csa-week 8

Week 8 pick-up:

• 4 Cipollini (chip-oh-lee-knee) onions
• 3 golden beets
  
• 2 cucumbers
  
• 1 lb squash (asstd.)
  
• 5 carrots
  
• 1/2 lb. kale
• 1/2 pint asstd. tomatoes
  
• bunch flat leaf parsley
  
• 1 pint of u-pick purple beans (they turn green when cooked!!)
  
• 7 stems of u-pick flowers
• u-pick herbs (I chose sage & thyme)

After the second week of the CSA, I was worried that this would become one of these chores that we have to do each weekend. Instead, it has turned into family time. We are so on-the-go all week, this little errand makes us take time to appreciate each other and where we live. The drive to the farm is "catch your breath" beautiful in any weather. Right now, at 9:30 on a summer morning, it is even more so. The last two weeks, we've stopped in to a local place that has some pretty good eats for breakfast and we can eat while we people-watch (inside and out).


I thought you might want some pictures of the farm where we get these delicious veggies each week and this was the weekend to do it. We discovered the goats and chickens that live there and got to witness the sunflowers make their first appearance of the season.

Guess what?.....Chicken butt!

I finally roasted all of the beets tonight so beet & goat cheese salad, here we come! Tonight's dinner fusilli pasta with diced summer squash, some farm-fresh tomatoes, mozzarella and pesto. The perfect fuel after a long day of yardwork. So good, in fact, that I can't wait for leftovers!

csa-week 7

a bit wilted but not gone to waste

Week 7 pick-up:

• 1 sm. bunch green onions
  
• 3 beets with greens
  
• 2 cucumbers
  
• 1 lb squash (asstd.)
  
• 4 carrots
  
• 1/2 lb. kale
• 1 head of red leaf lettuce
  
• 1 green pepper
  
• 1 large basil plant
  
• 1 pint of u-pick beans (we passed since we hadn't finished last week's share)
  
• 7 stems of u-pick flowers
• u-pick herbs (lime basil, thai basil, marjoram, parsley & sage)

(add in a couple lbs of assorted squash from my mom's garden too!)



Basil!!!! I love fresh basil and we grow some here in a pot outside the door for everyday use but ever since I took to the pots, I don't get nearly the harvest I used to. We got a rather large basil plant so I did what one must do.....made pesto! Next to truffles, pesto is one of my very favorite things. I could (and have) eat it by the spoonful. Right after making that, I sauteed some zucchini, green onion, sun-dried tomatoes and spinach. I served the veggies over soft polenta with pesto shrimp. So easy but so yummy too!

Tonight, I took some of the green beans we'd picked last week and after blanching them, I sauteed them with some EVOO, S & P. I made some Multi-grain rice (thank you, Trader Joe's) and baked some cod with a little butter and some capers.

Tomorrow is salad nite. I don't feel like cooking and I have Zumba so (stomping foot) salad it is!

one of my many reasons for eating well

Stonyfield Farm takes us out to the ball game

I vaguely remember going to a Utica Blue Sox game with my parents when I was young. I remember more clearly the game I went to when I was in High School. Now that I think about it, I don't remember that game either. I just remember teasing our friends for spending the entire game making out in the bleachers. It wasn't until I was in college that I paid any attention to what was happening on the field. I'm pretty sure that it was only because I knew some of the players on our school's team and it was something to do other than studying.

Fast forward to when I met Kris. He loved the Mets and since I loved him, I had to love the Mets too, right? Poor guy... he missed half of the season the year we met because I was forever pestering him with questions about the game. He was patient and explained away, sometimes more than a few times, but the result of all that effort was that he ended up with a wife that loves the game and everything that comes with it.

A handwritten note? Wow, nicely done, Stonyfield!

Recently, I saw a chance to win tickets to Citi Field on the Stonyfield Farm website. You were asked to make a comment on their blog and in turn, they would choose five winners to get tickets to an upcoming game. I jumped on it and found out a few days later that I had won! Not only did I win the tickets, but they happened to be pretty sweet seats. Fourth row back on the 3rd base line. I was NOT missing out on this.

yes, the whole day was this good

Kris and Giada have been watching Mets games together for some time now. As much of a chatterbox as she is, when the game is on, she is silent. There have been times when she asks to stay up to watch 5 min. of the game and 20 min. later, I realize we never put her to bed. We brought Giada to Opening Day this year but it was a tough one. It was cold and she was sick so the excitement we expected to see was replaced with whining. This time, we didn't tell her a thing. All we said is that we were taking the train and we'd have surprise for her.

