I recently joined a CSA program — no, its not a clandestine agency and I won’t be doing any international spying. “CSA” stands for Community Supported Agriculture, and its a way to buy vegetables directly from a local farm grower. Members purchase a “share” by paying a lump sum at the start of the growing season. In return, members receive a box or bag of farm-fresh vegetables every week through the entire growing season (typically June through October in Chicago). Its a great way to support local farmers, incorporate more (and a wider variety) of veggies into your life and generally just enjoy the bounties of summer.
I joined a CSA from Harvest Mood Farms, an organic farm in Southern Wisconsin whose owners also have a home in the Lakeview neighborhood in Chicago. The farm owner, Jenny is incredibly friendly, always eager to share news about the latest vegetables coming up and offer recipes for veggies I’ve not seen before (this week I got Kolrabe — stay tuned for a recipe!).
My share is about 1 grocery bag filled with veggies — usually just enough of each for JiT and I to make a week’s worth of dinners (some green beans, a few potatoes, an onion, a cabbage, etc). Its always an adventure because they give you whatever they just pulled out of the ground that week. That means everything is super-fresh but it also means you’re not going to get tomatoes and strawberries every week — a fun adventure but maybe not a good choice for picky eaters.
Since I pick my veggies up near my office every Friday, I’m going to start a new weekly post called Farm Fresh Fridays: you guessed it, each Friday I’ll be posting about a dish made with local produce. If you’re interested in CSAs, Harvest Moon still has shares, so email Jenny or swing by the farmer’s market at Southport and Grace on Saturday morning to introduce yourself and check out the veggies!
Meanwhile, to kick off Farm Fresh Fridays, I’m sharing a yummy (and super easy) pasta I made this week: Sauteed Squash & Cheese Ravioli. I was inspired by a recipe I saw in this month’s Real Simple (recipe not yet posted), but their version seemed a bit bland so I doctored things up by adding pine nuts and some lemom zest and fresh basil. And since I had both zuchinni (from Harvest Moon) and crookneck squash (from the Wicker Park farmers market) in the house, I used both for a more colorful dish.
Plus, this was literally a 1-pot, 25 minute meal. If you can chop, saute and use a fork, you can make this. Its kid-friendly (or at least JiT-friendly) and very yummy! Enjoy!
Sauteed Squash & Cheese Ravioli
Adapted from Real Simple, Aug. 2008
Serves 2
1 lb. package refridgerated cheese ravioli
2 Tbs. extra virgin olive oil
1 small zuchinni
1 small crookneck (yellow) squash
1 Tbs. pine nuts
1 clove garlic, crushed
zest from half a lemon
1/4 cup shaved parmesean cheese
salt and pepper to taste
2-3 leaves fresh basil, thinly sliced
Bring a pot of water to a boil and cook ravioli according to package directions. Drain ravioli and set aside.
Wipe out pot and put back on the stove over medium high heat. Add olive oil, zuchinni and squash and sautee until veggies are just-tender (5-7 minutes). Add the pine nuts, garlic and lemon zest and sautee a few minutes more. Add ravioli back into pot and toss to combine. Add most of the parmesean cheese, salt and pepper. Portion onto plates and garnish with additional cheese and a sprinkle of fresh basil.
That sounds like a really cool program! I wish there were something like that around here. Until then, our summer veggies and fruits come from my grandfathers garden and the farmers markets.