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By Emily, August 3, 2010 7:30 pm

It was such a cool and exciting day last spring when we got an email from our friends asking if we’d like to take their CSA share for the first part of the summer while they were traveling.  Would we?  My semi-newness to the area and unsure job situation, plus general procrastination meant that we hadn’t signed up for a CSA share, even though I wanted to.  What could be better than doing a CSA trial run?

And so, for 8 wonderful weeks we traveled to Caretaker Farm on Tuesdays and picked up all the organic veggies we could fit in our bag.  Perhaps I’m overly dramatic, but it may’ve been life changing.  Our friends are back now, and we’re glad (really),  but they’ll be collecting the food from now on.  It’s kind of sad, though it’ll certainly give me reason to start frequenting the farmer’s market.  If nothing else, I definitely learned a lot from the CSA.

5 Things I Learned from Being a [temporary] CSA Member:

1.  Vegetables have seriously short seasons.  The first couple weeks at the farm yielded greens, radishes, spinach…and not a whole lot else.  Honestly, I was a little disappointed, not being a big fan of salads.  And then, a few weeks later, no more spinach.  Why?  Because vegetables actually have growing seasons!  It was fascinating to escape the “everything’s always available” mantra of the supermarket and eat produce that was actually locally in season, not grown in a greenhouse halfway across the country.

2. “Real” vegetables don’t look perfect. I actually hesitated to pick up “imperfect” looking food.  Why?  They’re plants.  They’re not going to look perfect.  There’s something freeing about eating food that looks natural, not perfect.

3.  Food naturally comes in some really cool colors.  There’s a lot more to salads then green.  ”Purple haze” carrots, kohlrabi, purple peppers (did I mention I love purple?), nevermind red radishes and striped beets, red leaf lettuce, yellow squash.  Beautiful, really.

4. Fresh, organic lettuce tastes better.  Maybe it’s all in my head, but prior to hanging out at Caretaker Farm, I rarely bought lettuce.  I am not a salad person.  And yet, we’ve consumed an awful lot of salads around here over the past 2 months.  And I liked them.  Some of the credit for that goes to my husband for his awesome salads and delicious dressing, but the rest of the credit goes to the lettuce.

5. It’s fun to try new things. Beets, bok choy, kohlrabi, turnips, garlic scapes.  I loved them all, with the exception of the beets, which I’ll tolerate in small doses.  Without the farm, I’m not sure I ever would’ve tried them.

My one regret is that I definitely wasn’t as creative with our bounty as I thought I’d be.  I could make excuses (I’m good at that!), but it doesn’t really matter.  Hopefully next summer we’ll be CSA-ing again on a more permanent basis and I’ll be more prepared to make some creative dishes.  At any rate, I got really good at roasting vegetables :)

On an unrelated note, congratulations to Caitlin! The Operation Beautiful book was officially released today, she’ll be on the Today Show on Thursday and is living the healthy living blogger dream.  I’m so happy for her (and so excited to meet her at the Healthy Living Summit in 10 days!)

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By Emily, June 20, 2010 4:44 pm

In case you missed the memo, I love our CSA. It makes me want to quit my job and live on a farm (not that I’m going to…).   I thought I’d attempt to explain my love by showing off some of the photos I took last week:

(Please let me know if the slideshow doesn’t work right)

As you may be able to tell from the last picture, our CSA bounty last week included assorted greens, spinach, arugula, garlic scapes (which I was super excited about), radishes, turnips. snap peas (which we picked ourselves), turnips and some fresh sage.

Stay tuned to find out what we did with all our fine produce!

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By Emily, June 17, 2010 9:09 pm

Last night I had the exciting opportunity to listen to farmer and author Ben Hewitt speak.  Ben is the author of The Town That Food Saved: How One Community Found Vitality in Local Food. After all the press the book’s been getting (see below), I was surprised he was coming to the Berkshires.  I was also thrilled.  The turn out was really great, as it has been at all the northern Berkshire food events I’ve attended.

Ben’s book, which I haven’t actually read yet, is about Hardwick, Vermont.  Hardwick, down on it’s luck, is undergoing a bit of a rejuvenation centered around the creation and growth of “agri-preneurial” businesses (as in, agriculturally based entrepreneurial).   I sat there like a dork, taking notes.  Something about being in the presence of a published author always brings out the nerd in me.  Ben read 2 passages from his book, then fielded questions from the audience.

