Whats in my csa box

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What’s in a CSA Box?

What’s in a CSA Box?Michael Thompson2019-02-25T20:24:36-06:00

We have been CSA growers for over a decade now and know how to put together a box of diverse vegetable items in a usable quantity that pair well with each other (for example: beets and fennel, dill and cucumbers, kale and butternut squash). Our CSA box typically has 8-12 seasonal produce items harvested at the peak of freshness and nutrition.

A sample Spring Box contains: 1 bunch of greens (kale, bok choy, or Swiss Chard), ½ pound spinach, 2 heads of lettuce or 1 head of lettuce and ½ pound lettuce mix, 1 bunch of scallions, ¾ pound of broccoli, 1 bunch of radishes or japanese turnips, 1 bunch of carrots, and 2 pints of strawberries.

A Sample Summer Box holds: 1-2 heads of lettuce, 1 bunch of herbs (either dill, cilantro, or basil), 1 bunch of beets, 1 pound of green beans, 1 pound of sweet white onions, 2 pounds of cucumbers, 2 pounds of summer squash and/or zucchini, 1 cantaloupe or 1 watermelon, 2 pounds potatoes, 1 green bell pepper or 2 eggplant, 3-4 pounds of tomatoes, and 1 pint of cherry tomatoes.

A Sample Fall Box has: 2 head lettuce, 1 bunch of greens (kale, bok choy or Swiss chard), ½ pound of spinach, 1 pound of yellow onions or 1 bunch of green onions, 1 garlic, 1 pound of root vegetables (carrots, beets or radishes), 2 pounds of sweet potatoes or 2 pounds white-flesh potatoes, 2-3 pounds of winter squash (either spaghetti, acorn, delicata or butternut), 1 bunch of herbs (dill, cilantro or basil), 1 pound of green beans, 1 pound of sweet, color peppers, 1.5 pounds of broccoli or cauliflower, and a head of green or red cabbage.

We all know that eating locally is the best option. We’ve been told that meals made with seasonal and organic ingredients are better for both the environment and our bodies. However, it's not always easy to find produce that meets this criteria. There are factors to consider: where was the food grown, under what conditions, and how did it get from the farm to your table? The answers of which can have serious environmental consequences.

Say, for instance, a particular fruit or vegetable is out of season in your area. That produce must travel from one location, often hundreds (sometimes thousands) of miles away, all the way to your grocery store. To say nothing of the environmental impact of such a long trip, the fruit and vegetables being hauled are often treated with ethanol gases to keep from spoiling.

As Chicagoans, we are lucky to be surrounded by so many local farms in and around the Great Lakes area. However, it can be challenging to find local produce without shopping at specific groceries or seasonal farmer's markets. CSA boxes, or a Community Supported Agriculture box is a great way to provide you and your family with healthy, usually organic and local produce.

With the menu constantly adapting to the harvest, eating seasonally means that your produce is more flavorful and nutrient dense. Receiving a CSA box every week makes eating seasonally easy and fun. To make it even easier, some boxes deliver directly to your home; others, using a more common option, are available at designated pickup-locations.

Utilizing everything in your box presents itself with an interesting challenge. While most people plan out their meals for the week and grocery shop accordingly, CSA subscribers work backward, starting with the produce they develop meals based on what they have. Recipes like soups, smoothies, salads, stir frys and curries are incredibly versatile and can be readily adapted to what you have on hand. Working backward with your recipes can really challenge you to become a more intuitive cook. Tasting your food as it cooks, and becoming less dependent on recipes is not just rewarding, it’s a lot of fun!

A CSA subscription is not only a great way to support local farmers and the environment, it's a great means of exposing yourself to new local produce and to eating a diet that consists of more whole foods and vegetables - which is never a bad thing.

If a CSA box sounds like something you'd like to try, there are so many resources at your fingertips! The Local Beet provides a huge list of CSA boxes, what the include and flexible plans for the Chicago land area.

To get more seasonal vegetable know-how, take The Chopping Block's upcoming Fall Vegetable Harvest cooking class. You'll learn how to work with root vegetables, squash and dark leafy greens.

Topics: CSA, vegetables, Ingredients