The "Simplicity" of Milk

There is nothing better than dunking a cookie in a cold glass of milk. Simple, delicious, reminiscent of after school snacks, and even a little bit naughty if your Mom also told you it was bad manners.

But when you asked Mom "Mommy, where does milk come from?", she probably answered "Price Chopper", if just to shut you up.

I had a chance to meet with Mark Stanton, 5th generation owner of Stanton Farms, in Coeymans Hollow, with his friend and long-time colleague Tom Gallagher, now with the Cornell University Cooperative Extension, and along with his wife Kathy and my good friend Mistress of the Hounds, learned about milk production on the family farm.

Did you know that all of the milk production in NYS is family farms??? I think I'm right on that. Let me know if I'm not.

Anyway, first of all I learned that milk comes from COWS and that cows are big and smelly and inquisitive and that it takes a lot of cows and equipment and feed and workers and hard work and space to make enough milk to earn a living - so much goes into producing what finally leaves the farm. Some of the Stanton success is raising their own grass and alfalfa and corn for feed, with some soybeans and other from suppliers, and they do their own repairs and maintenance at several sites in the area. The feed bunkers are enormous.

Dairy milk is cheap and plentiful in this country, loaded with protein and calcium and potassium and natural sugars. It comes in whole and 1% or 2% and skim, organic, lactose-free, even chocolate. If you go to the farm you can get it raw, although all of the Stanton supplies are now pumped into a truck and delivered to Garelick for processing. Milk and milk products are part of a global market so supply and demand and pricing schemes and structures all come to bear.  Besides liquid milk and cream there's dry milk and powders, cheese and yogurt and butter and ice cream that can be shipped all over the world. The U.S. is the world's largest producer, and NY is the third most productive state with over 625,000 dairy cows. A big driver is our yogurt industry, which is cool.

Cows in NY are mostly Holstein's raised on regulated feed for maximum yield. Because Holsteins produce more milk than other breeds of dairy cow they generally have a higher yield of fat and protein in their milk, and better quality milk fetches better prices. But that means the cows aren't in the fields like beef cattle; here they live in airy, well-managed all season barns. So I don't know if they are happy cows or not, but of the 1600 at Stanton the half that aren't milking you'd think they could be outside, although it seems they don't seem to manage that well on the hillsides out in the open. I'm not criticizing - I'm a city chick so I'll shut up while I'm ahead.  Mom taught me that too.

Thanks and best to the Gallaghers and Mark for the informative tour, and the cookies. All that for a glass of milk. I think I'll appreciate it more from here on in. Much, much more.

Zena, Goddess of Fire

Creating Change With Our Forks

When you let mega corporations take over your food supply you concentrate one of the most truly essential aspects of your life into the hands of a few businesses that have profit as their primary concern, not your health.  Over the last 60 years this has become extremely clear. Is this good sense?

Vote on that with your fork at your own table every day.

In the Capital Region we have the extraordinary good fortune to be surrounded by small farms.  Many of them are run by farmers who believe that we should be eating sustainably grown food. Along with a new generation of farmer entrepreneurs, we have the kind of farmers around here who are inheriting farms that have been in their families for generations - like sometimes seven generations. They are not in it for the fly-by-night quick bucks.  Both of these kinds of farmers want to give you the very best that they can offer.

All that is to say that we are living in the middle of a world class food shed, complete with sustainably grown meats, produce and exceptional artisanal cheeses and other foods, beers and spirits. We're even seeing the comeback of hops  for our burgeoning breweries and grains for our bakeries. We can celebrate this three times every day!

In our country, 1% - 5%  food in an average household is local.  Let's make our Capital Region percentage a whole lot higher than that, because we can. And we can have an awesomely pleasurable time while we go about doing it. And the best part is that we can develop a food community that is strong and healthy while we support our local farmers with our business.

