What is a CSA?

Yesterday we picked up the first basket of our CSA. CSA stands for Community Supported Agriculture and it works by the community prepaying for the harvest. We invest in the harvest and every week, or every other week depending on your package, you receive a large or small basket of freshly picked produce.

Our large basket pictured above was beautifully displayed and clearly labeled. The basket included: carrots, beets, tomatoes, parsley, kale, green beans, basil, red leaf lettuce, red oak lettuce, romaine lettuce, buttercup squash, valencia oranges, pearlette onions, rainbow chard, peaches, plums, grapefruit, potatoes, garlic, and white beech mushrooms. South Coast Farms even emailed us suggested recipes.

I'm excited about our basket of fruits and vegetables. I was fortunate to grow up with very fresh vegetables. My Dad worked all summer long in the garden. While our family lived in Delaware we rarely had store bought produce as the growing season was so long.

There is nothing quite like a canteloupe that has been allowed to fully ripen on the vine. Fresh produce brings back wonderful memories of time spent canning and freezing vegetables with my Mom. The green bean assembly line: blanch, ice bath, bag, twist tie, box, label with grease pencil then take them to the big freezer in the basement.

Fresh vegetables just make it feel like summer.