Thoughts of a Non-Foodie CSA Member By Greg Halzen

Thoughts of a Non-Foodie CSA Member 

By Greg Halzen

I'm not sure if anyone here can relate, but just in case I want to share some thoughts… as a non-foodie CSA member. 

Sometimes I get the sense that CSA membership is for foodies. Of course there is a spectrum of folks with food appreciation and recipe curiosity, but I am really not a foodie, and that is OK. 

On one hand, I am the type of person who is content making one simple dish in a large quantity and eating it for dinners all week with other meals of peanut butter sandwiches, cereal, and fruit the rest if the time. Food is really just fuel to me. I eat when I am hungry. This part of me is a lot like one of my parents.

Another part of my food personality is that my mother, a nurse, raised me to somehow feel the difference in my body if I didn't get a balance diet across food groups. I like raw veggies and fruits.

So as it turns out, the CSA fruits and veggies fit for me. I love being part of our CSA and this is my family's second year giving it a go. 

Week by week, our habits have changed slightly in a few ways. We now have a marker board on the refrigerator that lists the vegetable inventory. The list gets updated as we eat and cook. In addition, 2-3 evenings a week include a recipe with the majority of the farm fresh stuff. Admittedly, this is where my partner's curiosities kick in, but I have also had fun roasting beets and pulling out the salad spinner for our 5-year-old to go crazy with to prep a summer salad. Finally, we have shifted schedukes a bit to put in the 6 hours of volunteer time. This effort has been most meaningful for our kid who has started connecting personally to neighborhood gardens we see all over the city. 

I don't believe I will convert to being a foodie. But maybe this CSA membership has some pleasant surprises about how it connects with the food ways my parents taught me. Maybe these new routines have me connecting to food in new ways.

 

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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 

Beets, It's What's for...Dessert? by Vaughan Myers-Jennings

Beets, It's What's for...Dessert? 

by Vaughan Myers-Jennings 

Chocolate-beet brownie on a white plate.

Beet brownies. You probably look at these words and think, "those don't go together." At least that's what I thought when my wife told me that's how she was going to use the beets we received in our CSA. Dessert that tastes like vegetables, no thank you. 

Thankfully, my wife doesn't listen to me because the finished product was one of the best brownies I've ever had. Adding beets (actually pureed beets) to your brownie recipe actually makes them REALLY moist and REALLY decadent with a dark chocolate like flavor. You can find the recipe at https://selfproclaimedfoodie.com/beet-brownies/. Thank me (well, my wife) later.

 

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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 

Cucumber smoothie, anyone? By Jenny Pena

Cucumber smoothie, anyone?
How cucumber can add some benefits to your summer drink 

By Jenny Pena

Cucumbers were not my favorite growing up, it was that vegetable that I was almost forced to try by my parents and I hesitantly would bite just to please them. Now that I am an adult and adding more vegetables to my diet is a priority, I am seeing new vegetables as a way to be adventurous and as a challenge to find ways to have them as part of my diet while truly enjoying them.

For the summer, cucumbers are great! As a detailed article on healthline.com says, they have minerals, promote hydration and even help with sugar levels (link here - https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/7-health-benefits-of-cucumber#TOC_TITLE_HDR_9). I enjoy having them with hummus or as part of my salads, as well as in water with mint to infuse and give it a subtle twist; like those fancy jars you see in spas and offices that make water taste extra refreshing and look fancy at the same time.

As I explored what to do with cucumbers, I found different smoothie recipes incorporating cucumbers. I have known about cucumbers being used as part of green juices but this idea of adding it to a smoothie got my attention and I decided to try it.

While there are tons of options out there, I decided to go for the simplest recipe and made some changes. See link here the recipe that I used as a guide (https://goodfoodbaddie.com/pineapple-and-cucumber-juice-no-juicer-needed/#recipe). 

Picture from goodfoodbaddie.com

Ingredients
1 Large Cucumber
1-2 cups of chopped pineapple (You can use fresh pineapple which during the summer is available; if not, you can use canned pineapple in natural juice)
1 small piece of ginger
1 small piece of turmeric (or turmeric powder if not available, I added about ½ tsp of turmeric)
2-3 cups of cold water (I tried this with coconut water and it was delicious)

Take all ingredients and add to the blender. Drink with pulp or use a strainer if you want to remove the pulp. I would say, while it is a matter of preference, removing the pulp takes away some of the fiber.
Enjoy!

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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