An Endlessly Adaptable Stir Fry to Empty out Your Crisper Drawer

Use this basic formula and pantry sauce to cook up whatever grains and veggies you have on hand

Stir-fried jasmine rice and barley with a medley of vegetables: asparagus, beet greens, white onion, celery, frozen corn, and chives. Caroline Chambers

Peering into my refrigerator—which seems to have become my favorite pastime over the past month—I am faced with a mountain of vegetables. They no longer fit into the crisper drawers; instead, they are spilling out onto the shelves, intermingling with the milk and the cheeses, draping themselves over the miso paste and the pickle jar.

I am having not one, but two CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) boxes delivered to my house every week from local farms. It’s an effort to support small local farms in my region, as well as to feed my family safely by limiting trips to the grocery store—and the results have been delicious.

Farm-to-Doorstep

Small family farms have been severely hurt by the effects of the pandemic, as health and social distancing restrictions are inhibiting their sales at farmers markets and to now-shuttered local restaurants. Many have completely changed their business models in a matter of weeks to adapt, including pivoting to home deliveries in efforts to keep cash flowing.