CSA, week 15
We're squarely in the path of the storm formerly known as Fay, and it's been raining almost without stop since Tuesday night. It's a lovely steady, soaking rain of the kind that central VA has been yearning for, but now I'm concerned that things may be going a little too far. I keep thinking about the farm, which was so dry for so many weeks and by now must be swimming. This would be a time when it's good for the fields to be on a ridge, so the water that can't be absorbed will run off.
From our perspective, all this rain is a clear proof of the superiority of the new house. The old one was badly placed, square across the runoff of a few dozen uphill neighbors, and the original grading was inadequate. We had two bad basement floods in the first 5 years we lived there, and finally got it under control by installing massive downspouts, French drains all over the yard, and a second sump. You can imagine that good drainage was one of our requirements when we first met with our builder. Here we sit, dry and comfy, without that feeling of dread; what a relief.
The big news this week from the farm is that the eggs are back! The newsletter just refers to "a number of problems with the flock" in the spring, but at the farmers market a couple of weeks ago one of the guys told me that half their chickens had actually been stolen. Not eaten, at least not on the premises -- the evidence pointed clearly to human predators, not animal. For those of you who are "Omnivore's Dilemma" fans, the new girls were provided by Polyface Farms. It took them about a week to sort themselves out in the new environment, but they seem to be settled in and content. I saw quite a few of them (and their mobile coop) yesterday; they seem calm and comfortable.
So this week's box included
a half dozen eggs
a double handful of okra. I've had it only a few times, and enjoyed it, but the only time I've cooked with it I've used frozen slices in a stew. I'm looking forward to working with it fresh & whole, but there's only enough for one recipe, so I'm mulling my options. I need to use it today, as the fridge is really too cold for it to keep much longer
tomatoes! A big red one, a half-dozen small burgundy ones, and at least a quart of the yellow cherries. I think we'll take the cherries to the LBC gathering this weekend, so they get enjoyed before they start to go off -- the ones we got at the farmers market on Saturday (though not from our farm) started to split and sag by Sunday, a terrible waste
potatoes! I'm surprised that they're still holding out, even in the dry weather -- it appears that the white varieties are played out, but the yellows are still good. We're gradually catching up but it remains a challenge
tomatillos! I made a gigantic batch of chicken chile verde last night, so we have some to freeze for after the crop quits
one small cucumber. I'm guessing that either the crop is ending, or the renewal of water will mean a revival. Meanwhile, chop it up with tomatoes and herbs and lemon juice
a single bumpy yellow crookneck squash -- the squash crop must also be hurting in the dryness
a bunch of basil: I used some to replace the mint (which Bob's not fond of) in a Sicilian-style agrodolce sauce for tuna -- very good! The rest will probably go for pesto -- at this rate I'll have plenty to last through the winter. The plants on the porch are flourishing, so generally they more than meet our needs for fresh
two rather small leeks: the newsletter says they were originally intended as a fall crop but were pulled earlier than planned due to the dryth. I already had some larger ones on hand for leek-and-potato soup, so I'll either make a bigger batch or use these in salads
The delicata last week was tasty, and clearly starting its development from summer to winter style -- the skin had started to thicken and the flesh was firmer and dryer than the usual. We baked it with a stuffing of the other American veggies, corn, tomato, and chile (plus some onions & cheese) -- very yummy! It could easily work as a veggie stew with the squash cubed & mixed in, plus some more liquid.