So, as promised, here's the haul!    It's very, VERY green... which I LOVE.  I love the challenge put forth too and getting the kids to try everything in this bin (including radishes and garlic scapes).


Over on the right you'll see that there's 2 quarts of strawberries and a pint of sugarsnap peas.  Um.  Those disappeared within the first 24 hours that I brought them home.  I just left them out on the table and they were eaten as is.  The peas were, by far, their favorite and I only actually got to try maybe 2 or 3 of them before realizing that they were completely gone!



Next we have 2 bunches of Kale, 1 bunch of rainbow chard, 1 head of Green Leaf lettuce, and one head of Buttercrunch lettuce.    The first thing I did was make a huge tossed 100% green salad with some kale, Green Leaf and Buttercrunch lettuce to put in the fridge for dinner accompaniment/snack.  I will continue to replenish the bowl as it empties out during the week. 



To finish off the Butter Crunch lettuce, Sunday dinner this week is going to consist of some Seared Steak and Veggie Lettuce Cups.  These cups will also feature the garlic scapes as a background flavor.     I will update the blog later in the week with my recipe/any modification ideas that I come up with to make it super-kid-tempting.

So, that leaves us with 1 small bunch each of rainbow chard and kale.  These will be going into one of my favorite recipes:  Smoked Pork with Greens and White beans.   I'll share this recipe later this week along with the Lettuce Cups.

And then, we are left with a bunch of radishes.  Um.  So... nobody in our house actually likes radishes raw.   At all.   But, I figured out a trick a little while back when I had a leftover veggie tray (FULL OF RADISHES):  They make really tastey, crunchy, not-at-all-spicey pickles. I'll be lacto-fermenting this bunch whole in 2% brine along with the remaining garlic scapes for a little added flavor.  They'll be ready in about a week, and I'll share the process with everyone once they're complete.


Summer time with the kids actually came early this year when preschool ended the first week in June.  Things around here have been nothing short of hectic, trying to keep 2 preschoolers entertained, but I'm so glad we decided to do this CSA project. It gives us all a great thing to focus on and my eldest really enjoys going with me to pick up our box every week.

We even made some stone "markers" with veggies on them one day while we were waiting for pickup to start.  I wanted to get the kids as involved as possible with the process and what better way that with arts and crafts that require a picnic trip to the park/lakeshore?




That's acrylic paint on Lake Ontario stones from the nearby lake shore.  I let the kids do the initial painting, and then I went over it to define a few parameters/make things a little more recognizable.  

Hope you're enjoying Summer and the abundance of green that's suddenly available!

Long before yoga and meditation were mainstream or even practised "on the fringe" (the 1980s to be exact), my Grandma was doing both of them.  "Stretch" classes and "resting" on the couch while sitting upright with eyes closed were what she called it.  While I couldn't be convinced to slow down  and participate back then, I could certainly be convinced to eat her lentil soup at lunchtime.  Usually with a half of some sort of sandwich. 

Then, while I was in college two of my professors strongly encouraged their students to have the experience of at least one day of meditation at our local Zen Center.  It was eye-opening, excruciating, amazing, and completely worth it. We had a silent lunch of lentil soup and salads punctuated by the sound of windchimes and a singing bowl.

And so, with an open heart, I'm presenting to you my Lentil Soup Recipe (I assure you, there is Zen in the chopping):

For years we've wanted an electric car.  For even more years, I've read about all sorts of "green" living tips and philosophies... ranging from homesteading and "grow-your-own-everything (including children LOL)", to DIY sources of power, sustainable diets, carbon footprints, wabi-sabi style, "living small", re-purposing, wild-crafting... the list is seemingly endless. And over the years ideas have come, and ideas have gone by the way-side depending on where we were in life. 

Now we've finally come to a place where a BIG idea has been made an affordable reality.  We are now the proud owners (leasers, really) of an electric plug-in Nissan Leaf.   If feels fantastic to finally be in a place where it fits for us both in our budget and in our hearts.

After only having this car for 1 day, my "green" sensibilities have been peaked once again by one mind-blowing fact:   This car is plugged into a standard  (USA) electrical outlet for 12 hours and has enough charge drive 17+ miles to work, and back.  That's an entire commute, and with some leftover in reserve.  We're leaving lights and appliances plugged in 24 hours per day.  I finally understand the amount of energy we're using up... more than enough to power several cars!

And, of course, this gets me thinking about tons of "green" things and my plans to do better and what can be done first.  Replace old appliances... sure...   insulate the farmhouse better... you bet.  But probably the easiest is to eat lower on the food chain a few days per week.  The statistics are out there and blatant about how many millions of tons of grain and gallons of water go into sustaining our 1st world meat-eating habit.   Am I going vegan?  Nope.  But I AM being more mindful and actually employing it weekly in my grocery shopping list.

Hoppin' John is a Southern (U.S.) black-eyed pea dish usually made around New Years Eve and is thought to impart good luck on the household.  I made it in hope of good luck in out transition to an electric car:


I apologize that the picture is in terrible focus...
Here's a couple "Spring's Trying Real Hard To Get Here"  shots:

The month of January is a long, cold month here in upstate New York. And, quite aptly, this month's full moon is referred to as the "Storm Moon".     As the second winter storm of the month is rolling in (and it's only the 6th of January),  I'm hunting through the cupboards and freezer in hopes of finding something amazing.  I'm not let down today as I pull the ingredients that will comprise my

What could be more challenging than a life-threatening food allergy?  How about multiple food sensitivities.

In addition to my dairy allergy, I have a sensitivity to corn.  What do I mean by a "sensitivity"?... well large amounts cause severe GI distress and processed (HFCS) in any amount causes such spikes in my bloodsugar that I was diagnosed with gestational diabetes during my last pregnancy.

I know, I know.  Whole foods.  Make your own stuff.  Eat clean, you don't want that crap anyway.


You're right.  But.   Let me introduce you to a beautiful little website created by a woman who has a legit corn allergy.
http://www.cornallergens.com/list/corn-allergen-list.php

Here is a list of all the things derived from corn.  Holy Shit.

 You'd have to live in a bubble.   I would love to hear from someone with a corn allergy.  I want to know whether they react to the trace/processed amounts in these things, and whether it's a contact allergy on their skin.


And let me add something else:  I DID try to avoid everything on this list for a while.  I felt... in control.  But also completely disconnected.  I couldn't eat out. ever.  I couldn't have anything made with iodized salt.  I couldn't eat at my friends and family's houses without feeling "poisoned".  I didn't even take my rescue inhaler  when my asthma flared b/c the propellant was corn-based!

And then, after my system had some downtime, I was able to add a bit back in.  Occasionally and never in large amounts.

Such limitations endured over long periods of time have severe psychological and social implications.  Perhaps everything in moderation is a better mantra. 

But I'll still pass on the popcorn and soda.


Also, as an interesting little sidenote:  The entire idea behind subsidizing and putting corn into EVERYTHING was thought up with by people who were seeking to end the high rate of hunger in the United States.  It worked.  I actually have to give them props for that.  As everyone is ripping the system down for causing the obesity epidemic in the U.S.A...  many, many less people are going hungry.

It's just time for some nutrition education.