Good Food is in the Bag!

by Parker Bosley

The mysterious green Fresh Fork Market bag holds a world of discovery, a chance to explore, an opportunity to discover some great new health giving culinary treats; your connection to the real sources of local, seasonal food—the farms of Northeast Ohio.

Your mind begins racing when you pick up your first green bag:

Help!  What do I do?  What is this?  How do I prepare these? 

Whether you were a customer of Fresh Fork Market last year or not, you are sure to see something new this year.  Of course there are items in the bag that you know and love, along with items you discovered and learned about last year.  And there will be items that might be best described as alien.

Think of these three categories:  the tried and true, the somewhat familiar and the new discoveries.

Once you have indentified the ingredients and placed them in one of the three categories you need to think about storage.  What products should be used immediately:  heirloom tomatoes, French green beans, raspberries?  Do I have to refrigerate some of the products?  What items can be stored for several days?  Do pay attention to this.

Now, plan to use those products that are in your culinary comfort zone.  Put them on the menu for lunches and dinners during the next few days.

Remember how you used those not so familiar items last year when they appeared as part of the weekly line-up.  Ask others how they have used new products.

Meanwhile,  go to your favorite food and recipe site.  Research.  Try to learn more about the new and less familiar items.  This is one of the great advantages of a CSA program like Fresh Fork Market.  We are moved from our comfort zone.  We are encouraged by necessity to learn about new foods, to exercise some curiosity and to discover.