I wanted to comment a little on what I found out about Korean cuisine.
To me, the diet really depends on rice, veggies, seafood, and pork. Of course there is plenty more, but those are the staples.
Kimchi is usually made with shellfish or anchovies. Vegetarians beware! Kimchi is on every table, and I only had one vegetarian version the whole time I was there.
There are vegetable trucks that sell local fruits and veggies. They drive around with loudspeakers announcing their product, and how good it is to eat veggies. (At first I thought we were being attacked but Layna said "No, it's the vegetable truck!)
If you order a "toast" that is really an egg sandwich. If you order it with bacon, beware...they don't cook the bacon and just add it to the sandwich.
My favorite dish was patbingsoo. It's shaved ice with red bean, fruit, whipped cream, and condensed milk (basically). You get it all beautifully presented, then you destroy it! Dump it in a bowl, mix, and you get this lightly sweet, very cold, beautiful thing!
A lot of food is cooked at the table. There's a skill to it, and we definately charred some pork. You usually have meat, but then you might cook garlic or other veggies too. You take pieces of meat, that they cut with shears, and wrap them in lettuce or other leaf, and add sauce and veggies. We also had a great pork soup, the pork served on the bone among a bunch of aromatic and leafy veggies.
On Jeju Island, you can see the women out diving for shellfish. I really wanted to buy the sea urchin, but the only way we could eat it was raw. I just wasn't ready to buy a sea urchin from a bucket and eat it right there. Not when I have to be on an airplane in a few hours.
I also had amazing sushi on Jeju. In Korea, there are tons of side dishes. We got an entire table full of raw and fried veggies and fish before we even saw our order come out. Delicious. Raw octopus ain't bad.
I also spent a couple days in Tokyo. We had these panko-breaded pieces of fish, vegetable, or meat. They would bring out 2 at a time, and there were 5 sauces. Each had a sauce to try. It was like an endless tasting menu.
I found that when a local brought me somewhere and told me what to order, it was a great meal. On my own, a less great meal. But all in all, a yummy time!
Sunday, August 16, 2009
sadness and sauce
My grandfather's family was one of the many that came over during the Irish potato blight. The Irish made the classic mistake of overfarming one staple. They didn't diversify their crops, so when blight set in, it spread rapidly and destroyed a major portion of their food supply. These days some farmers choose to use pesticides, fungicides, and herbicides to control this, but organic farmers must be more creative and use crop diversity.
June was wet and rainy and cold. I left for Korea in July (where it was hot and sunny most of the time), but when I came back I heard that the rain kept going. At the same time, all six New England states where attacked with late blight. This is the same blight that caused the potatoes to rot in Ireland. In this case, though, they attacked the tomatoes. Home Depot, Lowe's, and other stores had to pull their tomato plants. The other farmers held their breaths and hoped for sun.
But sadly, the rainy weather caused the blight to spread and the tomato plants started to die, and the tomatoes started to rot. The farmers heard that the blight hit Lincoln, they warned us, we got a few tomatoes, and then it was mostly over.
Kate said she went to the Northeast Organic Farming conference out at UMass Amherst, and that seasoned farmers said this was the worst growing season in 40 years. So we're all in this together. I've heard that a lot of farms have lost their crops, and a few lucky ones are still going. A few still hadn't had tomatoes 2 weeks ago, because even without blight, the cold summer prevents ripening.
So I took my few sad-looking tomatoes and made up some stuffed peppers. Til next year.
I hear the melons are looking good, so I'm waiting for that!
June was wet and rainy and cold. I left for Korea in July (where it was hot and sunny most of the time), but when I came back I heard that the rain kept going. At the same time, all six New England states where attacked with late blight. This is the same blight that caused the potatoes to rot in Ireland. In this case, though, they attacked the tomatoes. Home Depot, Lowe's, and other stores had to pull their tomato plants. The other farmers held their breaths and hoped for sun.
But sadly, the rainy weather caused the blight to spread and the tomato plants started to die, and the tomatoes started to rot. The farmers heard that the blight hit Lincoln, they warned us, we got a few tomatoes, and then it was mostly over.
Kate said she went to the Northeast Organic Farming conference out at UMass Amherst, and that seasoned farmers said this was the worst growing season in 40 years. So we're all in this together. I've heard that a lot of farms have lost their crops, and a few lucky ones are still going. A few still hadn't had tomatoes 2 weeks ago, because even without blight, the cold summer prevents ripening.
So I took my few sad-looking tomatoes and made up some stuffed peppers. Til next year.
I hear the melons are looking good, so I'm waiting for that!
Monday, July 6, 2009
Greens greens greens!
It's been a busy month for me, with my sister visiting from Seoul, among other adventures. I've skipped a few posts for the veggies, but jotted this week's share down. I'll be on my way to Seoul and it's veggie-heavy diet this week!
Elena went to the farm with me, in the rain. It had been thundering and lightening out, so the interns weren't allowed to work in the fields. In the end, six of them heroically harvested everything for the share. The put planks down in the puddles so that we could get to the shed. Ah, mud.
I usually go at the end of the share window. This time we went right at the beginning. It was just amazing to see the veggie bins piled high! Elena and I were completely drawn to the scallions, just by our noses.
This week's share:
Elena went to the farm with me, in the rain. It had been thundering and lightening out, so the interns weren't allowed to work in the fields. In the end, six of them heroically harvested everything for the share. The put planks down in the puddles so that we could get to the shed. Ah, mud.
I usually go at the end of the share window. This time we went right at the beginning. It was just amazing to see the veggie bins piled high! Elena and I were completely drawn to the scallions, just by our noses.
This week's share:
- 20 garlic scapes.
- 6 scallions.
- 2 big bowls of salad mix, including spinach, tat soi, mustard greens, arugula, mizuna.
- 8 leaves of rainbow chard (gorgeous pink, yellow, orange).
- 2 heads of lettuce.
- 2 bowls of mix n' match, including beets, turnips, bok choy, carrots, and squash.
- 1 large, gorgeous napa cabbage that made for a great cole slaw.
- 1 pint of peas.
- A few strawberries.
- Herbs (we took mint).
Monday, June 29, 2009
Spring 2009 trip to Chestnut Farms
The moment you've all been waiting for! Cute animals!
June is Open House time at Chestnut Farms, and this time I took the two-hour drive out with my brother and my boyfriend.
We were greeted by some enthusiastic goats who would eat whatever you put in front of them. They also tolerated a bit of petting, and though I don't think they're cashmere goats, they were pretty soft.
