There are always culls on a farm. Ken and I used to gorge ourselves on ripe melons that had a soft spot; they couldn’t go to market or a CSA box. And then my parents sent us an ice cream maker and I tried melon sorbet. It was a hit, so once we had eaten our fill, I cleaned, peeled, seeded and cubed the melons with a soft spot. Once cubed I packed for the …
Each week – rain or shine – I go to my local farmers market where I can buy food from the next generation. I know them, I have visited their farms, I know how they grow my food, and I want them to survive. PLEASE SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL FARMERS!
What am I doing at 7:30 a.m. when I have an evening invitation and the forecast is for a blistering hot day? The story starts long ago when we had some rain as Ken was starting to harvest melons. First the bottoms got a bit soft, so Ken set the melons up on empty tuna cans so they would stay dry. But some got soft enough that picnic beetles bored into them. Once we cut …
I have been eating great greens from the farmers market. As the week ends, I look at what remains. When I get over enthusiastic about greens, I wilt them so I can finish them up. Here are some beet greens and a couple green onions Chop Here is a bit of sausage and the onions Add greens and wilt ; they will turn bright green and shrink – just a minute or two Add a …
I took a year off gardening. Why? Well, I knew I could not do it as we had and I had no idea how I wanted to garden alone. Quantity, for example. But i do miss walking to my root cellar and having a second pantry – of “fresh” food. This morning I realized I have quite a bit of local food for my meal. No, the rice is not local; nor is the ginger …
No, the rice isn‘t local. but the beef came from a neighbor, and the vegetables came from the St Croix Falls Farmers market – broccoli, carrots, radishes, snap peas, and the last of our onions. Please support your local farmers. Bon apetit.
Most years in August someone starts a “local food challenge.” My challenge is more like Barbara Kingsolver’s in her book Animal, Vegetable Miracle or Joan Dye Gussow in This Organic Life. How much of our diet year round can be local? Ken and I store many crops available for sale this time of year. Onions, squash, garlic, potatoes, beets, carrots, black or daikon radishes, giant kohlrabi. Until last week we had winter tomatoes, cabbage, rutabagas. …
Tonight’s supper was comfort food to my New England roots. Saute side pork or bacon and onion, add thyme and either clams or corn. I also had some boiled cubed potatoes to add. Add chicken or light soup stock, milk and cream, salt and pepper to taste. For the muffins I had masa from our dry corn, our lard, our eggs, and kefir from a friend’s milk. The flour is locally milled. It …
