Special Delivery

Food has always been a vessel that allows my mind to travel to moments of comfort, happiness and love. The smell of gingerbread transports me to my grandmother’s living room where every afternoon around 1:00 she could be found sitting in her chair, dipping a gingersnap cookie into her tea. When I walk past an olive bar and see cherry peppers stuffed with prosciutto and dry provolone, I remember the first date I had with my husband. And when I eat fresh green beans, I remember the summer camp that I went to when I was nine years old. The camp organizers took us on a field trip to a farm where we were allowed to pick green beans off the vine and taste them. I remember my reaction vividly; I had had green beans before, but never as sweet, as flavorful, or as fresh! It is the summer I began to eat my vegetables.  

Today I received a very special delivery in the mail. This year is my very first as a shareholder in a CSA. CSA is an acronym for Community Supported Agriculture. Basically, by becoming a shareholder of a CSA, you help support the costs associated in operating a farm as well as getting to enjoy the fruits of the farmers labor. This is my favorite part, notice I said the “farmers labor!”

The CSA that I joined is called Fish Hawk Acres and is located in Rock Cave, WV. I chose Fish Hawk Acres for three important reasons: 1) It is in West Virginia and I feel it is important to support local farms. 2) They deliver directly to my front door via UPS again, little effort on my part (yes, there is a pattern here). 3) The CSA comes with recipes prepared by Chef Dale Hawkins of Stonewall Resort in Roanoke, WV. For information on Fish Hawk Acres and other CSA’s in WV or local farmers markets visit http://www.wvfarm2u.org/.

I will be preparing the recipes provided by Chef Hawkins with the produce that I get each week and posting the results and my commentary on WV Living Food. As you can see by the picture, my very first CSA box contained some beautiful produce with some exciting recipes. Stay tuned for my follow up posting to see how my Bean Soup with Spinach and Ramps and Simple Spring Salad turn out. I’ll be enjoying it with a loaf of whole-wheat country sourdough bread that was included in the box from Jeff’s Bread’s in Renick, WV.