Photo art courtesy of Garrison
Do you ever get your CSA box, or maybe splurge buying seasonal veggies or grow way too much of one thing in your community garden plot and wonder, “What on earth can I do with a gardenful arugula or 10 lb. of summer squash?” Chef Rob Weland wants both to help you and to treat you, at Garrison’s Learn to Love Your CSA dinners.
During these three dinners, the second of which will take place next week on July 12, Chef Weland will prepare wonderful meals inspired by ingredients you may find at your next CSA box. If you are not familiar with the philosophy over at Garrison, the restaurant prides itself in showcasing fresh and seasonal ingredients. Many of the veggies and herbs you eat at Garrison are grown at one of two plots on 11th and 12th streets SE, a short walk from the restaurant. Weland also counts on the work of CSA farmer Mike Protas, who owns One Acre Farm. When Protas is done doing his CSA distribution around the Hill, he brings by leftover produce from which Weland derives inspiration. “It’s something like nose-to-tail cooking, but for veggies,” he quips, and the idea of treating every part of a vegetable with awe and respect sounds magical.
With patience and imagination, all that arugula can transform into beautiful and aromatic cocktails, like the arugula-inspired one at the June 28 dinner. The zucchini? You get to find out at the third dinner, July 26. You can still sign up for the July 12 dinner by following this link. Bon appétit!
If you go:
WHAT: Learn to Love your CSA Dinners
WHERE: Garrison, 524 8th Street SE, on Barracks Row
WHEN: July 12 and July 26, both starting at 7 p.m.
WHY: Because you know you’ve wondered if it’s possible to truly use *everything* in your CSA box, not to mention things that are actually edible.