Goat meat is new on the farm, and they are going to sell it on a trial basis this summer. It won't be part of the main share. Apparently, in talking with other CSA members, I'm not the only one excited about trying the meat.
We then waved hi to the sheep, shorn recently but still hanging out in the shade.
We wandered on down to the barn. It's remarkable how little the baby piggies are compared to the mommy pig.
They had a pen full of the piggies. What's funny about them is that every time you stepped into the pen, they went after YOUR piggies. Yep, here's a bunch of redheaded piglets chewing on my shoes.
But as cute as that is, nothing is cuter than dozens of turkey chicks singing "cheep cheep cheep!"
A closeup, to catch the chicks' eyes.
Coyotes are a major farm pest. Kim reminisced that one time she thought baby coyotes were cute, but no more! They steal the chickens and the chicks, so for survival's sake, they have to live in closed vans a little longer than they might like. Eventually they'll have their run of the land. A mob of angry turkeys is like nothing you've ever seen, so hopefully they (and their owners) can fend off a few coyotes. Still, it's a really difficult problem for farmers. That, and we spotted a few hungry hawks, sleepily circling the farm.
Here's my brother holding a chick.
They let my boyfriend check the feed level in storage.
A picture of us taken from the feed bin.
This is the brand new manure pit. I know that they've worked very hard constructing this. Apparently they had to submit to some rather extreme government regulations (the manure pit can never go below 52F, for example), and they did the concrete work by themselves. I know that they had an outside civil engineer design the pit. My understanding, as best as I can piece it together, is that there is an area where the animals are going to, um, go. They will then be able to plow that area and push all the lovely new fertilizer into the pit. Kim offered me a bucket of manure whenever I need it.
I didn't know that Chestnut Farms had a sawmill, but apparently it was an extra source of income before they became farmers full time. We had an interesting conversation with Rich about the transition and what it takes to be farmers. He said that he and Kim have different skills, and there's a big gray area in between where he dare not tread. In other words, it works. In the beginning, they both worked locally in addition to farming. Now they have to have someone on the farm all the time. Why? Well, for one, the baby piggies get stuck in the fence (kind of like babies get stuck in cribs). If Kim hears a pig squealing, she'll drop whatever she's doing and rescue the pig. But a major farm takes major work, and there's always something to do.
One thing that the farm does well is live within a budget. They have tons of equipment that they've picked up at auction. ("People come from NYC to become farmers and buy a backhoe, and then we get it for half the price after it sits unused for a year.") This is the sawmill. They've advertised that they participate in a local lumber share, supporting sustainable forestry.
As usual, it was a stunningly beautiful day. Bit of mud in the morning, but that was gone by the time we left.
They have new projects planned, as always, and I can't wait til next time! I met their eldest daughter, who is helping design an educational center. Right now the possible topics are pretty open as they gather ideas. (I didn't have time to think right then, but what I really want to do is learn to, um "process" a chicken. It's a lifelong goal I have as a meat eater.)
And here's one parting goodbye. Til the fall, when we see what's moved, changed, and grown.
June is Open House time at Chestnut Farms, and this time I took the two-hour drive out with my brother and my boyfriend.
We were greeted by some enthusiastic goats who would eat whatever you put in front of them. They also tolerated a bit of petting, and though I don't think they're cashmere goats, they were pretty soft.
Goat meat is new on the farm, and they are going to sell it on a trial basis this summer. It won't be part of the main share. Apparently, in talking with other CSA members, I'm not the only one excited about trying the meat.
We then waved hi to the sheep, shorn recently but still hanging out in the shade.
We wandered on down to the barn. It's remarkable how little the baby piggies are compared to the mommy pig.
They had a pen full of the piggies. What's funny about them is that every time you stepped into the pen, they went after YOUR piggies. Yep, here's a bunch of redheaded piglets chewing on my shoes.
But as cute as that is, nothing is cuter than dozens of turkey chicks singing "cheep cheep cheep!"
A closeup, to catch the chicks' eyes.
Coyotes are a major farm pest. Kim reminisced that one time she thought baby coyotes were cute, but no more! They steal the chickens and the chicks, so for survival's sake, they have to live in closed vans a little longer than they might like. Eventually they'll have their run of the land. A mob of angry turkeys is like nothing you've ever seen, so hopefully they (and their owners) can fend off a few coyotes. Still, it's a really difficult problem for farmers. That, and we spotted a few hungry hawks, sleepily circling the farm.
Here's my brother holding a chick.
They let my boyfriend check the feed level in storage.
A picture of us taken from the feed bin.
This is the brand new manure pit. I know that they've worked very hard constructing this. Apparently they had to submit to some rather extreme government regulations (the manure pit can never go below 52F, for example), and they did the concrete work by themselves. I know that they had an outside civil engineer design the pit. My understanding, as best as I can piece it together, is that there is an area where the animals are going to, um, go. They will then be able to plow that area and push all the lovely new fertilizer into the pit. Kim offered me a bucket of manure whenever I need it.
I didn't know that Chestnut Farms had a sawmill, but apparently it was an extra source of income before they became farmers full time. We had an interesting conversation with Rich about the transition and what it takes to be farmers. He said that he and Kim have different skills, and there's a big gray area in between where he dare not tread. In other words, it works. In the beginning, they both worked locally in addition to farming. Now they have to have someone on the farm all the time. Why? Well, for one, the baby piggies get stuck in the fence (kind of like babies get stuck in cribs). If Kim hears a pig squealing, she'll drop whatever she's doing and rescue the pig. But a major farm takes major work, and there's always something to do.
One thing that the farm does well is live within a budget. They have tons of equipment that they've picked up at auction. ("People come from NYC to become farmers and buy a backhoe, and then we get it for half the price after it sits unused for a year.") This is the sawmill. They've advertised that they participate in a local lumber share, supporting sustainable forestry.
As usual, it was a stunningly beautiful day. Bit of mud in the morning, but that was gone by the time we left.
They have new projects planned, as always, and I can't wait til next time! I met their eldest daughter, who is helping design an educational center. Right now the possible topics are pretty open as they gather ideas. (I didn't have time to think right then, but what I really want to do is learn to, um "process" a chicken. It's a lifelong goal I have as a meat eater.)
And here's one parting goodbye. Til the fall, when we see what's moved, changed, and grown.
Tuesday, June 9, 2009
Strawberries, early again this year!
It was a damp day out at The Food Project. They emailed us a note saying that it was going to rain on both Tuesday and Thursday and please pick strawberries!
