Moss Hill Farm CSA

"So what have you concocted today, Mrs. Liang?" one of my coworkers asks me as I settle into a long cafeteria table with a group of my students. School policy is that staff eats with their students every day. The kids bustle around me, pulling out peanut butter sandwiches and baggies of potato chips. My coworkers know that I cook and I'm happy to talk about my food (Obviously).

I take the lid off my piping-hot-from-the-microwave bowl of soup and say "Gumbo. I have more okra than I know what to do with in my CSA box this week, so gumbo." I help someone open a difficult container and remind one of the girls that we don't run laps around the tables, even if you're really, really good at it.

"Oh you have a CSA? I want to know more about that."Another teacher says just before biting into her salad.

What's a CSA? It stands for "Community Supported Agriculture". Basically, you pay a farmer upfront for his or her harvest that season. Then, once a week, you o to the farm and pick up your "share" of the harvest. The farmer gets reliable income and you get delicious, farm fresh veggies. Win!

We subscribe to Moss Hill Farm in Milton, Georgia, which is owned and managed by Floyd Keisler. We first met Floyd when he sold us heirloom tomatoes at the Riverside Farmers Market. Floyd is a really warm and friendly guy, so we always enjoyed stopping by his booth to pick out Cherokee Purples. But after a few seasons, Floyd's CSA business took off and he quit coming. At first we were sad. But then we realized that we could just subscribe to Floyd and still chat with him and get some of the best veggies we ever ate.

We tend to subscribe in the fall and winter when the Farmers Markets aren't in session. Why? Because we like to pick our own food and just buy what we feel like eating. You can't do that with a CSA. You bought all of it, whether or not you like it. One winter, we ended up with something like five heads of bok choi every week. It was overwhelming and my husband still looks askance at it when it shows up in our box. So that's a downside.

Another downside is that a CSA requires effort. It's not just going to the farm to pick up the vegetables. Plants grow in dirt, right? And that dirt needs to be washed off. You can also expect the occasional critter to come home, hidden in your bundle of kale and for your veggies to be less than perfect looking sometimes. If you're only used to pre-washed and bagged greens and shiny, perfectly tasteless tomatoes, this can freak you out a little bit. Just hum Elton John's "Circle of Life" to yourself and relax.  But we're still doing a "half share" right now, with pick up every two weeks, just so I can have a break from washing and chopping.

I find that having a CSA makes me more creative in the kitchen and willing to try new recipes. I had bok choi tonight and I had tofu. I could have just stir fried them together like I normally would, but my wok needs re seasoning. So instead I made tofu and greens soup. Without those limitations, I would have had a boring dinner. Instead, I tried a new recipe. It's like when we started buying at Farmers Markets. We used to just eat frozen peas and canned corn for dinner every night. Now I'm eating a wider variety of food and experimenting. This week's basket included kale, tomatoes, onions, okra, cucumbers, two varieties of lettuce, bok choi and japanese eggplant.

We did a cost breakdown when we first subscribed and while it's steep upfront, the weekly price for veggies is quite reasonable and comparable to buying everything every week at a market or grocery store.

I've sort of dwelled on the downsides here, but overall, I enjoy the experience of having a CSA. I like the variety and the creativity that goes with it. I like having a relationship with the people who feed me. There's also a definite "cool" factor to it. I highly recommend looking into a CSA. Many are listed on LocalHarvest.org, but sometimes those listings haven't been updated in awhile. So you can always try my route and develop a relationship with a vendor you like at a Farmers Market.  If committing to six to eight weeks sounds a little much, Moore's Farm & Friends lets you order week by week, but they are more of a collective than a true CSA.

Anyways, there's the breakdown of CSAs and my experience with them. I hope you find this useful!

Like my poorly lit iPhone pictures? I'm on Flickr now! And you can like me on Facebook! Here's my Moss Hill Farms pictures!

Easy Spinach Alfredo Pizza

I just finished up the first week of school, (My schedule is different because I work at a private school.) and felt celebratory. What better way to celebrate than to host a small dinner party? Homemade pizza is such an easy way to entertain, especially on a Friday night when you are exhausted from explaining to autistic fourth graders that stalls in the bathroom are one per customer. (Don't even ask. Seriously.) So pizza it is!

