Once a week, mid June through mid October, I eagerly drive 5 miles out of town to this quaint little farm stand.

It is here that I pick up my box of fresh fruit and veggies compliments of my Oakridge Farms CSA (Community Shared Agriculture). If you have never tried a CSA, I highly recommend it. Each week I get to pick up fresh, locally grown produce. It makes me feel so good to be investing in my community! Plus, every Tuesday feels like Christmas, as the anticipation of discovering what goodies will be in my box, is much like guessing what presents will be under the tree.

One of the most exciting aspects of receiving a box full of fruit and veggies is the challenge of incorporating them into meals for the week. Once I saw the broccoli, I started thinking of “Cheezy” Broccoli Soup. But, I didn’t have all the ingredients. So after a little research, I came up with  Kathy Patalski’s Easy Creazy Broccoli Soup on Healthy.Happy.Life.com. I made a few modifications to the recipe.

Broccoli Soup

1 bunch of broccoli (stems removed)

1 head of cauliflower (broken up)

1 1/4 c. non-dairy milk (I used soy)

2 cloves garlic (remove skins)

1/2 c. nutritional yeast

3/4 t. salt (or to taste)

1/2 c. sliced green onions

1/2 avocado, cubed

Place broccoli, cauliflower and garlic into a pot of salted, boiling water. Boil until tender. Drain and then put veggies in blender. Add the rest of the ingredients and blend until smooth. You could also use an immersion blender. Simply place all ingredients back in pot after draining.

Homemade Croutons

6 slices sprouted wheat bread (I used Ezekiel 4:9 Sprouted Whole Grain bread)

olive oil

sea salt

garlic powder

Cut bread into crouton size pieces. Place on a baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle with sea salt and garlic powder. Bake at 4oo degrees until crispy (check after 20 minutes).

I felt extremely proud of myself. I managed to use broccoli, cauliflower, and green onions from my box! Just another meal made with local love!