Well, can't miss out on that!
This week's share:
Well, can't miss out on that!
This week's share:
- 1 quart of strawberries (picked by me in the rain).
- 1 pint of snap peas (also picked by me...snap peas take forever to find and pick).
- 1 bowl of bok choy. Last week we had a small bowl, this week a large bowl.
- 1 bowl of spinach (the large bowl).
- 1 head of lettuce.
- 5 radishes.
- 6 hakurei turnips.
- 10 scallions.
- 8 chive flowers.
- 1 bunch of cilantro (dill was a second option).
- 1 bunch of mint (lemon balm was a second option).
Sunday, June 7, 2009
Winter squash!
On Saturday, I volunteered at The Food Project. On some weeks there are groups of volunteers from schools or businesses. This week there was a very good-natured group from Starbucks, who kindly brought bottled water and a nice work ethic. Some children were there, and they paired off with adults for various activities.
About 25 of us walked over to the squash fields, which had been divided into 4'-by-4' squares by little 1' paths. A bit of fertilizer had been dropped in the center of each square. Our job was to plant 4-5 seeds in the middle of each square. Since the squares were so large, each row was pretty quick. In a couple hours, we planted 3600 squares, or over 2 acres of squash. Butternut, buttercup, acorn, spaghetti, pie pumpkin. Yum!
The fields we planted should yield 32,000 pounds of squash. At a half a pound per serving, that's 64,000 servings of squash. The Food Project employees reminded us that the squash will go to local shelters and farmers markets that accept food stamps, along with some going to CSA members.
After that we did the less glamorous task of weeding 600 feet of lettuce. One family took home a bunch of the succulent weeds for salad. It's called purslane and is apparently a good source of Omega-3 fatty acid.
One of the nicer things about the day is how happy everyone was at the end. The youngest ones announced how much fun they were having and people all chatted about how they might get to harvest the squash in the fall.
In other old news, it looks like 40% more people are growing gardens due to the recession. Good times. Everyone is going to be eating way too much zucchini this year.
About 25 of us walked over to the squash fields, which had been divided into 4'-by-4' squares by little 1' paths. A bit of fertilizer had been dropped in the center of each square. Our job was to plant 4-5 seeds in the middle of each square. Since the squares were so large, each row was pretty quick. In a couple hours, we planted 3600 squares, or over 2 acres of squash. Butternut, buttercup, acorn, spaghetti, pie pumpkin. Yum!
The fields we planted should yield 32,000 pounds of squash. At a half a pound per serving, that's 64,000 servings of squash. The Food Project employees reminded us that the squash will go to local shelters and farmers markets that accept food stamps, along with some going to CSA members.
After that we did the less glamorous task of weeding 600 feet of lettuce. One family took home a bunch of the succulent weeds for salad. It's called purslane and is apparently a good source of Omega-3 fatty acid.
One of the nicer things about the day is how happy everyone was at the end. The youngest ones announced how much fun they were having and people all chatted about how they might get to harvest the squash in the fall.
In other old news, it looks like 40% more people are growing gardens due to the recession. Good times. Everyone is going to be eating way too much zucchini this year.
Tuesday, June 2, 2009
First veggie share of the season
This spring has been much less miserable than last spring, and the veggies said thank you! Last year's share was really sad the first week of June. This year was a bit more varied.
The first Food Project share of the season:
As for the soil, last year we didn't get very much corn. Everyone loves corn, begs for more corn. But in sandy MA soil, it just doesn't grow well. So they aren't growing corn this year, and instead are going to use cover crops to repair the worn soil. I think this is a good decision, but Jean's pretty disappointed. Ah well.
My veggies are all stored happily in their new and improved fridge. My last fridge would freeze the veggies sometimes. I'm hoping that my new fridge keeps things happier longer. I'm also trying the Green Bags (warning, site has annoying voice over) to see if they help keep my produce fresher. We shall see! It's still June, so finishing veggies isn't a problem.
One of my more favorite Biblical stories is the one about manna in the desert. I personally think that this is an anti-refrigeration story. Anyway, we can all take a lesson from the folks out in the desert. I often try to "save" veggies. This is silly. You should just eat them or they will go bad. The farm will have a new share next week, with something more exciting than this week. Yes, even after strawberry season, there are fruits and veggies to look forward to!
The first Food Project share of the season:
- 5 radishes.
- 12 scallions.
- 1 head of lettuce.
- 1 bowl of bok choy (about the same size as a head of lettuce).
- 8 chive flowers (pretty purple, nice in salads and stirfries).
- 8 springs of mint (lemon balm was also available).
As for the soil, last year we didn't get very much corn. Everyone loves corn, begs for more corn. But in sandy MA soil, it just doesn't grow well. So they aren't growing corn this year, and instead are going to use cover crops to repair the worn soil. I think this is a good decision, but Jean's pretty disappointed. Ah well.
My veggies are all stored happily in their new and improved fridge. My last fridge would freeze the veggies sometimes. I'm hoping that my new fridge keeps things happier longer. I'm also trying the Green Bags (warning, site has annoying voice over) to see if they help keep my produce fresher. We shall see! It's still June, so finishing veggies isn't a problem.
One of my more favorite Biblical stories is the one about manna in the desert. I personally think that this is an anti-refrigeration story. Anyway, we can all take a lesson from the folks out in the desert. I often try to "save" veggies. This is silly. You should just eat them or they will go bad. The farm will have a new share next week, with something more exciting than this week. Yes, even after strawberry season, there are fruits and veggies to look forward to!
June's meat share
It's exciting to finally hit summer. When I arrived at the Chestnut Farms meat pickup, there were still tons of eggs, from happy, warm chickens. I'm still amazed at how much egg production drops off in the winter.
I had a nice chat with Rich about the St. Bernard puppies from the last open house in the fall. Apparently all the puppies went to CSA members, and they are all 100 pounds now. 6 months ago they were little babies you could sit in your lap. Apparently, even at 100 pounds, they want to sit in your lap. Sadly, but responsibly, there aren't going to be any more pups. Check out the post from last fall's open house to see pictures of the little ones.
I'm really looking forward to this year's open house in a couple weeks! Kim says that everything has moved again. It sounds like they're doing some good canning too.
The farm newsletter had some interesting information about the fight against organic, which is of course is by lobbyists only. Monsanto is trying to get its genetically modified food into various world markets, and various world markets just say no. Aside from the Monsanto stuff, the Mid-America Crop Life Association, an organization for pesticides, is all kinds of upset that Michelle Obama has an organic garden. Oh, the horror!