Ben noted (reading from the book and quoting one of the characters), that “We can export a lot of things but I think our main gift will be inspiration”. The goal of the book is not to serve as a blueprint for other communities, but to inspire them to create their own healthy food system that works for them.  Hardwick isn’t perfect and still has a long way to go, but jobs have been created and the downtown area is coming back to life.

The discussion that followed the reading made clear one of Ben’s points: the local food movement (and food movements in general) are tricky things; “its easy to get caught up in the excitement about what’s happening, but some people feel threatened by it”.  Farms are businesses and it’s difficult to maintain the line between good business practices, helping the community and making a good profit.  I often oversimplify the issues (“it’d be great if we all ate local!”) and forget the many aspects of food systems.  It was so good to be in a room full of people who, regardless of their individual ideals, want to improve things.  I was reminded, once again, of how strange it is that the products we are most price sensitive to are the things that we need most (food, milk, gasoline); why is it that I’m still so willing to buy cheap food when I know what the real cost is?

Final thought of encouragement from Ben: the closer we can bring people to the soil, the more resilient and sustainable our food system will be.  Clearly, the system we have now has a lot of issues.  It was so good to be reminded again that we all vote with our dollars and have the ability to cause change.  The event organizers promised that the discussion of how local food could change the Berkshires will continue and I’m very much looking forward to it.

I’m also looking forward to school being out for the summer tomorrow so I can read the book.

The Town that Food Saved coverage:

Serious Reads: The Town That Food Saved, by Ben Hewitt (Serious Eats)

Podcast: A close look at the “town that food saved” (Grist)

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By Emily, March 21, 2010 8:12 am

I am so incredibly excited that it’s now officially spring.  I was so excited yesterday I that forgot to even finish this post!  Fear not, the weekly highlights from the web are here!

I really can’t complain.  I was a little concerned about how bad winter in the Berkshires was going to be (I know…I’m from Maine…but I still hate winter), but this winter really wasn’t bad.  Still, this week’s beautiful weather has allowed me to start walking into town again, stop turning on the heat in our apartment, open the windows and eat dinner outside.  It’s wonderful.

Anyway, on to the links.

Highlights for March 14-20: Hooray for Spring!

In addition to the warm, sunny weather, one of the best things about spring is the availability of local produce.  Local Harvest is a great site which allows you to find local sources of sustainably grown food.  Yesterday I ventured out to Cricket Creek Farm to check out their local, fresh products.  It was the perfect place to be on a spring day (who knew I’d be so into farms?).

If you’re interested in knowing where your food comes from, Where is My Milk From is definitely interesting.  Now I know what those codes on milk cartons are for!

Serious Eats has a mouth-watering discussion thread: What spring foods are you looking forward to? Asparagus? Strawberries? Rhubarb?  Yes, please.

If you don’t know what to do with all the exciting spring food, Food & Wine has over 100 recipes that use fresh spring produce.

It’s also springtime for chefs-what are chefs looking forward to cooking this spring?

Erin at $5 Dinners is awakening her garden.  Brian and I (well, mostly I) are planning to do a little container garden on our balcony this year.  I’m really excited!

Oh look, the Simple Dollar has something on container gardening! What timing!

Happy Spring!

spring chickens at Cricket Creek

Every Saturday, I choose a theme and highlight blog posts, websites and news articles from my Google Reader which I found interesting (and hope you do too!)  If you want more reading, check out “What I’m Reading” on my sidebar.

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By Emily, March 14, 2010 8:39 am

Last night, as part of the Farm Film Feast, Brian and I went to go see Dirt! The Movie.  The premise of the movie is that “drought, climate change, even war are all directly related to the way we are treating dirt.” The award winning film does an awesome job of explaining what dirt is, why it matters and why we’re losing it, as well as making me think even more about where my food comes from.  By the time it was over, I was ready to go plant a garden (not actually possible in our current living situation).  Below is the trailer, check it out.

Highly recommended: check it out!

