CSA - here we go!!!

Well, we decided to join a local CSA this summer. This decision was not made hastily given that 1) a half share costs $350 (for 20 weeks) and 2) I was (still am) anxious about actually using what we get every week (kale? what the heck do you do with that??). Having addressed those concerns, we "plowed" ahead (get it??).

Some of you may be wondering what a CSA is. CSA stands for Community Supported Agriculture. By buying a share or half-share you get super-fresh, organic fruits & vegetables every week and you build a nice relationship with a local farmer. In other words, you know where your food is coming from. That's not the best explanation, so go here for more complete info:

http://www.localharvest.org/csa/

Our first half-share box contained: head of Romaine lettuce, 2 cukes, fennel complete with its fluffy fronds, bag of spinach, bunch of green garlic, and a leek.

My first order of business was figuring out what to do with that fennel. I found a terrific recipe online for Fennel Cucumber Salsa. Follow the link for the recipe. It was yummy *and* used two of my veggies at once! I discarded all the fronds from the fennel plant, but my friend Linda says those are edible, too. She chops them up and adds them to egg salad and such. Maybe next time... I'm just impressed that I figured out a way to use the fennel, period.

I am excited about this CSA experience. I'll post more as the summer progresses!