tomatillo salsa!

CSA Week 2

2006-06-20T20:13:00.000-07:00

Week two brought a new box, filled with some familiar veggies and some new ones...

Included in this box:

- beets
- rhubarb
- fresh paprika
- brocolli
- garlic
- onions
- freckle lettuce
- summer squash

We made lots of salads...used the squash, brocolli and onions to make a great tofu lo mein..the brocolli was the best Anna had ever tasted (David hasn't made it to brocolli yet). This was the first time Anna tried cooking beets...learned a few things, but most importantly fresh beets, roasted and then chilled make a great salad topper--all they need is a little salt--way better than anything from a can.

The paprika was interesting...almost pasty...added nice color but little flavor to a tofu scramble. Still wondering what to do with rhubarb....

Our First CSA

2006-06-13T21:58:00.000-07:00

On June 13th, we picked up our first CSA box from Tierra Farms.

The box included fava beans, red onions, cilantro that you can smell a mile away, amazing leaf lettuce, fresh strawberry jam, a few summer squash and two dried chipotles (watch out!). It truly does not get more fresh than this... all the veggies were picked the same day we brought them home.

And when we got them home:

We chopped up the squash and the red onions, along with some peppers we had in the fridge (we're not going cold turkey on the regular store)...

Tossed with some tofu and tomatoes...

And served them up with a salad made from the fresh lettuce.

The key word is fresh...the squash tasted more like squash, the lettuce, more like lettuce...peppery and earthy...and the onions were the sweetest and most fragrant we've ever had.

One meal down...now what to do with the fava beans?!