Tag Archives: CSA

Really Great Customer Service …

Posted on February 12, 2014 by AnnieRie

… begins and ends with communication. And, accommodation. And, great products.

With crazy weather approaching, we wondered “How will Friends and Farms get our weekly items to us?”

We shouldn’t have worried. We got emails this morning, linking us to the updated page about inclement weather. Followed a few hours later with more information.

Do you want to come in tonight to pick up? Extended warehouse hours. Facebook pictures of staff filling extra baskets for those of us who pick up tomorrow.

We got there at 4:15. Lots of people there. Efficient drop off of bags and name taking. Extra staff shuttling baskets out from the warehouse.

Communication that bread wasn’t available as The Breadery delivers the morning of pick up. Do you would to come in over the weekend, or get two loaves next week?

I got home and noticed, in the insulated bag, my quick frozen green beans were missing. Popped off an email.

Got a response back in ten minutes from Tim, one of the founders. Apologies and choices. Did I want to pick up this weekend with the bread, or have it held until next week?

Since I want the bread for Sunday breakfast and for the egg salad I want to make for the weekend, I am popping over to pick up.

What did we get though? A winter “CSA style” basket is definitely regional, and definitely seasonal.

Hydroponic Bibb lettuce. Grown in high tunnels in the winter. Hamlin oranges from Florida. These juicy oranges are perfect for making salads. Like my fennel and orange salad. One humongous cabbage. There will be “blind pigeons” next week. My MIL’s recipe, using some sausage and ground beef mixed, with rice and some of that really flavorful tomato puree we got.

We also got two large red onions. Again, my go-to onion for salads. These are firm and fresh. So much nicer than what I find in the grocery stores.

Grape tomatoes to make a Bibb and tomato salad. Eggs (which I now get weekly instead of milk). My favorite Amish yogurt, which I now get biweekly (substituted this instead of the biweekly eggs others get).

I love the customization flexibility. I really enjoy the variety of the meats.

This week there was a “breakfast” meat. Fresh turkey sausage. The main source for beef, pork, and lamb we have been getting is Wayne Nell and Sons near York PA. We also got two rib eye steaks, perfect for a Valentine Dinner. And, chicken.

This week, boneless/skinless chicken thighs. I am thinking of all sorts of things to make with this chicken. Freebird is just awesome. You can enter your package code and “meat” the farmer who raised this chicken.

Really happy with Friends and Farms, enough to write about them often. We just renewed our subscription for 13 weeks.

hocofood@@@

2 Comments

Posted in Community, Farms, Food, Friends and Farms, Local Businesses, Locavore, Real Food and tagged community, cooking, CSA, farms, Food, local businesses, Locavore. Bookmark the permalink.

Just A Small Basket

Posted on February 6, 2014 by AnnieRie

That’s all it is supposed to be. But, it is filled with large flavor. And some really fun surprises.

There are the usual winter veggies and fruit. Like potatoes, apples, Swiss chard. There is an interesting cheese, a Weissa Kase, from an Amish farm.

Breadery Bread. This week we chose Montana white.

This wasn’t an egg week, but I just modified my basket to make eggs an item instead of milk. The biweekly eggs will become that luscious rich yogurt. I love the flexibility to customize what we get.

Protein this week. A sirloin steak and a couple of beautiful tuna filets.

I already made them for dinner tonight, along with some of the green beans from a few weeks back.

It was pretty simple. Pan fry the steaks with some sesame seeds and salt and pepper, in olive oil. Steam the green beans. Add a few sauces.

My favorites this week, though, are the edamame. And, the peanuts.

The Virginia raw peanuts. Ready to be roasted. I am torn between making peanut butter, saving them for making granola, and being really bad and making “Peanut-tella” aka a Smitten Kitchen recipe. Using cocoa and powdered sugar. The only other thing I need to make this is peanut oil, which I can easily find.

Who knows what I will do with the peanuts?

We also got egg noodles, and some frozen corn. Not a bad haul for the middle of winter.