I love the farm newsletter, and you can sign up for it here.
I have upped my share to 15 pounds and will be sharing it. This has many of the smaller packages, plus a couple of larger cuts:
I had a nice chat with Rich about the St. Bernard puppies from the last open house in the fall. Apparently all the puppies went to CSA members, and they are all 100 pounds now. 6 months ago they were little babies you could sit in your lap. Apparently, even at 100 pounds, they want to sit in your lap. Sadly, but responsibly, there aren't going to be any more pups. Check out the post from last fall's open house to see pictures of the little ones.
I'm really looking forward to this year's open house in a couple weeks! Kim says that everything has moved again. It sounds like they're doing some good canning too.
The farm newsletter had some interesting information about the fight against organic, which is of course is by lobbyists only. Monsanto is trying to get its genetically modified food into various world markets, and various world markets just say no. Aside from the Monsanto stuff, the Mid-America Crop Life Association, an organization for pesticides, is all kinds of upset that Michelle Obama has an organic garden. Oh, the horror!
I love the farm newsletter, and you can sign up for it here.
I have upped my share to 15 pounds and will be sharing it. This has many of the smaller packages, plus a couple of larger cuts:
- 1 maple sugar cured bone-in ham steak.
- 1 package of 2 pork chops.
- 1 package of 3 breakfast sausages.
- 1 package of hickory smoked bacon (without nitrate or nitrites, yay!).
- 3 packages of beef loin top sirloin steak.
- 1 beef top round roast.
- 1 whole chicken.
Fish share!
My veggie farm forwarded this message on to me. It looks like a great way to get quality fish at a good price. I would really like to participate, but with the meat and veggies, it's too much food! I would like to know how to clean fish better, and it's great that they teach you a class.
----------------
Cape Ann Fresh Catch (CAFC), a Community Supported Fishery program, or CSF, is a collaboration of shore-side residents and the local fishing community. CSF members give the fishing community financial support in advance of the season, and in turn the fishermen provide a weekly share of seafood during the harvesting season to shareholders. A CSF reconnects people to the ocean that sustains them and builds a rewarding relationship between fishermen and shareholders.
*WHY SMALL AND LOCAL? *
There is an essential quality to seafood that you only get when it’s harvested locally and delivered to you just hours out of the ocean. Our small family-owned boats enable us to pay attention to the way fish is caught and to focus on strengthening our local food community, economy, and the sustainability of the ecosystem. The long-term health and abundance of the Gulf of Maine are important to all of us.
Cape Ann Fresh Catch (CAFC) will deliver a variety of the freshest haddock, cod, flounder, hake, dabs, grey sole, monkfish, Pollock, and redfish – and possibly other seafood such as clams, lobsters and scallops. In traditional markets fishermen are forced to chase whatever species is fetching the highest price that week. By taking a mix off these species at the same price week-to-week (about $3/lb), fishermen are able to fish areas that are not stressed by the rest of the fleet, and give species and ecosystems time to recover and replenish.
This cooperative system also keeps fishermen safer because they don’t have to fight the weather to go offshore for a certain species; if the weather is dangerous, they can stay close to shore and catch only what the CSF needs that week. At the same time, shareholders are guaranteed the freshest, highest quality fish caught. The fish caught for the CSF will never be old or frozen, and it will always come from fishermen who believe in working with the ocean and the community.
*WHAT WILL YOU GET?*
The fish will be dressed (cleaned and gutted, NOT filleted), and packed on ice. There will be a FREE DEMONSTRATION OF THE ART OF FILLETING YOUR FISH AND HOW TO COOK WITH WHOLE FISH AT THE START OF THE SEASON!
- A 12-week subscription to our summer CSF will start in early June
- Instructions and recipes on cooking with whole fish
- Half share of whole fish: 4-6 lbs per week
- Full share of whole fish: 8-12 lbs per week
Full shares are $360, half shares are $180 (roughly $3 per pound)
----------------
Cape Ann Fresh Catch (CAFC), a Community Supported Fishery program, or CSF, is a collaboration of shore-side residents and the local fishing community. CSF members give the fishing community financial support in advance of the season, and in turn the fishermen provide a weekly share of seafood during the harvesting season to shareholders. A CSF reconnects people to the ocean that sustains them and builds a rewarding relationship between fishermen and shareholders.
*WHY SMALL AND LOCAL? *
There is an essential quality to seafood that you only get when it’s harvested locally and delivered to you just hours out of the ocean. Our small family-owned boats enable us to pay attention to the way fish is caught and to focus on strengthening our local food community, economy, and the sustainability of the ecosystem. The long-term health and abundance of the Gulf of Maine are important to all of us.
Cape Ann Fresh Catch (CAFC) will deliver a variety of the freshest haddock, cod, flounder, hake, dabs, grey sole, monkfish, Pollock, and redfish – and possibly other seafood such as clams, lobsters and scallops. In traditional markets fishermen are forced to chase whatever species is fetching the highest price that week. By taking a mix off these species at the same price week-to-week (about $3/lb), fishermen are able to fish areas that are not stressed by the rest of the fleet, and give species and ecosystems time to recover and replenish.
This cooperative system also keeps fishermen safer because they don’t have to fight the weather to go offshore for a certain species; if the weather is dangerous, they can stay close to shore and catch only what the CSF needs that week. At the same time, shareholders are guaranteed the freshest, highest quality fish caught. The fish caught for the CSF will never be old or frozen, and it will always come from fishermen who believe in working with the ocean and the community.
*WHAT WILL YOU GET?*
The fish will be dressed (cleaned and gutted, NOT filleted), and packed on ice. There will be a FREE DEMONSTRATION OF THE ART OF FILLETING YOUR FISH AND HOW TO COOK WITH WHOLE FISH AT THE START OF THE SEASON!
- A 12-week subscription to our summer CSF will start in early June
- Instructions and recipes on cooking with whole fish
- Half share of whole fish: 4-6 lbs per week
- Full share of whole fish: 8-12 lbs per week
Full shares are $360, half shares are $180 (roughly $3 per pound)
Sunday, May 31, 2009
Finals are finally done
I had to finish up a class of mine, so I'm behind on blogging. Here's highlights from last month.
I went to The Food Project to volunteer. You don't have to be a member to volunteer, and I get a lot of questions about how the CSA works. We had a productive day. Our group planted 1000 beets and then mulched the newly reorganized tea garden. I guess they are trying to control the mint, which grows mad crazy around here.
