With the popularity of the Food Network, food preparation is no longer on the back burner, so to speak. Cooking has come out of the kitchen and into the spotlight.

With all this attention, folks are becoming much more conscious of food preparation, and by degrees, the quality of the foods they purchase, prepare and consume.

The Eat Local movement is afoot in Frederick , and several upscale restaurants buy locally grown products.

Frederick County residents are also fortunate that there are an abundance of farmers markets thriving during the growing season where locally grown produce is available each week. You will find these markets listed each week in the 72 Hours weekend guide.

Eating organic is also gaining in popularity, but often it costs more to eat better, unless you have the time and space to put in your own garden.

That is where a CSA can come in handy.

CSA -- community-supported agriculture -- has a foothold in Frederick , and this growing season, the Food section of The Frederick News-Post welcomes columnist Gabriele McCormick to write about her experiences.

McCormick, a veteran CSA supporter, will write each week, May through September, about what's in the box she picks up from Rick Hood of Summer Creek Farm, located in Thurmont .

Sort of a farm co-op, CSA members pay the farmer a lump sum, usually before the growing season. This money provides the farmer with capital to purchase seed and equipment and basically get the season under way. The CSA member also shares the risk inherent in a planting season -- bad weather, drought, plant disease -- which can affect the amount of produce in each share. But the CSA member also shares the rewards: fresh vegetables. Some CSAs also include fresh eggs, fruits, honey and wildflowers.

When the crops come in, the CSA member gets to cash in on the farmer's labor. Each week of the season, the member picks up a share of the current harvest, and that is what McCormick will share with our readers.

She will share her CSA season, focusing on one vegetable in the CSA box each week, telling a personal story or two, a bit of veggie information and a few recipes, of course.

In August, what to do with 6 pounds of tomatoes or that ubiquitous zucchini?

How do you get kids to try eggplant?

What exactly is kohlrabi?

Oftentimes, the farmer will introduce his members to new vegetables and include recipes and tips on how to make the best of them. So joining a CSA can be an educational experience as well.

McCormick said she has gotten to know Hood, and how great is that? Knowing the person who grows your food. She also has the satisfaction of knowing that she is helping him keep farming profitable while maintaining organic farming practices and selling his produce locally.

Being a CSA member is a shared commitment between farmer and cook.

Cooking seasonally with fresh-from-the-farm foods can be a creative challenge, but a rewarding experience. Share it with our new columnist this growing season.