Because it's Friday, and going back to work after a summer at home sleeping in exhausts me, I'm taking a shortcut. While I can make a totally rocking pizza crust, I grabbed pre-made dough at Publix. We like the multigrain. It's tasty without being heavy. Most grocery stores have what I call "the pizza station", which will contain pre-made dough, crusts, jarred sauce and other things you can use to build a pizza at home. I also grabbed a bag of spinach and some shredded mozzarella and a wedge of asiago cheese.

 I pulled it as flat as I could to make the base. Can you see the sunflower seeds? That's multi-grain goodness right there.

I sweated some onions and garlic from our CSA in olive oil, then added the entire bag of baby spinach and a big pinch of salt. I turned down the heat and put the lid on to let the spinach cook down. When I make garlic spinach like this as a side dish, I usually use two bags of spinach, because spinach is delicious. The cooked spinach goes on top, with a generous layer of mozzarella cheese.

 
 The whole thing went into a 500 degree oven until the crust was crisp and the cheese was brown and bubbly. Then I added the grated asiago and popped it back in for a few minutes to let that melt. It was ready to serve after I sprinkled on some chopped parsley and savory from our CSA.

We ate it with heirloom tomatoes chopped and dressed with olive oil, balsamic vinegar and chopped savory and lemon verbena, all from our CSA. (Yeah, the CSA thing comes in handy.) Dessert was banana "ice cream" made by freezing over ripe bananas and pureeing them in my food processor until it had the consistency of soft serve. We topped that with nutella. We had a nice bottle of wine and some nice craft beers the staff at Ale Yeah in Roswell helped us pick out.

So what was the verdict? Well, everything but one slice of pizza was eaten. So if you're looking for a fun, casual dinner party after week at work, make a pizza!

Like my poorly lit iPhone pictures? I'm on Flickr now! And you can like me on Facebook!

A real update coming soon, I promise...

In the mean time, one of my friends, who is a local food producer herself, forwarded this me. It also went out on the Moore's Family Farm mailing list this week as well. If you're passionate about locally produced, non-industry food, it would be a good idea to read up on this issue and make your opinion known to your representative. The representative for the 30076 ZIP code is Tom Price.

I rarely send political messages, but there’s a bill that went to the floor of the house today that will directly affect Athens Locally Grown, to the point of possibly making us stop what we do. -eric

PLEASE CALL YOUR REPRESENTATIVE!
URGE THEM TO SUPPORT THE
KAPTUR-FARR FOOD SAFETY PROPOSAL

There is no question: our food system needs to be safer. But Congress is currently debating food safety legislation (Food Safety Enhancement Act – H.R. 2749) that could hinder beginning, sustainable, and organic farmers’ access to markets, require expensive fees, and lead to the dismantling of important conservation practices and wildlife habitat.

HR 2749 is scheduled to go to the floor of the House TODAY under a suspension vote, which means limited debate and no amendments, but a requirement for a two-thirds majority for passage. With negotiations still underway, however, it seems reasonably likely that a vote could be pushed to Thursday.

Representatives Marcy Kaptur (OH-9), Sam Farr (CA-17), Maurice Hinchey (NY-22), Jesse Jackson Jr. (IL-2), Peter Welch (VT-at large), Chellie Pingree (ME-1) and Earl Blumenauer (OR-3) last week submitted a letter to the House Energy and Commerce Committee with specific proposed changes to HR 2749 that addresses many of the concerns raised by the sustainable and organic agriculture community.

At the same time, the House Agriculture Committee majority concluded negotiations with the sponsors of HR 2749 that secured one of the changes proposed in the Kaptur-Farr et al request – namely, a greater role for USDA in all the farm-related portions of the bill. That was helpful as far as it went, but it did not directly address other critical concerns.

It is important that you call your Representative TODAY and ask them to join the effort to protect small and mid-sized family farmers, the environment, and consumer choice by supporting the provisions in the Kaptur-Farr proposal to HR 2749.

PLEASE CALL YOUR REPRESENTATIVE IMMEDIATELY!