Once we get to know our farmers we may even want to persuade our legislators to help them out, rather than try to force them to comply with regulations that are designed for mega corporations rather than small businesses.  Let your farmer inform you about this.


Inspiration for this post provided by:

REAL. FOOD. Summit - Conversations with farmers and the people that are making real food really happen.January 29, 2016, Athens, New York.

Organizers:

Field Goods,

Modern Farmer, 

Hudson Valley Agribusiness Development Corporation 

Peectures!
Dignitaries, farmers, gadabouts and businesswomen, Even famous journalists! Oh My!
We met in the new warehouse of Field Goods, Athens, New York.

Albany Dish Goes on the Road to "Slow Living Summit: Food, Mindfully"

This week in Brattleboro the Strolling of the Heifers has given life to a Slow Living summit of a 175 or so people who are interested in many issues surrounding food.  The brief list below gives a sense of the talk contents.  The summit format was a chance to have an intense immersive couple of days talking with like-minded food producers, chefs, sustainability gurus and community/foodie activists.


Turning the Tide; Healthy Food for All?
Alisa Gravitz
CEO of Green America
Alisa, an economist and sustainability wonk, says the good news is that we can grow enough organic food to feed everyone.  Studies show again and again that organic farming yields are just as high as factory farming yields.

Food for Mind, Body and Soul
Dr. Michael Finkelstein

Think about what you're eating and feed yourself what you really need. You can unpack that for two hours.

Food Policy: Can We Talk?
Shouldn't we be discussing a food system revolution?
Rob Michalak

Global Director Social Mission, Ben & Jerry's

Well heck yeah.

Land, Legacy, and Leadership: A food entrepreneur's journey
Allison Hooper
Co-Founder, Vermont Creamery

The food business can be a great adventure and take  you places you never suspected you'd go.

The Emergent Agriculture: A new paradigm for the sustainable future of food
Gary Kleppel, Professor, Farmer and Author

Dr. Kleppel provided a close up look at basic techniques that build biodiversity and sequester carbon.

Resilient Agriculture: Cultivating Food Systems for a Changing Climate

Laura Lengnick, Professor Environmental Studies and Sustainable Agriculture

[Organic Agriculture BABE]

Laura's talk title is the title of her latest book, which I highly recommend. She tells the stories of award-wining farmers who are developing techniques to spring back after disasters and mitigate weather extremes along with innovating for transformation.  I have a crush on her.

Seed Libraries and Other Seed Sharing Initiatives

Cindy Conner, extraordinary gardener, teacher and author

Cindy gave us all a very comprehensive overview of seed library services and how to get a seed library started. I want to start one!!! Anybody with me?

Brattleboro Coop - lunch!  The Coop was just across the river from our conference so we made the most of their convenient food bar - a fantastic spread of wholesome delicious foods.

Food as Medicine or An Herbalist's Approach to Food

Betzy Bancroft Celest Longacre, Cheryl Wilfong

"Start with your spice cabinet" was Betzy's advice to those who wish to discover useful everyday herbal remedies for common ailments.

The 2015 Summit was one of the most hopeful meetings I've attended where people acknowledged climate change but have refused to believe that there is no way to address the changes we face. With our food policy being affected by knowledgable professionals like these I am encouraged.  But there is still plenty to do in order to assure food justice, resilient agriculture and appropriate policy to make sure we have the best possible food systems in place for the coming century.

Save the Dates! Fall Foodie Events in the Capital Region

Here's a selective list of fall evens around the Capital Region.  I've tried to provide accurate dates and times, but please check the event website for details to assure accuracy.

And most of all - go and have a good time!!!   Let us know how it went!

