csa fail
My CSA subscription continues to be awesome. However, I am failing one important piece of produce. They keep sending beautiful bunches of green leaf lettuce. And I guess once summer is over, I am just done with salad for the year. The lettuce sits in the fridge while I go, “Uuggghhh, I really need to wash that lettuce and eat it but graaarrraghhhghhhg it’s October! Don’t wanna!” And the husband and the baby aren’t really lettuce eaters, period.
I’m ashamed to tell you that I’ve thrown out at least 4 heads of lettuce. I’m determined to use this one because letting veggies rot in a landfill is sort of antithetical to some of the reasons I subscribed to the CSA in the first place.
But if I can find some preserving agent, I can just convert this week’s lettuce into some sort of mantle decoration.
Isn’t it fancy? I don’t know why it’s so spread out like that, but I had a hell of a time stuffing it into a bag for the fridge.
Also, these:
Oh, man. I’ve had three since I’ve been home and I’m sure I’ll have at least one more before the night is over. I’m going to have to start going to meetings for these shits.
October 16th, 2008 at 9:47 pm
I had a really yummy and simple recipe once that might use your lettuce in a non-salad way. It was just some ground pork, chopped veggies sauteed with the pork, some kind of Thai sauce mixed in, and the mixture was just spooned into the lettuce and wrapped up so you eat it like a little pita. So delicious!
October 17th, 2008 at 1:10 pm
yeah, I think I’ve seen something to that effect floating around. I’m going to have to explore that option. 🙂
October 16th, 2008 at 10:51 pm
Holy lettuce, batman. Is that just one dang head? What are they feeding the lettuce at your CSA? Human Growth Hormone? Holy crap!
October 17th, 2008 at 9:44 am
yep. for some reason, the leaves aren’t sticking up like they normally do and are all spread out and relaxed.
October 17th, 2008 at 12:57 am
I throw away stuff from my CSA box on a regular basis and I split it with two other people.
This week we got a giant winter squash, though. Can’t wait to not waste it and make curry squash soup.
Your cooking adventures inspire me.
October 17th, 2008 at 1:09 pm
oooh I’m so loving the squash. I have two spaghetti squash and three acorn squash. I’m going to roast them this weekend.
October 17th, 2008 at 7:50 am
I have done the exact same thing with all my lettuce up until this point – I hate the stuff and Minnow isn’t here enough to eat it.
So this week I totally stuffed it into someone else’s box. (I started picking up at Craig Hall and there’s no one there to watch things, so I can do that. 🙂 Maybe he or she will eat it.
October 17th, 2008 at 1:09 pm
good call!
October 17th, 2008 at 9:30 am
Just start serving everything on a bed of lettuce. No one really has to eat it, but you’re technically using it. And all of your food with have the charm of a roadside diner.
Also: those cookies. Holy God.
October 17th, 2008 at 1:09 pm
hahaha, “Look! Spaghetti on a bed of lettuce!”
October 17th, 2008 at 9:58 am
make lots of sandwiches and put that lettuce on them. it’s a way to chow down and you won’t feel like you are having a salad.
October 17th, 2008 at 1:08 pm
sigh, I kind of hate lettuce on sandwiches. I know, I’m a brat.
October 17th, 2008 at 11:57 am
I have the same problem going on, but it’s with vegetables that I actually buy at the Farmer’s Market. When I’m there, I’m all sorts of ambitious and ready to get busy in the kitchen. Not so much once I am actually standing in my kitchen. Then the only thing I want to get busy with is the microwave. (Pretend there isn’t a double meaning going on there, mmkay?)
October 17th, 2008 at 1:08 pm
ooh, yeah, I would be a total nut at the farmer’s market. It’s probably better that they just give the food to me rather than letting me run loose at the market.
October 17th, 2008 at 12:55 pm
Some parts of this might make you feel better: http://www.slate.com/id/2202186/. I can never eat all the hot peppers in my CSA box.
Your blog’s great, by the way.
October 17th, 2008 at 1:07 pm
oh, thanks, Maureen! I do want to get into composting, but my yard needs a lot of work before it can be a garden. I’m hoping to be able to do that in the next year, though. I guess if the worst I’m doing is throwing away a head of lettuce every few weeks that’s not too bad. I do still feel guilty about it.
as for your hot peppers, they freeze really well! I got a TON from my CSA and I just put them in big Ziploc bags and froze them. I’ll be using them all winter!
October 18th, 2008 at 9:05 am
find some friends with bunnies. 😉
the lettuce is really one of the main reasons I opted out of a CSA this year. I am much less likely to toss stuff I actually picked out and brought home myself from the farmer’s market than stuff that is delivered to me.
I do like the “sneak it into someone else’s box” suggestion, though!