The feeling of planting a couple long rows of beets is amazing. At the beginning, you look out at the empty furrow and think, "yeah right." 90 minutes later, you have a row of 1000 beautiful little plants, which will grow up into healthy roots and leaves, both edible. Yum! Can't wait for salads and roasting.
I haven't yet posted this month's meat share, so here goes:
In other news, I decided to buy a new fridge before my veggie CSA starts up on Tuesday. Actually the fridge is coming on Tuesday, so five of us just had a "clean out the freezer dinner." So I'm getting ready for a new era of food storage. My fridge is 30-40 years old, I think, so I look forward to cheaper electric bills and less frozen veggies by my overzealous fridge. Yay!
I went to The Food Project to volunteer. You don't have to be a member to volunteer, and I get a lot of questions about how the CSA works. We had a productive day. Our group planted 1000 beets and then mulched the newly reorganized tea garden. I guess they are trying to control the mint, which grows mad crazy around here.
The feeling of planting a couple long rows of beets is amazing. At the beginning, you look out at the empty furrow and think, "yeah right." 90 minutes later, you have a row of 1000 beautiful little plants, which will grow up into healthy roots and leaves, both edible. Yum! Can't wait for salads and roasting.
I haven't yet posted this month's meat share, so here goes:
- 1 package of ground beef (which I just made into meatloaf).
- 1 package of ground beef patties (which we grilled).
- 1 whole chicken (which I just baked with a pecan cranberry stuffing).
- 1 package of sausage patties (which we brought to Mother's Day breakfast and use the farm eggs to make a sausage, asparagus, Manchego cheese egg scramble).
- 2 packages of pork cutlets (one used breaded and fried with pasta, and the other for crockpot pulled pork).
- 1 beef round sirloin tip steak (which we grilled).
In other news, I decided to buy a new fridge before my veggie CSA starts up on Tuesday. Actually the fridge is coming on Tuesday, so five of us just had a "clean out the freezer dinner." So I'm getting ready for a new era of food storage. My fridge is 30-40 years old, I think, so I look forward to cheaper electric bills and less frozen veggies by my overzealous fridge. Yay!
Saturday, April 11, 2009
Easter fare
Today I was supposed to go to The Food Project and volunteer, but because I made the decision to eat something that didn't smell quite right yesterday...I'm stuck at home. Yes, I should know better. Hoping that I recover soon, for tomorrow I am hosting Easter dinner!
We're going to have the normal potato salad, sweet potatoes, standard salad, and so on. But feature is going to be meat from Chestnut Farms. It's all about making EVERYONE happy, isn't it?
Kim was kind enough to put a whole chicken into my share this month. I am going to use a recipe that M and B swear by, coating and stuffing the thing with Boursin cheese. Oh yes.
Then there's leg of lamb, which was in my share last month. I haven't chosen a recipe for that yet, but hopefully I can get cooking temperatures and times to match the chicken.
I also have a couple ham steaks saved from last month's share. I am going to make one with a typical pineapple glaze, and another with homemade applesauce. Yum stuff.
Jean and I are hoping to not cook for several days afterwards!
On to other things, this months' share!
We're going to have the normal potato salad, sweet potatoes, standard salad, and so on. But feature is going to be meat from Chestnut Farms. It's all about making EVERYONE happy, isn't it?
Kim was kind enough to put a whole chicken into my share this month. I am going to use a recipe that M and B swear by, coating and stuffing the thing with Boursin cheese. Oh yes.
Then there's leg of lamb, which was in my share last month. I haven't chosen a recipe for that yet, but hopefully I can get cooking temperatures and times to match the chicken.
I also have a couple ham steaks saved from last month's share. I am going to make one with a typical pineapple glaze, and another with homemade applesauce. Yum stuff.
Jean and I are hoping to not cook for several days afterwards!
On to other things, this months' share!
- 1 whole chicken.
- 2 packagess of 2 pork loin chops.
- 1 package of 4 pork breakfast patties.
- 2 packages of ground beef.
- 1 package of 3 hot Italian sausage.
- 1 maple-sugar cured bone-in ham steak.
Saturday, April 4, 2009
Many hands make light work
Every year you have New Year's Resolutions that are difficult to keep. This year I resolved to volunteer more, and, of course, to get in better shape.
Today I volunteered at The Food Project. It satisfies both goals! And it's a wonderful way to see how your food gets on your plate. The Food Project invites volunteers to come work the land on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays in the spring and fall. (During July and August, they recruit dozens of high school students to do most of the work.) Each volunteer day, they have between 10 and 60 volunteers each week.
At 9:30, about 20 of us gathered. We played an icebreaker game, and part of it included facts about food production. For example, in a $3.50 box of cereal, about $3 goes to packaging and marketing, and $0.07 goes to the farmer. Yikes. It's like being a musician and selling CDs. We also learned that there are more people in jail than there are farmers in the US.
We split into groups, and I ended up working with five others in a hoop house where the winter share was grown. It was fun to see, since I participated in the winter share. The student leader ran the show, and we had to clear the whole place of plants and weeds. It's possible that I pocketed a bit of cilantro that maybe I had in an egg scramble when I got home, famished. I also learned a bit about using the hula hoe.
Once we cleared the vegetation, we put together a bunch of large tarps to cover the floor. Since we didn't know what to expect when we unrolled all the tarps, we had to puzzle things out a couple times before we could stake everything into the ground. That finally done, we started to build tables for new seedlings to grow on. The main greenhouse already had nice seedlings, particularly a bunch of beautiful onions. One of the students said, "They're so cute...I want to take one home!"
To build the tables, we stood cinder blocks on end, put slats of wood across the bricks, and then put the long flat crates on top of that. I ended up carrying a bunch of cinder blocks! By the end, I was pretty sore, and starving! We all got together and talked about what we did that we enjoyed. Weeding, building tables, finally getting the tarp down.
We ended the day with another game where we learned about healthy food communities, and how they are lacking in most areas. This is especially true of low income urban areas, where there are 30% less grocery stores. It can be difficult to get adequate nutrition when all you have is sub shops and convenience stores. The Food Project sponsors several farmers markets in areas such as these, bringing reasonably priced, homegrown veggies to as many people as possible.
The Food Project grows about 250,000 pounds of vegetables, according to their website. Today, I was a part of that!
