CSA from Cardo's Farm Project, 9/19/13

It's the 1st CSA pickup for the season! My farm (I take ownership for absolutely no reason! I'm just a volunteer, but I still call it "my farm.") CSA stands for community supported agriculture. You prepay (some farms will work out a payment plan, so don't be shy to ask if you need to) for the season of vegetables, and in return, you get a share of the harvest every week. This gives your farmer the funds when they need them most, at planting time when they need seeds, fertilizer, new tools, etc. And you get local, organic veggies! It's the best way you can support your local farmer. Click here to see my post on how to find local farms.

My CSA is from Cardo's Farm Project. I am a volunteer so I get my CSA share for free each week! I love volunteering with the farm. I can't grow anything. Trust me, I've tried. I've even killed 3 different rosemary plants. Rosemary is a very hardy plant. I planted an herb garden for 4 years straight. Nothing came of it. Ever. I blame it on living in dry, hot Texas. But really, I think it's just not in my skill set and I've come to terms with it. So instead, I volunteer at a local farm. I get to stick my hands in the dirt, breathe in the fresh air, and get all the benefits of a garden without actually having to have a garden. It's perfect!

During my volunteer shifts, I do whatever they need. I have helped with harvest, cleaning & packing vegetables, cleaning the chicken coops, bookkeeping, moving (they recently bought new farm land), working the farmer's market, whatever they need. They told me next week they are going to train me to do the setup for the farmer's market. So all the packaging, weighing, inventory, etc. for the market.

Here's my CSA share this week. Lots of good stuff this week! I hate I didn't have my camera with me at pickup. It was the 1st pickup at their new location.

• Sunflower greens (that's their top seller. These greens have quite the cult following. You eat it raw in sandwiches, salads, etc. I put them in my eggs in the morning, but I put everything in my eggs. And The Moose eats them.)
• Basil
• Sweet Potatoes
• Butternut squash (I have a killer butternut squash soup I'll share with you soon.)
• Eggplants
• Peppers
• Garlic
• Eggs. The eggs aren't part of the share. I buy those separately. I love farm fresh eggs. I can really tell a difference when I cook with them. The color, the way the shell cracks perfectly, separating the whites from the yolk, everything about them. See how I clean my farm eggs here.

Stay tuned for recipes using everything!