Veggies!

Well, we’re about to begin a new way of eating. We just signed up for a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) subscription with Bikkurim Farm, an organic farm about an hour away from us. The farmers, Miguel and Sylvia, will bring a bushel of their best produce, picked the day before, to the farmer’s market for us to pick up every week. I’m so excited!

On Saturday we walked to the downtown farmer’s market to check things out, and I was drawn to Bikkurim Farm’s stand because their broccoli looked so amazing…huge heads of tightly packed florets, green and luscious. I noticed they had some bushels of mixed produce set out, and we talked for a while about their subscriptions and their farm. Sylvia talked about greens, and how she likes to eat them raw. I’ve tried this with spinach and arugula, but kale? Collards? Miguel tore off a leaf of kale and handed it to us to try. It was marvelous! I don’t think it hurt that it was super-fresh and organic to boot. Justin even liked it, and he’s not a big fan of greens. I’m going to have to get creative with them, though, because we’ll be receiving a lot of them!

Sylvia was so excited about the produce, telling me that her favorite green was beet greens (which I would have just thrown away), and that in the spring, there’s nothing like the taste of their organic, pesticide-free strawberries straight from the vine. They’ll be having an open house in March for all their subscribers to come check out the farm. I’m anxious to see how the chickens are treated, since we’ll be getting eggs each week as well.

I can’t believe that starting next week, most of the produce we eat will be less than one week old, organic, and local. I’ve already seen the difference…I made this pasta dish with Bikkurim’s broccoli and some farmer’s market cherry tomatoes, and the flavor was just fabulous. I’ll keep you all updated on what veggies we get, and what I end up doing with them!

Note: The other fantastic parts of this meal were a wedge of Manchego cheese and a glass of Saint Gregory pinot muniere…a cheaper alternative to the only other red wine I like, Domain Chandon pinot muniere. I can still only drink half a glass, but it’s a first step toward the world of wine!

Broccoli Pasta

1 tablespoon olive oil
2 large garlic cloves, minced
1 large head of broccoli, separated into florets, stems cut into 1-inch pieces
1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
1 (14-ounce) can vegetable broth
1/2 cup white wine
1 ounce Parmesan cheese, freshly grated (about 1/4 cup)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add garlic, and saute for 1 minute or until golden. Add broccoli, tomatoes, broth, and wine; cover and simmer for 4 to 6 minutes, or until broccoli is tender. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes uncovered, and sprinkle with Parmesan; add salt and pepper to taste. Serve over whole wheat pasta.

Makes 4 servings.

Source: poco-cocoa.

2 responses to “Veggies!”

  1. Sounds wonderful! Broccoli and pasta is the best combination.

  2. All local organic sounds good.

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