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By Emily, February 21, 2010 2:16 pm

Two weeks ago, I made meatloaf and Brian and I spent pretty much all week eating it (it didn’t occur to me until we’d finished it that I could’ve frozen some).  Last week we were on vacation and so I didn’t cook.  I felt like I hadn’t been in the kitchen in forever.  And I missed it.

I made up for my absence last night with a surprisingly delicious casserole I adapted from a recipe for Polenta and Onion Casserole with Fennel Seed and Soy Mozzarella that was in The Complete Vegan Cookbook: Over 200 Tantalizing Recipes, Plus Plenty of Kitchen Wisdom for Beginners and Experienced Cooks by Susann Geiskopf-Hadler and Mindy Toomay.

Things you should know before making this recipe:

1) It’s from a vegan cookbook, but my adaptation is not vegan.  Simple solution: substitute soy mozzarella for the regular mozzarella cheese (that’s what the original recipe called for, but I had the cheese already and I can’t bring myself to eat soy cheese yet).

2) Making this dish requires 2 burners and the oven.  But it’s worth it.  So worth it.

3) As incredibly delicious as this dish is, it’s not the prettiest thing ever once you serve it.  I served it with a spoon and ate it out of a bowl–it’s pretty much mush.  But the flavor is amazing and comforting.

Tomato, Onion and Polenta Casserole
Adapted from The Complete Vegan Cookbook

2 teaspoons fennel seed
1/4 teaspoon dried red chili flakes
Olive oil
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 red onions, chopped
1/8 teaspoon salt
28 oz can whole tomatoes (do not drain!)
2 tablespoons capers, drained
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
black pepper
1 and 1/2 cups uncooked polenta (coarse ground cornmeal)
1 cup grated mozzarella cheese, or more to taste

1. Use a spice grinder to combine the fennel seed and chili flakes.
2. In a large skillet over medium heat, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil.  Add the fennel seed and chili flake mixture and minced garlic to the oil and stir to combine for about a minute.
3. Add the onions and salt to the skillet.  Cook, stirring frequently for about 5 minutes, until the onions are soft.
4. Add the capers and the tomatoes with their juice to the skillet.  After the mixture reaches a simmer, reduce the heat to medium-low and cook for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally and breaking up large pieces of tomato.
5. While that cooks, preheat the oven to 375º.  Grease a 3 quart casserole dish with olive oil.
6. In a saucepan, combine 4 cups of water, garlic powder and a sprinkle of black pepper.  Bring to a boil.
7. Reduce the temperature to medium and add the polenta in a slow, steady stream, whisking constantly.  Continue to whisk until the polenta is thick (normal polenta consistency, this takes a few minutes).  Whisk in 1/2 cup of cold water and return the polenta to bubbling.
8. Stir in a 1/2 cup of the mozzarella cheese to the polenta.  Next, pour the polenta into the greased casserole dish.  Distribute the polenta evenly in the dish.  Pour the onion and tomato mixture on top and cover with the remaining mozzarella.
9. Bake for 20 minutes and cool before serving.

On a unrelated note for my local readers, I just found about about this cool event happening in Williamstown and North Adams, Massachusetts next month.  The Farm Film Feast is March 10-14 and will feature showings and discussion on “a dozen documentary films about our food: Who produces it, how it reaches us, and how it affects our health, our environment, and our local and global communities.”  I’m not sure which events we’ll be attending (March still seems so far away!) but I’m really excited about it.

Enjoy what remains of the weekend!

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By Emily, February 9, 2010 8:19 pm

Last night Brian and I headed to a local “Know Your Farmer, Know Your Food” event.  I was really glad we checked it out and it got some good press in the local paper too.  The event ran from 5-7 pm and we got there a bit after 5.  I was pleasantly surprised to find that tons of other people were there too!  Sometimes it seems like the people I talk to aren’t aware of the issues surrounding food production, but it was clear last night that there’s plenty of interest in local farming around here.

There were a good number of tables which represented many CSAs and farms.  And there were lots of food samples.  Brian and I made slowly made the rounds (they really need a bigger venue next time!), picking up business cards and seeing what different farms have to offer. 

Its really cool to talk to different farmers and hear about what they’re doing.  Plus it reminded me about the approach of summer-I can’t wait to have easy access to local, fresh food again.  And I’m definitely checking out some of these farms.  Yay for knowing where your food comes from!  It’ll be fun (for me, at least, I’m not so sure about Brian) to comparison shop the farms and really get to “know our farmer”.

