About us:
We're a group of 5 folks who have been living together for almost 3 years. The house itself, "Rosemont," has been a communal group house for over a decade. As the housemates have rotated, the weird art collection has grown, and visitors often remark on the odd portraits, mosaics and pottery that somehow made it here. While we work in very different sectors (the arts, education, non-profits, business, linguistics and administration), we love spending time together and unwinding with a good, hearty, vegetable-filled meal.
Why did join the Owl's Nest Farm CSA?
We were originally members of the Radix Farm CSA. We loved the convenient St. Stephen's pickup, the wonderful farmers and the amazing fruits and veggies. We tried a lot of new foods that summer and were happy to support a local farm. All of that continued with Owl's Nest, and we now love the market pick-up. We get what we know we like, in the amounts that work for us. It's OK if we miss a week because of travel, and we can extra when we know we'll be entertaining (like for our annual July 4th party watching fireworks from our roof!)
What was your favorite fruit, veggie, and/or herb from CSA this year? The spicy greens mix was a hit for us the entire season. We made great salads, slaws, and our favorite spicy mix pesto (see recipe below!). The strawberries and cherry tomatoes were also well-loved.
Tell us about any new veggies you tried in 2016. Many of us had never had pea shoots as a salad green! So sweet and crunchy, they're great on sandwiches or in salads.
What tips do you have for folks who might be trying a CSA for the first time? Think about how much you eat collectively. As a house of 5, we go through produce fast, especially stuff we all love. If you're someone who's looking to try something new, and like to eat a lot of veggies, the traditional CSA box might be right for you. If your veggie consumption varies week-to-week, or if you know summer travel may keep you from a regular pick-up, or if you don't know what you'll ever do with a Daikon, we recommend the market pick-up.
Please share your favorite recipe(s).
Vegan Spicy Greens Pesto: (All amounts are approximate, since we never measure!)
1 lb. bag of spicy greens mix
4-6 cloves of garlic
1-1.5 cup of olive oil
2-3 tablespoons lemon juice
1.5- 2 cups any mix of raw: walnuts, almonds, cashews, sunflower seeds (shelled)
1/4-1/2 cup nutritional yeast for that cheesy taste
salt and pepper til you like it
Put all of the above in a food processor. Taste it and adjust amounts until you like it. Great on pasta, sandwiches, or just on a spoon.