We love having Owl's Nest in our lives! We joined to support local farmers and sustainable agriculture.
A bonus is all the delicious products that come from them - our favorites are the many varieties of leafy greens and the ground cherries.
We like getting creative with the cabbage and bok choy to make new slaws all summer - SmittenKitchen.com has some outstanding slaw recipes.
Why did you join the Owl's Nest Farm CSA?
I had been dreaming of joining a CSA for years, but had been living by myself for many years and didn't think that I would be able to get through all the food while it was still fresh. I am vegan and love to cook and recently relocated to DC with my boyfriend. One of my yoga students lived in my building and hipped me to Owl's Nest Farm's share program. Since one of the pickup spots is on the end of my block, it seemed like the stars had finally aligned in order to join a CSA.
What was your favorite fruit, veggie, and/or herb from CSA this year?
The strawberries, ground cherries, fresh tomatoes, and the hakurei turnips were our favorites.
What tips do you have for folks who might be trying a CSA for the first time?
If you are looking to eat healthier and try new foods--and new recipes!--join a CSA! There were many times that I had no idea what to do with veggies that I had never cooked with, but it gave me many excuses to cook new recipes I had never tried before in order to not let any food go to waste.
Please share your favorite recipe(s).
I really liked this Ratatouille recipe from The Fitchen that helped me use up a zucchini-and-eggplant-heavy pickup over the summer.
Why join a CSA?
Supporting local agriculture is a part of creating an abundant community, one where we invest in existing, and build new, community assets. And what greater asset is there than the food we eat, the people who grow it, and the earth that supports it. There are a lot of choices when it comes to buying food, buying from a CSA has an exponential return on investment- better fresher more interesting food which leads to healthier more interesting people, less fossil fuels for transporting the food and often less pesticides which supports cleaner waterways and airways and future as a species, and free knowledge about farming which makes us smarter consumers and inspires us to do what we can with our own little plots of earth.
Do you have any tips for people who might be trying a CSA for the first time?
Have an open mind. Leave work earlier than you think you need to. Linger as much as possible at pickup time for a chance to get to know your farmer and the other CSA members in your community. If you stay long enough you can help clean up and then maybe Liz will invite you to the farm for homemade pizza and gallons of babaganoush.
Share your favorite recipe.
This is a classic breakfast for us, "tahini greens, eggs, and yams" (well, the greens in this one are actually purple cabbage). Jenna is a dietitian and we love local food so veggies have a central role in all of our meals, even breakfast! This meal is so easy and any green we get in the CSA could be used, part of the fun of the CSA is using what you get, nature and the farmers do the picking. The cabbage is braised in olive oil then a little soy sauce and water, the Japanese yams are steamed, and the eggs are scrambled with some fresh herbs from the garden. There's also a pillowy bed of quinoa in there and Tahini-siracha sauce on everything.
