Lucky 13, Week of the CSA

Posted on August 15, 2013 by AnnieRie

We scored a huge watermelon this week.

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With nine other items.
1 bag Green Beans – Freedom Acres
1 bunch Dill – Kirkwood Herbs (I swapped for jalapenos)
1 bag San Marzano Roma Tomatoes – Maple Lawn Organics
6 ears Sweet Corn – Pine Hill Organics
1 bag Thumbalina Carrots – Farmdale Organics
1 bag Shallots – Shady Brook Organics
1 Red Seedless Watermelon – Misty Meadows
1 bag Yukon Gold Potatoes – Hillside Organics
1 pint Mixed Cherry Tomatoes – Farmdale Organics
1 bag Red Slicing Tomatoes – White Swan Acres

The whole picture here:

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This week, just to show the difference, one of the 60% share members let me photograph their veggies before they divided them up. Two single friends share a 60% box. Besides getting a bit less than the full share, their amounts are smaller.

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For a single vegetarian, or a couple, this is a perfect size for a CSA share. At less than $20 a week, most weeks they get 6-8 items. The baby eggplants were really cute. They get much more conventional veggies than the full share.

Right now, our pick up site is pretty full. A transferring member (from Silver Spring) was new this week. We had a nice visit and recipe swap between many of us today, as with perfect weather, we were out enjoying the sun without humidity.

As for value, I haven’t done a comparison lately, but today it was a really good easy one to do. Using prices for organic.

Corn $3 a half dozen
Cherry tomatoes $4
Slicing tomatoes @$3 a pound = $5
Watermelon $5
Green Beans $3
Heirloom Romas $4
Thumbelina Carrots $3
Shallots $2
Jalapenos $3
Potatoes, 4 pounds, $6

Total: $38 — Weekly Fee: $31

Some weeks it is even higher than this. Some weeks we get 12 or 13 items.

The CSA is such a bargain if you normally shop at organic stores, or farm stands.

Tonight for dinner, some of it made it onto our plates already. Like the corn.

Thanks to all the CSAs in the area, and the markets, fresh food is not far away.

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A Picture Perfect Day …

Posted on August 14, 2013 by AnnieRie

… for picking peaches. Oh, and Blackberries, too. At Larriland.

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I dropped my husband off at his monthly Glenwood DX Association radio group’s luncheon at Town Grill in Lisbon, then headed off to pick blackberries.

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An hour or so later, and five pounds of berries in the back of the car, I picked him up so he could help me pick peaches. Twenty seven pounds of peaches in less than 20 minutes.

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Gorgeous peaches at $1.25 a pound if you pick more than 20 pounds. Tomorrow will be peach blanching, freezing and blending day.

The weather was perfect. There were lots of people at the peach picking sites, but I had most of the blackberry bush area to myself. My own row, as a matter of fact.

After a stop back at the red barn to get some canning supplies, an eggplant and a couple of red peppers to top off the ajvar, and home to process berries.

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The best berries go into the freezer whole, are flash frozen, then packed in small bags. I got eight bags with about a cup of berries in each one. The ones on the top left are the less than perfect. I will drop them into boiling water briefly using a strainer, then put them in the blender with a little honey and just a touch of balsamic. They will be strained into syrup then put in an ice cube tray to freeze. The basis for vinaigrettes all winter. The top right are the “Eat Now” berries. For cereal. Yogurt. Salads. Snacks. They will be gone in two or three days probably, they are so good.

As for a few of the ripest peaches, they became part of dinner tonight.

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Right on the grill with lemon olive oil and balsamic glaze.

Served with some Breezy Willow kielbasa, a local wine from Big Cork, and some pesto pasta salad.

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Head on out to Larriland. The peaches and blackberries are down the road from the farm entrance (stay on Rte. 94 south) and a right turn into the picking areas.

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Whackin’ Back the Basil

Posted on August 13, 2013 by AnnieRie

Every once in a while you need to go out there and harvest basil. Before it gets completely out of control.

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Today I harvested three cups of basil. Mostly African blue basil, with some Genovese and a little Thai basil in the mix. That meant a triple batch of pesto to be made.

First, toasting a cup of pine nuts. Over low heat. Watching them the whole time.

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The three cups of basil, cup of pine nuts, cup of cheese (I used Pecorino this time), six cloves of roasted garlic, all went into the food processor.

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Then, the olive oil drizzling, addition of salt and pepper, none of this measured, by the way, continued until I had the taste and consistency I wanted.

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This meant I ended up with three one cup containers of pesto. Two for the freezer, one in the refrigerator. My husband, of course, then wanted pesto pasta for dinner. Thankfully, there were bay scallops in the freezer, easy to defrost, and some dried artichoke pasta from The Common Market in the pantry.

The final dinner. Pesto pasta with sauteed bay scallops, scallions, and red pepper. A couple of sliced heirloom tomatoes from my garden and some mixed greens with feta. Oh, and a homemade balsamic vinaigrette.

