in Just - spring

Even though it's June and we've had some hot days and a few barbecues, this week we are reminded that in Upstate NY it's still just spring.  The season is new- between the frequent rain showers, the flowers are just opening and the birds wake us up,

...our lawns are lush and fresh, and the world is very, very green.

Vermont is a postcard.

Green is beautiful.

Green feels light and alive after months of cold and dark and dead.  Mother Earth is revving up, and we're starting to see the beginnings of things.

From baby goats....

The cuties at Cottonhill Farm!

...to the newest of produce.  Finally, some good things to eat!

Last week our CSA dropped off the very earliest of the eats... mostly shoots, blossoms, and leaves.  We had fun coming up with different ways to eat as much of it as we could.

There were many wins:

Fish tacos with radish, chive, and cilantro. 

Cottonhill Farm egg omelets with chives.

as well as a fail...

 Those beautiful garlic scapes are stronger than they look!

Our pesto tasted good, but our mouths were uncomfortably garlicky for HOURS after...

The fails are almost as fun as the successes.  We're still trying to figure out the best way to use those potent garlic scapes (I want to figure out how to pickle them, like I had during a visit to Cottonhill Farm), and this week's challenge will be that bitter broccoli rabe.

Denison Farm posted Leah's blog, which had some great advice from a seasoned CSA-er, and this week, we're already feeling like we're higher up on the learning curve.  Knowing when to eat and when to save is important, and when you're dealing with unfamiliar vegetables, a little wisdom goes a long way.

Basil ready to be frozen.

The weekly bounty is growing...

I'm excited to savor tomorrow's salad at lunch.  The lettuce is so fresh... it actually tastes like something! Last week I didn't even need dressing.  Just a little olive oil, salt and pepper brought out the flavor of the leaves themselves.


And Patrick's secret hummus recipe (psst... he used a stalk of chive and a garlic scape... but you didn't hear that from me) came out delightful.

That's why we buy this food straight from the farmer. When you have ingredients this fresh, little needs to be done to improve them.




Simple is good.

You love the cat mug.