How One Member "Would Use the Box"

Hello, CSA Community:

I just received an email from Elaina: this is how she would use the box this week. I figured since this is a genuine blog, I can post whenever there is something of interest to everyone! Thank you. -julia (ps: Andy will be at BiRite Market on Friday from 3-7pm talking up and selling his padron and friarelli peppers, and basil and cipolline onions too. Stop by and say hi if you find yourself in the Mission in SF on Friday afternoon! it's on 18th between Guerrero and Dolores.)

How Elaina (csa member) would use this week's box:

This is how a young, busy, child-less, omnivorous couple tries to make the make the box last at least 5 days. I ride my bike up to our pick-up site after work on Thursdays. When I get home I go through a little repackaging ritual to make sure everything keeps nicely: I'd tuck the onions, broccoli or cabbage, potatoes, green beans and squash in the big plastic bag they came in. Wash the strawberries, let dry really well and put in a plastic bag. These will go on yogurt or cereal for breakfast. Basil in another plastic bag goes in my root veggie bin so it stays cool, but not cold. I take the greens off the carrots and compost them. Some of the carrots will go into salads, but most will become vehicles for hummus whenever we feel like munching between meals. My sister taught me to wash and cut the carrots and put them in water in the fridge so they're super crisp and easy to snack on. I make a big salad with the romaine, chopped onion and grated carrot, toss in some tomatoes or cucumbers from my tiny, urban, container garden. We'll bake some fish or something also. This is dinner for tonight and lunch tomorrow.

The next night Sam will use some of the basil in a cream sauce (lots of garlic, and a bit of onion in olive oil, some white pepper and half and half) for fettuccine and toss in some sauteed summer squash. Once again, left overs for lunch the next day.

On day three, it's my night to cook again and I'll use the rest of the basil, some onions and spices to make a curry sauce for the green beans and broccoli. We'll eat this with coconut rice and it should last through lunch the next day and maybe longer; spicy food keeps well.

So now it's Sunday which means it's Picnic Day. We'll steam the potatoes (don't boil...you loose some flavor that way) and toss them with some chopped herbs, chopped onion and butter. Make cole slaw from the cabbage and bake some chicken in BBQ sauce, pack it all up, strap it on the bike rack and ride out to park for an early dinner.

If anything is left at this point, it will become some crazy veggie sandwich: steam or saute everything that isn't good raw, toast bread, spread on pesto or some middle eastern spread, pile on lettuce, grated carrot or beet, sauteed zucchini, thin slices of potato, tomato, etc. Go nuts; it's amazing.