The Box

In the past 12 hours, I have texted with friends in opposite coastal cities about signing up for a summer CSA box. I have also unloaded the Winter CSA box that my household received today. And signed up for our summer shares of produce, fruit, eggs, bread, and gluten-free bread.

I know not everyone can sign up for a CSA. For one thing, they're not actually available everywhere. There aren't really farmer's markets around our parents, though there may be people selling produce out the back of their pick-up. (I googled anyway and was happily surprised that the state agriculture department lists one in their county. Their website was not operational though.) Second, they're not always affordable, especially for everyone worried about pay in this time of record-splintering time.* (This morning was not cheap for ours. It is 5-6 months of food after all.) That said this is the year to do a CSA, if you are at all thinking about it.

Why CSA this season?

1. Seasonal produce. Support local farmers. You know. The usual reasons.

2. This is the year to both make sure that you are getting fresh produce AND also limit contact while obtaining said produce.

3. You can pick it up outside. My current one involves absolutely zero contact with another human.

4. It shortens trips to grocery stores and farmer's markets. (Once our fruit share kicks in, we'll go to the store for dry goods, dairy, juice, and citrus?) Reduces viral load for everyone.

5. Let's face it, travel ain't happening this CSA season like it would in other seasons. So you don't need to think as much about when you're going to be gone and not use the box. You will be there. You will want to eat.

6. It lets you pre-buy food AND also not take options out of the grocery store for the people who can't afford to stock up.

7. It is the year of home cooking experimentation! Join the fun! What better way than the classic? 

In the spirit of cooking experimentation, I'm going to try to share some of my strategies for cooking through the box. Maybe we can think of it as our virtual cookbook to share comfort foods with friends during this time of distance? Or is that what this blog was originally?

* I get that it's not quite the spirit of supporting the farmer, but I would love if CSA's did a monthly signup that would match WIC/EBT dollars the way some farmer's markets do. Guarantee food delivery throughout the month.

Sick Food Stockpile

I look at the post I wrote two weeks ago and it already feels so long ago.

That morning I was feeling my disappointment in the primary elections. Later in the week, I listened to the comments around campaign suspensions. I watched interviews with candidates still running. And rewatched Warren again and again and again.

I was aware of coronavirus being in the US, I'd even already bought the next pack of toilet paper that we need. When I went to the grocery store that week I stocked up a little bit more than usual. And in every grocery run after that. (Our cheese drawer is a little bit ridiculous right now.)

Now it feels like we're in the last gasp of breath before the storm. We know it's coming, but we don't know how bad it's really going to be. We social distance and shelter in place. We disinfect door handles and wash hands as soon as we enter the apartment. Take off the clothes we were wearing outside and put them in the laundry.

I wrote notes on post-its and left them around the floor.
Hi Neighbor,
Don't want you to feel abandoned during our social distancing. If you can't make a supply/grocery run, I'm happy to be on your list of people who may be able to help.
Sarah ###

My pantry is blessedly (or embarrassingly) full for someone who lives in an apartment. It's the way I've lived ever since I lived an hour away from the town where I did most of the grocery shopping and 100 miles away from Walmart. Even now, with a view of the grocery store from my window, I keep extra groceries in the closet. (In my defense, a lot of it is the different varieties of gluten free flour. And you don't want to run out of the right cereals, because the stores that sell those are farther away.)  This is how while the media reports of buying beans, rice, and canned tomatoes, I end up buying cheese, hummus, bananas, and wasabi. For us, it's mostly been a usual week's grocery run.

We have food in the apartment to last us for two weeks if (when?) we need to quarantine. The trick for now is anticipating what food we want if we're sick. Normally, the healthy person would go to the store to get the ginger ale, the bananas, the potatoes, or the rotisserie chicken. (I've even dashed in for those when I've been the sick one.) We won't do that this time.

Instead, I've set aside a box of food for if my time comes. Trying to guess what I'll want (that will also keep for however long it needs).

•  Rolled oats
•  Candied ginger
•  Raisins
•  Box of soup that's been in the pantry since we moved here
•  Dehydrated soup mix
•  Saltine crackers
•  Jar of applesauce
•  Carton of apple juice
•  Six pack of ginger ale

I left the tea (licorice!) in the cupboard. Ideally we'll have potatoes and bananas on hand. Scrambled eggs to be soft on my throat--does that mean making sure that I have at least a half dozen on hand? What about when I want toast with my eggs? I think this is when I message the neighbors I've only met through text and ask them to make a run for me? Or call someone from church for the same?

How are you holding up? What are you reaching for in the pantry or refrigerator? Are you saving anything special?