Community-supported agriculture (CSA) is a system that connects the producer and consumers within the food system more closely by allowing the consumer to subscribe to the harvest of a certain farm or group of farms.
Red Barn Market delivers right to our home, and we were just as excited to see Basket #2 as we were with Basket #1. Once again we had gotten the e-mail of the items to expect, but there is just something about seeing it in person that is so thrilling. Kind of like getting cards in the mailbox during Christmas.
Our vegetarian adventure continued with the delivery of 5 fresh veggies from the farm to our home. This week only one new item for us to experience, and two favorites that we don’t normally purchase on a regular basis.
Let’s review Basket #2…
Swiss Chard was the new kid on the block in our basket this week. It classed in the world of hearty greens, like kale, but in truth is a relative of the beet. That made one of us nervous because beets were not a childhood favorite. Swiss Chard is a superb source of vitamins A, C, and K, as well as magnesium, potassium, and iron. We used it in a casserole and it was delicious. Now we only used the leaves. You can also use the stalks, but we tossed those.
These next two items are a couple of our favorites…
Radishes – Growing up they were always a part of a salad without fail. Radishes have an exciting peppery crunch that adds zing to the salad. What you may not know is that the radish has been enjoyed for a long time, and is mentioned in Egyptian records as early as 2,700 B.C.
Asparagus – We stood these delightful and nutritious greens up in a glass of water in the icebox. Then when we wanted something to snack on we just pulled one out and crunched away. You may be surprised to learn that there are over 200 species of asparagus. Some are grown as houseplants, while florists use others in arrangements. In our case, we enjoyed the garden asparagus.
Spinach – This superfood and Popeye go hand in hand. In fact, for a number of years, there was a canned version of spinach with the Sailor Man’s picture on the label. It seems impossible to imagine how amazing spinach really is. Eating spinach as a regular part of your diet can improve blood glucose control in people with diabetes, lower the risk of cancer, and improve bone health, as well as supplying minerals and vitamins.
Leaf lettuce – This makes one tasty salad. There are three types of leaf lettuce: red, green, and oak. As you can see from the picture, we got the green. Not only did we make a couple of salads with this wonderful fresh lettuce, but we also included it in a few wraps with roasted chicken.
Well, that’s Basket #2. If you missed Basket #1 click here. We’ll keep sharing and we look forward to hearing from others about their Farm to Table experiences.
Exciting News – Each year Soil and Water Conservation Districts (in N.C.) have the opportunity to nominate a farm for Conservation Farm Family of the year. This year Rowan Soil and Water nominated the Correll Farm, who through their Red Barn Market supplies our weekly baskets. Judges toured the farm and learned about the conservation methods the farm uses to conserve water and promote healthy soil. Their efforts impressed the judges, and Correll Farms/Red Barn Market was the Regional Winner. They have one more round of judging to go before they see if they can win the State Title. Congratulations to Correll Farms, and good luck.