Troy Craft Beer Week  - 1st week in September and
Troy On Tap Beer Festival taking place Saturday September 6, 2014 in Riverfront Park

http://troyontap.com/, and http://www.troycraftbeerweek.com/

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Cheese Tour, Washington County September 6 -7, 10- 4 p.m. www.washingtoncountycheese.com

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Saratoga Wine & Food Festival, Saratoga County September 5-7 The Saratoga Performing Arts Center www.spac.org

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 Hudson Valley Food and Wine Fest Sept 6-7, 2014 Dutchess Co. Fairgrounds http://www.hudsonvalleywinefest.com/

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Capital District Community Gardens "Autumn Evening in the Garden" September 11 6pm   http://www.cdcg.org/upcoming-events/autumn-evening-in-the-garden/

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All Over Albany Farm Tour, September 13, meet in Rensalaerville and board the bus at noon, http://alloveralbany.com/archive/2014/08/18/aoa-fall-event-farm-tour

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Capital Region Apple and Wine Festival, Albany County September 13 -14, 10 a.m.- 6 p.m. Altamont Fairgrounds

 www.northeastshowpromoters.com

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Berkshire Grown Harvest Supper, Great Barrington (Ski Butternut) MA Monday Sept. 15, 6-8pm http://berkshiregrown.org/harvestsupper2014/

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EAT x NE Burlington VT September 19-21  http://eatxne.com/

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FarmOn! Friends of the Farmer Hudson Valley Food Lovers Festival Sept. 27, 2014  http://friendsofthefarmer.com/farmon-friends-of-the-farmer-food-lovers-festival-2014/

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Chefs and Vintners Dinner September 18, Glen Sanders Mansion, Benefit for the Regional Food Bank  http://www.chefsconsortium.com/event/chefs-vintners-dinner

Hudson Valley Garlic Fest Sept 27-28 Saugerties http://hvgf.org/

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Chatham Farm & Art Tour - September 27, 10:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. http://www.chathamkeepfarming.org/FarmTour.html

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6th annual Local Harvest Festival Washington Park, Albany, Sunday  October 5 12:00 - 4:00 [here's the 2013 site: http://localharvestfestival.com/  ]

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Annual Apple Festival and Craft Show at Goold Orchards, Rensselaer County October 12 -13, 9 a.m.- 5 p.m. www.goold.com

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Troy Chowderfest, Rensselaer County October ? Riverfront Park www.visittroyny.com  check the website for the 2014 date

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Franklin County Cider Days Nov. 1 -2 Shelburne Falls, MA http://www.ciderdays.org/index.html

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Taste of the Hudson Valley, November 2, Grandview in Poughkeepsie, NY http://tastehv.org/

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Cider Week Hudson Valley Nov. 14-23 2014  http://ciderweekhv.com/

ONGOING
Honest Weight Food Coop has a regular schedule of events
Whole Foods Market Albany has a regular schedule of events
The Cheese Traveler has a regular schedule of events

Save the Dates!!! Foodie Events Coming Up This Late Summer and Fall

Here is a selection of foodie events I found by nosing around on the google and they're coming up in and around the Capital Region.  Work up an appetite and go!! Let us know how it went and who the best producers are in the area.

I'm adding in new events as I find them, so stop back now and then to see what's new.

I combed through this many times trying to make sure there are no or minimal typos and have put a website link for each event (if it has one) in hopes that you'll go to the website to confirm dates and times.  My apologies if there are mistakes regarding the event you want to attend!

Hudson Valley Bounty annual dinner  http://www.hudsonvalleybounty.com/blog/youre-invited-locavores-culinary-event-season  August 4 in the evening, Chatham Co. Fairgrounds

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Chef's Night out Dinners at the Longhouse Barn, weekends in August, Rensselaerville
Chef's Night Out Brochure

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New York State Food Festival, Empire State Plaza, all day til 9pm August 13, 2014 - no link for this separate event but it's part of the Summer at the Plaza series

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Hudson Valley Ribfest at the Ulster County Fairgrounds in New Paltz, Aug 15-17     http://hudsonvalleyribfest.org/

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Spa City Farmer's Market Farm to Table Dinner - National Museum of Dance, August 26, 2014 http://www.spacityfarmersmarket.com/farm-to-table-dinner.html 

