CSA

Those of you who know me know I like a challenge, and I'm all about projects. I especially like to make something out of nothing, and nothing makes me prouder than when I can make something substantial out of scraps. The best illustration of this that I can give you is when the Mowrers and Tommy and I all made a meal using all ingredients (read me seriously: ALL. INGREDIENTS. I know how to make flour out of cattails.) we harvested, hunted or gathered ourselves or had given to us from friends who harvested, hunted or gathered themselves. Jenny did an excellent blog post of it here, and it was so fancy the Knoxville News Sentinel came and covered it here, with a photog and everything (whoot, whoot, DeeDee!) A few months ago Jenny called and asked if we wanted to go halvsies on a large share of community supported agriculture. This means once a week we get to go pick up a box of... something. We kept laughing that we would one day go pick up a box of radishes and kale and have to eat it. We decided we were IN! One of the factors we considered was also the fact that it would give the Mowrers and the Smiths a reason to meet up every Saturday for breakfast or at least a cup of coffee when we got our food!

Well, our first pickup was Saturday!

nom nom nom nom nom nom nom

We got our stuff from the Colvin Family Farms here in town. Jenny and I are very excited about our veggies:

to quote a text from matt mowrer: nature's bounty. thanks be to god.

It wasn't until I got home with my stuff that I thought "Huh. What am I going to do with this?" Fortunately, this trip most of the veggies were a duh: Salad.

a gazillion kind of greens, sprouts, radishes

Then, we have asparagus we ate with our steaks for supper last night, we had two kinds of greens that need to be cooked with side meat (chopped and put in a big ole pot of bean soup; awesome) green onions (chopped and topped on chili; yum) and eggs (most of 'em are down the hatch already; boiled, eaten like that, in tuna salad and in some cookies). I reiterate: LOVE a challenge, LOVE making something out of nothing and LOVE the project. And this load was light - from what I understand our pickups are going to get more and more as the season progresses. I'm very excited about planning meals around what I get from my weekly CSA (nerd alert on high.) We'll see if it lasts throughout the season! I *ahem* am also on notice: I am the one who talked Mr. Smith into doing this and will be held accountable for $350 if this doesn't pan out.

Um... does anyone know what to do with lemon balm?