When we got to the stadium, we were early so we got to walk around a bit and get a few picture outside of the park. Once they let us in, we went straight to the clubhouse shop and got her a t-shirt. You'd think she'd have a few already but it's hard to find a Mets shirt in her size. Though I loved the girly one, she was sold when she saw the Mr. Met tee. She wore that shirt and her new bracelet proudly, taking every opportunity to tell someone they were new and that Mommy and Daddy bought them for her.

showing off her new treasures

Our tickets allowed us to get into some of the exclusive club rooms so this time, we headed to Caesars. The best thing about this one is that it is located above the Jackie Robinson Rotunda and you can look out over the entrance to the park as well as catch a glimpse of the NYC skyline. Some fruit, sushi and a drink later, we headed down to our seats.

views from the Caesars Club

The seats were outstanding and a cool thing was that we were right next the the passageway where the grounds crew came out. There is double-walled glass between the chute and the seats so you can see everything going on. As the crew was on their way back from the field, one of the guys knocked on the glass with a baseball and Giada stood on her tippy toes to reach over the glass to get it. She was so surprised that she never said thank you and waited on the edge of her seat until she saw 'her guy' again. Once she did, she was all smiles and thank yous and as much as he made her day, you could tell the feeling was mutual.



I love that at 3 3/4 years old, Giada knows to take her hat off for the National Anthem. I love that she knows some players by their number and I especially love the twinkle she and Kris get in their eyes when they are watching everything around them. It's infectious.
We sampled our share of ballpark food and shelled pistachios as we cheered for our team. Even though we lost to the Phillies, I wouldn't have traded that time for anything in the world.

After the game, Stonyfield Farm was sponsoring the Mr. Met Dash. It's a chance for the kids to run the bases. Yes, that's right, we got to walk right out the the field! Kris explained to Giada that she would get to run right out past Gurt (the Stonyfield Cow) and Mr. Met and she could stop and say hello if she wanted. I thought she might freak but once we go the first base, that kid took off and never looked back. She didn't stop at all and just ran at full speed all the way. She went so fast that I only got a few shots of her but I don't think she'll need pictures to remember that experience.

top left- superstar G running the bases , bottom right- Mr. Met & Gurt (the Stonyfield cow)

these were taken ON the field!

I can't thank Stonyfield Farm enough for the tickets and the chance to spend the day with my family. Amazin'......just like the Mets!

watching Daddy, watching the game

csa-week 6

Week 6 pick-up:

• 1 sm. bunch red onions
  
• 3 beets with greens
  
• 4 small turnips
  
• 1 lb squash (asstd.)
  
• 4 carrots w/ tops
  
• 1/2 lb. swiss chard
  
• 1 pint of u-pick beans
• 1 sm. bunch cilantro
• nasturtium (edible flower)
  
• 7 stems of u-pick flowers
• u-pick herbs (lime basil, thai basil, marjoram, parsley & sage)
  

If you have been following, you may notice that we skipped the week 6 distribution. We were away the day we normally pick up our veggies and rather than lose out, we asked our friends if they wanted to enjoy the week's harvest. They loved it just as much as us and may even have been convinced to buy a share next year! They got to enjoy kohlrabi, carrots and cucumbers for the first time this season and also got some fennel and u-pick beans. I don't know how they used everything yet but we are so happy that they got to try it out.

We have already made a dent in this week's share. I took a red onion, some snow peas, patty pan squash and swiss chard and sauteed them all with a little EVOO, S&P. We had some boiled baby potatoes and some leftover chicken along side the veggies. Simple and quick after a day of weeding, mulching and sealing the front walkway.

We do love us a good Mojito here and Kris and I think that the lime basil will be a nice substitution for the mint. If not, we'll add a little to a Gin & Tonic. Maybe I will relax with one of those while we roast a bunch of beets. Once cooled, we'll have them on a salad of mixed greens, creamy balsamic dressing and herbed goat cheese.

I'm still trying to figure out what to do with the turnips. Boil? Roast? I suppose either would work but if anyone has and brilliant ideas, hit me up!

be back soon

• hello everyone! I have so many awesome thto share with you but I have been so busy doing that I haven't had time to fill you in . Rest assured I will be back soon with so really cool stories. As a little teaser I can say that racing and speed are just the begining. Wishing you all an amazing weekend. Get out there and enjoy that heat you waited all year for. Take lots of pictures and get ready for your chance to guest blog for me! Happy Weekend Friends! r,

CSA- week 4

Week 4 pick-up:

• 1 bunch of green onions
• 3 beets with greens
  
• 4 small turnips
  
• 4 patty pan squash
• 1 bulb of fennel
  
• 1 head of lettuce
  
• 1 head of endive
  
• 1 pint of u-pick beans/peas
• 1/2 lb. swiss chard
• 1 sm. bunch of cilantro
  
• 3 garlic scapes
• 1 sm. bunch of broccoli
• 4 pieces of nasturtium (edible flower)
  
• 3 stems of u-pick flowers
  

Wow! Looks like we're on a roll now! What a great share this week!