Meal planning is dynamic and fun, thanks to Friends and Farms.

hocofood@@@

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Posted in CSA, Farms, Food, Friends and Farms, Winter Eat Local and tagged cooking, CSA, farms, Food, local businesses, real food. Bookmark the permalink.

Winner Winner Chicken Dinner

Posted on February 4, 2014 by AnnieRie

Ordinarily I am not a big fan of chicken breast. Usually too dry and without the taste that legs, thighs and wings have (at least to my taste preferences).

I tried a new technique for me, and made a very satisfying dinner tonight. Half the chicken in dinner, and the rest will become a chicken corn chowder base in a day or two.

Made in a stir fry pan. Here is what I did.

I had a pound of boneless chicken breast from our first Friends and Farms basket. I wanted chicken pieces that were moist. So, I started out with the chicken fat that had been skimmed off the stock I made with a whole chicken last week. I heated it up in the pan and added the chicken in strips and cubes. Let it cook slowly in the “schmaltz”. Pulled out the chicken and removed all the fat from the pan.

Put in my base.

Remember that jam jar dressing recipe from last week? Made with maple yogurt and Dijon mustard. Well, over the weekend I made another batch right in the mustard container, using equal amounts of mustard and yogurt and adding the cider vinegar and oil in the appropriate ratio. I put some coconut milk in the pan, about six ounces, added two teaspoons of flour, salt, pepper, and a healthy squirt of the mustard dressing. Made a white sauce. Added about four ounces of my oven roasted cherry tomatoes, taken from my freezer. Put the chicken back after adding another couple of ounces of milk to get the consistency I wanted.

A little sprinkle of tarragon, and of paprika. Kept on a low simmer while I made some of the Pappardelle’s pasta from Secolari.

I used about four ounces of the pasta that made two servings of pasta. Added about half the chicken mixture. That leaves me with half a pound of chicken to make the soup later this week.

The finished dish. I was considering adding cheese, but it was fine all by itself.

Served with a Maryland Chardonnay from Big Cork. The 2012 vintage. Perfect match to the creaminess of the sauce, this big chardonnay balanced the meal. The salad. Made with the Bibb lettuce from last week’s basket.

I have to admit. It is easy around here to eat locally, even in the dead of winter. The chicken. The tomatoes from the freezer. The schmaltz from a local roasting chicken bought last fall. The yogurt in the dressing. The lettuce. The wine.

I am glad we signed up with Friends and Farms for the winter. Gets me into making new dishes, and expanding my recipe collection.

Now I need to pull the frozen corn from the freezer and make that soup soon.

hocofood@@@

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Posted in Farms, Food, Friends and Farms, Local Businesses, Locavore, Real Food, Wine, Winter Eat Local and tagged cooking, CSA, farms, Food, foodie, heirloom tomatoes, local businesses, Locavore, MD Wine, value of CSA, wine. Bookmark the permalink.

Decisions. Decisions.

Posted on February 3, 2014 by AnnieRie

CSA decisions, that is. Community Supported Agriculture. Something I believe in and preach to all who will listen.

There are so many excellent choices for fresh produce here in Howard County. Finding the best fit, and using it wisely, is the challenge.

We first joined a CSA, with Sandy Spring, when they offered pick up where we volunteered. They used an Amish cooperative. We loved them. Organic. Veggies mostly. Reasonably priced. Convenient.

They didn’t get enough people to continue beyond the first year. We switched to a Columbia pickup.

I have tried and liked two other CSAs in the area. But, I love Lancaster Farm Fresh Cooperative, because I love the challenge. The really exotic veggies. Veggies outside that narrow box we used to work in.

When life gives you bitter melon, you learn. Celeriac. Chayote. Salsify. Jerusalem artichokes. Kohlrabi.

I stay with them because I like that challenge.

This spring and summer I will be doing a bit different mix. A half share from Lancaster Farm Fresh.

Plus, an individual basket from Friends and Farms. Because I like their meat, eggs, dairy, bread and staple items mixed in the basket. A rotation of items that works for a couple.

Who needs grocery stores if you can get fresh seasonal items from regional farmers, fishermen, butchers, and entrepreneurs.

