CSA: Week 9

It's Week 9 of our CSA box and I have to say, I'm both in love and completely overwhelmed with the amount of fruits, veggies and herbs we receive each Tuesday.

This week's loot:

Yukon Gold Potatoes
Cucumbers
Yellow Squash
Patty Pan Squash
Zucchini
Green Cabbage
Lodi Apples
Lettuce
Broccoli
Greenhouse Tomatoes
Garlic
Green Beans
Eggplant
Green Onions
Beets
Pea pods
Radishes

Phew! That's a lot of produce! We're finally getting some really yummy summertime favorites in our weekly box and loving on the fresh green beans, zucchini, broccoli, pea pods and potatoes. In fact, Andi's commented a few times lately how impressed he is with my cooking skillz as of late. Having all of these veggies in my fridge forces me to find creative recipes. Plus, cooking in our new kitchen always makes things more fun.

My favorite recipe from the last week was this Eggplant Parmesan I made for my friend Val and I. It was simple, easy and filling. Mine didn't look as pretty as the picture on the website, but it still tasted good! Eggplant is one of those things I would never normally buy at the grocery store, so it's fun and unique to try something new.

I'm also growing tired - very, VERY, tired - of all the lettuce, beets, green onions and cucumbers we get every single week. In fact, I'm swimming in beets and cucumbers over here and the only thing I can think to do with them is to give them away. Maybe it's part of a pregnancy symptom, but they actually make me gag when I think about them. Too much of a good thing, I guess. I bet you're ready to suggest making a lettuce salad and topping it with some of those cucumbers, aren't you? Unfortunately, I'm so lettuced-out from this spring and our gigantic lots of spinach, I can't bring myself to eat it anymore.

Will I sign up for a CSA box again next spring? I'm on the fence. I really do enjoy fresh, local produce and that it is - it is SO FRESH you can tell it was all picked the day I pick it up. But, I do feel wasteful and pressured to use up all of our produce? Yes. Some weeks are busier than others and it's hard to find time (or energy!) to make a meal using all of these goodies every single night. And really, what is a person to do with FOUR heads of garlic - gah!