When Life Gives You Carrots. Lots and Lots of Carrots.

I love the idea of a CSA, and when I was a member of one, I loved it. It was like owning a farm without the work. Every week I'd pick up my embarrassment of riches and marvel at the fact that I had done no weeding or harvesting to deserve it. As a food writer, though, I often don't get to choose what I cook, and I found I couldn't always use the harvest, so I let the membership drop.

Friends on vacation asked me to pick up (and use) their CSA share this week. And it's been wonderful. Delicata squash, plenty of hearty kale, and many (many!) carrots, which this particular farm harvests almost year-round. A mood to experiment and a jar of whole cumin seeds in my spice drawer led to this simple, lovely little nutty side dish of Cumin-Scented Gingery Carrots that was ready in a snap. We had it with brown rice and lentils, but I'm going to keep it in mind to serve with pork chops or roast pork. The ginger brings out a lot of sweetness from the carrots, which would be nice with rich, hearty pork.