CSA Finale (11/2/13)

Our CSA season officially ended last week; the Colvins announced this to those picking up shares last week and then to everyone via email. It's a week or two early due to our unseasonably cool weather (LOTS of frost!). This is all well and good, but the full tummies crowd missed our last pick-up since we were out of town last week. So, even though I'd inferred as much from an earlier conversation with Caleb, still...

I needed closure.

It's always bittersweet to see the season end. Our October is usually very busy, so there's a part of me that's glad to see one errand drop off the schedule. However, we know these folks. We've watched their kids grow up a lot in the last 3 years (and they ours). Missing the last pick-up unexpectedly is kind of like being sick the last week of school. You know you'll see your friends again, but, well, you need closure.

So, the whole family piled into the mini(van) this morning and headed downtown. We didn't see Caleb since this is a different market spot from our usual pick-up. But it was great fun to see Isaac and Noah (wow, they've grown up!), and get some more veggies. We brought our boxes, brought along some bags since we were leaving our boxes, and kind of shopped like regular folks. But when you know the farmers, it's a lot more fun. Our kids picked out some sweet potatoes and carrots. We grown-ups picked out some arugula and poblanoes. And Isaac threw in some kale and a parsnip. A group effort, like the CSA experience really is. And, as usual, I learned something new: you can eat carrot tops! They're part of the parsley family, and the tops are very similar to parsley. Awesome. [I also learned that Isaac and Noah aren't big eggplant fans. Nor are they big arugula fans. I think those tidbits are fun!]

And now I have some closure.

They'll be at some of the bigger local markets for a couple of weeks for you fellow CSA share holders, and they've still got some great stuff. I'd encourage you to head down. It's fun to share what your new discoveries have been and perhaps choose a favorite to take home. This year, I didn't want to swap out anything we got (partly because there was no eggplant! Nor were there beets!), but our kids learned to like a new arugula saute that also uses carrots. Bonus. And I have a killer bell pepper dish to share with you this week, so the poblanoes will come in handy. I still have some turnips and bell peppers left, and I'll be sharing one final CSA-related recipe in a day or so that uses those.

Otherwise, I'm "signing out" from the CSA weekly posts. Thanks for a great season, Colvins!