Since things have been sucking pretty bad around here lately, I thought we’d turn things over to Boston’s own Calamity Shazaam in the Kitchen, since she can always put a smile on your face whether you really want one there or not. Back when I was on vacation (sweet, sweet vacation), she had graciously offered to take custody of my precious (non-bean) farmshare. Let’s see how things went:
So last week me and my neighbor Even Steve went out to Waltham to pick up the harvest. Firstly let me say right now: there is nothing farmer about me. Out I went in my skinny jeans, gold flip-flops, bright red purse, and Hollywood sunglasses. Hahah!
They saw ME coming for sure! Tammy had explained the pick up system, so I was prepared enough to bring my own bags. And everyone there was really nice, even if I had to keep guessing at Tammy's last name like a total fraud. Which was absurd anyway, because what fancy pants chick is going to be randomly driving around in Waltham looking for a farm share to defraud by randomly guessing that someone there by the name of Tammy happened to have a share.... Thankfully the farmer lady was able to help me out with that, although I am still sure the clipboard person was convinced of my fraudular inclinations.
First I picked out my eight items:
The white things are little sweet turnips (eerrr I think), the red balls are beets, carrots, chard, fava beans in the pod, purple scallions in there, and a couple of yellow squash and zukes in there too. And a head of lettuce.
The veg pick up at the shed was easy enough - you put the veg in the bag and done. However, I wasn't totally prepared for the pick your own herbs and stuff. Did you know that herbs, outside of containers, grow really low to the ground?
We tramped over to the herb & bean plots. Face it, I looked like a city slicker with my giant red bag and gold flips. This is why my Little House dream has remained a dream. I would last about a day on the prairie.
I clipped a few herbs - basil and parsley, and then we hit the bean bushes.
Ok, seriously, what the f*ck is a fava bean anyway? And how the f*ck are you supposed to eat them? Anyone?
Fava beans come in a thick woody pod and I could not figure out if I was meant to pick the little ones, or the big ginormous ones. In the end though it didn't really matter. I sent the beans flying around the kitchen trying to shell them and then the ones that did make it in to the pot turned grey when I cooked them.
Blech.
But everything else I ate. And fast because it turns out that farm fresh produce has a shelf life of oh, about a day before it all goes flabby. Which is a good thing and a bad thing. I totally panicked because the next day the carrots had all gone flabby, and so I hurried to cook and eat everything by Sunday night. But a good thing because pretty much by Monday morning I was pooping straight compost. I could literally feel the cholesterol leaving my body. It was great to eat such yummy vegetables.
The chard was particularly delicious. I sautéed it with a little olive oil, some garlic, and red pepper, a culinary cliché I know. But really it was a completely different taste than chard that is a little older. I even ate the stems.
So this week I was a little more prepared. I picked up some more carrots, chard, onions (purple and shaped like a torpedo) and two bulbs of fennel, which I gave to my Mom who likes those sorts of things. Because even though I feel like I ought to like fennel, and endives, and radicchio, I really cannot learn to like that particular bitter green taste, nor the weird licorice taste of fennel.
The carrots I turned into a soup, along with a head of cauliflower, onions, garlic, and curry. The chard is for dinner tomorrow night - probably sautéed again with a poached egg on top.
All in all, not a bad way to start the week, especially when the food is a gift. And also on a side note, I got a replacement copy of Jilly Coopers Polo finally in the mail. I love Jilly Cooper. Her writing is both excellent and florid and it is like a literary crack hit for me. So with soup, an egg, and a great read for a hot night, life is pretty terrific.
Pooped straight compost. AWESOME. And Tammy messes with people by using two different last names, so even if you are prepared, you might not have the right one.
Posted by: MidLifeMama | July 27, 2009 at 10:30 AM
Nice guest post!
It may be a culinary cliche, but sauteed chard is indeed excellent.
Posted by: Karen @ Mignardise | July 27, 2009 at 10:59 AM
very funny - esp the fava beans. You might need to start your own City Slicker blog
Posted by: Judy | July 27, 2009 at 12:11 PM
S'ok, I went to my farm yesterday to "help" (indentured servitude) with potato gathering. I now know why "Pick-Ur-Own-Potato Farm" is a poor business model.
Posted by: Jess | July 27, 2009 at 03:30 PM
I have a vivid image of this stylin' woman picking vegetables, while everyone looking at her thinks "she must be lost."
Ginormous is such a great word.
Fantastic story telling!
Posted by: Amy | July 27, 2009 at 09:30 PM
So, how DO you keep the carrots from going limp? :)
Posted by: Bad Hippie | July 28, 2009 at 07:30 AM
On Jilly Cooper- "it is like a literary crack hit for me"-- what a great way to describe her writing!
Posted by: Bridget | July 28, 2009 at 01:25 PM
Hey all, you are sure a nice bunch of readers! Tammy said it would be ok to reply to your comments, since that is how it's done over here on FotF.
Midlife Mama: well I just kept saying "Taaaammmmy" real slow until the manager stepped in.
Karen @ Mignardise: I am all about the culinary cliches because otherwise I would probably starve.
Judy: I feel like a City Slicker blog would force me to acknowledge that I really will never be Laura Ingalls Wilder. And I am not ready to give that up yet.
Jess: Uh, is it wrong that I was like "Oh yeah, I would totally go pick my own potatoes"?
Amy: I can't take credit for 'ginormous' because I think it is already a non-word word, but I will take credit for cuckoopants.
Bad Hippie: I get the chard to talk dirty to the carrots.
Bridget: If I go too long without a hit of Cooper things get out of hand.
Anyway, thanks all for being so nice and thank YOU Tammy for sharing your space. You are the best!
Posted by: Annabelle B | July 29, 2009 at 09:42 PM