Eating fresh doesn't have to be difficult

After trying to grow fruits and veggies in my small backyard garden, I quickly realized I do not have a green thumb, and that I was missing out on all the in-season favorites. I decided the next year I would leave it to the pros. I joined a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program at a farm here in Delaware. I remember picking up my first spring CSA box. I joined the pick-up line and when it was my turn, the farm staff greeted me with a smile and explained all that was in the weekly share. I also got to select a few pieces of fruit that didn't fit inside. That box was heavy and it was completely packed with produce. I couldn't wait to get home and start eating all that was in there.

Boy was I overwhelmed unpacking my first CSA box. There was a ton of food, more than I had ever gotten in the grocery store for the same amount of money. Of course I knew what to do with strawberries, honey, tomatoes, spinach and lettuce. But I had no clue what to do with collard greens, asparagus (I only ever ate it out of a can, and that wasn't tasty), radishes, rhubarb, leeks, and swiss chard. I had to learn quickly because in another seven days I would be back in line to pick up my next share.

I spent a lot of time in the kitchen that summer figuring out how to prepare fruits and vegetables I had never experienced before. What came out of the kitchen were a treasure of new recipes that I tinkered with until I got it just right. I had four main goals - not a lot of ingredients, nutritious, didn't take a lot of time to prepare, and my family of four had to completely empty their plates.

No need to worry about joining a CSA or picking up a new fruit or vegetable at the local farmers' market, because we have you covered. All those recipes that I worked on are now on the Delaware Grown website for you to enjoy. In addition, you can find out how to handle and store all the produce in your box so it stays fresh. Enjoy!