Pickling with the Norwood CSA by Elizabeth Wilson

My current ferments entirely with CSA produce and herbs: beets with thyme and radishes with chives, both topped with cabbage to keep under the water. (Photo by author).

I am delighted to share this edited post from the winter CSA about my mild obsession with pickled vegetables.  My family’s dinner table famously includes pickles, apple cider vinegar, sauerkraut, and lacto-fermented CSA vegetables.  Everyone in our family is required to eat one of those daily; guests are encouraged and occasionally inspired to partake, but not required.  

To be more accurate, this post is about lacto-fermentation, but “lacto-fermentation” is not a good hook to get you to keep reading.  “Pickling” is technically with vinegar and heat; a process which does not produce probiotics, which are great for your intestinal health.   Various fermented foods have been a staple of my family’s diet since 2001, when my acupuncturist recommended a tablespoon of sauerkraut for me first thing every morning to improve my gut health. (I blame my poor intestinal health on the fact that I was on low levels of antibiotics for acne for several years as a teenager – antibiotics kill off good bacteria in your gut).   

Lacto-fermentation is a great way to prepare some of those CSA vegetables that are taking up room in your fridge. Fermented veg: 

• can be stored on the counter 

• is delicious and great for your intestinal health 

• preserves the veg for up to a year so you waste less 

I won’t go into all of the benefits of fermented foods, because you can read all about it in the websites below.  But let me just say that you really don’t need any special equipment, I just use unfiltered tap water and I don’t even stress much about sanitizing.  You can do this with nothing special, just the time you need to chop (which can be done by food processor or mandoline), with any jar in your house, or with Fido jars (just open it once a day to release the pressure). 

There are endless recipes to look through, so I narrowed it down for you to the ones I have used with success: 

• The pickled turnips you get in shawarma – great on any sandwich! 

• Try these delicious flavorings for fermented beets. 

• In case that last website felt overwhelming, this one is a more basic one for beets 

• Raw is delicious, but fermented radishes are less sharp 

• Anyone else have lots of carrots? 

• Hot sauce to preserve the hot peppers! 

Happy fermenting!  Feel free to reach out to me at erwilson at gmail for pep talks and encouragement. 

*****

Interested in learning more about the Norwood CSA?  Check out our Info Page: https://norwoodfoodcoop.blogspot.com/2021/10/how-to-join-norwood-csa.html 

Pasta with Greens and Bacon by Shannon Haas

Small spinach plants growing in soil

Picture by ha11ok (2017). Licensed by Pixaby.

 

Savor those end-of-summer greens for as long as you can! It’s always a delight to see leafy greens in our CSA boxes, especially when the growing season starts to wind down a bit. In September we might find ourselves lucky enough to see lettuce, or maybe even some spinach or other sautee-able greens. 

If you’re looking for some new and creative recipes for greens, I’m excited to share with you a one-pot pasta recipe that takes very little time, is easy on cleanup, and is comforting at all times of year. This recipe is adapted from Budget Bytes - a food blogger I’ve followed for at least a decade. Definitely check out her other simple recipes here for more inspiration: https://www.budgetbytes.com/ 

Ingredients

• 6 oz. bacon, cut into small pieces (1 inch or less)

• 1 yellow onion, diced

• 2 cups chicken broth

• 1/2 lb. pasta

• 1/4 lb. fresh spinach or mixture of greens (about 4 cups)

• 1/3 cup grated Parmesan

Instructions

Step 1: Sauté the bacon in a large skillet until crispy, then remove with a slotted spoon. If needed, pour off some of the fat, leaving 1-2 Tbsp behind. (You can strain the fat and cook another meal with it later)

Step 2: Add the diced onions to the skillet and saute for a few minutes, until soft.

Step 3: Add two cups of chicken broth to the skillet. (I use Better than Boullion mixed with water, if I don’t have homemade broth on hand)

Step 4: Add the pasta to the skillet, cover it, and let it come to a boil over high heat. Once boiling, stir quickly and then turn the heat down to low. Cook for around 10 minutes, or a little longer if there’s still a lot of liquid left (in which case you should uncover the pot to allow it to evaporate). You can check on it and stir it to see how it’s progressing.

Step 5: Add the spinach (or other greens) to the skillet and stir until it has wilted into the pasta. 

Step 6: Turn the heat off and add the crispy bacon and Parmesan cheese. Enjoy immediately!

I haven’t experimented with non-meat substitutes for this dish yet, so if you try it out with an alternative please share in the comments below!

***** 

Interested in learning more about the Norwood CSA?  Check out our Info Page: https://norwoodfoodcoop.blogspot.com/2021/10/how-to-join-norwood-csa.html 

Our Place in the Greater Environmental Struggle by Similejesu Sonubi

Appearances of environmental catastrophe are becoming more frequent, crueler and, at times (for me) it seems insurmountable.  From the water crisis in Jackson, MS, to the current floods in Pakistan, as many of you are aware, the way we live cannot continue. Consumption in all areas of our lives especially in the American context is extremely harmful to the Earth, (especially to those in the Global South.) This was one of the reasons in part, I joined the CSA, to develop different methods of reducing my consumption. 

In many ways I think I've failed, my palate of what my family eats is not used to some of the ingredients we receive, so things go to waste. And I always feel insanely guilty. But, I am challenging myself to be kinder.  And realize this is my first foray into the mindset, thus I will have my starts and stops.  

To return back to some of the environmental crises we are currently facing, it is not as insurmountable as my large corporations and the various news outlets present it as. This is what I choose to believe. To even try to resist, the greater mass consumption that our society is built around is a win. Although it is small; small acts can build up into something greater.  

And what I want to share with anyone who reads this is we have to stay rooted in the present of what an individual is capable of with the resources available to them, but also to be imaginative and work towards a better future. And in that thinking, there will always be paradoxes and moments where you contradict yourself, but the work still has to be done. It's not an or nothing mindset. You fail today and try again tomorrow.

For moments, where it really does get to me, I try to tap into the fictional or nonfictional people who have tried, succeeded, failed, or at least sparked a fire in me and in other movements.  Writers and organizers like Fannie Lou Hammer and Leah Penniman remind me that the environmental struggle did not start, yesterday and there is a shared history to learn upon. Fictional works by Ursula K. Le Guin, Octavia Butler, Hayao Miyazaki, and other Solarpunk authors share my fears and yet somehow imagine something else despite our present.  

Are there ways you feel that you could be more imaginative in how you think of the future?

I would also like to ask if any of you are able, to please look into helping those in Jackson and Pakistan who are facing a struggle too large to ignore.  Thank you.

***** 

Interested in learning more about the Norwood CSA?  Check out our Info Page: https://norwoodfoodcoop.blogspot.com/2021/10/how-to-join-norwood-csa.html