Family Farmers

When I first joined a CSA, I was just excited to be eating seasonally. I wasn't that concerned about eating animals or plants that had been treated with chemicals. I was more concerned with the taste of the food-with trying to recreate the fresh amazing layers of sun contained in an heirloom summer tomato. Obsessed really.

Over the past few years though, my connection to food has morphed into something more complex. I now strive to make thoughtful decisions about most everything I put in my mouth-not just does it taste like the ultimate best version of itself but....was it grown using concientious practices? Is it local (or at least local-ish?) Would I feel comfortable if my child went to the field, picked this vegetable and ate it without washing it?

I'm still evolving and I'm not endeavoring to be rigid in my lifestyle. I eat bananas sometimes. I just am more likely to eat vegetarian at a restaurant where I don't know the source of the meat. I'm less likely to eat asparagus in July or strawberries in September. If you invite me over you can serve me whatever you wish. I will enjoy it, eat it with gusto and relish the time we spend together at the table. But when my dollars are making the choices...I choose food that I know the provenance and I believe that the choices I make matter.

It began with my farmers. Jason and Haruka Oatis are the farmers of www.EdibleEarthscapes.com. They are stewards of the land who care tremendously about the work they engage in. They believe deeply in sustainable farming methods and share their knowledge at every opportunity-in a kind, supportive way. Not only are they smart and hard-working-they are also genuinely big-hearted, interesting folks. We were lucky enough to stumble into their CSA on our first try and I'm grateful for that happy accident on a regular basis.

Haruka and Jason have gradually become part of our family. We belonged to their summer CSA for 2 years and then just this past winter joined their winter CSA. Even better, I got to be a part of the magic by delivering farm boxes to the Raleigh members each Saturday. They aren't doing a summer CSA this year as they try to navigate our extreme NC weather in a way that still allows them some freedom and balance in their lives. However, we still one or both of them just about every week at the market. If we miss a week, the whole family feels the absence. They are characters in our children's lives as much as any aunt or cousin. They have had significant positive impact on the way we eat (greens!!!) and the way we view our footprint on the world. They've gently nudged us to examine our over-consumed suburban lives and live more richly (without more money). They introduce us to new foods and perspectives that we wouldn't have appreciated earlier. We talk about food and music, weather and politics, extended family and pets. I often wish there was a more familial designation for them because farmer doesn't really cover it. Friend? Teacher? Brother? Sister? Aunt? None of those titles convey what they mean to our family.

Interestingly enough, we've added more farmer-family members in the past few years. What started with the Oatis' is now a broad group of people that I see and laugh (and sometimes gripe or rage or cry) with who I view as vital to my life. We recently considered a move out of state and one of the cons against the move were the farmer friends and connections we have. This weekend I watched as my daughter sat on Esta Cohen's lap and told her all about her new preschool classroom. And all I could think was....we all need more of THIS right here. Much love to ALL my farmer buddies-we are grateful for all the gifts that you give.

Sharing (CSA)

This winter has been incredible-in ways both good and bad. We had the coldest, snowiest winter I can remember (we even had a white Christmas!). We visited Savannah, Georgia for the first time and fell in love with that city-the parks, the people, the ghosts-all are beautiful.
We usually have a lot of stress flying around our house-two working parents, two kids, two dogs means an awful lot of WORK. But this winter we had the added stress of a huge project at work, one parent changing jobs, and some tragedies too. Our beloved Uncle Al passed away in February after a long illness. It doesn't matter how long the illness-it still comes as a shock to your soul when you lose someone. Also, one of my aunts has been very sick and my grandmother was hospitalized.
Miraculously, through this whole stretch of dark, our household had one person get the flu (in early fall) and one person get a stomach bug. I believe whole-heartedly that our sustained health is directly tied to the winter CSA we were a part of this year. Our very favorite farmers decided to try out a winter CSA instead of a summer CSA. Somehow (I really don't remember how) I became the delivery girl for the winter CSA. Each Saturday I drove out to the farm to pick up boxes and shuttled them into a central drop-off location. I met a lot of new friends (fellow CSA members) and quite often got to teach new and random people about the joys of CSA membership. It was the highlight of each week and I cherish the love and support I received. I also appreciated the healthful food that my family received each week in the box. I would NEVER have purchased the amount of greens that we got each week...I would have bought 2 bunches and felt superior with my healthful-ness. Consider us a changed family! We ate greens in some form almost every day of the week this winter and will continue these habits!

