Post graciously written by CSA Member, Ivette Irizarry.

This bok choy salad by recipe developer Mackenzie s perfect as is. When the bok choy disappears from your box,, substitute it all together for cucumber or raw zucchini, and you have a more summery-version. When in doubt, make a raw salad with your CSA veggies. Recipe and photo by Mackenzie Smith Kelley.

If you are not used to getting produce delivered regularly it can feel a little overwhelming at first. It’s nothing like your TP subscription with Amazon. That stuff can pile up in your garage no problem. But the beautiful produce from your JBG Organic CSA membership is — gasp — perishable!

Panic sets in. What do I do with all these veggies? How do I store them? What will I cook with them?

Never fear. Follow me as I “unbox” my veggies and you will find tips to help you make the most of your CSA share.

1. Arm Yourself With Information

When I get my box, it’s like getting a new jigsaw puzzle. I open it right away and start sorting all the pieces. Depending on your puzzle personality you may start sorting by color, or straight edges. You start to build knowing you can look at the photo on the box if you get stuck.

Well, JBG has taken care to build a really helpful website. Visit their veggie guide page to get advice on how to store and prepare each vegetable. In fact, you can just keep this page open in your browser as you go through your box and look up what to do with each item as needed. Just like the cover of that puzzle box.

2. Take Inventory and Write Down Some Ideas

First, I take everything out and take inventory. Because I know the box is coming, I make sure not to overdo it at the supermarket in the days leading up to the delivery. It’s easy to plan for this if you are a CSA box-stalker like me, because you can find what is coming in your share with their handy seasonal chart, and the guide which shows you the box week by week.

Ok. Here we go, let’s open the box.

Ooohhh!!!! — clappy hands emoji — I am super excited to see baby bok choi! I grab a few of these bright orange carrots, run to the sink, and wash them. I munch on the super sweet carrots while I write down a list of ideas of what to make with my new toys… I mean, veggies.

Making a list of ideas on note paper that you can stick on your fridge with a magnet is a great first step. It not only helps you use up your veggies, but it also helps you menu plan your week ahead.

Take inventory. Which veggies do you know well? Which ones stump you? Protip: Simply google the vegetable that stumps you in addition to any other ingredients in your fridge that need using up. This is an easy way to get some recipe inspiration. For this box, for example, you might search "squash, peppers, eggs". Only google knows what recipe you might cook!

3. Let The Veggies Lead the Way

Let’s see what’s inside. Parsley and cilantro right away screams chimichurri to me. I could put chimichurri on anything. My recipe is similar to this one from JBG, with the addition of a teaspoon (or four) of finely minced capers. Also, I hand-chop. I like the texture better. Leafy herbs are super delicate so I know I want to wash those, trim the very bottom of the stems and put them in a jar of water. Mañana we chimichurri.

Red and green lettuce came in a bag that I toss in the fridge without looking. We eat lettuce every day. It’ll be gone before I know it. I could pickle the radishes but I love to slice and use those as confetti. So I just wash them. (And I remember to toss the green basket-y thing they came in to return with my box. Gotta reuse that!)

Sometimes leafy greens like kale and chard look like they need some TLC. Don’t worry, they’ve been traveling in a box in a truck. It’s like when you wake up at 4 am to catch a 6 am flight. By the time you land you need a little sprucing up too. A few minutes in a bowl with icy water and they perk right up.

The kale is pleading with me to make some “Caldo Gallego.” I tear it off the stems, put it in a zip bag that I flatten, and toss it in the freezer. No blanching required. Sometimes I freeze the stems to use in pesto, but today I’m feeling generous and toss them to my chickens. I could freeze the chard, but I think I am going to stew them into Acelgas Guisadas.

4. Don’t Beet Yourself Up

If you’ve been around for any length of time, you know there’s going to be some beets in that box, am I right? Those used to drive me crazy, but now unless I already have a specific plan for them, I just scrub them, toss them in my rice/slow cooker with enough water to cover by 1 inch, and set it for 2 hours (the shortest time on my machine). But it doesn’t take that long, especially if they are not very big, or you don’t have that many. Start checking them at 20 minutes. You get the same result using a saucepan and water on your stove. No fancy required.

When they are tender I let them cool, peel them and store them in a container in the fridge. Now that they are cooked I know I can grab, chop and toss into a dish whenever I feel like it. The JBG website has lots of ideas of what to make with beets in your CSA share.

I know what you’re thinking, “Oh, but beets are so delicious when roasted, or steamed or…” Yes, there are so many “better” ways to prepare them. But I find that if I overthink it I just don’t use them.

Chef and CSA Member Taylor Chambers knows a thing or two about steaming beets. We love his no-frills advice for making use of your beets that he shared in a spotlight so many years ago. Click the photo to read the full story.

5. Cook Something TODAY!

Don’t wait to use the items in your share box. Pick something and use it today.

When I was through sorting my veggies, it was time to start dinner. We had some leftover homemade shrimp fried rice in the fridge, so I prepped some carrots, along with the baby bok choi, and threw together a quick veggie stir fry to serve with the rice. Topped it with my ‘radish confetti’. About 15 minutes later... “Dinner is ready!” A fresh, healthy meal made with local organic produce. It’s that simple. And I love it.

How do YOU make the most of your CSA share? I would love to know. Want the recipe for Caldo Gallego? Let me know in the comments below.

Ivette's acelgas guisadas - a breakfast for dinner situation that makes easy use of a multitude of CSA veggies..