The sentiment is probably a remnant of childhood shopping with my amazing yet frugal mom, who effectively stretched our budget but taxed my short attention span with hours of exhaustive price analysis in search of the best deals on tuna, yogurt and canned green beans while holding me hostage in a metal jail on wheels. To be fair to Mom, we probably didn't shop for an overly unreasonable amount of time. I mean, four hours is unreasonable, but not overly so. Plus, I was a kid, so I probably have a skewed memory of the whole thing- any time comparing price per poundage is torturous when there's a whole sunny world of dirt to be eaten outside!
Although it no longer keeps me from my dirt, grocery shopping still seems a mechanical and unromantic task, anticipated about as much as I anticipate sweeping dog hair. Or cleaning the toilet.
Luckily, these days I get to avoid the grocery store (and my own apparently inherited version of price analysis compulsion, which my mom, like so many of her quirks, has sneakily passed directly to me) most of the time. Why am I able to do this, you ask? Because Sean and I joined a CSA! CSA stands for Community Supported Agriculture, and its a great way to get uber fresh produce and reduce our carbon footprint without ever having to endure dairy aisle goosebumps.
Instead of goosebumps, we get a box of fresh veggies every week. We pick it up at a local farmstand. We pay in advance. No opportunity for price comparing! Glory, hallelujah!
Here's what was in our box today:
1 huge bunch of spinach1/2 lb lettuce mix
1 bunch arugula
1.5 lbs shallots
2 beautiful beefsteak tomatoes
1 bell pepper
1 bunch radishes
1 bunch italian basil
It doesn't sound like much, but pounding it all down in a week (before the next box comes) is actually rather daunting. Soooooo....we welcome any recipes you have that involve the ingredients above, especially radishes, since we still have to use the ones from last week as well.
We're loving the convenience and freshness of the CSA program so far. And I'm loving avoiding the grocery store. Although I do miss picking out ice cream. And I miss the free cookie too. And, of course, the hours (and hours) of quality time with Mom.
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Roasted Radishes with Soy & Sesame Seeds
ReplyDeletefrom "Vegetables Every Day" by Jack Bishop. A must have cookbook for anyone with a farm share. I got mine used!
20 Medium Radishes, leaves, stems, & rootlets trimmed (about 1lb. when trimmed)
1 1/2 T roasted peanut oil
2 T soy sauce
2 medium scallions sliced thin
1 T sesame seeds, toasted in a dry skillet until golden brown
1. Preheat the oven to 425
2. Unless very small, halve the radishes lengthwise from stem to root end. Toss them with the oil on a large rimmed baking sheet. Roast, turning once or twice, until the radishes are tender and beginning to brown, about 25 minutes. Remove the radishes from the oven (but do not turn it off).
3. Drizzle the soy sauce over the radishes and sprinkle with scallions. Toss well and continue roasting for 5 minutes longer. Turn the radishes and any juices on the baking dish into a serving bowl. Sprinkle with the sesame seeds and serve immediately.
mmmmmmmmmm
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