CSA and Recipes

Last year I joined a CSA here in San Diego, and I will say with no hesitation that it has changed my life! So, what is a CSA?

CSA stands for Community Supported Agriculture. In a CSA, a community is created between a local farmer and consumers. The consumers purchase a "share" of the upcoming harvest produced on the farm. The cost of a share is based on the true costs of production. By purchasing a share, the consumers obtain farm-fresh, organic produce on a weekly basis while helping to keep a local family farm economically and environmentally viable.

Each week we receive a box of Fresh, Organic, and LOCAL produce that we share with another couple. We split it down the middle and we STILL have so much incredible produce to choose from for the week ahead. It's a great way to only eat what is available, and to make recipes from what you have in the box. Each week, I'm ecstatic to see what will be in there! I've personally witnessed the magic that comes from this box. The health giving properties--not to mention the taste--gives our bodies the purest form of medicine. For a simple $15 a week, we receive the cheapest and tastiest insurance policy around.

So, what's in the box this week?

Asparagus
Bok Choy
Carrots
Field Greens
Green Onions
Kale
Parsley
Radishes
Zucchini
Apples
Lemons
Valencia Oranges

From those ingredients I made:

~Zucchini Bread
~Raw Carrot, Apple, and Radish Salad
~Raw Kale, Cranberry, and Walnut Salad (with a Basil Vinaigrette)
~Asparagus soup with Parsley Pesto
~Sauteed Bok Choy with Black Sesame Seeds
~Valencia Oranges went in my morning shakes and was used for vinaigrettes for the ~Field Greens


Zucchini Bread:

Ingredients
2 1/4 cups White Spelt Flour (if you can't find Spelt than use unbleached flour)
1 cup Whole Wheat Flour
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 1/2 cups Rapadura Sugar--unrefined sugar (if you can't find, use Turbinado)
1 cup Safflower Oil (Unsweetened applesauce can be substituted for 1/2 the oil)
4 eggs, beaten
1/3 cup water
2 cups grated zucchini
1 teaspoon lemon juice

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a large bowl, combine flour, salt, nutmeg, baking soda, cinnamon and sugar. In a separate bowl, combine oil (and applesauce, if using), eggs, water, zucchini and lemon juice. Mix wet ingredients into dry. Bake in 2 greased standard loaf pans, for 1 hour, or until a tester comes out clean.
ENJOY!




Raw Carrot, Apple, and Radish Salad:

Ingredients:
4 Large Carrots (sliced thin)
2 Apples (cut into small chunks)
5-6 Radishes (sliced thin)
1 handful of Mint (chopped)
Juice of 1/2 lemon
Juice of 1/2 Orange
pinch of Sea Salt (to taste)
1/2 tsp Honey
1 tsp olive oil

(Place all the ingredients in a large bowl and toss together)
Enjoy on a warm Spring or Summer day!





Raw Kale, Cranberry, and Walnut Salad:

Ingredients:
A large bunch of Kale
1/4 cup of Dried Cranberries (I get mine only sweetened with apple juice at Peoples)
1/4 cup of chopped Walnuts
Feta to sprinkle on top (optional, but I highly recommend it)

Directions:
Tear the Kale leaves off the stem--just like you were tearing salad greens for a salad--into bite size pieces and place into a large salad bowl. Add the Cranberries and Walnuts. Add the Basil Vinaigrette (recipe follows) and toss together with a large handful of crumbled Feta. This salad is actually better when it sits in the fridge for about 20 minutes so that the Vinaigrette can break down the hard fiber of the Kale. Enjoy..and know you are eating medicine!

Basil Vinaigrette

Ingredients:
2 C Basil
1/4 C Mint
1 tsp whole grain mustard
1 tsp Dijon mustard
Juice of 1 ½ lemons
¼ tsp. sea salt
8 turns of freshly ground pepper
2 T. raw honey
½ Cup extra virgin olive oil
1/4 C Parmesan (optional)

Place all the ingredients--except the olive oil--in the blender. Blend on medium speed until it comes together (you may have to scrape down the sides a little). Slowly add the olive oil while blending on low until it gets thicker! Season to taste.




Asparagus Soup with Parsley Pesto:

Ingredients:
8-10 Stalks of Fresh Asparagus (cut into 2 inch pieces)
3 Green Onions (chopped)
2 T. Olive Oil
Spring Water
1/4 cup Plain Greek Yogurt (substitute creme fraiche or use no dairy if you can't find it)
1 tsp Sea Salt
1/2 tsp Pepper
2/3 C. Parsley Pesto (Recipe follows)

Directions:
Heat olive oil in a small soup pan. Add the green onions and sautee on medium heat for 3-5 minutes. Add the Asparagus, salt, and pepper. Sautee on medium high heat until the asparagus is tender and bright green. Pour Spring Water over the Asparagus just so it covers it (about 1 inch above the asparagus.) Bring to a boil and then let it simmer covered for about 15 minutes. Slowly pour the soup into a blender and blend (or use an immersion hand blender)with the 2/3 C of Parsley Pesto.
Return the soup to the pan and add the Yogurt or Creme Fraiche to taste. I then check for seasoning and add more salt and pepper to your liking.


Parsley Pesto:
4 Cloves of Garlic (chopped)
5 T. chopped Walnuts
2 C. chopped Parsley
Salt to taste
Pepper to taste
1/4 C Parmesan (optional)
1/2-2/3 C Olive Oil
1 1/2 Tbs Lemon Juice

Place all ingredients except olive oil in the food processor (or you can use a mortar and pestle.) Blend on low until it comes looks well blended. Slowly add olive oil and check for consistency--not too runny and not too thick (add more or less accordingly.) Add salt and pepper to taste.
*I personally love this particular pesto because the Parsley and lemon counteract the intensity of the garlic. It also helps the body rid itself of excess mercury and other toxins. Enjoy!





Bok Choy with Black Sesame Seeds:

Ingredients:
1 bunch of Bok Choy (chopped)
1 tsp Olive Oil
2 tsp Balsamic Vinegar
A few drizzles of Toasted Sesame Oil (must be toasted to get same flavor)
small handful of Black Sesame Seeds
oil and pepper to taste

Directions:
Heat Olive Oil in a saute pan on Medium heat until the oil is hot. Add the Bok Choy and sautee with a pinch of salt and pepper only until the Bok Choy slightly wilts and becomes bright green. Transfer to a plate and add the Vinegar and Sesame Oil, and toss together. Sprinkle with Black Sesame Seeds. Enjoy!

*Black Sesame Seeds have an affinity to the Intestines and help greatly with constipation.


I hope you enjoy all of these recipes! Much love and creativity went into all of them. The beauty of recipes is that you can change and modify any of them, so please use them to your liking and use your own creativity! The biggest message I can give is: Eat what is around you naturally, and the person within you will heal gradually!

With LOVE and Healing Foods!
Christy~