Today I volunteered at The Food Project. It satisfies both goals! And it's a wonderful way to see how your food gets on your plate. The Food Project invites volunteers to come work the land on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays in the spring and fall. (During July and August, they recruit dozens of high school students to do most of the work.) Each volunteer day, they have between 10 and 60 volunteers each week.
At 9:30, about 20 of us gathered. We played an icebreaker game, and part of it included facts about food production. For example, in a $3.50 box of cereal, about $3 goes to packaging and marketing, and $0.07 goes to the farmer. Yikes. It's like being a musician and selling CDs. We also learned that there are more people in jail than there are farmers in the US.
We split into groups, and I ended up working with five others in a hoop house where the winter share was grown. It was fun to see, since I participated in the winter share. The student leader ran the show, and we had to clear the whole place of plants and weeds. It's possible that I pocketed a bit of cilantro that maybe I had in an egg scramble when I got home, famished. I also learned a bit about using the hula hoe.
Once we cleared the vegetation, we put together a bunch of large tarps to cover the floor. Since we didn't know what to expect when we unrolled all the tarps, we had to puzzle things out a couple times before we could stake everything into the ground. That finally done, we started to build tables for new seedlings to grow on. The main greenhouse already had nice seedlings, particularly a bunch of beautiful onions. One of the students said, "They're so cute...I want to take one home!"
To build the tables, we stood cinder blocks on end, put slats of wood across the bricks, and then put the long flat crates on top of that. I ended up carrying a bunch of cinder blocks! By the end, I was pretty sore, and starving! We all got together and talked about what we did that we enjoyed. Weeding, building tables, finally getting the tarp down.
We ended the day with another game where we learned about healthy food communities, and how they are lacking in most areas. This is especially true of low income urban areas, where there are 30% less grocery stores. It can be difficult to get adequate nutrition when all you have is sub shops and convenience stores. The Food Project sponsors several farmers markets in areas such as these, bringing reasonably priced, homegrown veggies to as many people as possible.
The Food Project grows about 250,000 pounds of vegetables, according to their website. Today, I was a part of that!
Sunday, March 29, 2009
Baaa!
I decided to trek over to Drumlin Farm yesterday to go to Woolapalooza. Drumlin Farm is part of the Mass Audubon "Protecting the Nature of Massachusetts." Mass Audubon was selling their membership, which gives you free admission to 45 Mass Audubon wildlife sanctuaries, a full-color guide to these sanctuaries, a one-year subscription to Sanctuary, an environmental magazine, and to Connections, a member newsletter. Plus you get discounts on programs and courses. It looked like a lot of value for a family.
I got there between the big events, a sheep dog demonstration and sheep shearing. I wandered around looking at their chickens first. I found out that free range chickens produce about 330 eggs per year each, but a caged chicken produces 265. Having considered owning chickens in the future, and pondering a flock of 20...would I really have 6600 eggs in one year? That's a lot of quiche!
I then went and checked out the merchants, which was interesting because they were not your typical merchants. The American Textile History Museum was there, and they are having a grand reopening in May. They were giving demonstrations on how to spin wool with a drop spinner and a spinning wheel. Kids were everywhere at this event, and they sure loved poking at (and trying to spin) the spinning wheels at various booths.
I chatted with a woman who makes angora products at Needle's Eye Angoras. She brought along one of her rabbits and let the kids pet it. She told me that she grows much of her own food during the summer and stores it over the winter. She was selling the yarn, headbands, and cute baby booties. She was delighted by the event, "So many parents with children, and they are talking to their children!"
Then I saw one of the main events: a sheep dog demonstration. There were four dogs, but one is still being trained. All the dogs are trained with voice and body at first, but then learn to respond to just a whistle. They love moving the sheep...one was just itching to start.
Whistling to bring them around:
Into the pen:
I went to the lambing shed. There were twins born the night before, and another baby born while I was there!
Along the way to the sheep shearing show, I walked along the Sheep to Sweater Interpretive trail. They were showing how to wash the wool, comb it spin it, and dye it with natural dyes. I liked the pokeweed, even though the color would look terrible on me!
The yellow is a goldenrod dye, and the brown is black walnut, which I learned about in the Foraging for Wild Edibles workshop I went to last year. They also had several pretty yellow dyes made from onion skin.
I ended with the best part, sheep shearing! I thought that I had to take a trip to New Zealand to see these demos, but no! For $10, this was a better deal:
Big fluffy sheep, dying to take off the winter coat when it's 55 degrees out:
Starting to shear:
Halfway there:
Almost done:
Done! With just a bit of razor burn:
This big sheep had about 10 pounds of wool on it, which would make 2 adult sweaters and a few hats. Hats off to you, sheep!
I got there between the big events, a sheep dog demonstration and sheep shearing. I wandered around looking at their chickens first. I found out that free range chickens produce about 330 eggs per year each, but a caged chicken produces 265. Having considered owning chickens in the future, and pondering a flock of 20...would I really have 6600 eggs in one year? That's a lot of quiche!
I then went and checked out the merchants, which was interesting because they were not your typical merchants. The American Textile History Museum was there, and they are having a grand reopening in May. They were giving demonstrations on how to spin wool with a drop spinner and a spinning wheel. Kids were everywhere at this event, and they sure loved poking at (and trying to spin) the spinning wheels at various booths.
I chatted with a woman who makes angora products at Needle's Eye Angoras. She brought along one of her rabbits and let the kids pet it. She told me that she grows much of her own food during the summer and stores it over the winter. She was selling the yarn, headbands, and cute baby booties. She was delighted by the event, "So many parents with children, and they are talking to their children!"
Then I saw one of the main events: a sheep dog demonstration. There were four dogs, but one is still being trained. All the dogs are trained with voice and body at first, but then learn to respond to just a whistle. They love moving the sheep...one was just itching to start.
Whistling to bring them around:
Into the pen:
I went to the lambing shed. There were twins born the night before, and another baby born while I was there!
Along the way to the sheep shearing show, I walked along the Sheep to Sweater Interpretive trail. They were showing how to wash the wool, comb it spin it, and dye it with natural dyes. I liked the pokeweed, even though the color would look terrible on me!
The yellow is a goldenrod dye, and the brown is black walnut, which I learned about in the Foraging for Wild Edibles workshop I went to last year. They also had several pretty yellow dyes made from onion skin.
I ended with the best part, sheep shearing! I thought that I had to take a trip to New Zealand to see these demos, but no! For $10, this was a better deal:
Big fluffy sheep, dying to take off the winter coat when it's 55 degrees out:
Starting to shear:
Halfway there:
Almost done:
Done! With just a bit of razor burn:
This big sheep had about 10 pounds of wool on it, which would make 2 adult sweaters and a few hats. Hats off to you, sheep!
