CSA STARTS SOON -- HERE'S WHAT YOU SHOULD HAVE IN YOUR KITCHEN

Welcome to or welcome back to the CSA.  I bring this post forward each year and hope you will find it useful.  I love gadgets and kitchen tools but there are a few of them that are absolutely essential for your kitchen during the CSA season.  So here are my thoughts:

SALAD SPINNER

This is the best tool for the CSA season.  We will be receiving all sorts of different greens and I will warn and remind you that they are not clean.  Why you ask?  The greens are picked and delivered to us for your shares within a day of distribution.  If it has rained recently they may have picked up some dirt.  After all that is what they grow in.  Don't worry we don't charge extra for dirt or bugs (yes once in a while we get a bug)!

Here is a link to an article comparing the Top Five Salad Spinners which you might find useful.  I have had cheap and cheerful ones to the one I own now that is from the Pampered Chef.  This may appear pricey at first glance but it does also help dry your berries as well.  It is now seven years old and as good as new.

A BIG KNIFE

Make sure your knives are sharp and ready to go.  Learning how to use it is also a great idea. Here is a link to a video for Basic Knife Skills -- Bruno Albouze.  You will learn some basic skills here.  Practice Practice Practice.  

PEELER

Potato and Vegetable Peeler's come in all shapes and sizes.  I have quite a few but I tend to go back to the same one.  Invest in one that works for your hands and cooking style.  One of the blogs I looked at did an article about the best vegetable peeler.  It is worth a read, and has links to where you can buy them right there.  I am not sure about you but Amazon and I are best friends, and that is one of the links!  https://www.reviewed.com/cooking/best-right-now/the-best-vegetable-peelers

A LARGE BOWL

I really mean a large bowl.  I have the cheapest of cheap from Job Lot.  It is a 32 quart bowl which I am sure I only spent $2 on it many years ago.  It is perfect for really washing your greens before spinning them (don't forget the dirt!).  You can use it for all sorts of things around the house, it's dishwasher safe and makes a great drum if used with a wooden spoon!  

A HUGE COLANDER
The Colander is an absolute must.  I have a picture of mine here.  You will note that it too is large and fits nicely in the bowl I spoke about above.  I don't believe I spent much on this either but I have used it for years.

LONG HANDLED TONGS

Whether you're tossing salad, sautéing greens in a giant pan, grilling slices of eggplant, or cooking up a big pot of pasta to toss with all your crisper's odds and ends, long-handled tongs are indispensable.

CUTTING BOARDS

I have large ones and small ones, plastic and wood.  I really prefer the ones that you put in the dishwasher.  The best ones I found were plastic from Ikea.

MICROPLANER;

The last one is the microplaner.  Not totally necessary but I use them all the time.  I have ones that are similar to these.  They are Coarse, Fine and Ribbon Graters and are excellent for garlic, ginger and more.  They are a bit wider than some of the others which I prefer.  You can get these quite reasonably at Amazon.com.

Instant Pot!
This is a new addition this year to the blog.  This is not essential but I totally love mine.  It cooks fast and really works well with our heavy veggies like winter squashes.  People are somewhat afraid of a pressure cooker but I must tell you that the new ones are easy to use.  The NY Times did a great article about them here... https://www.nytimes.com/2017/01/31/dining/instant-pot-electric-pressure-cooker-recipes.html

None of these tools are expensive but I do think they are really useful and will make your CSA share more enjoyable.  You will also use them at other times as well.  See you in a couple of weeks!