CSF: One Step Closer

Last month, I was introduced to the concept of "community-supported fishery" or CSF. My initial investigations revealed (surprisingly) that we don't yet have this in the bay area. I figured that it was just a matter of time, though, before we did.

Today's paper had an article that shows that we are one step closer to that reality.

In the same way that you can pay up front to receive a once-a-week delivery of just-picked fruit and vegetables directly from a local farm, expect someday soon to enjoy that same convenient service with fresh seafood caught by Bay Area family fishermen.

The concept of community supported agriculture, in which consumers purchase a subscription or membership to a farm to receive seasonal produce boxes, has been transported from soil to sea in community supported fishery programs that have been popping up along the coastal United States. Now the first one in Northern California is set to begin on Friday at none other than Google.

Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2011/05/20/FD2P1JHR99.DTL#ixzz1N78Nv1YR

In the Garden: May 2011

The last few weekends has seen a flurry of activity. The city did its annual free compost giveaway and I got at least one of the three free bags mixed into the soil on the front bed. I let it work in for a week and then I've been slowly adding vegetables.

Front bed: Front to back: 6 Red Sails lettuce, 6 spinach, 9 basil, 1 gypsy pepper, 1 green bean bush, 2 Early Girl tomatoes in their cages. The drip system is in place and working. At the far end of each bed is some sort of flowering plant I put in last year to attract bees, humming birds, and butterflies. Seems to be working.

Back bed: I picked up a strawberry plant last fall because it was there at the nursery. Since then I've learned that it is a spring/summer plant. Consequently, it didn't do much until now and it's finally getting full of strawberries. I'm hoping it will be done with soon so I can tear it out and get some late summer veggies going.

Breakfast from the Box

Something cool occurred to me as I was making our Sunday breakfast: I knew the source of just about every ingredient. Most of it came from our weekly CSA box but for those that didn't I knew where it came from. Here's how it went.

I began by cutting up a couple of fingerling potatoes and sweet potatoes (leftover from last week's box). I got them started in the skillet with some butter, black pepper, and a dash of salt.

Then I decided to go for a Southwestern egg scramble given the ingredients in this week's box. I started by dicing half of a yellow onion (from the box) and got it started in a skillet with some EVOO. While the onion cooked down, I diced half of a green bell pepper (from the latest delivery) and added it to the skillet. Four eggs (from a friend's backyard chickens) were whisked together along with some of Penzey's Southwest seasoning and into the skillet they went. I chopped up some cilantro leaves (from the box) and added them into the eggs. A diced avocado (finally ripened from last week's box) got added and then some grated cheddar cheese (OK, this was from Trader Joe's).

Oranges and tangerines (from this week and last) were juiced.

After plating, I sprinkled some dried parsley (from the backyard) over the potatoes and served.

All in all, an enjoyable locavore breakfast.