Farms Are Ace!

Yesterday we all headed out in the rain to visit Bull Run Farm, the farm that we have a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) share with.

We did a fruit and vegetable share last year, a record drought year in VA, and we liked it. We're hoping that this year's crop yield will be a bit higher. The dry conditions last year made our weekly bags of produce quite light. But we signed back up because we think it's important support local agriculture (the farm is in The Plains, VA, about an hour's drive from our house), we like eating food that is organic AND fresh from the field (the farmer picks it all the morning we collect it). We also got a kick out of discovering new vegetables to cook with. What's purslane? What do you do with garlic scapes? Bok choi??

This weekend was one of the seedling giveaway events that Leigh Hauter, the farmer, has every year. Last year we went nuts and carried home WAY too many seedlings, all of which grew into plants that we ignored to water. This year, in a bid to get a bit more realistic about our gardening abilities, we took only basil and cabbage, and we planted them directly into the ground instead of keeping them for three weeks in a bucket and then cramming them all into pots which dry up a lot quicker. 

We also collected two dozen eggs, which had been laid the day before, and we cut some fresh rhubarb from Leigh's garden. Check these eggs out! So fresh they are still mucky from whatever gross farm detritus eggs collect. Let's not think about that too too much. And some blue ones too. I am very excited. I can't wait to see the color of the yolks in these babies.

Our veggie share starts in a month or so. We'll likely be getting bok choi (which we fry up with some balsamic vinegar and garlic), salad greens (so good they are ruined by dressing), and some garlic scapes (slice and cook up with the bok choi or scatter on the salad). 

For now, I'm off to make a rhubarb pie and frittata for dinner.