Granby, MA tomato festival August 23, 2014   http://www.redfirefarm.com/news/tomatofestival.html

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Cheese Tour, Washington County September 6 -7, 10- 4 p.m. www.washingtoncountycheese.com

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Saratoga Wine & Food Festival, Saratoga County September 5-7 The Saratoga Performing Arts Center www.spac.org 

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 Hudson Valley Food and Wine Fest Sept 6-7, 2014 Dutchess Co. Fairgrounds http://www.hudsonvalleywinefest.com/

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Capital Region Apple and Wine Festival, Albany County September 13 -14, 10 a.m.- 6 p.m. Altamont Fairgrounds

 www.northeastshowpromoters.com

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Berkshire Grown Harvest Supper, Great Barrington (Ski Butternut) MA Monday Sept. 15, 6-8pm http://berkshiregrown.org/harvestsupper2014/

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FarmOn! Friends of the Farmer Hudson Valley Food Lovers Festival Sept. 27, 2014  http://friendsofthefarmer.com/farmon-friends-of-the-farmer-food-lovers-festival-2014/

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Chefs and Vintners Dinner September 18, Glen Sanders Mansion, Benefit for the Regional Food Bank  http://www.chefsconsortium.com/event/chefs-vintners-dinner

Hudson Valley Garlic Fest Sept 27-28 Saugerties http://hvgf.org/

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Chatham Farm & Art Tour - September 27, 10:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. http://www.chathamkeepfarming.org/FarmTour.html

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6th annual Local Harvest Festival Washington Park, Albany, Sunday  October 5 12:00 - 4:00 [here's the 2013 site: http://localharvestfestival.com/  ]

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Annual Apple Festival and Craft Show at Goold Orchards, Rensselaer County October 12 -13, 9 a.m.- 5 p.m. www.goold.com

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Troy Chowderfest, Rensselaer County October ? Riverfront Park www.visittroyny.com  check the website for the 2014 date

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Franklin County Cider Days Nov. 1 -2 Shelburne Falls, MA http://www.ciderdays.org/index.html

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Cider Week Hudson Valley Nov. 14-23 2014  http://ciderweekhv.com/

Wine and Food from the Hudson Valley and Berkshire Mountains

There something about a local wine and food festival at a charming county fairgrounds in the middle of spring.  It’s just full of delight.  For your thrills and chills you need to get a goddess to go with you.  I chose Zena, Goddess of Fire to go with me for the 2^nd Annual Hudson Berkshire Wine and Food Festival 

We flew down to Chatham in the Fire Mobile, ready to taste the best that the Hudson Valley and the Berkshires have to offer, and we weren’t disappointed. Zena, GOF, has a real talent for watching the Groupons and getting a couple people into places for deep discounts.  It’s almost like that Jedi hand waving thingie and people at the gate are always very friendly.

At the Columbia County Fairgrounds  gate in Chatham we got a tasting glass and a bag with pockets for holding bottles and a whole bunch of brochures.  I’m glad we got the brochures because now, a few days later, I can actually tell you what we tasted and where it came from.  At first this looked like a small (well, dinky) event, but once we got into the hall it became apparent that there were lots of producers there with lots of great things on offer.  I’m hoping they’ll leave the list of vendors up on the website for awhile, because these are names you should look into. 

The various vendors are people who have put their hearts and souls into making lovely food and drink for us. They use locally produced ingredients much of the time and give the local economy life and vigor.  Please consider tasting their products and supporting their efforts.

One of the most memorable tastes among the dozens that I enjoyed was dandelion wine produced by Hummingbird Hills Winery in Fultonville, NY (photo of Ken, above). In my family dandelion wine along with various fruit wines made in the basements of our grandparents’ houses was the butt of many a joke .  Owner Ken bases his wine on an old family recipe and doesn’t produce much, but likes to keep the tradition going. I'm not sure I can describe the taste - Zena says, "grassy" and I'm sure it will provide interesting comments at any party.

