Orach, it's purple!

Coming home to a box of organic veggies has to be the best feeling in the world. It's like Christmas. I open each package, think about what I am going to do with the contents

...Cauliflower..mmmm...carrots...yum...Purple leafy stuff..what the?

It's called Orach, and it's the best part of the box. Not the Orach itself but the veggies we get that I have never seen before. I grew up on a small farm, we had a big garden so I am not a novice but apparently there are lots of veggie varieties I have yet to even see or hear of. This particular green(or purple) has been compared to spinach. I'll have to tell you how it tastes later, but it looks like something out of Dr Seuss. Purple Leaves!

Rhubarb, Asparagus, and Fennel oh my

Our CSA box started two weeks ago and already I feel healthier. I know we are getting strawberries tomorrow so today when I saw delicious rhubarb in the store I grabbed a few stalks. Yum! So far I've made two lovely Fennel salads, a leek and pine nut rice pilaf, and two big salads. We haven't started our compost project yet, but we did aquire two baby chickens who are now at 6 weeks eating up our stalks and ends of all sorts of things. They particularly liked the strawberry tops and butternut squash ends.

Our CSA box comes from Two Small Farms. I started with them three years ago and then moved off onto a farm that offered a smaller share and more fruit. It's called Farm Fresh to You. I was very dissapointed in their quality and have now moved back to TSF. I am so glad I moved, the quality is as good as I remember and then some. The first batch of strawberries we got we ate over the sink with a fresh made bowl of homemade whipped cream. There is nothing better than that!