Eat Your Greens: Tips and Ideas for Greener Eating Habits

Last week, I joined a local CSA (Community Support Agriculture) in San Francisco called Terra Firma Farms. The concept of CSA is simple: you pay for a share of a local farm’s harvest and each week, you get your share of organic fruits and vegetables. To keep cost down, they don’t deliver; instead there are designated pick up sites scattered around the city. My site was two blocks from my apartment - the same distance as the local organic grocer. I actually prefer picking up my box over waiting at home during the delivery time window.

Each week, the people at the farm pack a box full of riped fruit and freshly harvested vegetables. They come in three sizes: small, medium, and large. My Small box costs $52/month, or $12 a week. The content is always a surprise. Eating with the season is a concept that is foreign to a lot of people. Instead of deciding what to cook and then buying groceries, you see what’s in season (i.e., what’s in the box) and then base your cooking around the content. It’s a great way to discover new varieties and be more creative in the kitchen!

Anyway, this is what’s in my box:

• Satsuma Mandarins (14, ~2.5lbs)
• Pink Lady apples (4)
• Green garlic (first time I’ve seen these outside of Italy!)
• Chard
• Carrots (6)
• Baby bok choy (3 bunches)
• Potatoes (2)

I don’t think the veggies will last me a whole week and I will need to supplement with trips to Rainbow or Bi-rite.

For tonight’s dinner, I made a carrot/potato/squash potage and sauteed half the chard. The secret to simple cooking is fresh quality ingredients.