Our Summer Romance Ends

The last box of the season.....so sad :(

For the past two summers we have taken part in Community Supported Agriculture. This basically means that we have a share in a local farm and get a box of freshly harvested fruits and vegetables each week from mid-May to mid-October. This is a huge deal to us because the climate in Tahoe is not good for gardens, the produce at the grocery store doesn't compare to "homegrown", and we are able to reduce our carbon footprint by eating foods that were not only grown organically but also just a couple of hours away. http://www.naturaltradingco.com/docs/ntcebrochure.pdf

Our farm is located in Newcastle, CA on highway 80 and is owned and operated by Bryan and Caren and a group of interns and laborers. Every week we are so lucky to get a box delivered that is literally overflowing with the freshest produce you can get. They also have booths at the local farmers' markets but this has been a much more convenient option for us. Every week we are excited to open the box and see what's inside. All summer long there were only two things we grew tired of - radishes and arugula. They were amazing for the first couple of deliveries but soon we found them piling up in the fridge because they were both just too spicy for us. The office at the farm was kind enough to substitute other items for us after that. There is also a weekly newsletter in the box each week that includes updates from the farm and a recipe that contains at least one of the items for the week. Last night I made a pasta dish that included wilted greens (your choice - I used spinach), roasted winter squash or pumpkin, garlic, olive oil, sage, pine nuts and parmesan cheese. Yummy!

This week we were sad to receive our last box of the season. But, like all the other boxes we got this summer, it didn't disappoint. We opened it to find carrots, tomatoes, kale, peppers, yellow beans, butternut squash, persimmons, golden delicious apples, and pomegranates.

I think I will miss the tomatoes and basil and peaches the most.