that I was looking into a local CSA.
If you're not familiar with CSA, it stands for Community Supported Agriculture
and it's a really great program.
Basically, you {as the customer} give a local farmer money up front at the beginning of the farming season,
and in return,
you receive a box of fresh produce each week for the entire season!
I was trying to decide between a few local farms,
when a friend of mine
{who happens to have a gigantic garden}
offered to be my 'farmer' and supply me with a weekly box of fresh, local, organic produce!
I couldn't turn her down
{I mean, could you?!}
and today was the day I received my very first box of produce!
Take a peek at the goodies I got:
yes, those are eggs
from chickens that aren't genetically altered, or crammed in some nasty hen house or fed disgusting food
{ok, you get the idea}
these eggs are from happy, healthy, free chickens
and I couldn't be happier to give them to my family!
So, there's celery, red and green lettuce, spinach, broccoli, eggs, kale and a lemon!
Along with some herbs too:
basil, thyme, oregano and sage!
I'm seriously so excited to keep getting amazing produce like this all season!
Since I already had part of a container of basil, I combined it with my fresh basil and made pesto!
Here's the recipe
{I didn't measure anything, so these aren't exact measurements...}
1 1/2 cups basil
1/2 cup nuts {I used hazelnuts, but you could use traditional pine nuts or whatever kind you have}
1/2 cup fresh grated parmesan cheese
2 garlic cloves
about 4 tablespoons olive oil
a dash of salt
a tablespoon or two of water {optional}
Place all ingredients in a food processor, leaving out the olive oil and water. Once the food processor is on, stream in the olive oil until the pesto is at a consistency you like. This is where you can add in some water to help your olive oil go a little further.
And that's it!
Fresh, homemade pesto...easy as that!
I also think this would have been great with a little squeeze of lemon too!
I roasted a bunch of veggies last night, so tonight I threw the left over ones in with some quinoa and pesto for a whole new meal!
I can't wait to try out new recipes with all of my fresh produce!
Yay for supporting locally grown!
If you want to locate a CSA in your area, check out this website!
Buying Organic {The Dirty Dozen}
Buying organic
Who wouldn't want to buy organic?
pesticide and chemical free, safe for your family
But it does come at a higher price.
Ever since I became a mommy
providing my baby with the best food possible became a priority
So, it came down to this
is buying organic worth the added cost?
And honestly, I had no idea!
{it can get a little expensive!}
And so I did what I always do when I need information...
I googled it!
and I found this amazing website!
They've broken fresh fruits and veggies down into two groups
"The Dirty Dozen"
{foods that still have pesticides even after being washed - worth buying organically}
and "Non-Organic Foods"
{foods that are safe to buy non organically}
The part I cared about most was "The Dirty Dozen"
Here is a list of foods that should be purchased organically
{when possible, of course}
Apples
Cherries
Grapes
Nectarines
Peaches
Pears
Raspberries
Strawberries
Bell Peppers
Celery
Potatoes
Spinach
This website also recommends a program called "farm fresh to you"
This is where the customer provides cash upfront
to a local farmer
The farmer then uses the cash
to purchase seeds and other materials needed to produce the crops
As each variety of produce comes into season
the farmer will deliver a box of fresh produce to the customer
throughout the entire farming season!
How cool is that?!
I'm looking into local farms to see if any farmers in our area provide this service
I'll let you know what I find out!
And, because I can
And, because he's cute
Here are some baby boo boo pictures :)
Looking forward to some more spring-ish weather!
