The Year is Complete!

Please feel free to look back through the 365 days of 2010 sunrises, but "a year of getting up to meet the day" is officially completed. There will be no more new posts.

PLEASE JOIN ME FOR MORE SUNRISE POSTS AT THE SUNRISE BLOGGER, WHERE YOU WILL FIND SUNRISE PHOTOS AND REFLECTIONS FROM ME AND FROM CONTRIBUTORS AROUND THE GLOBE.


Thank you so much for visiting.
A one year blog project in which I share a process of transitions: emptying of the nest, reacquainting with my rusty intellect, plowing onward with my first full length book, entering the second half of my first century, and generally reflecting on life.

(see Dec. 29th, 2009 entry for further explanation)

Monday, June 28, 2010

well fed by one farm share

sunrise:  4:52



A nice gentle rain is falling this morning.

The rain and sun balance for this summer has been wonderful - quite a relief after the washed out mess of last June in Maine.  A lot of things bloomed early because of our unusually warm and friendly spring.  There are concerns about some early blossoms that got hit by frost, but so far things look okay.



We ate our first fresh strawberries this past week thanks to the generosity of friend.  She introduced me to the concept of a farm share.  For one annual fee they get fresh produce from a local farm (Fisher Farm in this case, but apparently a lot farms do this) every week from May to October.  Since our friends were going to be away last week, they offered us their farm share for last Tuesday.

I should have taken photos - it was beautiful.  One giant, leafy bunch of Swiss chard, a handful of arugula, the biggest head of Romaine I have ever held in my hand, 10 twisted curls of garlic scapes, bag of field greens, some of the first young carrots of the season, three foot scallions, a bouquet of field flowers, and of course a box of strawberries - all organic, washed, and ready to go.

I don't know if I can ever go back to those hard, bland commercial strawberries - all show and no substance.  I know some people like that.  I'll take the real ones in all their humble sincerity, thank you.



One of the first things I had to do was figure out what Swiss chard and arugula were.  Luckily the farm offers some recipes with their goods.

In addition to the strawberries and carrots for snacking, last week we ate pasta with pesto and arugula, Swiss chard enchilada casserole, and a lot of great salad, including one yummy chicken Caesar.  All straight from the earth a few miles away.



I feel both well educated and well fed. 

2 comments:

  1. Sounds VERY environmentally friendly.

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  2. Grow your own. I do. Even a suburban lot can produce enough salad, fresh veggies, and plenty to freeze and can and make pickles and relish for the winter. I interplant edibles with flowers. Swiss Chard, Red Cabbage, herbs, kale and assorted pepper and eggplants are very ornamental.

    I also grow a lot of butternut squash as it keeps on the shelf with no preserving and is good til March (if it doesn't get devoured). This year I am growing lots of potatoes at our place up north as the kids like organic ones better. The trick will be finding somewhere dark and cool (and not freezing, and not a fridge) to store them thru fall and winter as we eat them.

    There's still time for you to prepare a garden for fall veggies. Who me, pushy??!

    ReplyDelete