I'm not a very prolific blogger. I'm so extroverted and people-centric that it takes a lot to get me to sit down and write about something. I much prefer to gab and gab about the things that I'm passionate about in person. My office asked me to write a blog this week for our public site-describing what a CSA is and how to find one. I'm being lazy and reposting it here. Happy Spring!



Community Supported Agriculture What is a CSA? CSA stands for Community Supported Agriculture. Small farmers offer ‘shares’ of their farm for an up-front payment. Participants then get a share of the production of the farm for a certain number of weeks. There is a high degree of variability based on the kind of CSA you join. The farmer will set the pick-up or drop-off locations, the price and the duration of the CSA. Some farmers give you some choice in what your share is each week and others pick for you. Why would I do this? I could literally talk about this for hours (I have been STOPPED on more than one occasion). I am extremely passionate about this topic and have a close connection to the farmers who provide food for my family. Your motivation for joining a CSA could depend on lots of factors and your experience will depend on the CSA that you choose. Here are some reasons but if you need more…come see me.

• You want to be less dependent on a global food supply


• You have concerns about food borne illnesses or broad recalls of specific foods


• You want to eat more seasonally


• You want to eat food grown for flavor instead of shelf stability


• You want to eat food (as opposed to the stuff sold in boxes in fluorescent lit stores)


• You want to diversify the type of food you eat


• You want to know exactly what production practices went into your food


• You want a broader sense of community


• You want to meet people who care about food or agriculture related issues


• You want to encourage yourself, your kids or your spouse to eat more veggies


• You want to have someone else decide what food you’re going to eat this week


• You’re looking for an excuse to go to the farmer’s market more often


• You want to support our local economy and small business

Will this save me money?

This one is complicated. Since I don’t know what you normally spend on food, I can’t really answer that. My personal experience is that your food budget stays about the same-you just choose different ways to spend that money. My family used to be dairy-holics and we ate meat more often than we currently do. We’ve switched to less quantity of those products and higher quality. My kids have also switched to eating veg (carrots, turnips, radishes) in place of some of the chips and crackers that they used to eat. Are CSA’s just for veggies? You can find CSA’s for just about anything produced on a farm-fruit, eggs, chicken, pork, beef, and vegetables. There are even CSA’s for yarn, cheese and cider.

How do I find a CSA?

Here are several links:

http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/chatham/ag/SustAg/csafarms.html Locally run site by Chatham county extension agent. All of these farmers are organic and/or sustainable.

http://www.ncfarmfresh.com/Directory.asp?product=&county=region®ion=2&CSA=yes&SearchType=farms&submit=Search

State run website that lists a different subset of farmers

You can also just ask at the smaller farmer’s markets. I’m sure there’s one close to you! There's one by my office every Saturday and Tuesday (starting May 3): http://westernwakefarmersmarket.org/

and there's my favorite local one: http://www.northhillsfarmersmarket.com/

Shrimp Noodle Stir Fry

I wish I could remember exactly how I made this. But, since I can't-I'll just share that it was slightly sweet, slight spicy and heart-warming. Happy Holidays to all!

Sweet and Savory

Here's the recipe for Apple Crostata with Cheddar Crust. I got most of it out of a certain magazine...hopefully the diva in charge of that mag doesn't read this blog.

Cheddar Crust:
2 cups all purpose flour
1 TBLsp kosher salt
2 sticks (yes...all two sticks) cold butter diced
1/4 cup ice water
1 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese
1 egg slightly beaten

Filling:
4 tart apples and/or pears cored and sliced into 1/2 inch slices
1/2-3/4 cup sugar (depends on fruit used)
2 TBLsp fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup warm peach or apricot jam

Very important: Make sure the butter is cold.

If you have never made pie crust using your food processor, you should really give it a try. I screw it up once out of every 4 times I try it but the results (when done right) are lovely and easy. You just have to remember that the fat (butter) needs to be cold (but not frozen) and the less you have to pulse the dough, the better off you'll be. So, don't think you're saving time by pouring all the ingredients through the top hole in the processor. Take off the top and spread the ingredients around.

