Those of you subject to my relentless stream of porcine uploads on Facebook, know that we spend one morning a week at Green Gate Farms in East Austin. Mini-Pear takes an art class (nestled under the trees, adjacent to the most adorably ramshackle red barn) while her brother and I wander the farm, free to commune with baby piglets, free-range chickens, goats and a very friendly horse. Their farm stand was on hiatus for the first few weeks we were there, but I did manage to buy the most delicious eggs.
It is really something to arrive at the farm and know that the gorgeous, organic vegetables you are going to take home with you are being picked right now!
I was going to just get a few things from the farm stand, when Farmer Erin let it slip there were still a couple of CSA shares available. You know I jumped on that opportunity!
So, Friday's share included:
Okra
Cucumbers
Sweet peppers
Japanese Eggplant
Basil
Garlic
Mizuna
Serrano peppers
Little hot red peppers
Zucchini
Chez Pear has always been an eggplant-free zone, based purely upon Mr. Pear's unfounded, yet vehement opposition to the poor unsuspecting vegetable. He has however, always maintained that he will "eat wot he is gived", so I decided to forge ahead and use the eggplants, basil and hot peppers on Friday night in Pud Makua Yow. I don't think I've ever seen dinner disappear so fast! Who likes eggplant now?!?! Who was talking about it the next day?!?!
Thought so...
On Saturday, I used the cucumbers and a sweet pepper in a cucumber salad we took to a cookout with friends. Sunday night, the mizuna got tossed in a green salad. Tonight we'll arrive home from Mini-Pear's theatre class to a hearty vegetable stew waiting in the slow cooker, incorporating the okra, zucchini, garlic, and other local vegetables I picked up at Wheatsville at the end of the week. I was crazy to only sign up for half a share!