How things have changed for us. Buying from local farms and using these locally based suppliers for the freshest, natural, seasonal foods.

hocofood@@@

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Posted in CSA, Farms, Food, Friends and Farms and tagged cooking, CSA, farms, Food. Bookmark the permalink.

Dinner With A View

Posted on January 4, 2014 by AnnieRie

Sunsets out here are often spectacular, and I sometimes think I should time dinner to take advantage of them.

That was the view from our dining room, but I was still cooking dinner, instead of sitting there enjoying the view.

It is brutally cold. Soup weather. I did make chicken soup today with the remnants of a CSA chicken.

After roasting the chicken last night, and eating the legs and thighs, we cooked down the wings and saved the breast meat to make soup. I made a very rich stock from the bones, innards and skin and put some of it back in a pot today with carrots, celery, onions and half the soup fixings from our trip to Manheim market last month.

A little salt and pepper, some parsley. Lots of low, slow cooking and we had one awesome chicken soup. Served with some local bread picked up at Roots today.

I put away two pint jars and another cup container of stock for the freezer. I used one of the Freedom Rangers. A small heritage chicken we get in the CSA. We have enough soup left for another lunch.

Two dinners, one lunch and chicken stock for three meals. Not a bad “Return on Investment” for the chicken.

hocofood@@@

Missing My CSA

Posted on January 3, 2014 by AnnieRie

Two weeks ago. We ended the CSA pick ups. Not much left around here, except for what is in the freezer. And a few root vegetables.

A couple of parsnips, a turnip, carrots, an onion, all created the bed for a roast chicken. A chicken from the CSA, that fed us tonight. Gave us a chicken breast for a Chicken Caesar salad, a quart of chicken stock, plus enough shredded meat for a chicken noodle soup.

Did I take pictures? Nope. Too busy trying to deal with snow, ice, ripped down Christmas decorations, and a few downed evergreen tree limbs.

Still, the snow was pretty. Just hope it goes away. And the predicted six to twelve inches next week does not happen.

I am already so tired of snow. Where is global warming when you need it?

In other news. Howchow tells us Highland Inn will soon open. Nice of them to miss my birthday.

Crossing my fingers here. Hoping that the winter CSA over at MOM’s Jessup will get enough sign ups.

I need some veggies. I see Breezy Willow isn’t open tomorrow. Too much snow.

Should I run down to Silver Spring market? Or hit Roots for the chili fixings I need.

Stay warm, my friends here in the frigid temperatures.

hocofood@@@

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Posted in CSA, Farmer's Markets, Farms, Food, Howard County, Weather and tagged commentary, community, CSA, farmer's markets, farms, Food, Howard County, weather. Bookmark the permalink.

The Winter Locavore

Posted on December 30, 2013 by AnnieRie

I miss the Dark Days Challenge. Back two years ago when I thought it would be hard to find local foods to cook a meal.

These days, after learning how bountiful our area is, I miss the challenge as a way to connect to other bloggers, who value eating seasonally and locally.

It is simple to eat mostly local foods at every meal, here in the MidAtlantic.

Breezy Willow Eggs

Breakfast is simple, if you use local eggs, bacon, locally baked breads, butter, yogurt, milk.

Lunch, lots of simple salads with high tunnel greens. Sold at markets. Like the winter indoor Olney Market at the Sandy Spring Museum, or the Saturday Silver Spring Market. Things like potato salad. Beets. Spinach. Mock’s greenhouse tomatoes, arugula, basil, chard.

Fritattas. Chicken or turkey salad made with local meats.

We have a freezer full of local meats. Fruit picked at Larriland. Tomatoes from my garden. Pesto. Greens. Corn. Fava Beans.

I can easily use local food sources and my freezer to make meals most of the week. Saturday farm hours at Breezy Willow and Copper Penny. Saturday and Sunday at England Acres.

I just wish we still had that challenge to keep us interested in blogging about it. And, I am crossing my fingers that Mom’s in Jessup gets enough sign ups to make the winter CSA a go. We will know in about two weeks. CSA would start up again the week of the 20th.

