Farm Shares, Weeks 4 & 5

Sorry to leave you sitting on the edge of your seat, waiting to see how many radishes we received in our farm share lately. Here's last week's and this week's portions:

Week 4:

From left to right:

parsley, purple basil, basil, heaping-ass mound of kale, turnips, radishes, zucchini, and onions

beans and sugar snap peas (center)

Week 5:

left to right: basil, turnips, chard, zucchini, lettuce, kohlrabi, sage, parsley

beans and peas (center)

(thank you god no more radishes)

So far I've been pleased with our CSA. Our half-share is the perfect quantity- we've been able to use up nearly everything each week, with very little going to compost (I'm looking at YOU spicy little red veggies). I think a full share would have been too much; then again, perhaps we would have found ways to freeze or preserve it for winter...

What I love about having a CSA is that it defines how we eat for the week. I enjoy cooking and baking, even bread making. But the part about being the family chef that I _hate_ is the deciding what to make.

I think the planning of and purchasing of the meals and their required ingredients by far the hardest and suckiest part of cooking.

Once I know what I'm going to make, I enjoy the process. You walk into the grocery store and the possibilities are endless and (for me) often overwhelming.

Having a farm share each week really guides what I make. There are less decisions to make because I have a set of fresh (and already paid for) veggies to sculpt our weeks' meals. Instead of feeling constricted by this, I feel directed and inspired. I like the challenge of finding ways to use everything too. I'm enjoying cooking more than I probably ever have. (Not that my cooking skillz have improved or anything, because NO. Nothing special to see over here.)

++++++++++

So I feel a bit more settled today than yesterday. I don't miss the kids yet, and I've made a list of things I want to get done today (starting with removing all the kiddie finger prints on the computer screen because Oh-eM-Gee !! annoying!) and this week. David on the other hand know exactly what to do with our time. WINK WINK NUDGE NUDGE MY GOD HE'S SO FUNNY AND CLEVER AND SUBTLE.

(I think tonight I'm going to shag him the second he walks in the door. You know, so as not to have it hanging over our heads all evening.)

(Our secret.)

PS: I love kale. And turnips.