multipurposegoddess (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
multipurposegoddess) wrote2010-10-06 06:10 pm
multipurposegoddess) wrote2010-10-06 06:10 pm
Entry tags:
CSA Report
I stumbled across Soul Food Farm sometime in the last month and placed an order (to pick up at the farm, as that's closest to me - they also have pickups in Berkeley and SF): a dozen eggs, a regular chicken, a stock chicken (damaged in processing, but suitable for soup), and some confit (chicken cooked in duck fat, I believe). I didn't really realize how expensive this stuff was until today - it's almost $50 for that. Fifty cents an egg! Granted, some of those eggs are pretty huge. I don't know what breed they are from, but they don't all fit comfortably in a standard egg carton. However, the heritage turkey I got for Thanksgiving a couple of years ago was astoundingly delicious, and after seeing the chickens running around the farm (they are seriously free-range and not as afraid of cars as poultry really ought to be; they do eventually get out of your way, but they don't hurry) I expect extreme tastiness. I will have to deal with heads and feet and I haven't seen how the organs have been dealt with, yet, but I am confident none of that will pose serious problems.
I don't know for sure, because, no, I didn't come right home and start preparing chicken. I stopped at Carl's Jr. on the way and had myself some comfort fastfood. it's been a long time, and there was random crying on the drive (Verizon Navigator took me through a part of Vacaville that H and I got lost in after refrigerator shopping. It doesn't take much when I'm not expecting the association. And, dang, he would have enjoyed going to the farm: chickens running around, two dogs demanding ear scritches, big stands of lavender, what's not to like?) It's never quite as delicious as I remember it, but still, somehow, satisfying.
Coincidentally, yesterday my local news Google Alert (I set it up to bring me news about my town, it brings me any mention of the 4 closest towns, as well, because I guess it gets bored) brought me a review of a restaurant in Berkeley that uses Soul Food Farm's chickens as the basis for most of their menu: Ippuku. This place apparently serves chicken tartare. Yikes. But that speaks well to the quality of the chicken, I think. I will not be trying that at home.
I could pick up a dozen eggs and as many chickens as I can eat as often as every two weeks. I doubt I will need to that often. I'm not sure how long I want to try to stretch the eggs, because the freshness is really what's important to me (if I could nest cut-tags, I could talk about that at some length, but I won't subject y'all to that right now), but I could always separate and freeze some to get me through times when my local vegetable stand (whose fresh eggs are significantly cheaper, but not always available) is out. I have to place my orders in advance - I could order for the next pick up already, there's always the possibility that they will run out of something i want and orders close entirely a few days before pick up - so there is a little bit of inventory control I'll need to figure out.
But partial proof of concept, definitely. It took me less time than going to the supermarket to get a chicken (because going to the store even for one thing and only getting that one thing somehow takes me two hours. It's a gift). Tomorrow, the eating part of the proof begins.
Edited on 10/7: Huh. On further inspection (no, I didn't even look at them yesterday, the guy handed me a bag of chicken and I just trusted him), no heads or feet to be dealt with. I am disappointed, I think.
I don't know for sure, because, no, I didn't come right home and start preparing chicken. I stopped at Carl's Jr. on the way and had myself some comfort fastfood. it's been a long time, and there was random crying on the drive (Verizon Navigator took me through a part of Vacaville that H and I got lost in after refrigerator shopping. It doesn't take much when I'm not expecting the association. And, dang, he would have enjoyed going to the farm: chickens running around, two dogs demanding ear scritches, big stands of lavender, what's not to like?) It's never quite as delicious as I remember it, but still, somehow, satisfying.
Coincidentally, yesterday my local news Google Alert (I set it up to bring me news about my town, it brings me any mention of the 4 closest towns, as well, because I guess it gets bored) brought me a review of a restaurant in Berkeley that uses Soul Food Farm's chickens as the basis for most of their menu: Ippuku. This place apparently serves chicken tartare. Yikes. But that speaks well to the quality of the chicken, I think. I will not be trying that at home.
I could pick up a dozen eggs and as many chickens as I can eat as often as every two weeks. I doubt I will need to that often. I'm not sure how long I want to try to stretch the eggs, because the freshness is really what's important to me (if I could nest cut-tags, I could talk about that at some length, but I won't subject y'all to that right now), but I could always separate and freeze some to get me through times when my local vegetable stand (whose fresh eggs are significantly cheaper, but not always available) is out. I have to place my orders in advance - I could order for the next pick up already, there's always the possibility that they will run out of something i want and orders close entirely a few days before pick up - so there is a little bit of inventory control I'll need to figure out.
But partial proof of concept, definitely. It took me less time than going to the supermarket to get a chicken (because going to the store even for one thing and only getting that one thing somehow takes me two hours. It's a gift). Tomorrow, the eating part of the proof begins.
Edited on 10/7: Huh. On further inspection (no, I didn't even look at them yesterday, the guy handed me a bag of chicken and I just trusted him), no heads or feet to be dealt with. I am disappointed, I think.