As part of my resolution, I will cook a local meal most Sunday nights, and blog about it. Not a bad resolution.

hocofood@@@

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Posted in CSA, Dark Days, Farmer's Markets, Farms, Food, Howard County, Local Businesses, Locavore, Real Food, Winter Eat Local and tagged CSA, farmer's markets, farms, Food, foodie, Howard County, local businesses, Locavore, real food. Bookmark the permalink.

The. End.

Posted on December 19, 2013 by AnnieRie

Of the fall season CSA. It feels so final, to not have a guaranteed source of organic, fresh, amazing vegetables available, from week to week.

You get used to it.

Hopefully, the winter CSA over at MOM’s Jessup will get enough sign ups.

As for today, what a great final haul of goodness.

The Lancaster Farm non profit cooperative delivers amazingly fresh items to us. Like these. Even at the end of the season.

We got:
popcorn
sliced white mushrooms
Portobello mushrooms
Jerusalem artichokes
red beets
Brussels sprouts
rutabagas (I swapped for green cabbage)
russet potatoes
Yukon gold potatoes
Celery root

Red beets will be roasted tomorrow. The potatoes are hanging on a hook in the garage, waiting for their transfer to the kitchen to cook. There will be brown butter Brussels sprouts soon.

I love making the popcorn while watching movies.

This is the first week we got flaxseed rye bread. Should be really great with the mushroom pate I made last week. And, I have enough to make more this weekend.

Crossing my fingers that the winter CSA will be stocked enough to happen. I can’t believe how much we get every week, and all of it so great tasting.

hocofood@@@

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Posted in CSA, Food and tagged CSA, Food. Bookmark the permalink.

Fall CSA Week Six, The End is Near

Posted on December 12, 2013 by AnnieRie

Week Six of Seven. Next week is the last delivery. Just in time for Christmas cooking.

This was a very good selection of food. Almost all will work in soups and stews.

We got:
1 bag carrots
1 bag Yukon gold potatoes
1 bag sweet potatoes
1 bag garlic
1 bag watermelon radishes
1 bag red beets
1 piece celeriac
1 bag parsnips
1 container cremini mushrooms
3 leeks\
1 green cabbage

The bread this week was an Italian boule. Perfect for the chili I will be making this weekend.

I really enjoy these one pound loaves of bread. Lots of variety and just the right size for us.

I already roasted the beets and the radishes tonight, to use in salads. The root vegetables will keep. I have a large paper bag hanging from a hook in the garage, keeping the potatoes fresher longer.

Tonight for dinner I found a good recipe to use up last week’s cabbage.

A simple braised cabbage. Made with a small head of green cabbage, a sliced carrot, an onion, some chicken stock, salt and pepper. Roasted for two hours, covered with foil. Then finished for 20 minutes to caramelize. I served it with Copper Penny Farm garlic sausage.

Enough left for lunch, probably Sunday.

One more week to go, and two chickens coming next week. Here’s crossing my fingers that the winter CSA starting the end of January gets enough members for the MOM’s Jessup pick up site.

hocofood@@@

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Icy Weather

Posted on December 9, 2013 by AnnieRie

Yep, it snowed yesterday and iced up overnight. Not a pretty sight out by the evergreens.

We lost a few limbs. Most of them, though, just were heavily laden with ice. We try to keep the trees healthy. And, we cross our fingers most of the time when the ice comes our way.

Everywhere in the yard, I was taking stock. Making sure the best trees looked OK and weren’t about to break off limbs.

Today was also a soup day. Nothing beats a good hearty soup, to warm you up after time spent shoveling snow.

This was turkey noodle soup. I keep a container full of pasta and noodles, to use for soups and stews.

Pasta shapes. Whole wheat noodles. Pot pie noodles.

Today, I combined leftover Maple Lawn turkey with CSA chicken stock. Added one carrot, one stalk of celery with leaves and the green part of half a dozen scallions. Some salt and pepper. Simmered it while we shoveled snow.

Lunch was wonderful. While our clothes dried out.