My Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) Farm Box and Recipes

Thanks to my blogger buddy (@Mona26 on Twitter) and a lady from the Shasta-Hanchett Neighborhood Yahoo Group, I signed up for a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) Farm Box from High Ground Organics in Watsonville, California. The Farm delivers produce and flowers for 36 weeks—from mid March to mid November. The season is divided into four 9-week sessions, but you can sign up at any time if there is room in the program. Deliveries are made to the houses of CSA volunteers from Santa Cruz to Palo Alto. You can pick up your box from numerous locations.

High Ground is now offering a winter session, which is a bi-weekly delivery from the beginning of December through the end of February. There are a total of seven deliveries through winter.

High Ground Organics is certified organic by CCOF (California Certified Organic Farmers).  California has State laws for certifying Organic products. Every week, you get a newsletter telling you about news from the Farm and what's in the current week's box. I pick my box up on Wednesdays from a volunteer in the Rose Garden neighborhood, about 1 mile from my house.

This week's Summer Squash and Avocados!

The Newsletter provides recipes for your produce, like the Squash recipe, above.

 

The Mokum Carrots are incredible this week, as is the fresh Basil.

 

Above a recipe for fresh pesto straight from the farm.

The Strawberries are so sweet and fresh - not like those horrible, tasteless ones from the grocery store. The scallions are quite pungent, too.

Also included in the order were two Romaine hearts.

A lot of people have asked for my Superfood Stew recipe, so I have provided it below. Enjoy!

Recipe for Super Easy Superfood Stew

Ingredients

8 oz (500 g) 85% lean organic grass fed beef

1 medium onion, minced

1 tablespoon minced garlic

1 tablespoon cumin

1 tablespoon coriander

1 tablespoon red pepper flakes

1 tablespoon turmeric

1 can chopped organic tomatoes with chillies

16 oz Organic Beef or Vegetable broth

16 oz (1 lb.) Organic heirloom tomatoes (any tomatoes you like really)

Small packaged dried Porcini Mushrooms

Large Can of Black Beans (optional, or you can add whatever beans you like).

2 bags Trader Joe's Organic Super Food Pilaf with Quinoa, Sweet Potatoes, Kale and Carrots (If you don't have access to Trader Joe's you can make your own). Here is the package, below, for your reference.

Method:

Brown the Onions in 2 tablespoons organic cooking oil of your choice. After the onion is softened, add the beef and brown. Add the spices when the beef is almost browned, to cook off the raw taste.

Add the two bags of Superfood Pilaf, stir to combine. Add the remaining ingredients, stir, and simmer over low heat for 30-45 minutes.

And that's it!

Hope you enjoyed today's food post.

Jamilla