Our CSA is about to begin here in July! I think about how customers can get the most out of our vegetables with not having to spend a ton of time. This thought crosses my mind often for our customers because we eat, sleep, and breathe the vegetable garden this time of year.
Maybe you are a returning CSA customer, maybe you are brand new to this CSA thing, or trying another farms CSA program or maybe you are considering joining. Here are some ideas on ways you can get the most out of your CSA (vegetable share)!
MEAL PREPPING IS KEY!
Plan on getting leafy greens of sorts! There are so many ways you can use these veggies but the question is what is the best and quickest way?? If I could offer a suggestion I personally think meal prepping is very beneficial when belonging to a CSA. If you are like us you are always on the go! Give mason jar salads a try! You can incorporate quite a few of the veggies you get into these jar salads and be a quick meal prep! I did start a Pinterest board of some ideas to get you started! Just remember your greens are one of the last layers and your dressing is first!
USE YOUR FARMS WEBSITE!
Ask if your farm has a website! You likely already know that Mad Acre Farms does! I continue to work on it adding recipes and updating ways to navigate through it. We will offer recipe ideas and most importantly ways to store your veggies to get the most out of them! Don’t miss out on your farms website! They will likely have some gold nuggets in there for you! We will put links in our weekly emails to help guide you!
QUICK PRESERVING TIPS!
We will share ways to store for longer lasting vegetables. For example when tomatoes start to hit your share you may not have time to get to them right away just freeze them! I am still using tomatoes from last year’s harvest in our soups and casseroles as a base! Don’t worry I put some ideas together on how you can do that on our website! Also don’t forget about saving your radish tops and combining that with your basil to make a quick pesto! Then just freeze it in silicon ice trays, pop them out once frozen and store them in a freezer bag for later use!
There are so many vegetables that you can freeze for later use it is amazing! We will be sure to let you know in our weekly emails ideas on quick ways to preserve!
I have learned that flash freezing is your friend! This is when you cut up your vegetables and lay them flat on a pan and freeze them for 3-4 hrs then throw them in a ziplock back. I have made the mistake of not doing this and just throw them in a bag to freeze and it comes out as a big glob of vegetables!
I am not huge on canning in the summer. It just takes a lot of time but.. in my off season I pick it up to learn more. The freezing method buys me time and allows me to can on my terms. I do however enjoy a nice dill pickle! Please don’t judge me on this next tip but I will buy those big club jars of pickles and save the brine. This season I will cut up my cucumbers and throw them into that brine. We also have some recipe ideas for your own pickles from scratch but if you are like me you just may not have time. Save your pickle juice! Cucumber season is fast approaching!
There are so many herbs and vegetables you can dry or dehydrate. We provide ideas on ways to dry without buying a dehydrator or if you have one offer ideas for both. If you are not going to use those herbs in your share that week don’t worry we will give you some ideas on how to quickly preserve it for later! For example you can easily dry kale in your oven to make a kale powder to toss into your meals or incorporate into a smoothie. Don’t sleep on kale people that leafy green is a healthy powerhouse!
I could go on for days on ways to make the most out of your vegetable share but at the end of the day you need to do what works for you. Just have a plan and I guarantee that you will maximize your CSA share!
Moral of the story… Find your local farmer! Learn more about them through their socials, website, and the markets they attend. Interview them, and if they pass the test give their CSA a try! They are out there waiting for your support ♥️ – ✌🏼 Jamie
Moral Of The Story 