An RD & CSA: Week 1

If you know nothing else about me, please know that yes, I am a Registered Dietitian, but I also love, love, love to eat. And I'll eat just about anything. For some time now, I have tried to pay more attention to where my food comes from. I've gotten better about buying in season but needed more help with buying local. And then I discovered Community Supported Agriculture (CSA).

My first CSA experience kind of just fell into place:

• Found the Colvin Family Farm on a Local Harvest CSA search
• Mentioned it to a friend who agreed to share the half bushel (large share) with me
• Made our first online payment in April

If you don't know where to start, I would suggest doing a search on Local Harvest. The website also lets you search for farmers' markets and grocery stores/co-ops. It's a great resource!

I also suggest doing some research (RDs do love a good plan): look at ratings on different sites, look at Facebook pages (if the farm has one) and see what people are saying, compare the price/size of different shares. More to come about cost and planning..

Now for week 1 and all the delicious food I've enjoyed!

L to R: garlic, cauliflower, red leaf lettuce, broccoli, bok choy, Swiss chard, strawberries, radishes

I'm proud to say that I used all of the produce I got last week - nothing went to waste!

{ Week 1 Share }

Strawberries

Red leaf lettuce + radishes: lots of salad

Garlic + Swiss chard: Spaghetti with Swiss Chard and Garlic (recipe below)

Cauliflower: Curry Roasted Cauliflower

Broccoli + bok choy: Broccoli and Bok Choy Stir Fry (with brown rice)

{ Recipe }

Spaghetti with Swiss Chard and Garlic (modified from Smitten Kitchen)

Makes 4 to 6 servings

3 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil (to be honest, you probably only need 2 Tbsp)
1 garlic (bulb and top), chopped
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 pound (or so) Swiss chard, stems and center ribs finely chopped and leaves coarsely chopped separately
1/2 cup vegetable broth
Whole wheat spaghetti

Heat oil in a 12-inch heavy skillet over medium heat, then cook garlic and onion about 3 minutes until garlic is golden and onion is soft.

Stir chard stems into onion mixture with broth and 1/4 teaspoon each of salt and pepper. Cook, covered, over medium-high heat until almost tender, about 5 minutes. Stir in chard leaves and cook, covered, until stems and leaves are tender, about 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, cook spaghetti until al dente. Serve vegetables over hot spaghetti.

Helpful tip: I keep my pasta separate and measure out a cup as my serving (I tend to overdo it with all things noodles).

I've got vacation time coming up and won't be able to fly my share across the country with me. Game plan: feed and give whatever I won't use to my friends who are lovely enough to watch my dogs for me!

Do you plan your meals for the week or do you just wing it?

Jen, MS-MPH, RD, LDN