Days 4 and 5. Getting used to a new (green) paradigm

Just some of the bounty I brought home from the Temple Isaiah/CCJDS CSA.

Yes, those are yellow carrots!

My ever-enigmatic and non-Goomba-esque coach Allie (impressively, without breaking any limbs) convinced me that the key to feeling satisfied is to load up with lots of greens and other vegetables. I had a big ol' salad today for lunch with a homemade avocado dressing, onions, sugar plum tomatoes, corn and pumpkin seeds. My veggie experimentation is revving up and I'm starting to get back into the groove of cooking. Sick of steamed broccoli, I'm ready to embrace some new foods. Allie recommended (OK--she pretty much strong-armed me into joining) a CSA that a mutual friend is helping to run through the Temple Isaiah/Contra Costa Jewish Day School in Lafayette. The fruits and veggies are supplied through Ledesma Family Farms and Frog Hollow. The produce is organized Farmer's Market style and you get your choice of a few items in a category ( e.g. Cauliflower or broccoli? Arugula or spring mix?) so that you're not stuck with any one thing as per most CSAs. By the time I got to Temple Isaiah late this afternoon I was pretty well famished. Janna (our friend) led me through the CSA set-up and as she described the vegetables I could visualize the "sweet, rich golden" carrot interior and the roasted sunchokes that are like fingerling potatoes but better. The pea greens that represent the taste of the sugar snap pea in ONE WHOLE SALAD were irresistible. Even fresh pinto beans---yes, I'm going to try them (I am a bean-hater) because Janna assured me of their fresh goodness.

So, all vegetables aside (Mom will like that) some of the key observations I've made in the past two days are:

• I don't have to eat my six-year-old's (flax seed--ha ha--she doesn't know!) tortilla chips just because she wants them. I can give her a portion without tasting them.
• I don't have to taste my food all along the whole cooking process.
• I don't need to test pasta for doneness--in my mouth.
• When I want to snack, most of the time a beverage will quell the hunger.
• I can live with hunger. And sometimes I can even ignore it.
• There's a whole culinary world out there that I haven't fully explored yet. How exciting!
• The kids are fascinated by this whole process and eager to join in, help and learn about nutrition. They may even be my biggest cheerleaders and the ones who benefit the most from this in the long run--which makes me smile and tear up just a little. And yes, dammit, they have to have green stuff on their plate.

If you're interested in the CSA here's the link on the Temple Isaiah site: Temple Isaiah/CCJDS CSA