My fingers are green

My fingers are green from picking snow peas and snap peas. After a few years of meaning to, I've finally joined a CSA. I usually remember about wanting to join after they've all closed. This year I found one that was still open and willing to accept a choose-your-own payment plan. So, I went last week to pay my first installment and pick up my first veggies. As I live in Maine, the CSA had only started the week before I joined, thus not a ton of vegetables last week, but definitely enough to get me through the week.

Each CSA has a different method, but the one I joined does a lot of mix-and-match, which is great if you don't like one of the options. I like experimenting, so I take a little bit of everything. Last week was mixed salad greens, mixed cooking greens and broccoli. This week there was a lot more to pick up and their pick your own field was open with peas. Since I don't have my own garden, I enjoyed picking peas amidst kids hunting for peas, exclaiming that they found a really great one, and munching on half the ones they picked. I started to leave when I thought I had enough, but was stopped by the gentleman overseeing the field. He exclaimed, "That's not nearly enough! Go take more! Eat more!" As I slowly wound my way back out of the plants, one hand covering the basket so my extra peas wouldn't fall out he said, "That's more like it! That's what we like to see!" You have to love a place that tells you to take more.

So, now I have a new goal for this blog. I bought a whole share, which means I'm going to have a lot of vegetables. I figured I'd share my attempts at eating enough vegetables to feed two vegetarians with you. I'm also going to attempt to freeze or can whatever I don't manage to ingest. Each day I'll share at least one meal that involved my CSA produce. (Disclaimer: this is a goal and given my atrocious ability to regularly update my blog, a goal I can't guarantee; but I'll give it my best effort). So, first, the run down of this week's share (and then a recipe):

(measurements are approximate, given that they put out big and medium sized bowls that you measure the loose leaves into)
1 head of red leaf lettuce
mixed baby lettuce leaves (about 1 or 2 full heads worth)
mixed salad greens (about 1 head of lettuce)
mixed cooking greens (bok choy, kale, Swiss chard) (about 1 1/2 heads)
2 bunches scallions
1 purple kohlrabi
1 quart mixed snow and snap peas

My lunch today consisted of this salad and a French roll from the local bakery. I ate it while enjoying a sunny day and watching a seal swim near the pier. Practically perfect.

Salad with nectarines and cheese (directions are for transport to work)

2 cups young salad greens, washed and torn into bite sized pieces
1 nectarine, pitted and chopped
2 tsp white balsamic vinegar
1 tsp maple syrup
2 oz apricot-ginger white cheese

Put salad greens in a small, sealable plastic bag.
In a small, sealable container, put the chopped nectarine and pour in vinegar and syrup.
Put cheese in a separate bag.
When ready to eat, put greens on a plate, top with nectarine/dressing, and crumble the cheese over all of it.
Lightly toss before eating.