Want to find a Farmer’s Market near you?  Check out this Farmers Market Search site from the USDA or PickYourOwn.org

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By Emily, October 18, 2009 4:23 pm

Autumn is absolutely, hands down, my favorite season of the year.  I love the weather, the leaves changing colors, the start of school (really, I do), apples, pumpkins, cider, Thanksgiving…

My in-laws came up to visit yesterday and Brian and I decided we should check out The Apple Barn and Country Bakeshop in Bennington, Vermont.  It’d been greatly praised by friends of ours and seemed like a perfect outing for the first sunny day in a long time.

The Apple Barn was everything I’d hoped for (and a serious danger to my wallet):

The store was bigger than I’d expected and featured all the fall/Vermont/farm products I could dream of: several varieties of apples, maple syrup, jarred preserves, cider, fresh baked breads and donuts, plus a coffee shop.  Heavenly.  I ran into a friend of mine while I was there.  ”This place gives me heart palpations,” she told me.  Completely understandable.  I love places like this: local, fresh, delicious.

With full knowledge that we’ll probably head back to the Apple Barn before the season is over, Brian and I purchased the following:

Yes, those are apple cider donuts…there used to be six of them…but that’s not important now.  And yes, I have plans for all of those apples.  Did I mention we really like apples?  But I was most excited about the little box:

Single serving “tea” bags of mulling spices for cider.  Hot cider is amazing and I’m so excited that I can add spice to individual cups instead of making a whole gallon’s worth.

Clearly, if you find yourself in the Bennington region in the near future, you need to visit The Apple Barn.  If you’re as passionate about fall and fall foods as I am, you won’t be disappointed.

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By Emily, September 8, 2009 5:48 pm

On Saturday, Brian and I headed just west of downtown Bennington to attend the 14th Annual Southern Vermont Garlic and Herb Festival.  Dorky as it may sound, I’d been looking forward to it for months.  We had a great time and I definitely learned a lot of things I didn’t know before spending the day sampling delicious Vermont treats (garlic, maple syrup, salsas, dips, breads, sandwiches…it was pretty amazing).

1.  The Garlic Festival is really popular

We drove to Vermont on the morning of the first day of the festival and it was pretty crowded.  Of course, the fact that the majority of the vendors were distributing free samples didn’t help cut down on the crowds.  According to the event’s website, over 6000 people attending the 2008 festival.  That’s a lot of people for a two day event.

2. There are many different kinds of garlic

I know I’m not the only person who didn’t already know this because I was eavesdropping on other people, but it never occured to me before that there are all different types of garlic.  It seems odd to me that supermarkets only seem to carry one kind (and sometimes elephant garlic) if all these local farms are growing so many varieties.

3.  Garlic makes a great decoration

Brian and I opted not to purchase any garlic artwork to decorate our apartment, though I’m sure it would’ve smelled nice.  I just wanted you to be aware that the option is out there.

4.  There exists such a thing as maple liqueur

Along with several Vermont beer and wine vendors,  Sapling Maple Liqueur had a booth with samples available.  We couldn’t think of when another opportunity might arise to sample maple liqueur, so we got some.  Pretty, isn’t it?  Pretty strong is more like it.  We had couple sips and then used the rest to top some vanilla ice cream (though they did have garlic ice cream too!)

5.  There exists such a thing as garlic fudge

I expected that the Garlic Festival would have some bizarre garlic flavored foods and this is definitely my top pick.  Of course, I had to try it.  The sample was pretty microscopic, but it tasted fine to me.  I suppose it helps that cherry can be a pretty strong flavor.

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By Emily, July 9, 2009 11:57 am

I may have just decided where all my money is going to go.

I also just had an amazing whole wheat bagel with delicious sundried tomato cream cheese.

If my Man notices in a few weeks that we’re out of money, brewhaha, in downtown North Adams, may be to blame.  It’s adorable.  It’s delicious.  And they have vegetarian/vegan offerings!  They offer loose, organic teas!   Not to mention coffee and baked goods.

If you’re in the area and looking for breakfast or lunch, I highly recommend it.

Finally leaving the house today was so worth it.