The CSA Box - A Palate for my Creative Outlet

I picked up my CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) box this week and was pleasantly surprised. Heck, I’m always pleasantly surprised. It is like a little treasure chest of seasonal veggies and fruits and I never know what I’m going to get. My healthy lifestyle completely supports eating all natural, chemical-free products which are in season. I am a master at throwing together a delicious and nutritious meal based on what’s available with no recipe at all and through this blog; I hope to teach you to do the same.

For those of you who have never heard of a CSA, you should really check it out. It consists of a community of individuals who pledge support to a farming operation where the growers and consumers share the risks and benefits of food production. Individuals do not pay per pound of produce but rather support the budget of the whole farm and receive weekly what is seasonally ripe. Basically you pay the same price each week and the available crop is divided amongst the participants so some weeks you might get a lot more goods than others.

At first, I was unsure about receiving the unknown. I used to go to my favorite Mexican market for the cheapest produce that I could find and didn’t worry where it had been or how it had been treated since I could fill up my cart for under $30. Now, I look forward to my weekly pick-up because it makes me feel good about avoiding eating harsh pesticides, supporting local farmers, and getting my creative juices flowing. Guess what? It still costs me $30 per week!

This might freak a lot of you out but YOU DON’T NEED A RECIPE OR EXACT MEASUREMENTS when cooking. We aren’t doing a science experiment here (i.e. baking) so use the kitchen as your canvas and let your imagination be your guide.

This week’s box included: hot house tomatoes, heirloom tomatoes, grape tomatoes, grapefruit, apples, peaches, kale, summer (yellow) squash, orange bell peppers, basil, carrots, red onions, mixed greens, and purple green beans.

Tonight’s Dinner (Serves Two):
Bacon-Wrapped Scallops
Heirloom Tomato Salad on a bed of Mixed greens w/ Roasted Grape Tomato Dressing
Sauteed Peaches

Roasted Grape Tomato Dressing Ingredients:
1 pint grape tomatoes
½ c. olive oil
4 cloves minced garlic
¼ t. red pepper flakes
1 bunch fresh basil (or oregano, or thyme)
¼ c. balsamic vinegar
Salt & Pepper

Roasted Grape Tomato Salad Dressing Directions (make this first):
Put tomatoes, garlic, pepper flakes, olive oil, salt & pepper in pan and in the oven on broil until tomato skins blacken. Let cool then put in food processor or Magic Bullet and top with balsamic and basil. Blend until smooth. Chill. This will make more than you need for one meal so save the rest for up to two weeks.

Bacon-Wrapped Scallop Ingredients:
12 large scallops
6 slices uncured bacon

Bacon-Wrapped Scallop Directions:
Preheat oven to broil. Cut six pieces of uncured bacon in half. Wrap twelve large scallops in bacon and place seam side down on baking sheet covered with foil. Broil for about 10 minutes (until bacon is crispy).

Heirloom Tomato Salad Ingredients:
Mixed Greens
2 heirloom tomatoes
¼ red onion, finely chopped
1 orange bell pepper, chopped (use any color)
Salt & Pepper

Heirloom Tomato Salad Directions:
Chop tomatoes into large pieces and mix in finely chopped red onion and orange bell pepper. Sprinkle with salt & pepper to taste. Toss mixed greens in salad dressing and top with tomato mixture. Again, make extra so you can have some on hand for a quick snack.

Sauteed Peaches Ingredients:
2 ripe peaches
1 T coconut oil
3 shakes cinnamon
1 shake nutmeg

Sauteed Peaches Directions:
Cut peaches in half and remove pits. Cut each half into four slices. Place peaches and coconut oil in pan on medium-high heat until edges slightly brown. Do not stir (you know who you are, over-stirrer). Sprinkle with cinnamon and nutmeg then turn each slice and cook other side until edges slightly brown. Serve hot.