Another highlight was tasting Cereghino Smith Winery “Bianca” Riesling, which took me waaaaay back to a wine from Grgich Hills Winery in the Napa Valley of Califorina. What a great wine and a great memory.  I do love a good after dinner wine to put a glow on the evening.

Zena and I thought this stainless cooler (with spigots) was the perfect cider conveyance.

I got into an apple jag because I want to learn all I can about New York apples, so I started tasting the various apple products on the floor, including apple mead from Helderberg Meadworks, apple vodka and applejack from Hudson Valley Distillers, and  Warwick Valley sour cherry and apple brandy.  It was yummers all the way.

Sugar Wash Moonshine from Dutch’s Spirits was meh – they put it in lemonade, which just seemed wrong because it was something like crystal lite lemonade – urk.

 Maple mustards from Hudson Chatham Gourmet and Ioka Valley farms were top notch – Zena, GOF picked up some for a gift, which is an excellent idea. Single malt whiskey from Hillrock Estate Distillery, black raspberry dessert wine from Clinton Vinyards and a pilsner from BarringtonBrewery all went down easy, but all put together tuckered us out. And heaven only knows how many times Zena saved the world while I had my nose in a glass of spirits.

 Carlo deVito wrote about the festival in detail here and did a great job of capturing much of what was going on: http://hudsonriverwine.blogspot.com/2014/05/hudson-berkshire-wine-food-fest-2014.html

There were a few other products besides food and drink, such as these groovey cutting and serving boards.

After we tasted all we could taste and drank all we could drink, we took ourselves to a bench outdoors to review all we had enjoyed and to wax philosophically about the joys and sorrows of life. All that remained was to fly back to Albany lickety split in the old Fire Mobile. And so we did.

Farm Film Fest 6 in Chatham

Farm Film Fest 6 at the Crandell Theater in Chatham made for a very nice late winter afternoon filled with thinking about farms, farmers and farming.   I called Zena, Goddess of Fire and we were all over it. The fest is a collaborative effort between The Chatham Agricultural Partnership, The Chatham Film Club, and The Columbia Land Conservancy. Two 60 minute works were the bookends for a small group of short pieces and there were food and drinks at the pub afterwards.

The lineup:
Growing Cities
Crafting the Cider Comeback
Community Garden
Hopped Upstate: The Rise of Local Hop Farming in New York
Locust Hill Farm
Trowbridge Farms - Angus Cattle
Cow Power
The Beekeeper is on the program, but it was not shown at the festival due to technical difficulties with the sound. It's on vimeo - just follow the information on the festival website.

There are summaries of the films on the site, so I won't go over each one.

I was very excited to see a nice and cute documentary of urban farming in "Growing Cities" and thought immediately of our urban farm here in Albany: Radix . I was great to see all the ways that urban farms have become an important element in the social fabric in San Francisco, Detroit, Milwaukee, Chicago, New Orleans and even Omaha. The celebration of cider in "Crafting the Cider Comeback" made me all excited to participate in the Hudson Valley Cider Week coming up in the fall. This link is for the 2013 information, which will likely be set up for 2014 sometime in the summer.

The others were all good little documentaries that pack a lot of information into a couple hours of entertainment.

I'm sure the Goddess and I will be looking out for this festival next spring, while we're waiting for the lettuces and garlic scapes to break the soil's surface.  Yum.

On the way home from Chatham we stopped at The Berry Farm to  see what they've been growing in their greenhouses and Tierra Farms, both on rt. 203 between Chatham center and Kinderhook.  The Berry Farm never disappoints, so we picked up a few delights.  Tierra Farms is worth a trip from Albany when you are looking for all organic nuts, nut butters, dried fruits and their well-known coffee.

