The “Tell” – Springdell Winter CSA Pickup #4


Hi everyone, Jess here to recap the 4th CSA pickup of the winter season! It’s hard to believe that we’re beginning our fourth year of this blog! I’m recalling life with a two and four year-old, at my standing desk with one of the boys napping in a wrap on my chest as I typed, dog earring cookbooks with wild abandon. That first year was such an awesome challenge for my counterpart Sarah and I. To think that we could post a CSA recipe every day for 365 consecutive days, and then to actually pull it off! It was an awesome challenge and we couldn’t have done it without the support of our farm family.

A lot has changed since that first year. We moved to posting a weekly digest of our favorite recipes. We’ve added Veggiescope, our virtual Veggiepedia, which has expanded to include meats, and continues to grow to this day as we learn new tips and tricks along the way.

This last year has been a challenge as the “we” became “me”, Sarah moved off to Pennsylvania (is enjoying her CSA there), and I spend more time focusing on the Show and Tell and Veggiescope, and posting recipes when I can. It’s taken me a while to find a new rhythm. I rely much more heavily on my farm fam to share new recipes, tips and tricks so that I can spend more time keeping the site up to date. It definitely takes a village and I appreciate all the ideas, questions, feedback and the wonderful community we have here. Here’s to another great year!

EDIT- some folks got bean sprouts and cooking apples in their shares. Click on these to see some recipe options!

Let’s check in to see how this pickup was enjoyed in the Anderson Household.

Roasty toasty home fries are a family favorite. Adding a quick sprinkle of Herd Nerd SPICE give just the right amount of seasoning and flavor!

Add homemade pancakes and the new Springdell Breakfast Sausage Patties, and you have a yummy breakfast!

These Honey Orange Firecracker Shrimp were quite yummy! Serve them on a bed of rice or a salad!
Like fireworks on a plate!
Springdell Cube Steaks bring a surprise to the dinner table. The surprise? They are fork tender (cube steaks are not known for this quality). Try this recipe and enjoy!
It’s hard to resist the hearty deliciousness of cube steak gravy! Roasted parsnips, radishes, and creamy garlic mashed potatoes also came to the plate party!
I had fun testing different cranberry pan sauces in this pickup. My favorites are posted here.
This was savory and such a delicious compliment to the pork. My non-cranberry eating kids were pleasantly surprised!

Someone was asking me about how to store potatoes and onions. I suggest a cool, dark and dry place. I have a small newspaper lined bin in my kitchen and take things out as needed. There are no growth retardants on the farm’s root veggies, so you might see some sprouting on Farmer Jamie’s taters if you don’t eat them in a timely manner. The good news? You can’t plant the sprouts and grow some of your own potatoes!

Always keep your onions/shallots/garlic stored separately from your potatoes. The bulbs emit gases that make the potato angry. No good.

Make your own Pizza night is back for the winter! The neighborhood kids and parents drop in on Fridays and we make all kinds of yummy pizzas. This one included butternut squash puree, cranberry apple compote, spinach, caramelized onion and feta.

The rest of January was spent working our way through the chest freezer, pantry, and the veggie bins. We froze a lot of corn this summer, which was great for my youngest’s favorite dinner, a rice bowl with edamame, corn, cucumber tofu and shredded carrots. The Springdell Ground Hot Italian Sausage from the Meat Subscription was scrambled with onion and peppers for a delicious main course.

Oven Baked Potato Fries are a simple and easy side dish, especially enjoyed by the kiddos! I wish I could say the peas were from the CSA/garden, but my kids eat more than I can grow or shell on my own. This portion of Springdell Strip Steak is a welcome sight on a winter dinner plate.

That’s about it for this Tell! I’m looking forward to seeing you back here very soon for the 5th Pickup of the season! As always, if you have any tips, tricks, recipes, questions, comments, or hugs, get in touch and let me know! I’m always trying to keep this page updated with the latest info on the best ways to use all this awesome produce, and I need your help to make that happen! Thanks and see you soon!


About Jess

Jess Anderson is the creator of CSA|365 and is passionate about the local food movement. A long time member of Springdell and a busy mother of two, Jess loves keeping her family fed by honest local food.

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