July 12: What's in the CSA Box?
Our weekly CSA box keeps getting bigger and bigger and I’m thrilled with our investment. This week was heavy on the greens, and I’m totally fine with that – we go through a ton with mason jar chopped salads.
Before we committed to the weekly CSA share I felt a bit disappointed that we didn’t have the time (or energy) to do our backyard container gardens this season. But! That doesn’t mean we had to miss out on fresh, local produce.
Someone asked me how we plan meals and grocery shopping when we’re not sure what will be in our CSA haul each week. I still make market and grocery trips to grab odds and ends, but I shifted our shopping days slightly to accommodate the box.
For example, I let the Wednesday evening CSA box dictate what I prep on Thursday and influence what I grab from my Grocery Crawl on the weekend. I don’t mind this because I want to be more intentional about eating in season whenever possible. We aren’t meant to have strawberries in the middle of a Michigan winter or tomatoes in March, etc. That produce has traveled hundreds of miles and is lacking in nutrients (and taste) compared to those consumed in season.
Plus it’s fun to see what was harvested and available – every Wednesday I feel like it’s the adult foodie equivalent of Dollar Store mystery grab bags I loved growing up.
Read on to see what was in the CSA box this week!
July 12 CSA Box
Zucchini: I should really just start calling these zoodles, because that’s what they invariably turn into.
Broccoli: We got lots of broccoli this week! I never get sick of roasting florets – lately with 21 Seasoning Salute from Trader Joe’s and keeping them on hand for breakfast bowls and salads. Try roasting them with ghee, avocado oil, or coconut oil at 375F for 15 minutes. Those oils have a higher smoke point than other options like butter or olive oil, so they’re more stable!
White Cucumber: Ok, I’ve never had one of these, but I was stoked to see it in our share this week!
Garlic: FRESH garlic! You can never have too much of this immune boosting fella.
Onion: Threw this fella into an Instant Pot chicken thigh recipe.
Scallions: I use these atop salads! Always a good staple.
Fennel: The bulb went into a batch of roasted beets.
Kale Leaves: LOTS of kale! I went for several varieties, but the flat lacinato or “dino kale” is a favorite for its butter pockets.
Beets: I sauteed the greens in coconut oil and roasted the beets with our fennel!
Basil: TWO little bunches went into another batch of pesto. Lots of pesto on hand? Freeze it in ice cube trays.
Lettuce: We had 2 small heads of lettuce this week. I can’t quit the green and purple variety. It feels more sturdy than the lighter greens and holds up well in my loaded lunch bowls.
Pound of greens: A POUND! I love when the share is heavy on greens because we go through so many for mason jar salads.
Cilantro: I LOVE fresh herbs! These were nice and crisp, unlike the soft mush I see at my local grocery store. I used ours as garnish on some asian meatballs.