The Cheese Tour

Ballcap: Check. Sturdy sneakers: Check. Sweatshirt: Check. Cooler with ice packs for cheese we purchase along the way: Check. GPS programmed with farm addresses: Check. Beautiful weather: Check. OK all set it's time to head out for the 2013 Washington County Cheese Tour with FF. It was a beautiful day to drive the back roads, visit the farms making artisanal cheeses, and enjoy fatty cholesterol laden calories high in sodium and just screw it: We will be at one with good eats.

From downtown Albany it was about an hour and fifteen to get to 3-Corner Field Farm in Shushan, NY, our first of six farms open for visitors this season as part of the Tour. Wash off shoes: Check. We washed off our footware before we entered so as not to bring in "viruses" (and should have done the same so as not to bring sheep poo back into my nice clean Honda Civic on the way out).  3-Corner Field Farm is the first sheep dairy farm in Washington County and one of only four in NYS.  We had the pleasure of meeting the farm's owner, Karen Weinberg, when we first arrived, who explained some of the challenges of sheep farming, i.e., sheep don't produce a lot of milk, it's labor intensive, and you have to market your product which is more expensive than cow's milk products, etc. They had organized tours of the fields and the milking operation, which were really cool because they were, I think, intent on educating us city folks and other ignoramuses about meaningful, sustainable farming. We found out that, in addition to cheese, they have the wool and meat products that they also market. However, most of the questions from visitors were focused on the ram's and ewes' screwing habits, which was funny at first then quickly got to be really  stupid. FF asked where the slaughterhouse was, which shut everyone up for few minutes. I love her dark side. Ignore City Folk With Too Many Questions: Check. We worked our way back to the barn to taste cheese.

FF and I were a bit frustrated by the cheese tasting set up at 3-Corner, but this might have been their first time as part of the Tour. Staff were cutting off little bites of cheese to offer guests AND taking money AND talking about cheese stuff while the tasting line built up behind; not very organized and slow, especially if we were going to get through the list of farms on the Tour. Anyway, FF fluffed off but Zena persisted. She really enjoyed the aged, Basque-style sheep's milk cheese called Battenkill Brebis and bought a piece to take home. Very good with early fall Macintosh apples she bought the day before (and a beer, but not until later when I got home, dearest Mr. State Trooper).

 

Next stop: Consider Bardwell Farm in West Pawlett, VT, specializing in goat's milk and cow's milk cheeses. The cheeses were amazing - one called Manchester  (an aged raw milk goat cheese) was my favorite, but I also bought a piece of the Dorset, a washed-rind, raw Jersey cow cheese. The atmosphere was more like a little tiny farmer's market, complete with banjo players and roasted corn, but they were relaxed and organized and the farm was bucolic. It was actually the most beautiful of all the farms we visited that day. Not much good to say about Zest, one vendor selling a variety of prepared foods, both to go and to eat now at the many picnic table set up in the mowed lawn down the hill. FF had a chili dog and thought the meat was weird and the cheese was cheap and there was more bun than anything else. Bag lunch the next time: Check.

Next stop was Argyle Cheese Farmer. We didn't stay long, but did get a chance to hear about their involvement in making Greek style yogurt, which mostly sounded like a second-hand prospect with very little philosophical investment. But the yogurt was amazing! I also loved their Revival Cheddar Cheese, and bought a nice hunk to take home for later indulgence. I got lucky and got a chance to see the cheese aging room, wishing I had a good reason beyond greedy to buy a whole wheel of their wonderful offerings. Plan a party to eat all of this cheese I'm buying: Check.

So the GPS, a necessary piece of equipment on this type of adventure, got us on a stretch along a gravel road to the last farm we could visit as part of this year's cheese tour (to add on the last 2 farms would have been a very long day and would have cut into our happy hour). We were at Sweet Spring Farm. Sadly, all they had left was Chevre, but it was really really very very yummy, so we weren't too disappointed, also because by now we were getting pretty tired. I loved this place - so quiet and beautiful. It was the ONLY farm where we got to pet a goat, which was lovely, something we expected more of, you know, petting farm animals. Clean up with disinfectant hand gel: Check.

