August 16, 2022

Week Thirteen: Lagniappe /ˌlanˈyap/

Any visit to certain parts of Louisiana and you are bound to hear the word “lagniappe” – French in origin, the word means a little something extra, a bonus, an unexpected bit of happiness.

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Lagniappe is the first word that comes to mind when thinking about this week’s CSA box.

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Yes, many of our members may have thought that the Summer season had wrapped but Mother Nature (and some creative planning) have conspired in a beautiful way, to give us a surfeit of fresh produce to share.

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This week’s box has oyster mushrooms from Grandview Farms. If you are a regular visitor to the Saturday Pepper Place Market, you have no doubt seen all of the varieties they grow at their Montevallo farm: so many gorgeous mushrooms! These will pair well with the Vidalia onions from farmer friends at Clayton Farms who also share their lady peas and yellow squash. We suggest using the squash in this Barefoot Contessa tian recipe, with the heirloom tomatoes from Farmer Hab in Mentone – isn’t it fun to explore the myriad ways we can put together the best of what our farmers grow for us, from across the state?

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Clayton Farms is also sharing their scuppernong largesse with our members this week. For the uninitiated, these vine-grown fruits are related to muscadine and can easily be subbed for one another in recipes. This week, we’re thinking of trying them in this fun tartlet recipe from our friends at Bake from Scratch Magazine. The small addition of bourbon adds a bit of fancy to the hale fruits that thrive in our region’s summer heat.

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Rounding out the basket is fresh bread from baker Corey Hinkel as well as figs, fingerling potatoes and onions from our own Harpersville, AL farm. We’d love to see the creative ways in which you employ these items at meal times – be sure to tag us in your posts – YOU inspire us to do what we do, season in and season out. We can’t wait to see you at pick-up today.