Garden!

It is a by-product of Animal, Vegetable, Miracle that my enthusiasm for my vegetable and herb garden has grown by leaps and bounds. I have a small raised bed garden that is only about 68 sq feet. But I have so much packed into a small space. Peas, onions, 3 kinds of basil, 10 types of hot peppers, 9 tomato plants, tomatillos, 3 types of eggplant, leeks, cilantro, parsley, lemongrass, spinach, arugula, lettuce, dill, tarragon, rosemary, as well as a proliferation of oregano, mint, sage, and thyme.

This morning, I pulled out my green onions (mainly because I had to make room for other things). They smelled so fresh and lovely. I also harvested enough arugula to make my first batch of arugula walnut pesto which I froze for a rainy day when I will pull it out and drizzle it all over some warm cheesy polenta. My mouth is watering to think about it.

My daughter has been studying organic food choices in her school book club. We are planning some local and organic meals, and this summer we will take field trips to fruit stands. (We are not purists by any stretch, but we are exploring our world of food.) We plan on asking if all the produce comes from the farm or if it is shipped in. We are also going to ask if the produce are organic. I went to Landis Valley Herb Fair yesterday and bought some pepper and eggplant plants from a place called Happy Cat Organics. Besides plants, they also sell produce. I can't wait to take Maren on a field trip to visit them.

If that wasn't enough, I am taking a workshop on cheese making. I did get some cheesemaking supplies for my birthday, so I am all set. I can see it now--herbed goat cheese and some sort of hot pepper cheese. My husband Mark's birthday is this month and he has asked for a kit to make sourdough bread.

Bread, cheese, vegetables, fruits, herbs. Can life get any better?

Walking with basket

Another Little House on the Prairie moment. Remember the scenes of Ma walking into town with her basket of eggs to sell? This afternoon, my daughter and I walked the mile to our egg source--the outbuilding of a Mennonite home. In the summer it is a large fruit stand. In the winter, it is desolate with only the hum of the refrigerator parked close by the door. We deposited our coins into the lock box and put 2 dozen brown eggs into the basket.

Maren asked why we didn't just buy our eggs at the grocery store. I told her about the significance of buying locally (saving fuel, supporting local economy, buying organic) and that I was seeking out more local sources for other things such as meat, chicken, and goat's milk for making homemade cheese. I told her, too, about eating seasonally, how I wanted to expand the garden in the summer with her help. It was a wonderful introduction to a study she will be doing. Her art teacher is starting a book club for the fifth graders after school. Starting next week, the book they will be studying is Chew on This, which is a version of Fast Food Nation for younger readers. In the coming months, the kids will learn about food choices, the marketing that goes into fast food restaurants, where food comes from, etc. They will also try a variety of food. Maren will be ahead of the game on this count as I do serve up a wide variety of plant and animal foods. She is not shy about trying new things.

I am happy that this new program is receiving such enthusiastic response from the kids in her school. I hope I'll be able to sneak in and observe. Or maybe help out. I am not a food activist by any means, but I am slowly alligning my actions to my belief systems.