Start with the flour and salt. Pulse a few times. Then open the top and add the butter by spreading it all around the top. Pulse until it looks like pebbles in sand (about 10 pulses). Add in 1/4 cup ice water until the mixture looks like dough. It should not be sticky-if it is, add a little bit more flour. If it hasn't come together, add more ice water (by the tablespoon-too much will really muck it up). Pulse in the cheddar (it helps to spread it evenly over the top of the dough first).

Split the dough into two even handfuls. Mash each handful into a disk. Rap in plastic wrap and put in fridge for 30 minutes.

Mix the apple slices, lemon juice and sugar.

After 30 minutes, roll one disk out to about 13 inches round. Place on parchement paper on a pizza stone. Put it back in the fridge for 15 minutes.

Spread the filling over the crust, leaving 1 inch around the perimeter. Fold up the perimeter to make a loose pie. Use a brush to spread egg over the folded up edges. Put it back in the fridge for 30 minutes (yes, really).

Heat oven to 375 and bake for 1 hour and 20 minutes. Spread warm jam over the apples. Snarf it all down.

Pizza

I've owned a pizza stone for about 15 years but never used it to make homemade pizza. Last night was the first time. Pizza is one thing that I can always get my kids to eat. I'm pretty picky about pizza-I only like really thin crust and fresh ingredients. I was having a Sunday afternoon cook fest to make up things with my farm box and thought I'd do something new since I was already spending the afternoon in the kitchen. Man...was it worth it!

I used the pizza recipe from Jamie Oliver's 'Jamie at Home'. The book itself is a thoroughly good read-particularly if you are equally excited about growing things as you are about eating them. His energy and excitement never fails to rub off on me so I thought I'd give his pizza dough a try. I had a little trouble finding the flour that he recommends but it's worth the hunt. Plus, the recipe makes 6 (!) small pizzas. We ended up freezing 3 for later use.

The picture is my husband's concotion-bbq sauce topped with prosiutto, black olives, sundried tomatoes and fresh mozzarella. Mine had a pesto sauce base topped with two kinds of cheese and the kids picked ....cheese (with some black olives for our son who is obsessed with them).

Spring

I used to think salad recipes were over-rated and didn't really qualify for the actual title of 'recipe'. Mostly, I thought you were just tossing in some of the veg that you have around and squirting some dressing on it and voila. How hard could it be?

Well,...at least that's what I thought until I started making salads daily in order to use up all my green veg from the CSA. Salads are deceptively difficult. The prep work, the dressing, the combos that beg for a little restraint so that you can truly savor the substance. Sometimes my salads are disastrous. Other times they're just plain boring. This one was divine so I thought I'd share the picture and the 'recipe'.

Ingredients:
Oil for sauteeing
1.5 lbs Yellowfin Tuna from Southport Seafood Company.
Zest from two lemons
Coarse Sea Salt
Black Pepper
3 big handfuls of your favorite salad green (I used arugula from Edible Earthscapes)
8 oz. canned chickpeas
Half of an english cucumber quartered and chopped

Heat oil in a skillet on med-high to high heat
Mix the zest and salt and pepper.
Wash and pat dry the yellowfin
Press the zest mixture into both sides of the yellowfin
When the oil is nice and hot, pop the yellowfin into the pan. You want to sear the fish, not cook it through. After about 3 minutes, flip the fish over carefully. Cook for 3 more minutes until just colored. Remove from heat. If you like your tuna rare on the inside, you may need to slice it up right away. Otherwise, it will keep cooking while it cools.

Mix the rest of the ingredients. Top with the Tuna. Squirt some lemon or your favorite light viniagrett over the top. EAT!!! Sigh.

Keeping

The first farm box of 2010 is just around the corner and I can't believe how fast it came around! Over the weekend, I was reminiscing about how difficult I found the first few weeks of the season last year and how much easier it is for me now that I have a system. I admit I was pretty overwhelmed by my first box last year (4 types of lettuce? what do I do with 4 types of lettuce?) and it took several exasperating mornings for me to sort myself out those first few weeks. About mid-summer, I got a good rhythm going and now I've got Saturday morning market visits down to a well-timed routine. I thought it might be useful to share the things I learned that help me maximize my Saturday market time. I'd also like to hear about your food philosophies or how you keep up with the market.

