I got an email from my CSA last week alerting me to the first pickup at the Presbyterian church. And it couldn't come a moment too soon. As good as broccoli and grape tomatoes are, I'm ready for some local, seasonal produce. Dirt-caked beets (that, according to my daughter, taste like the earth), frilly lettuces, peppery arugula, radishes and Swiss chard.

If you've thought of joining a CSA or Community Supported Agriculture program, through which you get a share of the farm's fresh harvest, now's the time to check into one. Some require you to buy a "share" (usually a few hundred dollars) entitling you to a weekly shipment of the farm's harvest, but many now allow you to pick only the items you want and pay accordingly. The benefit of this method is that you're not saddled with an exorbitant amount of, say, kohlrabi or garlic scapes. To find a CSA near you, go to localharvest.org. Plug in your zip code and a list of CSAs will pop up. You can also check out our stories, "CSA and the City," and "CSA and the City: Episode 2".

Speaking of spring greens, Swiss chard is here in abundance. Here's a simple chard scramble that takes scrambled eggs to a new high. And to find out more about Swiss chard, view our pod cast with Chef Jon Ashton.

Ingredients