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Shop local, eat local

Our first CSA box and dishes prepared with the featured ingredients

Since I’m a big supporter of working with local businesses, it only seemed natural (pun intended) to get food locally. Growing your own food is healthy, but it’s a daunting concept for city dwellers like myself. So we decided to let the farm do the growing for us and join a CSA (community supported agriculture). We signed up with Harvest Moon Organics, a farm located in southwest Wisconsin, not far from Chicago. How does a CSA work? You pay for a “share” of the season’s harvest. The farm delivers a weekly box filled with in-season produce (plus in our case, fresh eggs) to a nearby pickup location. You pick up your box and explore the organic goodies inside. Our first box was filled with a few old favorites (lettuce, asparagus) as well as unfamiliar faces (garlic scapes). What to do with those garlic scapes? I promptly reached out to my twitter pals, who were happy to oblige with new recipe ideas. Recent articles in Whole Living and Food & Wine have sung the praises of CSAs both as a way to support local farms, as well as a reason to mix up your cooking routine. Not to mention, upping the health ante in your diet with all that fresh organic produce. Looking for a CSA in your area? Check LocalHarvest.org for info and locations.

What about you… do you eat local? Leave a comment!