We have already dug into the salad greens and radishes.....they are always the easy things. When we were heating up some things for dinner l;ast night, Kris suggested that I add some sauteed spinach to the tomato sauce so I did and I also used some garlic scapes to add a little more flavor.

With the heat this week, we will most likely make a salad of shaved fennel with olive oil, salt, pepper and oranges. As another way to beat the heat, I think one night we will use the cilantro and green onions in a Mexican style wrap. Thinking right now about what else I have in the fridge, I will probably make some chicken and then mix the cilantro and onions with some black beans and lime juice for a light and easy meal.

Another night we will probably use the beans and squash as a side dish with chicken or fish. Just lightly sauteed with a little EVOO, salt & pepper. It's up to Kris to figure out the swiss chard and endive. I the endive is not Belgian like you're probably thinking. It is more like an escarole so it will have to be cooked, not used raw since it seems a bit tough.

night out in BK

Cue Happy Dance music. A night out, A night out, A night out! With, shhhhh....adults. One whole night when I didn't have to worry about tucking in or story reading that actually started at 2:00....no make that 2:30pm.

Our friends Nicole and Jamie invited us to go see one of their favorite bands last week. The band was playing at Brooklyn Bowl. I couldn't begin to imagine going to a bowling alley to see a band but I trusted them so we accepted the offer. Bowling Alley?-yes. Kick-Ass place to see a band?- also yes. They have 16 lanes but they are second to the rest of the joint. A cool little bar and food from Blue Ribbon are there to welcome you as you enter complete with local Beer (Brooklyn, Sixpoint, Kelso & Greenpoint ) I have to pause to fill y'all in on the eats.

view of the bar from our table

The menu had me torn. Should I get a salad, sandwich or entree? Mac & Cheese was so tempting but I always like to try something I might not get at home. Grilled veggies in any form are my fall-back and adding some tzatziki.....mmmmm but in the end, I went with the Oyster Po' Boy. It was great but a dash of hot sauce really added a lil' sumpin'. Our friends each got french bread pizza. The first time I ever had french bread pizza, I must have been in middle school. I remember the excitement of my friend Megan as she pulled it out of a Stouffer's box and put it in the toaster oven. She was in disbelief that I'd never experienced this important culinary creation. (I envision she may still secretly keep a box of this frozen delight hidden in her home) Megan would never believe Blue Ribbon's version of this treat. It was easily half a loaf of bread, open-faced and loaded with toppings. They looked magical and next time, I may have to hit up that section of the menu. Another thing that you can't pass up is the Rock and Roll Fries. I generally stay away from fries but they looked too good to pass up! Shoestring fries topped with gravy, cajun spice, provolone & cheddar. Just a step up from the diner's disco fries, right?

And who could resist our after dinner Bourbon St. Shake....with nutella...AND a shot of bourbon? We were all full but wanted to try it. Jamie asked the waiter to bring some small glasses so we could all share it. The waiter said he'd bring straws and we thought he was kidding until it arrived with four enormous straws. We felt kind of ridiculous but after tasting it, no one cared.

Bourbon St. Shake

Having been to this venue before and even just two days prior to our visit, Nicole insisted that we stand against the stage. She swore that it was the best place to be so we grabbed a few beers and headed straight to the front. We had a place to put our glasses and our purses so we were free to chill empty handed. We did still have a few jerks stand by us but after that was sorted out, the rest of the night went off without a hitch. The only drawback to standing up front was that the bathrooms are at the other end of the building but on the upside, the path you take leads you right past the bar so you can grab another pitcher as you head back.



We were there to see a band named Galactic. They are a funk and jazz band that has a strong New Orleans influence. Though they are an instrumental band, they often invite other artists to join them for their live performances. This time, Corey Glover from Living Colour joined them as their vocalist for the evening. What a treat!

The opening band was The High and Mighty Brass Band. Their website says that, "Their sound is a mix of classic New Orleans Funk, R&B and more modern influences of Afro-Beat and Hip Hop" They were a lot of fun and a great start to get the crowd moving. Nicole and I were joking what we could play the tambourine for them that night but they had that covered. A girl high on who-knows-what had that role. Dressed in her sparkly leggings, 1980'd leotard and wearing her old marching band boots with yarn tassels tied to them, she shook that tambourine (and everything else) as the HMBB got us going.

tambourine girl, cowbells.....what is better than this?

And now.......

the ceiling and industrial fan in this old warehouse

I don't have the appropriate words to describe this band or the rest of the night. I never stopped moving and I was totally in the zone. I have a little of their music on my ipod but to see them live is how you should listen to them if possible. I know that they have many albums to their name but the entire night felt like a jam session on crack. It was amazing and a night I will never forget.