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
Woolapalooza!
Drumlin Farm is having Woolapalooza for "all things sheep" today from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Shearing and knitting o my!
Sunday, March 22, 2009
Local food, national news
My blog only wakes up to scratch itself once in awhile over the winter time, generally on meat share days from Chestnut Farms. But now it's spring: people are digging, bees are buzzing, and I'm blogging again.
I joined the Facebook group Support Local Farmers, and they occasionally send information. Today they sent a link to farmfed, which is a site dedicated to educating people about where their food comes from and how to encourage healthy, sustainable farming methods. They have some nice photos of the White House garden ground-breaking.
Last year I cut off my hair for a good cause, but before that I used to walk around Moody Street in Waltham and was often stopped, "Can you tell me where the macrobiotic restaurant is?" Ah, long hippie hair. I didn't know where it was, but since people kept asking me, I figured I'd check it out. Yesterday my boyfriend and I went to Masao's Kitchen, a tiny little place that serves a beautiful buffet of simple macrobiotic vegan fare. You can order dishes of noodles or soup, but we decided to try the by-the-pound buffet ($8/pound). What's funny is that when you click on their menu, all you see are pictures of vegetables. Not bad!
There was a gorgeous dish of butternut squash and onion, which was steamed and brought out the wonderful flavor of the squash. I remember faintly that I was sick of squash by the end of the winter, but that memory is now overtaken by the sweetness of this dish. I had a lentil-chickpea dish with aromatics that was a lot like the dish my college roommate taught me to make. Comfort food. I rounded out my meal with some quinoa and steamed broccoli and kale. I did take little sides of a cabbage lotus flower mix, and a shiatake mix. My boyfriend also had the tofu, which he enjoyed, and brown rice. He ordered a side of the miso soup, which he really enjoyed but felt there was too much! (So I ate the rest...hearty and not at all silty like some.)
We kept discovering new food, but I'd already taken a pound and a half! So I left it at that, and ate it all. The restaurant was packed, and there were many families with little girls...perhaps a dancing school is nearby? It looks like they also do a healthy takeout service. The staff is extremely friendly and seems to love introducing people to the food. Most people there appeared to be regulars.
At the end of the meal I felt like I'd only eaten good things. It's rare to go to a restaurant and feel wonderful at the end, but here's your chance.
I joined the Facebook group Support Local Farmers, and they occasionally send information. Today they sent a link to farmfed, which is a site dedicated to educating people about where their food comes from and how to encourage healthy, sustainable farming methods. They have some nice photos of the White House garden ground-breaking.
Last year I cut off my hair for a good cause, but before that I used to walk around Moody Street in Waltham and was often stopped, "Can you tell me where the macrobiotic restaurant is?" Ah, long hippie hair. I didn't know where it was, but since people kept asking me, I figured I'd check it out. Yesterday my boyfriend and I went to Masao's Kitchen, a tiny little place that serves a beautiful buffet of simple macrobiotic vegan fare. You can order dishes of noodles or soup, but we decided to try the by-the-pound buffet ($8/pound). What's funny is that when you click on their menu, all you see are pictures of vegetables. Not bad!
There was a gorgeous dish of butternut squash and onion, which was steamed and brought out the wonderful flavor of the squash. I remember faintly that I was sick of squash by the end of the winter, but that memory is now overtaken by the sweetness of this dish. I had a lentil-chickpea dish with aromatics that was a lot like the dish my college roommate taught me to make. Comfort food. I rounded out my meal with some quinoa and steamed broccoli and kale. I did take little sides of a cabbage lotus flower mix, and a shiatake mix. My boyfriend also had the tofu, which he enjoyed, and brown rice. He ordered a side of the miso soup, which he really enjoyed but felt there was too much! (So I ate the rest...hearty and not at all silty like some.)
We kept discovering new food, but I'd already taken a pound and a half! So I left it at that, and ate it all. The restaurant was packed, and there were many families with little girls...perhaps a dancing school is nearby? It looks like they also do a healthy takeout service. The staff is extremely friendly and seems to love introducing people to the food. Most people there appeared to be regulars.
At the end of the meal I felt like I'd only eaten good things. It's rare to go to a restaurant and feel wonderful at the end, but here's your chance.
Saturday, March 21, 2009
Arugula
Soooo excited about the first family's veggie garden--organic, started by Michelle Obama and some local fifth graders. The project is a combination of educating the young, feeding the first family, and providing fresh vegetables for a local soup kitchen.
And they even have the plans for the garden. I love that they are lining the walkways with flowers, especially marigolds, which keep out pests. It's a heavy greens garden, not much in the way of beans, potatoes, and tomatoes. But it'll make nice salads and steamed greens. They devote plenty of space to a variety of herbs.
I've been eating a salad mix from Whole Foods recently that includes mixed greens, dill, and parsley. I'll have to try that this summer with the farm food!
In other news, I finally invested in a real knife, the Wusthof Grand Prix II. I bought it at on the edge at Faneuil Hall Market Place, explaining to them that I get a lot of fresh meat that needs to be broken down sometimes, as well as tons of fresh veggies. And it's amazing! It takes about half the time for me to cut the meat and veggies, and the cuts are more even and accurate. It makes cooking fun again! OK, end of advertisement.
And they even have the plans for the garden. I love that they are lining the walkways with flowers, especially marigolds, which keep out pests. It's a heavy greens garden, not much in the way of beans, potatoes, and tomatoes. But it'll make nice salads and steamed greens. They devote plenty of space to a variety of herbs.
I've been eating a salad mix from Whole Foods recently that includes mixed greens, dill, and parsley. I'll have to try that this summer with the farm food!
In other news, I finally invested in a real knife, the Wusthof Grand Prix II. I bought it at on the edge at Faneuil Hall Market Place, explaining to them that I get a lot of fresh meat that needs to be broken down sometimes, as well as tons of fresh veggies. And it's amazing! It takes about half the time for me to cut the meat and veggies, and the cuts are more even and accurate. It makes cooking fun again! OK, end of advertisement.
Saturday, March 7, 2009
Suggestions of spring
I walked down to the square today just to go to the bank, and it was gorgeous out. Except for the snow melting everywhere, it felt like spring! I wanted to volunteer at The Food Project, but apparently that doesn't start until April. Alas...will have to wait to play in the dirt.
