Look what I picked at my CSA. Do you know what’s better than taking your kids strawberry-picking? Strawberry-picking without your kids! Woo hoo!
Boy, do I need to get out without them more often. I felt so light and unencumbered. And it seemed so unbelievably quiet without the whining and the screaming. I mean, yeah, other people’s horrible children were nearby, but they were not my responsibility. And when I ignored them, it actually worked.
The weather was perfect: breezy and cool, with blue sky resting on big, puffy clouds. I saw birds. I saw ladybugs. I even saw the Farmer going back and forth on his tractor. I was careful to wait until he was facing away to blow kisses in his direction, and then pretend like I was too busy with my important berry-picking to notice him on his return trip. Farmer who? I’m sorry, I’m not aware of any farmers in the vicinity.
When I was done stuffing my face with strawberries, the timing worked out just right so that the tractor would be carrying the Farmer toward the end of the rows just as I was walking by. I considered just standing there in his way to see what would happen, but he’s a very focused worker and I‘m not in his good graces as it is. Instead, to increase the odds of acknowledgment, I joined a gaggle of little boys and their Tractor Fan Club, and waved along with them. He waved back. Hooray!
Soon we will be wed.
oh those strawberries look sooooooooo good! I think we are finally getting some local strawberries here too, have to get them from the farmer's market this weekend. Hooray for summer!
Posted by: sunny12 | June 20, 2008 at 09:24 AM
Yay for local berries! And sugar snap peas! Boo for local lettuce, which we are getting far too much of!
Posted by: Ann | June 20, 2008 at 09:27 AM
I concur. We are shipping the girls to Vermont on the 12 PM Amtrak and then heading directly to the closest local strawberry farm. I also do not need anymore of that lettuce even if we are developing a taste for the weeds that get mixed into the greens.
Posted by: Alecto | June 20, 2008 at 09:38 AM
Those Strawberries look SO delicious!
Posted by: Mary | June 20, 2008 at 09:41 AM
Are those sugar snaps or English peas? I would kill for a batch of English peas. The ones at Whole Foods are past their prime and hellishly expensive, to boot.
Of course, the strawberries look lovely, too.
Posted by: Adele | June 20, 2008 at 10:04 AM
Our first (ever!) CSA pickup included pea shoots. I'd expected to be eating things I'd never eaten before... but I figured that I *might* have until a later pickup to get something completely new. So... ack. They're languishing in the fridge right now.
Anyone have any killer pea shoot recipes they'd be willing to share?
Posted by: Susan | June 20, 2008 at 12:27 PM
It always makes me laugh to see the words "English peas"... they're PEAS, just peas! But then, I'm English so I would say that wouldn't I?
Mmmm, peashoots... when I was a child, I used to help my dad picking peas on his allotment and would eat the shoots straight off the plant. Then when I got home, I'd help mum shell the peas but always ate half of them before they got to the pot - ah, the tastes of childhood. These days, peashoots are a fashionable food... with a website all of their own - http://www.peashoots.com/peashoots-recipes.htm has recipes too.
Posted by: CaroB | June 20, 2008 at 01:34 PM
The last line of the post made me snarf my iced coffee. Well played.
Posted by: Huzzah for forbidden farmer love | June 20, 2008 at 02:36 PM
Huzzah: Um, that wasn't a joke.
CaroB: We definitely call them English peas over here, possibly to differentiate them from the American-style deshelled peas sold in the freezer section. Thanks for the link!
Susan: I've definitely had them in salads. I imagine you could use them anywhere you would use sprouts, like in sandwiches. Maybe over bagels and lox. Here's a simple saute recipe (scroll down a bit): http://www.circlemfarm.com/2008/recipes-for-spring/
Adele: Those were sugar snap peas. But the Farmer has English peas, too! Maybe next week.
Mary: They were. They're gone.
Alecto: Good plan. Sometimes, it just needs to be you and the strawberries.
Ann: Know what you mean. We got four heads. How about you?
Sunny12: They go so damned fast, though. I need more.
Posted by: Tammy | June 20, 2008 at 09:43 PM
Hello neighbor and CSA mate! So happy to have found your lovely blog. I will stay tuned for more of your very entertaining stories. As you can imagine, we love farmers, too.
Cornelia
Farm Aid / HOMEGROWN
Posted by: Cornelia | June 26, 2008 at 05:09 PM