Lots of good cheese to enjoy and I feel SO lucky to live in upstate NY and have so many wonderful products to enjoy in season. The only issue I had with the whole event was that the Cheese Tour  signs were useless, showing up at the last turn before the farm instead of 5 miles out, 5 turns earlier, as you wiggle your way into the back country trying to find your way. Printed maps are good - very analog and 1970s, but at least you know where you are in the big picture, not just where you are right now. GPS gets you there but you have NO IDEA where you are. But maybe that's a good thing, lost on a summer afternoon, experiencing rural NY, and enjoying your time with a best friend and eating cheese. A wonderful day. With fat, and salt. Buy more apples: Check.

Zena, Goddess of Fire

Putting the Pest in Pesto

Labor Day - a day to sleep in, stretch widely, and be at one with your reality. Which of course means getting up before dawn when it's pouring rain, bitching about how your back aches, and going to Fox Creek Farm to pick basil with FF. We are one with mosquitoes.

It was a humid, sticky, gray start to the day but the drive to Schoharie was lush, verdant (never actually used that word in a sentence before) and filled with the hum of bugs on the prowl. We only got lost once, missing the turn in Altamont because we were yakking. Fox Creek Farm is a 300 member CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) that also offers a U-Pick of herbs, small tomatoes, and flowers for members to pick for free. Zena forgot her sword, so we stopped at the Price Chopper on Western Avenue and 155 for cheap scissors before we hit 146 East. Also bananas, 2 bars of soap, and some shallots, but I digress.

On arrival we were directed where to park and pick, and greeted soon after by owner Raymond Luhrman and one of his little barn cats, who proceeded to bravely go right into FF's car and explore, which was fine until he started to scratch up the upholstery. FF has been a long-time advocate in the Albany area for sustainable farming and buying local; Fox Creek is part of the solution and going strong, and FF and Raymond were on best terms. No one questioned the fact that the Warrior Queen was there, armed with her new Scotch brand scissors and several plastic bags, bug spray (NOT that I need it, of course) and rubber boots. I SHOULD get a farm share but I'm finding it kind of satisfying to be cheap and take advantage of my friends' connections, but that's another blog, and again, I digress. We took a wide look, stretched widely again, and started picking. 

OK I admit, I have a tomato problem. And a pasta problem. And a white wine on Friday problem, but it's only Monday so let's not go there.  There was an abundance of tiny tomatoes - and I picked enough to freeze several large bags for when the weather turns cold and I need to remember summer tomato flavors (which in turn is excellent with pasta, and wine). Also enough basil to make 40 ounces of pesto. I made 20 ounces using pine nuts. These are for me. I made another 20 ounces for my friends, whom I love, using walnuts, and walnuts are cheaper. Enough said. I really enjoyed tasting all the basil varieties available - lime and lemon basil, Thai basil, Aromatic (sp?) which had a taste of licorice, and a couple of others I don't remember. Lots of lovely herbs, including several varieties of dill, which FF planned to use in tomato soup. Happy mouths and tummies tonight!

As we were getting ready to head out co-owner Sara Luhrman came to greet us, along with a hound dog and another little kitty. In addition to all the herbs and tomatoes we'd picked, she offered us two large bags of heirloom tomatoes (just south of fresh) and about a dozen newly dried garlic bulbs, which of course we accepted heartily. Made  more marinara (see the previous post for my recipe) so those heirlooms wouldn't go to waste. I got about 8 mosquito bites, one on my butt, and I can only say it was worth every itch for what we walked away with.  All this for free, and as they say on TV - membership ("non") has it's rewards. Needless to say I spent the afternoon in the kitchen, scratching my butt wondering "how did I ever get so lucky with all this bounty?". I put my sword to good use preparing Way Too Much Produce. With a glass of wine, of course!

Zena, Goddess of Fire