Week 4 Winter CSA
This week the fun starts again as we begin our every-other-week delivery schedule for the rest of the winter. This week’s bag is centered around an ingredient that I’ve been saving up for some time – smoked pork hocks. I only get 2 to 4 pork hocks per pig (depending on how I cut the pig), so it takes quite a few pigs to gather a large supply for everyone’s bag. Try this week’s ingredient in a soup (perhaps with leftover cabbage) or with some beans.
Other ingredients include black turtle beans from Shagbark Seed and Mill in Athens. They are getting ready to start processing their 2012 harvest (drying and cleaning them take place months after harvest) and need to move out the remaining inventory of beans, so we are giving them a hand!
For produce, we have delicious curly kale, acorn squash, onions, brussels sprouts, apples, broccoli, beets, and mixed greens.
Finally, we have some meat choices – chorizo for those who like it hot and italian sausage for those who like a more mild flavor – that will compliment your bag well this week, particularly to cook up with the acorn squash (think of stuffing it) or with the kale.
We’ll see you at the usual pickup times and locations, and in case you forgot those, here is the link: http://wp.freshforkmarket.com/1-csa-overview/winter-pick-up-locations/
Winter Week 4:
1 smoked ham hock
2 lbs black turtle beans
1 lb kale
2 acorn squash
3 lbs sweet potatoes
Aprrox 1 lb onion
1 head broccoli (or 1 bag broccoli shoots…which are just smaller heads)
1 package chorizo or italian sausage
1 bunch beets with tops
1 bag mixed salad or braising greens
1 stalk brussels sprouts
1 quarter peck empire apples
just checking to see if you have any leftover turkeys from Thanksgiving available for sale……thanks.
We have them available for sale through the holiday shopping section of our website. They will be delivered during the regular winter delivery in 2 weeks. We currently don’t have any in the warehouse.
Got home went thru my bag….no black beans?
I don’t want to sound as if I am complaining, but I am sort of sick and tired of cooking kale, mustard greens and receiving mixed greens which most of the time taste just plain awful (in a salad, braised, cooked, however you want to put them together)! I was a member of the summer share, and I can also tell you, that the bags do not differ in size from most of summer bags we’ve received. I remember receiving spinach only once during the summer(another form of greens that I would actually appreciate), which is pretty sad. I don’t understand why these bags are $45/bag and the summer portions were $25/bag, when they actually do not differ in size, nor content. I would rather take 6 half galon containers of yogurt, or 15 dosens of eggs every other week, than the grass you claim costs $5 a bunch. This is pretty frustrating!!!
Hi there,
I am sorry to hear that you don’t like greens. As you can see from all our past newsletters, there are greens of some type in the bag nearly every week, all year round. One reason for this is that greens are one of the few produce items that are available locally all year. They are also extremely high in nutrients and most of our customers find a way to prepare greens that they can enjoy. That is why we have a blog that is loaded with recipes, so our customers can find ideas to make use of produce that they would not normally enjoy. There will always be some things in the bag that someone will not care for, because you cannot please everyone all the time. As for spinach, it is a cooler weather plant, so in Ohio it is only available locally during the cooler times of the year and not in the summer.
As for the bags and their size…
First off, produce in the summer is cheap. You can fill a $25 bag with a lot of fresh veggies for a cheaper price as there is are plenty of stocks available. When the weather cools, those same veggies (when they are available) are much more expensive. This means that to get the same ingredients in November that you get in July will cost you 2-3 times as much, or even more. We plan our bag based on cost from the farmer, which will be higher than if you buy non local goods. In addition, we include more meat items and value added goods in the bag than in the summer. Last weeks bag, for example, included butter, Bloody Mary Mix, pasta, and maple syrup as well as all the produce. These are much more expensive items than the produce you receive in the summer bag. Our program is based on trying to build a bag that is well rounded with ingredients that work together. If we were to simply provide eggs and yogurt, we would not really be doing that service.
I hope this helps to understand the program better and that you will find a way to make use of the goods in your bag.
Good to go. Stopped back and picked up the beans. Stuff happens, all works out.
I can see the frustration about the greens, but I have had a lot of fun with the challenge of trying to find ways to prepare them–whether the results were good or bad!
I still love the program, and I think there is a huge value that comes from the quality, taste, and overall good feeling from supporting our local farmers.
One point of constructive criticism that I would like to offer: it would be great if you could maybe be a little more proactive when the items from the list differ from what we actually get. For example, post something on Facebook or website when some of the bags get a different kind of squash, etc.
Otherwise, keep up the good work!
We are going to start a new program at the truck next year with a sign at each stop. We will put any subs for the bag and any choices you need to make on the sign, so you know when you come. Sometimes a sub is only at one stop or only happens later in the day. This will make it possible for everyone to know when they pick up.
Thanks for the suggestion!
Since we’re talking about greens… I agree with Tiffany about the substitutions, especially when it is difficult to tell which greens you’ve received. Also, we’ve wasted the bagged greens a couple times because they are described as a “stir-fry kit” or “braising greens” and I wouldn’t normally use what appears to me as salad greens in a stir-fry or to braise. This also seems to happen when there are a bunch of other ingredients more suited for stir-fry or braising (bok choy, cabbage, etc.). So if I don’t use the greens for their stated purpose, then when I taste them, they seem to be too strongly flavored for salad. Anyway, everything is so delicious and healthy, I hate wasting anything, and I think some clarification of the substitutions would help. Or if anyone has other suggestions of how to handle my greens conundrum, I’d love to hear them.
Another question: can you tell me where to find Parker’s recipe for Beets Gratin from this summer? I made it and it was a big hit, but can’t find it for the life of me!!
Not sure. It may have been in one of the newsletters. Try using this link to ask Parker directly:
http://wp.freshforkmarket.com/ask-the-chef/
Appreciate this week’s comments and responses – I too have found the amount of greens to be a challenge, however I appreciate that these are readily available and am already researching recipes to be ready for next summer. I also am happy to read about the plans for substitution notification.
My question – can I purchase the spaghetti sauce separately? My family and I love this and I would like to purchase additional jars and give them away for holiday gifts. I know they are part of the Pope’s combo, however I would really just like to give the spaghetti sauce.
Thanks!
Yes, we have marinara available in quarts and heirloom tomato sauce available in pints. You can order through your account by clicking the shop button at the top of the page.