Yesterday was CSA day. Melissa and the kids picked up our share and brought it to our house for our lazy asses. I love that we can be that lazy and just pay for our share which magically appears every Wednesday at a park in-town. But reading Soule Mama this morning and seeing her lovely photos taken when she and her kids went to pick up their share AT THE ACTUAL FARM, I realized what we’re missing out on. They get to pick out their own share as opposed to us just taking our pre-selected share and stuffing it in a plastic bag for the ride back home. Plus, picking up at the farm is actually a less expensive option. There might just be something to that. We’re so freaking lazy.

But anyway, highlights of this week’s share: The first tomatoes of the season! Plus these gorgeous beets.

Am I a radish or am I a beet?

I am beets!

Other not-so-exciting highlights include another huge bunch of kale to add to our sad, wilted kale from last week. Kale recipes anyone? Anyone?

LOST: Time.

Specifically last Wednesday through now. Where did you go? The CSA shipment arrived Wednesday evening with fresh vegetables and then I woke up and realized we’re getting another shipment tomorrow. It’s already almost NEXT Wednesday.
I really hate wasting this food! I don’t like wasting any food, but this is super-fresh food that we intentionally seek out and bring into our home. Bad Tonya.

Time to go to the fridge and see just how bad I should feel….

Hmm… well, I’m surprised. We did better than I realized. Just some tired old lettuce, some still viable string beans, and these gorgeous potatoes.

And now to feed my family using just ordinary household items and the food above… got it. Pork chops (marinating in olive oil, thyme from the garden, salt and pepper) and a little mix of potatoes, onion, string beans, onion, and more thyme, salt and pepper. Yum.

Dessert? Mangoes were on sale at Wild Oats so I think I’ll make something called a Mango Fool. Why do I think it’s called that for a reason? Will I be the fool at the end of this experiment? Let’s hope not. The recipe says to freeze leftovers for really good ice cream, which in these hot hot days sounds awfully good.

FOUND: The letter D

I saw this on our walk yesterday. No other letters. Just the D. How perfect is that?

As I write this, the rain falls on my lovely new deck that I was really looking forward to spending all day sitting on. I hadn’t factored in the umbrella, so I think I’ll just stay in and write at the table. Grrr…. My flowers are happy to see the rain though, so I’ll let it go and channel yesterday’s weather, which was near-perfect. Sunny and warm. One of those days that make you wonder why you live in Maine because there’s far more bad weather than there are days like that.

We’ve been picking up our CSA share from the Wolf Pine Farm for the last three seasons and never once went out to see the place. Yesterday we drove out to Alfred to see where our food comes from and share breakfast with other share holders. People, the food was good! Pancakes, a delicious quiche, potatoes, and salty salty bacon. And obviously coffee. I don’t think I would have made it without the coffee. The farm is beautiful, with garden plots everywhere (duh), and river frontage where Dashiell got to dip his feet in. The kid loves water.

We ate outside with a couple of other young families and talked babies and real estate, and swapped tips for what to do with the abundance of some veggies we get in our share. (HINT: marinate and grill the kohlrabi! Brilliant! It’s great in a salad, but we’ll be trying the grill next time.) Dash was dressed for the occasion in his overalls (albeit with the Rogue’s Gallery onesie. a bit of fashion on the farm never killed anyone), and I was not dressed for the occasion in my flip flops. Memo to self: when going to farm, dress for farm.

The end to a very good, if somewhat rainy, day is spelled p-a-n-c-a-k-e-s-a-n-d-b-a-c-o-n. Which Neil is in the kitchen making right now. For me. Because it wasn’t enough that I had my hair cut (thank the good god), lunch out with my mom, and ice cream for no good reason. Not enough by a longshot. The man knows that I haven’t slept more than two consecutive hours since Dash was born and require a little extra care and attention to keep me from losing my mind entirely.

Just a thought… do they make an infant Ambien formula? Is that Dr. Sears sanctioned?
‘Cuz I’d buy it.

But back to the food, we’ve been making these multi-grain pancakes for a few years now with little deviation. Occasionally, a Martha Stewart recipe tempts me enough to give it a go, but not even her recipes are as good as this one. You’re dying to know what’s in them aren’t you? Stick with me a little longer, gentle reader. I might start posting some recipes, but I haven’t decided on that yet. Besides, I’m keeping this one under wraps for a while. It’s that good.
Plus, organic bacon? Um, yum.

Time for me to slip away to my dream world for a few syrup-covered moments. One where babies sleep alllllll night.