CSAs! Also known as Community Supported Agriculture, a program in which you pay a certain amount at the beginning of the growing season and essentially buy a farm share for a period of time (in our case, six months). Many CSAs also except SNAP (the federal food stamp program), which I love. 
Each week, we get an assortment of whatever is in season. We’ve had two weeks’ worth so far, and have received:
- mustard greens
- kale
- collard greens
- bok choy
- spinach
- mesclun
- romaine
- oregano
- turnips
- radishes
- strawberries
Golden Earthworm, an organic farm in Long Island, supplies our vegetables; Briermere Farm will be supplying our fruit.
Our favorite item so far has been an interesting variety of oregano. I think it’s an Italian version, as opposed to the Greek kind we usually see, and what we have growing on our windowsill. I’ve been using it on everything I can think of, from salads to eggs to sandwiches. It’s amazing how much flavor you can get from an herb! Below, I mashed it up with avocado, steamed green beans and goat cheese.
I’ve been making huge, mixing bowl salads lately that are a variation on this one. This guy was made with kale, hard-boiled eggs, peppers, tomatoes, strawberries, Trader Joe’s blueberry goat cheese, oregano, olives and quinoa, with drizzles of tahini + soy sauce and a liberal sprinkle of chili flakes.
I love taking advantage of relaxed mornings at home by making hot breakfasts, and using eggs as an excuse to get in a serving of greens first thing. This omelet was stuffed with spinach, oregano + goat cheese, with strawberries and Udi’s toast on the side.
We’ve been going through almond milk like nobody’s business, so I made a huge batch of hummus. I added a handful of arugula to the food processor, and loved the spicy kick it added! (Also pictured: these crackers.)
We made this salmon again (still love it!) with sautéed turnips + bok choy on the side. I usually roast or mash turnips, and loved how tender they were when B made them this way.
With the bitter greens (turnip + radish) and some basic pantry items, I made a simple, hearty soup. I toasted lentils + farro in a little olive oil, added broth, and simmered the pot until the lentils and grains were tender. Then I added the greens and cooked them until they were slightly wilted. To serve: add a squirt of lemon, a sprinkle of gruyère or parmesan, salt, pepper + chili flakes. Good soup to keep on hand in the freezer!
As far as our own, home-grown produce is concerned, the garden looks great! So far we only have some sprouts, but we’ve got a lot of delicious herbs like mint, basil, rosemary and lavender. I’ve taken to calling it “the cocktail garden,” and am looking forward to trying fresh, simple drinks like this one.
Last week, my cousin and I went to Spice Market for drinks, and the Thai Smash immediately caught my eye. The ingredients: vodka, grapefruit juice + Thai basil. It was a little sweeter than I’d hoped (my #1 complaint of fancy drinks) but I loved the idea, and will be trying this at home! We certainly have enough basil to experiment.
Do you have any herb-y cocktail recipes you love?
Do you belong to a CSA?
