Farm days are here again...

I just got back from our first trip to the farm this year. Coming back to the farm each spring is always so exciting. Reacquainting ourselves with the rhythm of picking up our weekly produce, being out in the fields, greeting the farmers, it is all so refreshing. I took the boys, and they had a great time looking at the baby chicks, picking strawberries, and then feeding the hens. The strawberry crop is amazing this year! Rows and rows of big, juicy berries. It was actually the only thing I got today, because the real first day of pick-up isn't until next week. They just let us come early to get some strawberries, since they are ripe and ready to go. Next week I am looking forward to some chard, bok-choy and lettuce. We are ready for some fresh greens!!

It's the most wonderful time of the year!

It's big, red and round, but I'm not talking about that jolly old elf, I am talking about that wonderful vegetable/fruit-- the tomato! It is that time of year again when the farm is overflowing with these guys in red, orange, yellow, green, even purple! I was so excited to go yesterday because I knew that they were waiting for me! Can you tell I'm excited? Every sentence so far has an exclamation point!



There was a time when I did not regard the tomato so highly. My mom would have to force me to gag them down. Gradually I began to accept them in salads, or cooked with zuchinni, but I wasn't exactly enthusiastic. But once I got married, Ed loved eating them so much that it made me like them. Seeing him enjoy them made something click in my tastebuds and all of a sudden they were delicious! I especially liked eating them with salt, but some dressing- french or italian, would also work. But I should qualify-- the tomatoes I am talking about are the garden variety. Literally, from the garden. In July and August when tomatoes ripen is the time to eat them. In January when the grocery stores sell the garden tomatoe's anemic, mealie cousins I avoid buying them unless a recipe absolutely calls for fresh tomato. But now, now is the time for gorging on tomatoes. And that is what I did. I recently was reading someone's blog where she was raving about a cherry tomato called "sun gold", so I was excited to see them on the u-pick list at the farm. As I went down the rows, I popped them in my mouth almost as fast as I put them in my little container. They are small and incredibly sweet- they may even convince my children to eat tomatoes.
I also got 4 pounds of regular sized tomatoes that I am excited to slice open to eat with salt. Ed and I found this recipe for a BLT last summer from a Spanglish- "The World's Greatest Sandwich", and we have been waiting for tomato season to eat it again. It is soooo good. Seriously, the name fits it. Maybe tonight for dinner...

The World's Greatest Sandwich

3-4 thick slices of bacon
2 slices monterey Jack cheese
2 slices pain de campagne (rustic country loaf), toasted
1 tablespoon mayonnaise
4 slices tomato
2 leaves butter lettuce
1 teaspoon butter
1 egg


1. Cook the bacon until crisp
drain on paper towels and set aside

2. Place the slices of cheese on one slice of the toasted bread
and place in a toaster oven or under a broiler to melt the cheese.

3. Spread the other slice of toast with the mayonnaise,
top with cooked bacon, the sliced tomato and the lettuce.

4. In a nonstick skillet, melt the butter over medium heat.
Fry the egg, turning over briefly when the bottom is set (keep the yolk runny)

5. Slide the finished egg on top of the lettuce.
top with the other slice of toast, melted cheese side down.
place the sandwich on a plate and slice in half, letting the yolk run down the sandwich.

A New Season

The long anticipated day has arrived~ first pick-up for the farm! While K napped (Ed works from home on weds.) N and I drove over to meet my mom. On the way there we discussed what may (or may not) be there to pick.

"Mama? I want to pick peas. I will open them up and eat them all up!"

"That sounds really good! I love those sugar peas too."

"Yup. They are soooo good!"

"They might have strawberries too, N. That would be fun to pick, don't you think?"

"Oh yes! I loooove strawberries! And Mama? E will like them too, right? And Daddy?"

"Yes, everyone loves to eat strawberries."

"I can't wait! It will be soooo yummy!"

When we went into the Harvest House, we were very excited find that strawberries were indeed on the list for the week, but the peas were not. After picking out some beautiful chard, bok choy and lettuce, we headed out to the fields.

The strawberry patch was overflowing! We did not have to pick long to get a quart. N enjoyed snacking on the sweet berries and holding the container as my mom and I picked.

We then went over to say hi to the chickens. N was a little disappointed that we didn't have anything to feed them this time. In the past he and E have gotten into the pen and fed them their chicken feed.

Finally we stopped in at the herb garden to pick some parsley. I was amazed at how big the herbs were already-- here is N with the oregano.

Tonight we will have the chard with dinner- I have never made it before, but I am excited to try it. I plan on using this recipe.

2 (1-lb) bunches rainbow chard or red and green Swiss chard
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 cloves of garlic, minced
3/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
toasted pine nuts to taste

Cut stems from chard (if leaves are large, cut out coarse portions of rib), then cut stems crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick slices. Stack chard leaves and roll into cylinders. Cut cylinders crosswise to make 1-inch-thick strips of leaves.
Heat butter and oil in a 12-inch heavy skillet over moderately high heat until foam subsides, then sauté chard stems and garlic with sea salt and pepper to taste, stirring occasionally, until slightly soft, 3 to 5 minutes.

Add chard leaves and continue to sauté, stirring frequently, until wilted. (If greens begin to brown before they wilt, sprinkle with a few drops of water.) Garnish with pine nuts.

CSA

In other news, some of you may remember my post from last year (6/17/05) lamenting the absence of organic produce at a reasonable price. I just found out that there is a community supported organic farm just a few miles from our home! Families can buy shares in the farm's produce and then go and pick up their share of the harvest each week. The smallest share is 6 units + 1 "u-pick" unit (which I love doing). A unit is described as a bunch of carrots or a head of lettuce. So, since this is definitely more than our family would eat a week, I'm wondering if anyone would be interested in splitting a share? Here is the link for you to check it out.