Week of September 1, 2025

My dear Community,

Happy Labor Day! This week’s box is filled with late-summer color - crisp green leaf lettuce, bright red bell peppers, creamy avocados, mountain magic tomatoes, pears from our Buellton orchard and the sweetest cantaloupe. Food that nourishes in every sense of the word. I want to share a story with you about nourishment that goes beyond the plate.

For the past year and a half, I’ve been in the process of applying to get our CSA SNAP-certified. added the link in case people aren't familiar I was certain this was the path to making our CSA more accessible to lower-income families - the ticket to bridging the gap. (moved here)The process was supposed to take 3–4 months. Instead, it became a maze: a surprise site visit, endless requests for paperwork, and weekly calls just to keep my application from sitting idle. After submitting more documentation than I thought possible, I was denied on the basis of being a “wholesale distributor.” When I appealed and asked how that could be, I was denied again - final decision, no questions asked. My choices now are to reapply in six months or appeal to a federal judge, which we simply don’t have the resources to do. 

I sat with disappointment. I felt defeated by a system that already fails the very people it claims to serve. Why am I surprised? Maybe I shouldn’t be. But here’s what else surprised me: one of you. A CSA customer quietly stepped up to cover a year-long subscription for a family in need. No government stamp of approval. No red tape. Just one human taking care of another.

And in that moment, I was reminded - again and again - that while we don’t have the kind of funding the government could (and should) put toward feeding families, we do have each other. And when the system says no, community says yes. That’s what your weekly box represents. Not just produce. Not just recipes. But a rhythm of resistance. A vote for dignity, for nourishment, and for connection. Thank you for being part of that rhythm.

Here's another way to resist: Blackout The System is a national economic protest, taking place September 16–20, that encourages coordinated acts like withholding labor, spending, or travel - aimed at reclaiming power through collective presence. It’s about moving beyond frustration and reclaiming our agency - even in small ways.

Our CSA program will continue through those dates, but I’ll be participating in every other way I can. Local food may not be part of the protest, but to me, it’s always part of the resistance.

Be good to each other. 

Carolyn

Southwestern Zucchini Noodle Bowls

Ingredients

For the bowls:

2 medium zucchini, spiralized

1 ear corn

14 ounces black beans, rinsed and drained

1 cup halved grape or cherry tomatoes

1/4 red onion thinly sliced

1 large avocado, sliced

1/4 cup queso fresco

Cilantro Lime Vinaigrette

Cilantro, for garnish

Find the full recipe and inspiration here at Two Peas and their Pod

‍

Asian Cucumber Salad

Ingredients:

For the salad:

2 English cucumbers, thinly sliced, (or sub 6-7 medium pickling cucumbers)

1 medium carrot, grated

1/4 cup red onion, thinly sliced

For the sauce:

1 tsp fresh ginger, grated on a microplane

1 clove garlic, minced

2 tbsp coconut aminos

1 tsp sesame oil

1/2 tsp apple cider vinegar

1/2 tsp fish sauce, (optional but highly recommended)

For topping:

1 tbsp sesame seeds

Find the full recipe and inspiration here at Real Simple Good

‍

Gluten Free Pear Crisp

Ingredients

Crisp Topping

1/2 cup pecans

1/2 cup walnuts

6 tbsp cold butter, divided

1/2 cup coconut flakes

1 tbsp cinnamon

2 tbsp maple syrup

1/4 cup coconut sugar

1/2 cup walnut flour, see note

Pear Filling

4 cups pears, peeled and sliced

1 tbsp tapioca flour, or arrowroot powder

1 tbsp cinnamon

2 tbsp coconut sugar

1 tbsp butter

Find the full recipe and inspiration here at Organically Adison

‍

Easy Mediterranean chopped salad

Ingredients:

1 English cucumber - Diced into ½-inch pieces

2 tomatoes Ripe tomatoes - Quartered or halved cherry tomatoes

2 peppers - Bell peppers red, yellow Chopped into small squares

¼ Red onion - Finely diced

1 can Chickpeas - Drained and rinsed

½ cup olives (Kalamata olives) - Pitted and halved

½ cup Feta cheese - Crumbled or cubed

2 tablespoon Fresh parsley - mint, dill Chopped

2 tablespoon vinegar - Red wine vinegar

2 tablespoon honey

3 tablespoon Extra virgin olive oil

1 Fresh lemon - Juiced

1 teaspoon oregano - Dried oregano

1 clove Fresh garlic - Minced

Find the full recipe and inspiration here at Hannah Cooking

‍

Nicoise Salad

Ingredients:

200g fresh green beans, trimmed

4 medium potatoes, boiled and quartered

200g cherry tomatoes, halved

1 small red onion, thinly sliced

2 hard-boiled eggs, quartered

200g canned tuna, drained

50g black olives

2 tablespoons olive oil

Find the full recipe and inspiration here at Cuisine Joyeuse

‍