Every Tuesday I dig through the dark depths of my fridge to find what’s left of what [was] a huge, local, organic, CSA bag from my local farmers market.
I love this bag and look forward to it every week ~ my kids look forward to getting new produce, and the last few weeks I haven’t been able to help myself… instead of one huge bag I have been coming home with 2.
TWO huge bags full of produce.
Our refrigerator struggles to fit all that produce, brimming from drawers, stuffed into shelves and in between gallons of raw milk – its probably one of the best investments you could make with your paycheck each month.
Exactly what is a CSA share? And why not just buy your produce at the local grocery store? After all, it’s organic anyways, right? Does it really matter that you get it local?
Here are some things to think about:
- 1/3 of consumers see local as coming from within their state.
- 50% of consumers see local as coming from within a 100 mile radius of their location.
- The USDA has no standard on what is considered local.
- AASHE (Association for Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education) defines local as 250 mile radius around their point of purchase. They also consider foods that are processed/purchased within 250 miles “local” too – even if they were grown 800 – 1000 miles away.
- Whole Foods defines local as being within 200 miles of any particular store.
For most people who are passionate about “true” local food, shopping at the local supermarket is far from anything local.
Related: 8 Reasons to Buy Local Food
Being part of a CSA has helped us form a better relationship with our food, try new things, and support our local farmers – people who share the sale values as you in terms of good, healthy organic food.
Why Cilantro and Avocados?
Cilantro and Avocados are such amazing items to pick up at your CSA, and almost necessary for making everything from salsa to avocado basil pasta sauce, taco salad, cilantro pesto, and more.
This recipe combines both of those items in a flavorful addition to brown rice. It’s filling, full of flavor and a great twist for dinner meals.
We made our Brown Rice in the Instant Pot in just 23 minutes (without having to stand over the stove!).
Looking for more Instant Pot meals? You can find 50+ Instant Pot recipes by heading back here.
If you don’t have an Instant Pot, you can adapt this recipe for the stovetop – cook rice per the package directions and proceed with the cilantro and avocado.
Ingredients
- Rice:
- 1 C. rice
- 1 1/4 C. water
- Cilantro Avocado Sauce:
- 1/2 bunch cilantro
- 1 avocado
- 1/4 tsp salt or more, to taste
- 4-5 Tbsp fresh lime juice
- 3 cloves garlic
Instructions
- In your Instant Pot, combine the rice and water.
- Place the lid on the Instant Pot, close the valve, and set the timer for 23 minutes at high pressure (manual).
- Once the pot is done, do a quick release.
- As the rice cooks, pull out your food processor and puree the cilantro with the avocado, salt, fresh lime juice, and garlic.
- Once rice is done, stir the cilantro avocado mixture into the rice.
- Fluff to serve.
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