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As for the wine match, we decided to test two local Virginia Sauvignon Blancs against one another. Both from 2011. Linden Avenius versus Doukenie. The Doukenie did well, standing up to the Linden but that wonderful Fume Blanc style of the Avenius was just a bit better. Way to go, Doukenie, for making a very nice SB.

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Overall, not your typical Tuesday night dinner, but when you get fresh pesto, you take advantage of it.

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Perfectly Roasted Garlic

Posted on August 12, 2013 by AnnieRie

It’s all Rebecca’s fault. She taught me this trick in her ajvar post last year.

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For perfectly roasted garlic, turn off the oven. Put garlic cloves, salt, pepper, olive oil in a foil pouch. After cooking whatever it may be that you are cooking in a hot oven, turn off the oven and put the foil packet in it.

You will get lovely soft roasted garlic, you know, the kind that sells at that $7.99 a pound Mediterranean bar at Wegmans.

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These are so good on garlic bread, in pasta sauces, on pizzas, in pesto, on lamb.

They are so easy to make, and a jar of them in the refrigerator will get used quite quickly. I did this batch with CSA garlic. For the rest of this fall, my garlic from my garden will be used this way.

So, turn off that oven and roast garlic. And thank Rebecca for the recipe. By the way, I use her preserving pages religiously when I am putting up foods. Thanks, Rebecca!

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A Rainbow of Ribbons

Posted on August 11, 2013 by AnnieRie

All the colors. This year the third and fifth place ribbons rounded out my collection.

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It is satisfying as a gardener, to be rewarded that your efforts mean something. That all the weeding, watering (well, not this year), and worrying were worth it.

I went to the fairgrounds this morning to pick up my entries, my ribbons, and my check. It is fun to go and visit with others. While in line at the fair office, or just wandering through the farm and garden building to pick up your veggies.

This year, most of my tomatoes survived the week. The weather was kind to us.

I got to bring home my orange roma tomatoes and oven dry them.

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I added a few from the windowsill, then slow cooked them in olive oil, salt, pepper and a touch of sugar. Off to the freezer they went.

As for the Paul Robeson, there was one there. The other one was eaten during the judging.

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With a second one from the garden, some mozzarella and basil, they became part of dinner tonight.

Twelve of the fifteen cherry tomatoes survived and we had them with our lunch salad. The herbs, nope, they wilted, and were sent to the trash at the fair.

It is not that hard to grow something for the fair. Herbs are the easiest.

Now, to cash that check for $7.50, and plan for next year.

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Three Times a Lady

Posted on August 10, 2013 by AnnieRie

Lionel Richie.

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Thirty four years ago tonight, this song was the one that I remember from a get together of a church social group. The one that my now husband, then newly met acquaintance, asked me to dance to, at the California Inn.

Thirty three years ago, yesterday, we danced to it at our wedding.

Tonight we went out for our anniversary. We had a gift card for Ruth’s Chris.

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Not that a gift card will cover your meal there, if you get drinks, dessert and wine. But, still, a chance to have “date night” and compare restaurant food with my own.

The tally. I do better steak. Better salads. They do one awesome seared ahi appetizer with Asian accents. They also rock the creme brulee.

I told my husband we need to reserve somplace special on December 9th. On that night we will have been married a third of a century (I know, I am a math geek).

Not a bad Saturday night. By the way, the Ruth’s Chris in Pikesville is quite nice. The closest one to us. Small, but very nicely done inside, and with an outside dining area. Service was excellent. We will go back. Maybe just for appetizers, interesting cocktails, and killer desserts. Try the cucumber collins. It was impressive.

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Food Processing Friday

Posted on August 9, 2013 by AnnieRie

Well, we didn’t make it to the auction tonight. I just finished processing food for the freezer, and it has been a crazy day weather wise. I still need to handle the beets for the fridge, and the eggplant for the ajvar.

Almost another half inch of rain, and we had some outdoor work that needed to be done this morning.

Add to that a power glitch right in the middle of roasting veggies.

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The eggplant is destined for a small container of ajvar, that I thought didn’t have the smoky charred eggplant flavor I wanted. After roasting, I am letting them cool and will mix them in the spread. The two red peppers I used for them were a bit more than I should have used. Live and learn.

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As for tomatoes, there were three batches done today. Two blanched to be frozen, and one batch for sauce.

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After blanching, I peel them. Squeeze out the seeds, and pack them tightly in freezer bags. I do not use the food saver on tomatoes. Too much liquid in them. I do make sure to remove those damaged areas, the ones where you see the stink bug holes.

As for the romas from the CSA, they became a tomato sauce. A chunky tomato sauce with sausage bits (just enough for flavor).

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Sweating the veggies first.

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Peppers, onions, garlic, carrots in olive oil.

