Farm Day

There are only 2-3 more weeks to pick up fresh food at our CSA Bloomfield Farms in Charlotte...It always feels bittersweet as we go on these crisp autumn days because we know it means the end is near..

As we pack our bags with Beets,Butternut squash,potatoes,chiogga squash,Small red onions,peppers,cilantro, parsley, today a treat of a small bag of spinach a couple heads of garlic it reminds me what a privilege it is to support local farms..As I said before stock up on all the stuff you can store for winter you will be glad you did...

We pick zinnias,marigolds,a few sunflowers are left add some Queen Annes lace and a errant snapdragon or two and a beautiful bouquet of flowers emerges ...I think I miss the flowers as much as the veggies when the CSA closes....

So as we make the last batches of cilantro pesto,grate fresh beets into our salads and place the flowers upon our table I say thanks to Matt and Tanya......

Billy's Birthday

This week was my baby boy Billy's 29th birthday (he will always be my baby boy). Ruby and I baked and Iced 29+cupcakes for the occasion after school on Wednesday and on Billy's Birthday Thursday he came over to spend time with Ruby after school and have cake and candles before heading out to celebrate his birthday in the style a 29 year old celebrates , Ruby is convinced that she and Billy are the only and last Pirates in Vt. so they always have a sword fight and enjoy each others company. As Billy left that day Ruby ran to the porch and hollered wait Uncle Billy , at the end of the driveway he leaned out the window and said what Miss Ruby? ...she leaned forward and yelled ARRRRRHHH ...he hollered Back ARRRRRHH ME MATEY, two very happy pirates parted for separate journeys with smiles on their faces.....me I still haven't quit smiling..

Family Dinner

Well today was great except for the fact that my husband twisted his ankle badly on a walk with the dog at Rock Point...so he spent the afternoon and evening except for dinner on the couch with his ankle on a pillow,and sufficient anti inflammatory !

Dinner was great 2 beautiful Roasted Chickens stuffed with a mix of cornbread and regular bread stuffing,Heart attack mashed potatoes,salad courtesy of Kate,butternut squash,gravy and a Delicious Apple Crisp Ala mode made by my daughter Christy with Alanholm apples, and lovely wines.

Ruby enjoyed making mermaids and fairies with Auntie Kate while waiting for dessert with the new craft book/kit from Auntie Kate.

Jordan was laid up too at home with a bad hip so we sent a dinner home for him hope you're better soon Jordan...

Bill and I and Kate watched a bit of the Emmys together before Kate had to head home.

Goodnight to all hope you all had a great Sunday too...

Picture compliments of Sarah Woodard

Linda

Autumn Road trip

Hello hello hello!
What's been going on the last couple of months? Well I'm glad you asked, I have made quarts and quarts of marinara sauce out of the less that beautiful tomatoes that we had at our CSA it's all tucked in the freezer ready for the winter, Garlic scape pesto is a new find for me I was sceptical but it's really Delicious and very good smeared on a piece of bread topped with a fresh tomato slice.

I have made cilantro pesto, basil pesto, and last night froze carrots I grated up and blanched for soups, carrot cake or bases to pot roasts. I also chopped peppers to freeze for winter use. It's been a hard year for a lot of CSAs especially those near flood zones or low plains it's been a struggle for all hard for the farmers to make extra money at markets because they don't have the extra produce they usually count on and hard for the consumers because not as much to put by for the winter. This year has truly hit home wiht the CSA is all about if the farmer struggles so do we....

Last Friday Carin and I went up to Lakeside Raspberry Farm in Alburgh,VT my favorite place to pick fall raspberries lots of different variety and my favorite the golden Raspberry..it was COLD we got there around 930am and it was so cold our fingers weren't working I swear we dropped half of the first pints, the sun finally broke through and warmed the air a bit so the last hour of picking was nice.

We went back through the Champlain Islands and stopped at my favorite place for fresh eggs Savage Point Farm and bought 3 dozen fresh eggs and I do mean fresh because she was coming across the Field from the hen house as we drove in...I also bought a few tomatillos there also.

Heading back to Burlington we stopped in SoHero at Hackett's Orchards bought apples for Apple Crisp for Sunday Family dinner. I found a new favorite apple for eating the Honey Crisp juicy tart sweet can't believe I drove off before taking my first bite, oh well another road trip will fix that.

We stopped at Seb's and had Red Hot Hot dogs and apple cider donuts rounding out our autumn lunch...

Last night bill and I made more basil pesto the last of the basil at the CSA to put up for the owners, I make it with different nuts sometime sunflower seed are Delicious and much cheaper than pine nuts I use almonds with cilantro pesto also...

We also chopped and froze the carrots and peppers for future use my granddaughter loves all the bustle in the kitchen and is really absorbing methods and loves to help.

After a bowl of grandma' s chicken soup her idea of an appetizer , we had pork chops and potatoes I like to soften the potatoes in the microwave then split open and pan fry in the pork juices as the chops rest they crisp up and take on a roasted potato quality in less than 5 mins, I figure it's no worse that slathering them with butter and uses up the drippings..

Thank you Carin for being the best road trip buddy ever can't wait for our Cape adventure in Oct. and the visits to the Penzey's spice store and maybe Atlantic spice, and fresh cranberries,my pulse quickens at the thought of our annual fall Wholefoods and Trader Joes visit I am jonesing for the Fruit and Nut 365 granola, I am here to tell you I have tried 5 different cereals around town and from all our coops and nothing compares....And the price point on stuff like Olive oil at Trader Joes can't be beat!

Have a great day enjoy your family dinners, picking apples whatever you chose enjoy!


Basil or cilantro pesto

several hands full of basil or cilantro
a hand full of nuts what ever you like sunflower seed,pine nuts,almonds or walnuts
course salt and pepper to taste
3-4 garlic cloves to taste
I squeeze half a lemon in
olive oil or half olive half canola but classic is olive oil

all of this goes into my Cuisinart I find it easier than a blender
blend till all combined if you like a chunky pesto blend less I usually blend well
taste and adjust any spices
I freeze this all the canning guides etc say not to add your Parmesan cheese till you thaw add when using no one advises freezing with cheese.
I actually don't love Parmesan so I don't always add it or add very little It's all about what you love

I use almonds for cilantro pesto and extra lemon
play have fun!