July 12, 2021
Garlic is a magical thing to grow. Plant one clove beneath the soil and in a matter of months it will multiply, eventually forming an entirely new bulb of garlic. In southern Arizona, garlic is planted in the fall because it requires four to six weeks of cool weather to vernalize (induce the seed’s flowering… Read more »
Editor’s Note: One of our missions at Tucson CSA is to provide a marketplace for new food producers to sell their products, get feedback, and continue to grow their operation. Many times, because these new producers are just starting off, they don’t have the infrastructure or ability to grow large enough quantities to provide food… Read more »
July 10, 2021
Secondhand Plants is a gardening and plant salvage project tended by Marina. She hosts monthly yard sales at different locations in Tucson and practices ongoing plant rehab & recycling projects. It started with a surplus of agave pups, cactus pads, & spider plant babies. Propagating and salvaging plants to share is one of the joys… Read more »
June 28, 2021
This time of year, a unique delicacy sprouts to life from corn fields. Its Aztec name is cuitlacoche (pronounced QUEET-la-coh-chay). Referred to as “corn smut”, farmers in central Mexico call it “el oro negro” or “back gold.” Gathered during the rainy season from now through mid-October, huitlacoche has long been considered a delicacy. Here in… Read more »
June 21, 2021
Over the course of the past two months, as temperatures rose higher and higher, Tucson CSA members found a welcome sight in their shares: delicate whole lettuce with roots still attached. Those who garden know that it’s too hot to get lettuce to germinate starting in April, so where did those delectable and cool leaves… Read more »
Known as dow gauk in China, sasage in Japan, and either yardlong or asparagus bean in England and the US, this close relative of southern peas (think black-eyed peas, purple hull peas, and crowder peas) grows well in the summer heat. Yardlong beans grow quickly and can grow up to three feet long but are… Read more »
Editor’s Note: We spent the first half of 2021 exploring the roles that race, social revolution, food sovereignty, and food justice play in our food system through a pilot program we called the Food Justice Book Club. Led by CSA member, former librarian, and book indexer Amron Gravett, we read and discussed three incredible books… Read more »
June 7, 2021
Moles (pronounce MÓ-less) are to Mexico what curry powders are to India. Mole is a generic term attributed to a number of spice mixes which generally use chili peppers as the main ingredient, along with herbs, nuts, fruits and other ingredients. Some moles contain 20 or more ingredients! Ingredients are typically roasted and/or dried and… Read more »
After 14 years, we’ve updated our website to be more modern, mobile friendly, and reflective of the work we do in the community – and we couldn’t be more excited! The URL (TucsonCSA.org) is the same, and you’ll notice that your favorite features, like the weekly harvest list, newsletter articles, and recipes are more visible… Read more »
As summer vacations approach and we reintroduce many of our pre-COVID elements, like the trading table, we figured it might be helpful to have an overview of their intricacies. Many of these perks make being a CSA member easier and more enjoyable, but they need to be used properly in order to work. It’s always… Read more »