Then, add the peeled squeezed tomatoes. I don’t worry if there are still some seeds in it. I just try to get out the big stuff. Let it simmer on low for at least an hour, until you can completely smash the tomatoes into pulp. I add just salt, pepper, oregano and fresh basil to this sauce.

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I got two one quart plastic freezer containers full of sauce out of this batch.

Now, if my paste tomatoes will just get on the ball and start turning red, I should be able to put up at least another six or eight quarts of this type of sauce.

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Tomato Sauce Boss

Posted on August 8, 2013 by AnnieRie

Week Twelve. Halfway through the summer CSA. An overload of tomatoes.

Grape tomatoes. Slicing tomatoes. Roma tomatoes. Heirloom tomatoes.

Here is the entire list.

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1 pint Red Grape Tomatoes – Breezy Morning Farm
6 ears Sweet Corn – Farmdale Organics
1 bag Mixed Heirloom Tomatoes – Freedom Acres Farm
1 container Microgreens – Eastbrook Produce
1 bag Red Slicing Tomatoes – Green Valley Organics
1 bag Garlic – Valley View Farm
1 bag Purple Viking Potatoes – Bellview Organics
1 bag Rainbow Carrots – Cherry Lane Organics
1 bag Sweet Onions – Cherry Lane Organics
1 bag Red Roma Tomatoes – Healthy Harvest Organics
1 bunch Pistou Basil – Kirkwood Herbs

My microgreens were microradishes, which we love. You will notice the missing basil in my picture. I swapped for some eggplant sitting in the swap box. It will be part of a new batch of ajvar. I now make it in small quantities.

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But, this is tomato sauce base. Tomatoes, carrots, onions, garlic, basil. Since I grow four varieties of basil, I decided the swap was worth it.

Besides what the CSA gives us, we have my windowsill full of tomatoes, and my garlic that has cured.

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Some of the tomatoes from my garden.

Plus,

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cured red and white garlic hanging in the mud room.

I figure the next few days, there will be sauce making. There will be pesto making. There will be blanched, peeled tomatoes to freeze.

I did make it all the way through last winter and this spring with the sauces and oven roasted tomatoes from last summer. Sure beats jarred sauces full of sodium and sugar.

Here’s to my favorite fruit, tomatoes.

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Life Skills

Posted on August 7, 2013 by AnnieRie

Every year we spend more time at the Fair watching the 4H club members show and care for their animals. Every year I marvel at just how mature, responsible and talented these children are. I can’t believe how poised, articulate, and unflustered they are, even when their animals don’t always behave.

Today we watched the junior swine judging.

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These are the eight year olds.

The other day we watched the Jersey cattle show.

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Tomorrow we will be there watching the sheep. Today there was quite a bit of grooming going on.

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I also had to wander over and take pictures of the pygmy goats that are being raised by friends of ours.

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If you go to the fair, don’t just spend time on the midway. Head down here.

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Stop in and watch the 4Hers take care of their animals. They are truly learning life skills. How to be responsible. How to gracefully lose. How to gracefully win.

Worth the price of admission.

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Stretch Goals

Posted on August 6, 2013 by AnnieRie

Making the most of our lives. Finding something new and exciting that continues to inspire us.

There has been quite a bit of discussion within the Howard County blogger community that reflects this. Posts about Comfort Zones by Julia. About volunteering by Tom. About connecting with neighbors by Bill. About community by Lisa.

It was Bill who proposed the #summerofneighbors and I wrote a post about being neighborly. It sparked some of this discussion.

For me, I found that pushing the comfort zone after I retired meant learning to use and understand the connective tissue known as social media. It also meant pushing my hobby to a higher level, by entering the county fair. Not being afraid to fail with my tomato entries. Learning and growing and every year doing better. Meeting and talking with the people who make this county fair so special.

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It meant taking responsibility for some large events at my volunteer location. Like bringing together farmers for a panel and an opportunity to connect.

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It also meant changing how we cooked, ate, shopped and traveled. Locavore, locapour, foodie. All those interests merging into a driving force that influences us.

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In other words, “Do Not Go Gently into That Good Night” (Dylan Thomas)

For both me and my husband, retirement was the entry point for doing those things we never had time to do. Things like his pursuit of DXCC (an amateur radio program that credits you for contacting each separate entity around the world).

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And, his desire to have the time to do home projects, and bird watch, and take trips, and just walk in the woods. The slow pace outside that commuter world. The time to read. Books, newspapers, magazines.

For me, it has been the hobbies and the volunteering. The cooking and the writing. The garden.

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We will probably spend four days at the fair this year. Saturday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. Talking to friends there. Watching the auction. Checking out the exhibits.

Tomorrow we will be learning more about county history at the fair. Later this month I will be volunteering to clean up the CAC garden. Next month leading family hikes at the Conservancy. In October taking the social media class offered by David Hobby.

After all, isn’t what makes life interesting is the constant challenge, the “stretch goals” that keep us active and involved? I have to admit. Howard County certainly has enough going on to keep us busy.

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