Community-supported Agriculture (CSA) is a locally-based alternative to supermarket food distribution, a phenomenon that has taken off tremendously throughout the United States. Here in Bra, GAS La Credenza is a collaboration between the student Slow Food chapter at UNISG and the Piedi per Terra Association, providing students from the university, as well as residents of the area with an opportunity to purchase food and other goods directly from producers.
By making local and sustainable products available right here in Bra, less transport is necessary (for example lettuce come from a local organic farm rather than being imported from Spain or elsewhere in Europe) and consumers like us can take pride in what we are supporting, and consuming. Not to mention a “small” box like this (not including the honey) costs only 9€ — truly amazing when I consider how much we usually spend at the supermarket.
Weekly, GAS offers a wonderful assortment of organic and/or local produce, pastas, olive oils, honey, meat, eggs, etc. I was tremendously impressed by the cabbage, carrots and especially the honey – below is the recipe I used to prepare a kraut from our fresh cabbage and apples this week.
Honey-Braised Cabbage
Adapted from the recipe box late winter by Sarah Gilbert
Ingredients
1 strip bacon or prosciutto
1 small yellow onion, sliced thin
1 large apple, peeled, cored and sliced
1 large cabbage, quartered and chopped roughly
½ cup white wine vinegar (apple cider would be best)
3 Tbsp. honey
~ salt to taste
Steps
1. Heat oil in a large ovenproof pan, sauté bacon or prosciutto.
2. Add onion and apple and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 5 minutes.
3. Add the cabbage and stir well or cover until the cabbage has been covered and shrinks a bit.