Small Bites: A sustainable, seaworthy CSA and I’m in good company at Gojee

A seafood CSA in San Francisco is the subject of my latest USA Character Approved Blog post. And I’m rubbing virtual shoulders with Amanda Hesser!

Sustainability is becoming an ever bigger part of the food conversation. What we eat, how it’s grown and how it gets to our plates affects our health, the health of animals and farm workers and, indeed, the health of the planet. Nowhere is the dialogue more complex than with seafood. Whole species are being fished to the verge of extinction. Some fishing techniques destroy habitat and kill unintended bycatch. And while almost everyone agrees that fish farming must be a big part of the future of seafood, it presents its own challenges—to the environment, to wild species and to the healthfulness and quality of the fish we eat.

So I’m delighted to report on a small, local solution that could serve as a model for similar local efforts. Borrowing an idea from the small farmers’ CSAs (Community Supported Agriculture) that provides subscribers with regular deliveries of sustainable produce and meats, Siren SeaSA does the same with seafood. The brainchild of Anna Larsen, the San Francisco-area company promotes sustainable fishing practices among small fishermen and provides them with a steady market for their catch. To find out more about Siren SeaSA and how it got started, check out my latest post on the USA Character Approved Blog.

Gojee delivers recipes based on your cravings and what’s in your fridge—and I’m on it!

In my ongoing efforts to become ubiquitous, I’m now on Gojee. The inventive food website takes an intriguing approach to recipes and searches. You type in something you’re craving, list some ingredients you have in your fridge or pantry, and Gojee delivers a list of curated recipes from “food writers who know what they’re doing,” according to the site. You can also register dietary restrictions and, well, things you hate under “I dislike” to further refine your search.

But let me return to “food writers who know what they’re doing.” Apparently, they think I do. I recently got an invitation to be part of Gojee. Having done Blue Kitchen for almost five years now, I get a number of invitations to share my content; mostly, I reply with a polite no, thank you—but not without taking a look at whatever site is asking. When I started poking around on Gojee, I was impressed. Jaden Hair of Steamy Kitchen was there. So was Cathy Erway of Not Eating Out in New York. And was that Amanda Hesser and Merrill Stubbs of food52? I didn’t just say yes, I said hell, yeah.

So now, there I am on Gojee, two dozen or so of my recipes rubbing virtual shoulders with some pretty cool company. I hope you’ll check it out. Gojee is a subscription service, but it’s free. And signing up takes as long as it takes you to type an email address and think of a password. You can sign up right here. You can also check out the writers first, to see if you’re interested. I’m one of them, and I really think you should. But don’t let that sway you.