The rhubarb, waiting to be encased in pastry.
Some of the blogs we frequent for inspiration and the "what in the world do we do with ________?" moments.
We've visited each of these and found at least one recipe we decided to make and hang onto. Not that everything is going to be fabulous...got to account for tastebud differences. But these sites are generous with recipes and some of the pictures are beautiful.
Vegan Yum Yum
Fat Free Vegan
Made Just Right
And here are some blogs we haven't done much but visit, some of what I see intrigues me.
Bittersweet Blog
Loves Veggies and Yoga
Your Vegan Mom
These are a few of our meals...
Potato Casserole
Salad w/ leafy lettuce, whatever veggies, fruit or nuts you like and w/ dressing of choice.
Almond Milk or Green Tea
Vegan Naan Pizza (Scroll down a bit. And use soy yogurt instead of reg...makes it vegan ).
Tomato Sauce...( scroll down)
Veggies: chopped olives, onion, garlic, peppers, eggplant, squash, mushrooms etc.
Add quinoa or brown rice if you want a little extra body/texture/protein.
Sprinkle with Daiya cheese.
I have a huge two burner griddle. I roll out a flat piece of naan and cook it on the stove top til it bubbles, then slide it under the broiler til it bubbles more. Then I add the sauce and veggies. Broil again. Add the cheese and broil til it bubbles.
If you ever go to a Farmer's Market and experience the temptation to complain about the price of organic food...don't.
I now have some insight into what kind of work brings food to our tables.
At 1:30 p.m. I entered a greenhouse. Not a big deal. Unless, said greenhouse is in the middle of a farm in the middle of a record breakingly hot day in May. The greenhouse increases the temperature by about 15 degrees, and this particular one also sported no ventilation save for two small "window
s" at the ends of the house. It was so hot in the greenhouse that stepping outside into the humid 87+ degrees felt like heaven on earth. Not kidding. I drank at least two quarts of water while cutting lettuce.
Cutting lettuce. A knife, gloves and a squat. Seven different kinds of lettuce, and brazings, and spinach. Then onto the garlic. We didn't have to pick asparagus or rhubarb, that had already been done. Three of us harvested leafy greens for 20 CSA boxes. For about three hours.
After three hours in the greenhouses, high tunnel and field we were able to wash and pack = fwo hours. So, five hours times three people to harvest and prep 20 boxes worth of fruit and veggies, plus half the time the farmer was helping. I'm talking a lot of man hours to bring a small box of produce to those who signed up. And that is just the harvesting....th
ere is the planting, the weeding, the watering. Oy. And the upkeep -- the 60-year-old female farmer spent the lettuce cutting time wiring a fence so she could plant more tomatoes.
Each pre-purchased full share (550.00 for the season = 22 weeks of produce) comes to approx $25.00 bucks a week. Hmmmm. Our hard earned box contained 4 pounds of pesticide/chemical-free produce, and a lot of sweat. Come July the boxes will be pounds and pounds of tomatoes and zucchini and cucumbers etc. I'm thinking that a CSA is a stinking bargain!
Seriously, the next time you meet an organic farmer, shake that farmer's hand and give them a double thumbs up. They EARN every dime they make.
