#76: Join a CSA

On Sunday T and I received our first CSA box:

Say hello to our new vegetable supplier: Suzie's Farm.

Suzie's is an organic farming operation operating here in San Diego (in fact, Google maps informs me that they are located between 15.7 and 17.1 miles from my house depending on the freeways that I take). The sell their produce to lots of local restaurants, at farmer's markets, and through their CSA .

"But what is a CSA, and what's in the basket?" I hear you asking.

Allow me to answer those questions one at a time.

1. CSA=community supported agriculture. CSA programs put local farmers in direct contact with their customer base. These programs generally work as such... the customer pays a flat fee for a certain number of produce deliveries and every week (or in our case, every other week) the farmer supplies said customer with a box of produce.  These types of programs are helpful in supporting local farms because it guarantees the farmers a customer base and gives them the capital that they need for planting and other big projects on the farm. And in exchange for their pledge of support, the customers are supplied with a variety of high quality veggies without having to pay assorted middle men, and with the peace of mind that comes with knowing exactly where your veggies come from and your money goes.

2. This week our CSA box contained the following:

• Tomatillos (1 lb)
• Cabbage
• Zucchini
• Onion Fennel
• Tomatos (2lbs..... delicious San Marzanos)
• Padron Peppers
• Lettuce
• Okra
• Onion Sprouts
• Cilantro

While we don't get to pick what comes in our box each week, we do varied an assortment of different produce depending on what is ripe at the farm. I find this to be one of the most compelling reasons for joining the CSA.... It puts people back in touch with seasonal eating, an experience very different from the standard supermarket produce section.

All Local Salad

If you're interested in what we're making with our produce just check in on T's food blog. I'm sure you'll be seeing plenty money shots of Suzie's amazing vegetables over there before too long.

Cheers,
Nick

#5: The Hillcrest Farmer's Market

Farmer's Market #3

It was our bikes first outing in San Diego and our first time at our closest farmer's market... such a solid Sunday afternoon. We picked up fresh corn, teas, lentils, wild rice, Pesto Bitchin' Sauce, mint, dragons tongue snap beans (SO good), peppers, an assortment of mushrooms, fresh orange juice, AND joined Suzie's Farm's CSA!!! (#76- Join a CSA, so more about that soon.) 

We <3 the Hillcrest Farmers Market. 

#2: Bargain Music

It has officially been (approximately) a month an a half since I attended the best show that I have ever seen in my life... the Bargain Music 15th Anniversary Show at DiPiazza's in Long Beach.

(I have been procrastination about writing up this post because I know that I can never really do justice to the show with mere words on the page.... but here it goes)

Before I get into the show... let me give you a brief description of my personal history with Bargain Music. I was originally turned on to the band by my good friend/former roommate, Woodrow McPants. Over the years the band has gone through numerous personnel changes surrounding the back bone of the band: Josh Fischel ("a six foot four troubadour who can barely play guitar" but can melt your face with his vocal power and range). If I was forced to describe their style I would have to call it punk rock and reggae, with folk, country, heavy metal, and countless other influences. Unfortunately, by the time of my introduction to Bargain, they band had essentially called it quits, thus nixing the potential for me to see the band in concert (or so I thought). I dug my way through the band's back catalog and they quickly became my favorite band. Fischel's vocals and songwriting are some of the best I've ever encountered. While I had seen Josh perform solo (which is, don't get me wrong, absolutely astounding), I had long wished that I had been able to see the whole band play. Thus, when Woody told me that the original Bargain Music line-up would be playing a one night anniversary show, I was there.

And so it was that Woody, Smalls, Panda, Chow, T and I found ourselves at DiPiazza's on the night of July 30th.

Prior to the night's main attraction, Josh opened (for himself) with his new band Josh Fischel and the Fiction. The Fiction kicked ass... Josh's singing was epic as always, their bassist was tight and funky, the guitarist shreds, keys were holding it down, and don't even get me started on their drummer. Their version of Cripple Creek was one of the best I've ever heard (no disrespect to The Band). The Fiction alone would have been an amazing show unto themselves, but... then came the original lineup of Bargain Music.

I only managed to snag this one crappy photo because I was too busy having  my socks rocked off

I was seriously not kidding when I said that this was the best show I've ever seen. They played all of my favorites: "Black Eye", "Long Beach Millennium", "It's Called Fucking". Sure, they were a little bit rusty having not played together for more or less a decade, but seeing all of those songs played live was incredible. And the energy of the show was amazing, DiPiazza's was packed with people who had been fans since the beginning; many of them knew Josh and the band personally... hell... some of them were even the subjects of song lyrics. Everyone in the entire building sang along the entire time. My face was literally melting with the awesomeness of the entire spectacle. It was a life changing experience.

In the end, it was an evening full of songs that I never thought I'd see performed and will never forget having seen.

#79 Make Homemade Orange Juice

Simple and delicious. Nothing beats homemade OJ. 

Oranges: From Nick's parent's CSA box

Juicer: From Ikea

Super cute napkin: Anthropology