It’s finally here! Your first CSA share of the season is here and we are beyond excited. This past week turned up the heat and most of our crew (and veggies) loved it! With long days of hard work planting and weeding in the sun followed by river dips and warm evenings, it really felt like summer is here and we are kicking it into gear!
The feeling on the farm has been electric this week! The newbies on our crew who are experiencing their first CSA season, of whom there are quite a few on our team, anticipate with curiosity what all the hype is about, and those of us oldies, eagerly (and anxiously) prepare for the shift from the preparation work of spring, towards a consistent rhythm of harvest and packing veggies.
As the season goes I will continue to share with you more about what we are up to here at A Rocha, more information about what’s available on the farm and going into your box, as well as fun photos, recipes and more!
As a reminder for your first week, now is the time to take a moment to review your box contents and to make swaps - we encourage you to try new things if you feel adventurous, but we want your CSA box to provide you with maximum value so feel free to take full advantage of customizing to create the best box for your household tastes! You have until Sunday at 10 PM to further customize your box.
And next here are a few of important details we are continuing to follow in this season of Covid:
- We will provide a means to wash or sanitize your hands at every CSA pickup location. At the farm, there is a sink with water and soap against the wall of the barn right before you enter the CSA pickup area. For the Coquitlam and Burnaby pickup sites, we'll provide a bottle of hand sanitizer. Please clean your hands before you touch CSA bins.
- Bring your own box/bags to transfer your CSA contents, leaving the A Rocha Rubbermaid bin behind at the pickup site.
- Respect social distancing at the pickup. If someone is already emptying their bin, please wait your turn, giving at least 2 meters of distance between you.
- At the farm we will have a one-way flow within the barn. Enter the barn through the south-facing door and exit through the west door (back toward the parking area). Follow the arrows.
- When you enter the barn you'll see labelled veggie boxes ahead of you and to the left. Find your name, pick up the box, and continue to the left and around the corner to where we'll have some tables set up for you to empty your share. Spray and wipe the packing table with sanitizing solution before you exit the barn.
Finally, I will leave you with an uber green recipe that I tried out last week with a large head of lettuce and lots of fresh herbs. It's super flexible in terms of ingredients so if you’re interested you can play with what’s in your box and give it a try!
Happy first CSA!
Farmer Carly
Recipe for Green goddess salad:
- 1 head of lettuce (or tender kale)
- Feta cheese
- Chive flowers
- Green goddess dressing:
- 2 T White wine vinegar
- ½ cup Mayonnaise (try homemade, its worth it! http://www.cookingisfun.ie/recipes/585/ballymaloe-method-how-make-perfect-mayonnaise)
- 1/4 cup Olive oil
- 1 cup mixed herbs - such as parsley, chives, cilantro and/or basil
- 1 clove garlic
- ½ cup spinach
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Wash and dry your lettuce, tear into bite sized pieces and put in a big bowl
- Blend all ingredients in the dressing together in a food processor
- Dress and toss your salad
- Crumble feta cheese and chive flowers over the salad and enjoy!