I picked up my meat share from Chestnut Farms this week:
I'm reading a beautiful book This Common Ground: Seasons on an Organic Farm by Scott Chaskey. He's farmed in Cornwall, England and on the South Fork of Long Island at a CSA. He brings together farming and his love of poetry in a thoughtful, topic-based book. He does not go through the seasons, he isn't providing how to's. He paints pictures of various crops, farmers, CSA members, animals, whatever has moved him in his life as a farmer. The romance of the farm.
I picked up my meat share from Chestnut Farms this week:
- 1 leg of lamb (beautiful! I'm thinking of saving it for Easter, but it'll be tough seeing it in the freezer for that long).
- 1 chicken breast.
- 1 package of chicken legs.
- 1 package of three greek lamb sausages.
- 1 package of ground beef.
- 1 top round steak.
- 1 package of breakfast sausage.
I'm reading a beautiful book This Common Ground: Seasons on an Organic Farm by Scott Chaskey. He's farmed in Cornwall, England and on the South Fork of Long Island at a CSA. He brings together farming and his love of poetry in a thoughtful, topic-based book. He does not go through the seasons, he isn't providing how to's. He paints pictures of various crops, farmers, CSA members, animals, whatever has moved him in his life as a farmer. The romance of the farm.
Tuesday, February 3, 2009
Meat days are happy days
Kim at Chestnut Farms is trying to figure out if cats like lamb liver or beef liver better, and she was selling the stuff off at $1 a package. I grabbed some lamb liver in the hopes that I could convince someone to make a lamb liver dinner with me. So far, not a lot of interest. C'mon guys!
This month's share:
Speaking of summer, it sounds like the farm is trying out goats this year. Yes, for goat meat: "I'm not milking anything!" they say. It sounds like it's been a tough winter on the farm, with the cold, cold January we had right after my "it hasn't been that cold yet" post. Serves me for talkin'. Anyway, I love goat curry, so hoping to try their goat this summer if it happens.
Again, it's a great time to go veggie CSA shopping, so I encourage everyone in MA to go to NOFA Mass. There are many different types of CSAs, so it's best to look for one nearby that fits with how you eat. Some give you tons of food, others are more modest. Some you have little choice and really eat with the harvest, and others give you points to pick out how much of each veggie or fruit you want. Some you go to the farm, others you might go to someone's home or other drop-off location. You might have to put in a day or two of work each season, and you might be able to get a free share if you do enough work. Many donate extra veggies to food banks, and some are full-fledge non-profits. I'd love to hear about your farms, and it's been wonderful that several people I know are newly signed up for shares next year. Good eatin'.
This month's share:
- 1 package of maple sugar cured hickory smoked bacon (yes, I'm on the "more bacon" list).
- 1 package of 3 Greek lamb sausage.
- 1 package of pork loin chops.
- 1 package of maple sugar cured bone-in ham steak ends.
- 1 shank steak.
- 2 packages of ground beef.
- 1 package of pork breakfast sausage patties.
- 1 porterhouse steak.
- 1 package of steak tips.
Speaking of summer, it sounds like the farm is trying out goats this year. Yes, for goat meat: "I'm not milking anything!" they say. It sounds like it's been a tough winter on the farm, with the cold, cold January we had right after my "it hasn't been that cold yet" post. Serves me for talkin'. Anyway, I love goat curry, so hoping to try their goat this summer if it happens.
Again, it's a great time to go veggie CSA shopping, so I encourage everyone in MA to go to NOFA Mass. There are many different types of CSAs, so it's best to look for one nearby that fits with how you eat. Some give you tons of food, others are more modest. Some you have little choice and really eat with the harvest, and others give you points to pick out how much of each veggie or fruit you want. Some you go to the farm, others you might go to someone's home or other drop-off location. You might have to put in a day or two of work each season, and you might be able to get a free share if you do enough work. Many donate extra veggies to food banks, and some are full-fledge non-profits. I'd love to hear about your farms, and it's been wonderful that several people I know are newly signed up for shares next year. Good eatin'.
Wednesday, January 7, 2009
My winter blog is as quiet as the sleeping fields
The only thing happenin' on the CSA front is a cold frost and the monthly meat share. Actually, we've had plenty of warm weather in MA, no difficult frosts, so it wouldn't surprise me if a few veggies were still growing slowly around the state. At our first veggie distribution last year, we had some turnips that had been in the ground all year.
Last week I made a trial run of applesauce, using this really easy applesauce recipe. Sure, it was sweet, but it's so much yummier than the watery, bland store stuff. I have a ton of apples that need eatin' so I plan to try a bigger crockpot of the stuff some time this week. I had it with pork chops from Chestnut Farms...delicious!
The brave folks at Chestnut Farms drove through the Western MA ice to distribute shares today. It was rainy here, and luckily most of the ice had melted. But yuck, what a job. It makes you remember that you have to be outside in all kinds of weather as a farmer, and I'm sure that the share distribution is one of the less messy jobs. I worked from home today. The building manager called to kick my car out of the parking lot for plowing, so I took a quick hop down to the drop-off location to pick up my share early. Normally I get there a couple hours later, so I was amazed at the dozens of coolers they distribute! I know that they were recently able to quit their square jobs to be farmers full time. Such a wonderful thing.
This month's share:
Last week I made a trial run of applesauce, using this really easy applesauce recipe. Sure, it was sweet, but it's so much yummier than the watery, bland store stuff. I have a ton of apples that need eatin' so I plan to try a bigger crockpot of the stuff some time this week. I had it with pork chops from Chestnut Farms...delicious!
The brave folks at Chestnut Farms drove through the Western MA ice to distribute shares today. It was rainy here, and luckily most of the ice had melted. But yuck, what a job. It makes you remember that you have to be outside in all kinds of weather as a farmer, and I'm sure that the share distribution is one of the less messy jobs. I worked from home today. The building manager called to kick my car out of the parking lot for plowing, so I took a quick hop down to the drop-off location to pick up my share early. Normally I get there a couple hours later, so I was amazed at the dozens of coolers they distribute! I know that they were recently able to quit their square jobs to be farmers full time. Such a wonderful thing.
This month's share:
- 1 maple sugar cured bone-in ham steak.
- 1 lamb shoulder (yay! I have no idea how to cook this, but it looks beautiful).
- 1 package of ground beef.
- 2 shank steaks.
- 1 chicken breast.
- 1 package of maple sugar cured hickory smoked bacon.
- 1 package of steak tips.
- 1 large rib steak.
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