It’s easy to call. Please call or fax your Representative’s office and ask to speak with the aide that works on agriculture. If you don’t know your Representative’s name, please click here http://www.house.gov and enter your zip code in the top left-hand corner of the screen. Then call the Capitol Switchboard and ask to be directly connected to your Representative’s office: 202-224-3121.

The message is simple. “I am a constituent of Representative___________ and I am calling to ask him/her to support the Kaptur-Farr proposal to HR 2749, the Food Safety Enhancement Act of 2009. I am also asking him/her to vote against HR 2749 unless the proposals included in the Kaptur-Farr letter are included in the final bill.”

Thanksgiving Local Logistics

Thanksgiving is next week. I'll be hosting my first one in my own home for my parents, siblings and, oh yeah, the husband this year. Since I am a food hippie, I have to do things the hard way.

Our turkey has been pre-ordered via Moore's Farm & Friends. I usually cannot justify to myself paying that kind of price for meat, even if I try. However, it's a special occasion. Our turkey is coming from Westwind Farms, about 90 miles outside of Knoxville, TN. It'll be freshly processed (meaning, just killed) and certified organic. We'll be picking it up at the Peachtree Road Farmer's market this Saturday.

Speaking of Peachtree Road, I've made an effort to select recipes that reflect what's seasonal in Georgia this time of year. Luckily, we've got a long growing season down here, so gives us a wide variety. I'm hoping to find most of the fresh ingredients I'll need at the farmer's market this week, and keep Thanksgiving local. We haven't been to a farmer's market since the ones up here closed and I think we're a little over excited by it.

There's been a flurry of emails back and forth from my mother and I this week. As is our wont, my sisters are contributing a few things to the meal. Allison does desserts particularly well. I'm not sure if she's settled on exactly what she's bringing yet, but it'll be some sort of pie. Kim does appetizers and drinks. Mom and I both nixed "Pumpkintinis". Instead, I suggested either Cape Cods or Pomegranate Martinis. While not really local (Where do cranberries come from anyways? Since I hate them, I'm going to say "Straight from hell"), both flavors are seasonal. Mom is handling wine. It's impossible to find a single wine to go with Thanksgiving, so I suggested a pinot noir. I've recently become a fan of pinots. They've got a subtle sophistication to them, but also a nice, robust flavor that can stand up to any meal. Kim is also planning a traditional antipasto tray, which is something I will probably blog about later.

Wednesday is going to be my big baking day since I have the day off from school. I'm off pie duty this year, thanks to my sister, so I'm going to prep the corn bread stuffing, and get the biscuits ready. My husband has requested that I make a batch of White Lily biscuits (Just follow the recipe on the back of the bag. It never fails). I'll make that dough ahead of time too. Any other prep work I can do a day ahead I'll do then too, like fry bacon and hard boil eggs to top the spinach salad with. I can also make the cranberry-orange relish the night before as well. Thanksgiving is a big meal, and I've no doubt that SOMEONE will get under my feet before the end of the day.

I'll try to remember to take pictures this time.

Finally! A CSA...oh wait...

A few weeks ago, I finally found a Community Supported Agriculture box we could subscribe to. Laurie and Will from Moore Family Farms in Alabama collect products from around Georgia, Tennesee and Alabama, then redistribute them at various metro Atlanta drop off points. It seems like a pretty slick operation, actually. They offer both "Farmer's Pick" standardized produce boxes, as well as an option to create your own custom order. They also allow you to order weekly, rather than a yearly subscription, and list that week's produce on their site. It's very customer friendly.

They canceled their Alpharetta drop off point shortly after I discovered them and before I could try them, but according to their website they'll have a new one soon. This seems more like custom ordered groceries than a true CSA, but I'm not going to argue with it. Why can't locally produced food be just as convenient as shopping at Publix?

Again, I haven't personally tried this service, so I can't recommend it. Not just because of the lack of neighborhood pick up, but because we're getting great produce from the local farmer's markets right now. Does anyone out there have experience to share?

