OUr First CSA Box

We had always been intrigued about the concept of Community Supported Agriculture (CSA). It seems like such a great idea to support local farmers and get just-picked fresh produce at the same time. So when there was a Groupon offered for two CSA boxes from Eli’s Farms, Todd jumped on it.

They delivered our box to Todd’s work on Friday 11/9. Here were the contents of the box:

Valencia Oranges
Fuyu Persimmons
Pomegranate
Guava
Summer Squash
Lettuce or Swiss Chard
Eggplant
Mint
Cilantro or Parsley
Anaheim Peppers
Limes

The above (first) photo shows the contents of the box. The below photo includes the Swiss Chard, which I didn’t include in the first photo since it obscured the rest of the contents of the box.


I’ll have to say that we are big fans of CSA boxes! Freshly picked local produce tastes way better than grocery store produce picked before they’re ripe and shipped from far away! One thing we did notice was that while the produce in the CSA box might not LOOK as good as the produce in the supermarkets, they TASTE so much better! I particularly noticed the difference with the Valencia Oranges. They didn’t look great, but when we sliced them up, they were extra juicy, so tender, and sweet! And the guavas were delicious also! ♥

Here are some of the dishes we made with our fresh vegetables. Most of them we just roasted them with some salt, pepper, and olive oil. Super-easy!

Summer squash and eggplants.


Swiss chard sauteed with pine nuts and raisins.


Roasted eggplant.


Roasted Anaheim Peppers, red peppers, and corn.


We are officially fans of the CSA box and hope to start getting a couple of boxes a month. They deliver to Todd’s work so it’s extra-convenient. If you are interested in Community Supported Agriculture, google that term or “CSA” for your local area and see if there are subscriptions and pickup points close to you. We were really happy with our box from Eli’s Farms!