In full disclosure, I think it's fair for me to disclose my approach to food in general. Everyone has different food strategies and expectations for their market experience. I have seen people come to the market, stroll around for an hour and leave with one little melon. My eating philosophy is not nearly so calm or esoteric. I am usually on a mission when I get to the farmer's market and I have lots of energy and enthusiasm for food. Lots. My food philosophy is to eat food that is as fresh and tasty as it can possibly be. To that meet that end, I try to eat as locally as possible. If organic is available, I like that but I won't pay double for it (for veg). I am very particular about meat and want the animals to be treated sensibly (without irresponsible dosing of anitbiotics or hormones) and humanely. I also want sustainability in most of the food that my family consumes. Finally, I want to eat with the seasons as much as is possible so I can savor the gifts that come along during the growing season.

So that's my philosphy. It's not rigid and I don't beat myself up if I eat a highly processed hot dog or something. The reality of my life is that I have two small children, I work a full week, and I live in a suburban/urban area. My family goes through 2 gallons of milk and a staggering amount of assorted cheeses in a week. We also use common western staples like rice, pasta, and chocolate chips. I am not a tee-totaller. I won't get up from a meal if I'm served food of unknown provenance and I love Biscuitville (who I'm certain doesn't use free-range, hormone free ANYTHING). I believe that the way I eat is realistic for the society that I live in (although many people think I'm an extremist and others think I'm a light weight foodie. egh......I just want to eat food that tastes great).

I try to put about half of my weekly food budget into the farmer's market. I buy all vegetables, meat, and eggs from the market. I also get most fruit and some dairy/bread options from the market. I usually have to make a stop on the way home at a storefront grocery store to pick up milk and assorted staples. Once a month or so I do a run to a wholesale club or an importer for things we buy in bulk (wine) or specialty ingredients (like spices) that I can't get from a local source.

A typical Saturday morning involves getting up the whole family, packing the car w/reusable bags and a large rolling cooler w/a handle. We go to the farmer's market to pick up breakfast and coffee. The North Hills market has a Starbucks and several bakers. The Western Wake market has a coffee roaster who will sell samples. We eat breakfast together and then hubby and kids usually go to listen to the music or start to stroll while I begin hunting.

I take one pass through the market, pick up my box from Edible Earthscapes and then go back to fill in any gaps. Since what's available at the market changes weekly, it's difficult to write a menu or a list and stick with it. I find it's easier for me if I think in terms of weekly 'servings' or sources. In any given week, I need to leave the farmer's market with the following or else I'll end up having to go to a normal grocery store mid-week:

8-10 vegetable sources

1 dozen eggs

1-2 loaves of bread

3-4 meat sources

1-2 cheese sources

We get most of our vegetable sources from Edible Earthscapes but I sometimes need to fill in some things to suit my recipes or our family's individual tastes. I also try to get several fruit servings-this year I'm going to try and freeze some since fruit has a shorter growing season than the vegetables. Everything goes in the big rolling cooler to keep it from wilting or getting crushed.

Before we go home, we stop off to get milk, cheese, etc. Then we head home for the real work. The biggest lesson from last year that I learned: It is imperative to deal with the produce as soon as possible. What do I mean? I mean that you can't treat farmer's market produce like produce that has been grown for its ability to sit on a shelf. Farmer's market produce is typically not treated with preservative and the farmer chose to grow it because of it's taste-not because it won't bruise easily. This is not produce that can sit on your counter all day.

Go ahead and wash the lettuce, spin it and put it into gallon ziplock bags with a dry paper towel. In fact, you should wash everything and make sure you don't have some passengers. Most produce from the farmer's market is not treated with pesticide so bugs like it as much as you do. That's a good sign! (You just don't want to put your stowaways in your fridge for later). Take the greens off of root vegetables and store them separately if you want to use them. If you don't take them off, the root is likely to get mushy as the leaves pull out energy and water. If you really want to leave them attached, you can put the whole thing into water-similar to putting flowers in water and then stick that in the fridge. Just don't stuff those carrots into the bottom drawer with the leaves still attached and expect them to be firm in 4 days.

If you already know what's on the menu for the week, it's a good time to do some sou chef prepwork too. Chopping a gallon of strawberries took me 10 minutes last week. But once they're chopped and safely stored in the fridge, snacks are easy. I usually use this time to make up any condiments that will be needed that week-refrigerator pickles, salad dressing with herbs and pesto are handled at this time so that I don't do 'double duty' when putting away the components and then have to repack them again once the condiment is made.

By the time I'm finished, it's lunch time-just in time to sit down to a nice, local meal.