food rules: what's a CSA?

Tell me what you eat, & I will tell you what you are.

Leave it to a French epicure (one with a "refined palate") to give us this famous food quote. Jean Anthelme Brillat-Savarin (1755-1826) was a busy man–defending capital punishment as an active citizen, defending people as a lawyer, fleeing the revolution when they wanted his head, defending food & refined taste. In fact, he spend so much time defending good diets (especially diets low in sugar & white flour, which is fascinating), that he has a cheese & a cake named after him.*

The "gâteau Savarin" matters because it is the same style as the "rhum baba"–& both cakes were "introduced to France" via Stanislas, right here in Lorraine.*  Since our friends who passed their oven on to us also passed on a mold for this cake, it's the next cake I'll be baking.

The quote above matters because we all say it. We've all heard it, but many of us don't take the time ot think about it. If we are what we eat, then most Americans would be an ear of corn in a cardboard box. We would be heavy on fat & light on lean (which is true, really*).

Organizations like Slow Food & countless community-supported agriculture groups are working to bring food back to the center of the community. It's what human life has always centered around. Look at classic examples from Christianity–the sermon on the mount, the weekly sharing of "communion" or the Eucharist. Humans have always broken bread together, have always spent these intimate moments in their communities.

So then what is community-support agriculture (CSA)? The program is all over Europe, as it started in Germany & Switzerland before reaching us in the States. The focus is on local agriculture & sustainable farming practices. It means we're relying on local farmers (of all sizes), the seasons, the weather & each other. The CSA Wikipedia page gives us three key points to the program:

1. a transparent, whole season budget for producing a specified wide array of products for a set number of weeks a year

2. a common-pricing system where producers and consumers discuss and democratically agree to pricing based on the acceptance of the budget;

3. a ‘shared risk and reward’ agreement, i.e. that the consumers receive what the farmers grow even with the vagaries of seasonal growing.

Communities all over the United States (search for yours here). They're subscribing to a monthly fee that gives them access to local produce, seasonal surprises, a sense of community, a better understanding of farming & largely organic produce at lower prices. A huge help: you go pick up your box of produce (or in some cases delivered), which really cuts down on your grocery shopping.

We were lucky enough to sample a CSA while staying in St. Louis when one of our good friends was out of town. She & her family gave us their CSA allotment for the week. We came home with two sacks of produce, fresh honey, & some things that were a bit of an adventure to cook with–lemongrass & fish. (We were broke & not branching out much.) We're excited to join one when we get to Bloomington, but I'll be honest. The initial payment is a little frightening, ranging from $150 to $500.

But remember–you're buying weeks of groceries with that payment, & you're getting all fresh, safe produce. I encourage you to at least look at the options in your area. If nothing else, it's fun to see what local farmers are up to.

I've really enjoyed sharing my passion for sustainable food with you this week, & I hope you've all gotten something out of it. Next week, I'll get back to telling you about life in Nancy. I look forward to hearing about your food adventures!

Have you considered or participated in a CSA? What have you liked/disliked most about this week's posts?

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