So, one of last year's highlights in my life was signing on to the CSA at Karl's Farm. For those of you unfamiliar with the concept, CSA stands for community supported agriculture (the lofty intellectuals sometimes say community-sustained agriculture, but same idea), and it is, by far, one of my Most Favorite Things. In approximately 1995, I made an apple pie after a day of apple picking with my best friend from college, Joanna Goode, from apples that were on the tree that very morning. Let me tell you something. I am from the South, with a capped S, and nothing, NOTHING compared to that apple pie. Do you understand? Nothing.
In the fifteen or so years since, I have grown to appreciate the value of food that comes from the ground, for a variety of reasons too mundane to type here. Suffice it to say that I, having watched all the other women on my mom's side of the family die of cancer, am very attuned to what I put in my body, and I think people who work with their hands to sustain themselves and others are far superior to anything I do. Some other time I will reminisce about the women's co-op we visited on my honeymoon in South Africa, which was transformative, and I wept. This particular CSA springs from Karl's Farm -- a family-run farm up in Maryland, with very kind people, and the food that comes from that farm makes my heart sing.
Why blog? Yes, I wonder that. In part, it is selfish, purely a recording tool, since I never remember what I do with the day's harvest from week to week -- sometimes I make something AMAZING, other times ... not so much, and both are worthy of noting to repeat or not, as the case may be. Also, I am determined to do more than work this summer (ha! ha! ha! ha! ha!), and this, ostensibly, will help me enjoy the bounty we receive each week, and be grateful. In other part, I have actually had people ask me what I do with our CSA share, since it often includes things we have never heard of, or have heard of but cannot imagine using (um, sorrel? harukei turnips?), and for the life of me, I have no clue how to answer. And I am not one to feel okay with having nothing to say.
And so, I begin.
A caveat: the past few days have been very, very rough. I have few escapes anymore, limited time with friends, and I cannot read a book for more than three paragraphs without falling asleep or thinking about the last work-related thing I read. Also? I. Hate. Winter. I hate coats, I hate snow, I hate dark, I hate being cold, I hate hating it. Two years ago, my doctor finally convinced me to try a light box (a contraption that emits rays most like that of the sun to trick the brain into generating whatever beneficial chemical comes with daylight) -- which, I thought, was hocus-pocus voodoo bs -- and lo and behold, it helped me get out of bed in the morning. But nothing, nothing at all makes me happier than summer. Nothing. Since moving to our Cottage in the Woods, with deer in the front yard and a backyard big enough for the family Doberman to chase a ball, I have become ... earthy. I mean, I appreciate it. I still have my urban sprite side, and I long for the ability to walk to my favorite bar and drink a Stella, but few things bring calm to my chest (I mean, PHYSICALLY PEOPLE! THIS IS A PHYSIOLOGICAL REACTION I AM DESCRIBING!) than inhaling air that comes from Rock Creek Park. And I can keep Stella in the fridge. But I digress.
One of the great things -- and one of the most annoying things -- about participating in a CSA is the coming face to face with plants deemed edible yet utterly foreign to me. Without Google I could not do this. Frankly, without many things I could not do this: a husband who makes up songs while I chop, a screen door that leads to the grill, a Shun knife. Truly it is one of the things that makes me happiest.
Like I said, this day, the first delivery? I have been looking forward to today for several months. Karl's Farm rides again! Can you imagine coming home to this?
I nearly cried with joy and immediately took stock. Today's CSA brought: an enormous head of cabbage, sorrel, two bunches of arugula, radishes, broccoli rabe, lemon balm, and sage. It was all I could do to contain myself to not rip into that broccoli rabe, but cooler heads prevailed and I managed to chop garlic beforehand.
Now, one thing about me: I looooooooove greens. Love. And, turns out, to cook greens? Fresh from the farm? Only a few necessary items: a bowl, water, strainer, sharp knife, tongs, a good pan (I prefer Al-Clad, but Calphalon non-stick is great too, and needs less oil), garlic cloves, olive oil, salt, pepper, maybe red pepper flakes, Penzey's Fox Point seasoning if you are REALLY going nuts. Every single green that touches my hands can be cooked as follows: chop into pieces. Dunk into a bowl of water, strain, change the water, repeat maybe three times until you see no silt or dirt in the water. Chop garlic. Heat up olive oil (over a low flame!), add garlic, add crushed red pepper flakes if you like that sort of thing. Toss about until mmmm, smells good. Add greens. Now, here, I may either (a) for thick greens, add with the water on the leaves, or (b) for thinner greens, salad spin those puppies to get the water off. Grab those tongs and turn, turn, turn. Salt, pepper, and VOILA! Deliciousness that will make your mama proud and your heart happy.
One thing about the farm. I have had to seriously address my issue with bugs. I mean, I think I embraced the whole "earth is good" concept in part to allow myself not to run screaming from the house when an ant crawls out of the greens I am chopping, as it did tonight.
I remind myself that this is a sign that the food I am preparing is not coated with chemicals to drive away little mister bug, which is good for me. But ... sometimes the bugs that come with the plant life require calling on the Handsome Tattooed Man. Egad.
But, olive oil, garlic, salt and pepper? All you need. That is precisely how I treated tonight's broccoli rabe. Paired with chicken on the grill topped with Penzeys Northwood seasoning and garlic salt (love me some Penzey's) and zucchini steamed with some cherry tomatoes, topped with Penzey's Fox Point seasoning. Really, cooking is easy if you have a pan and some water. And Penzey's. And maybe Sailor Jerry's rum and ginger beer for the dark and stormy in the background ...
Tomorrow I plan to dig into this arugula, but mind you: I ain't no salad girl. I like those leaves WARM. So, part of my goal here is to find AND REMEMBER a way to cook things to my liking. And figure out what to do with sorrel and lemon balm. I mean, really. Tips are welcome.
No comments:
Post a Comment