New Link Section

I made a new link section today on my blog. It's for local sources of food. I realize that many people are interested in eating locally, but like myself, haven't the first clue where to start. So as I find things, I'll add them to that column, as well as review them here.

Keep in mind, that I am a strictly Northside writer, with a focus on Roswell and Alpharetta (You know, since I live in Roswell). So if you're looking for locally sourced food in your area, your best bet is to check out Local Harvest. It's a searchable database of farmets markets, CSAs and more.

Alpharetta Farmer's Market

In our attempt to find decent produce we can actually afford, we've been keeping a weather eye on the local farmer's markets. Roswell open one up in May right around the corner from us in Riverside Park. But when we went there, there was absolutely no produce. There were fresh flowers, a local bakery, local honey and crafts, but no actual produce. That's sort of insane, in my opinion. The excuse given was that with weather and gas prices being what they are right now, the growers were waiting until they had big loads before they started coming.

So this weekend, we made a trip over to the Alpharetta Farmer's Market. We'd made a quick visit there about a month ago and had seen a tiny amount of produce in, so we assumed that by now there would be a great selection. We weren't wrong.



We got a pound of cucumbers, a green bell pepper, a big head of broccoli, corn on the cob, a pound of peaches, garlic bulbs and a half pound of something called Dragon Tongue beans. We also bought a seedless watermelon and a spice mix from a local spice shop. All this was less than thirty dollars. Considering how short on fresh produce we've been lately because of how much it costs at the grocery store, I think we got a pretty good deal.

I'm particularly interested in the Dragon Tongue beans.



We bought those from Hanson Farm in Cumming, Georgia. They also had a beautiful variety of heirloom tomatoes and other veggies. They are supposed to taste quite a bit like string beans and I plan to sauté these just like I would a green bean.

We hope to start shopping at the Roswell Farmer's Market soon. After all, it's practically within walking distance for us. We'd love to support this market so that it thrives and grows. But scarcity of produce is a killer. I think part of what's preventing it from growing is Roswell's stipulation that all vendors must be from within 100 miles of the market. While I'm all for local food, I'm not sure how many potential vendors there might be in that radius who aren't already committed to being in Alpharetta Saturday mornings.

I'd also like to see one or both of the markets start offering a CSA box program. I think having guaranteed buyers like that would help encourage them to bring their produce to market earlier in the season. Of course, I'm new to the economics of sustainable farming, so I could be completely wrong. It would be nice to know if it's being considered though.

So close, and yet...

I have a hard time deciding what to write about here sometimes. I mean, I eat every day. Sometimes more than once. Do I blog each meal? Every recipe? Every restaurant? I finally planted my modest kitchen garden last weekend and we bought an outdoor grill. I want to talk about that. I also want to talk about my first time eating fried green tomatoes this week and the beautiful hummus I made with my International Studies class this week. Too many topics and not enough time right now.

Anyways.

For about a year now, I've been interested in subscribing to a Community Supported Agriculture box. This is a service you subscibe to from a local farmer's market or local farm. You get a box and they fill it with an assortment of what ever's been recently harvested. It's sort of a grab bag. You get whatever they've grown regardless of whether or not you want it. But it seems like a nice way of supporting local growers, and I've been wanting to try it.

Well, I finally had some luck today and stumbled across LocalHarvest.org, a site that maintains a database of farmer's markets, organic farmers and CSA's. A quick search reveals that my nearest CSA distributor is the Spruill Green Market in Dunwoody. With good traffic, Dunwoody is only a few minutes away from us. However, the box can only be picked up on Wednesdays between the hours of 8:30 AM to 12:30 PM. That's right in the middle of the work day for me and my husband. Well, not for me in the summers, but we only have the one car and my husband takes it.

I understand why the hours are limited like this. Staff is a finite resource as is space. They can't have boxes of produce sitting around until when ever I feel like picking them up. However, I am annoyed that the hours they chose are so inconvenient to working people. On the website, it lists a "south Atlanta" pickup point down in Zebulon (Yes, I'm blinking at that too. There's no way Zebulon is part of metro Atlanta. It's the middle of nowhere.) that has pickup hours from 4-6 PM as well as morning hours the next day.

Sigh. Oh well.