There are many advantages to living in a big city, but feeling closer to nature is certainly not one of them. Short of making the weekly trip to a farm, I’ve been taking part in a Community Sponsored Agriculture (CSA) program through The Cutting Veg and have been coming home every week with a bountiful assortment of local, seasonal gems. The farm sets up shop at different locations during the week and all you need to do is show up with an empty bag. [caption id="attachment_4592" align="alignnone" width="400" caption="Rainbow chard"] [/caption] [caption id="attachment_4593" align="alignnone" width="400" caption="Rhubarb"] [/caption]   It’s a win-win for all parties involved, really. You get to support your local community of farmers straight from the source and, in exchange, receive a tasty array of vegetables to cook with for the week. And the best part? The vegetables are so full of flavour that you need very little to turn them into a satisfyingly healthy meal. [caption id="attachment_4595" align="alignnone" width="400" caption="Green onions"] [/caption]   In addition to kale, rhubarb and rainbow chard, I came home with green onions, cucumber and parsley yesterday, which I turned into a simple side salad. Topped with sliced flank steak or grilled chicken, this recipe is a refreshing option for a summer salad. [caption id="attachment_4596" align="alignnone" width="400" caption="Ingredients"] [/caption] [caption id="attachment_4601" align="alignnone" width="400" caption="Cucumber and Green Onion Salad with Mustardy Dressing"] [/caption]   Cucumber and Green Onion Salad with Mustardy Dressing 1 cucumber, chopped 2 green onions, finely chopped 1 small handful of parsley, finely chopped 2 tsp Dijon mustard 3 tbsp olive oil 2 tbsp lemon juice 2 tsp chopped capers 1 shallot, finely diced Pinch each of salt and cracked black pepper In bowl, toss together cucumber, green onions and parsley. Set aside. In small bowl, whisk mustard and olive oil. Once the mixture is homogenous, whisk in lemon juice, capers, shallot, salt and pepper. Drizzle dressing over cucumber mixture. Enjoy!