Red-Wine Braised Beef Stew

I had some beef chuck, and I thought what should I make?  A red-wine braised beef stew!  I cooked the beef slowly for 3 hours with the vegetables and fresh thyme I got from the CSA.  I poured it over some orzo pasta I made, and topped it off with peeled cherry tomatoes.  You can really taste the freshness in the ingredients.  And the red wine--always gives amazing flavor to the dish.

Braising in a stew...with my herbs tied whole together on a string

The finished product.  Delicious.

CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) organic omelette.

I recently signed up for Community Supported Agriculture, a program where you pay a weekly fee for a box of assorted vegetables, fruits, and spices freshly picked the week before from a local farm.  This CSA got everything from organic farms, and what is expected in a box is whatever is in season that week.  My first box came with potatoes, tomatoes, kale, squash, grapes, plums, cherry tomatoes, carrots, zucchini, thyme, onions, and assorted peppers.  I decided to make an omelette, with a side of fried plantains, black beans, and gluten-free biscuits.  The eggs weren't from this CSA, but you can get free range eggs as an extra add-on.  Visit abundantharvestorganics.com to sign up.

Assorted frutis, vegetables, spices from CSA (Community Supported Agriculture)

Zucchini, cherry tomato, peppers, onions from CSA in an omelette.

CSA grapes.  Look at this color, amazing.