I've been a CSA member for a whole entire week now. Here's what I've learned:
- Pussy willows can grow very tall (mine are nearly 6 feet!). They do not taste good. They are decorative.
- Ramps are the greatest fresh food I'd never tasted. This pasta and ramps recipe is phenomenal, but can be improved with the addition of bacon, and the subtraction of a few red pepper flakes.
- Black radishes are extremely bitter when eaten raw in thick slices. Next time, I will grate them and eat them with quinoa.
- Overwintered spinach is as tasty and delicious as the "normal" kind. And I very much appreciate when it comes washed, packaged, and ready to eat.
- Sorrel is kind of exciting to bite into, especially raw.
- Chives are hard to displace as the kids' favorite fresh, local food.
- Sunchokes and parsnips taste great on the grill with nothing more than olive oil, sea salt, and pepper. In fact, there's nothing I got from Harmony Valley Farm last week that didn't taste good with olive oil, salt, and pepper.
- Burdock is a root that gets mushy when you leave it on the counter for one, two, even three days. It's still okay to eat. I sauteed it with um, olive oil, sea salt, and black pepper. I loved it. My wife said it tasted like salty twigs.
- It's super fun to compare notes with the neighbors when the box arrives - especially if one of the neighbors has a cousin who's also a chef in town.
- Having a "#csasmackdown" on Twitter with my new e-friends @irishgirl and @mattwilson is kind of childish, but good geeky fun.
Please share what you've learned too! Week 2 promises even more simple, good, and tasty excitement, I'm sure.
