Rooted in local fresh taste

Here in Waltham, Cather says her 300 shareholders have become more than just customers. Rather, they provide a supportive community ready to pitch in when needed. One bright, shiny red example is the $22,000 tractor in the middle of the farm. A gracious gift, she says, from shareholders to the farm they call their own.

On a typical Thursday in July at Waltham Fields, shareholders might get three heads of bok choy, one head of kale, two pounds of summer squash, and several other vegetables. (.) Crops that are more labor-­intensive to harvest (peas, basil, and parsley, for instance) are handpicked by the shareholders themselves.

According to Waltham Fields's payout summary, shareholders got 23 pounds of leafy greens, 27 pounds of carrots and beets, and 55 pounds of tomatoes during the 2006 summer season. In good seasons, the produce is usually plentiful, shareholders say. Each week, they report to the pickup table to learn about the available portion of crops such as lettuce, squash, or onions.

Loyal customer Tim Fukawa-Connelly seems to relish the variety and abundance a CSA membership provides.

"I have a big fridge, and I have trouble cramming it all in there," says Mr. Fukawa-Connelly, who signs up for both the summer and winter seasons. His favorite crop is the winter batch of "the best carrots you could ever have."

He also touts his homemade fava bean spread, made by shelling, blanching, and then sautéing the broad beans with onions and a little water. Then he purees the mixture and serves the dip on pita chips as an appetizer, he says.

Melissa Hawkins of Lexington, Mass., joined Waltham Fields's CSA program because she wanted to add more fresh food in her diet.

On this warm Thursday in July, she's with young daughters Emily and Annika, who are cutting sunflowers.

"They love [the farm]," says Ms. Hawkins. "The first time they came, they wanted to stay all day and pick beans."

Kathy Diamond, a shareholder and board member at Waltham Fields, says she enjoys making pesto from fresh basil. Ms. Diamond says the habit of consuming local, organically grown food is difficult to break. She finds she simply cannot eat store-bought asparagus during the off-season.

"This will change your life," she promises as she offers a leaf of fresh kale.

Part of the creative challenge of being a shareholder at a community farm is figuring out how to transform a bag of random vegetables into a tasty meal. Food writer George Erdosh was asked to share what recipes he would use if confronted with a grocery bag containing three heads of bok choy, one head of kale, two pounds of summer squash, several beets, and an assortment of snow peas and beans. Here's what he suggests:

Sautéed, grated summer squash concentrate

Filled with mostly air and water, squash can grow an inch or more a day. Because of its phenomenal growth, the flavors get diluted. All summer squash need serious flavor addition. Spices, herbs, and the right cooking method can take care of that. This recipe concentrates flavors by reducing the water the squash contains using a French culinary technique called dégorger.

2 pounds summer squash, unpeeled, coarsely grated

2 teaspoons salt

2 tablespoons vegetable oil, olive oil, butter, or a mixture of the three

Toss the grated squash with salt in a large bowl and let it sit on the counter for at least an hour. Drain the accumulated liquid and thoroughly rinse excess salt from the squash under running water. Dump onto a thin kitchen towel, then twist and squeeze as much liquid from the vegetables as you can.

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