CSA pickup August 8, 2011

I love this time of year, there is so much variety in the local produce.  We watch customers circle the store looking at the bounty with a "deer in headlights" look.  What do I choose?  Beans?  Corn?  Potatoes?  Peas?  Those beautiful carrots?  I want them all!  But it can't all fit in my fridge, and I want it to be fresh.  I shouldn't get so much, but I just can't help myself. I understand. This is the time of year where Marc and I will have a meal of just corn, then the next night, just beans.  We snack on carrots, cucumbers and peas all day long.  We like to call it quality control (which it is), but it is also the way that I wish we could eat all year long.  Our bodies just feel good when we put this much fresh good food into them.  I hope that yours are feeling as good as ours are! We were spoiled for choice with this week's CSA.  With so many things available we had to make some tough choices as to what to put into the bags, and what to leave out.  The most fabulous part of this week's CSA is the Manitoba Certified organic corn.  Non GMO, organic corn is very hard to come by, I'm so happy to be able to have some for our CSA!   FULL SHARE, Each full share will contain a minimum of 9 of the following items Potatoes, 10, spray free and LFP certified Cucumbers, 4-6 spray free and LFP certified Corn, 10-12, certified organic Bunched beets, golden or rainbow, Certified Organic Sweet onions, 1 bunch, spray free Japanese eggplant, spray free Romaine, certified organic Patty Pan squash, spray free Beans, yellow and purple, spray free and LFP certified Herb bunch, sage or pineapple sage Spray free and LFP certified Tomatoes, certified organic   Half Share, Each half share will contain a minimum of 6 of the following items Potatoes, 5-7, Spray free and LFP certified Corn, 4-5, Certified Organic Beet Bunch, golden or rainbow, Certified Organic Patty Pan squash, spray free Chery Tomatoes, spray free Herbs, sage and pineapple sage spray free Tomato, 1, Certified Organic Romaine Lettuce, Certified Organic Notes on some of the produce Purple beans- The beans will turn green once you cook them.  If you want them to keep their pretty purple colour, chop them up and add them raw to a salad or on top of your steamed yellow beans. Rainbow and Golden beets.  While raw peel then slice thinly on a mandolin, They make a beautiful addition to salads or a vegetable platter. Corn.  The Organic corn is young, tender, sweet and tasty.  Please only boil it for 2-3 minutes.  You only need to heat up the kernels, not cook the cob.  Marc and I had some for lunch and it was delicious!  Trying to cut your salt intake?  A squeeze of lime on your corn is a great alternative! Japanese eggplant.  You can use the eggplant in many different ways.  I enjoy grilling it on the bbq as I would zucchini.  I cut them in half length wise, brush with canola oil, crushed garlic and lemon juice, then grill on medium heat until soft. As always, check out our recipe blog for more tasty tidbits.  www.cramptonsrecipes.com Cheers! Erin Crampton's Market