The First CSA of the Season!

Image: A small grouping of early spring (in Minnesota) foods: rhubarb, asparagus, chives, and green onions.

Our CSA started today and... it's early yet, but I feel like I went a long way for not a lot. I'm particularly annoyed that they changed my pick-up location. Last year, I ended up at Green Acres in Roseville and it was hella convenient. It was basically a straight shot down Snelling, a twenty minute drive, but only because of all the stoplights. Now, they've moved me over to a co-op (Mississippi Market for local folks), but not the one that's easy to get to from my lovely, Midway home, but the one over on EAST 7th, in Swede Hollow, FFS. 

Now, if you're not from around here, you're thinking, "I have no idea what she just even said." Basically, it's just the difference between a nice, easy drive down one street and a trip that now involves getting on the highway and going, as my grandmother used to say, CLEAR across town, to the other side of downtown from where I am. 

Who thought this was more convenient to me? 

I was also thrown by having to go INSIDE the co-op to get my box. The previous place had a nice sheltered area outside that felt unobtrusive? Like, I didn't feel badly not patronizing the business, since we just pulled in, grabbed our box contents, broke down the box, signed the sheet, and left. No one inside the business ever the wiser. Now, I have to go into the store... though, at least they have a section of the store that's quite wide that is on the exit side of the cash registers? Like, so I don't have to go through the whole store, go through the cash register area without buying anything to get to the boxes, but it still feels weird? Like, I'm... bothering them??? I'm sure part of why the co-op agrees to this arrangement is that they know that some people will be like, "Ah, yes, we are getting asparagus in this box, that pairs nicely with xxxx," I'll pick up xxxx from the co-op while I'm there!"

But, I'm not that person?

So I just feel odd.

But, then again, I might just be in a MOOD. I've been in a mood all day. I blame the fact that my household is trying to wean itself from the pandemic habit of having gotten coffee at our locally-owned coffee shop every single day. We are trying to move down to three days a week, and then down to two, and then to "every so often" like normal people. It was a good idea when we were trying to support local businesses, but not so sustainable for the pocketbook long term. 

Anyway.

For those of you who might be curious, we decided to go with the same people we loved so much last year, the Hmong American Farmer's Association. I really loved the variety we got last year and how clean and well washed everything arrived. I'm all for farm-to-table? But, I will admit to being lazy and preferring that someone else do all the tidying up of the root vegetables and whatnot. If anyone local wishes they had gotten my CSA instead of theirs, it looks like there are still some summer shares available, even though spring is all sold out: https://www.harvie.farm/profile/hmong-american-farmers-association

I mean, just look at that veg! There's not a lot? But, it's early days yet. If I had to make a CSA box out of the things that are currently harvestable in our backyard, I would be sending out envelopes of chives and oregano. Even our rhubarb isn't quite ready to be cut yet. Again, people tuning in from other climates might be horrified, but keep in mind that here is Minnesota we're still dipping down into the 40s (F) / 4 C at night. 

Right, now I just have to figure out if we have any xxxx that will go with asparagus for tonight's dinner.