...We Went to The Farm!

May 05, 2012

That is right! To the farm we went. Taylor Creek Farm that is! It was a beautiful morning to go the farm. The sky blue. The sun shining. What more could I want? Well, I want fresh grown produce to take home. I want to eat locally grown, healthy food! I want to do my part to improve the local economy by supporting the local businesses like Taylor Creek Farm.

Speaking of Taylor Creek Farm, Please meet Michelle and Chuck! They are some of the wonderful people in my community. I had the pleasure of meeting them last year. They grow everything on their farm naturally. I managed to buy and eat some of their produce. I was not disappointed in anything that was purchased ...but, (yep a but!) when I arrived last year, they were mostly sold out. That is very exciting for Michelle and Chuck.

Michelle & Chuck

Here on their table is a sampling of what they had ready for harvest this week.

Cherry Radishes

Beets

Lettuce

Free Range Eggs

Fennel

Red Russian Kale

Zuchini

Okay! Okay! We did go to the farm but not the farm! Huh? We went to our local Farmer's Market!

It was opening day today.

About Taylor Creek Farm, this is their second year for doing CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) and this is my first year as a share holder of their farm! WOW, we are share holders! How cool is that?

My husband and I have chosen 1/2 shares for that is sufficient for our needs. Each Saturday we take a very short drive to meet Chuck and Michelle at the market. We claim our share of the week's harvest. We are provided with our (reusable) bag(s) of our share(s). With it is a list of the delicious food and since we will be encountering some produce that are not common for instant Fennel. A sheet with brief description of the product (in this case, Fennel) and recipe ideas for you to enjoy!

This weeks list of goodies; Red Russian Kale, Tuscan Kale,
Beets, Cherry Radishes, Zucchini, Fennel & Lettuce

The recipe provided:

Grilled Fennel with Balsamic

1 fennel bulb

2 teaspoons olive oil, separated

salt and freshly ground pepper

1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar

Trim the fennel stalks and fronds away, you can use them for something else. Cut the bulb in four and gently trim away the core. You want to leave just enough core to hold the section together. If you have a larger bulb, feel free to slice these 4 sections in half again. Rub the fennel with 1 teaspoon of the oil and add a generous helping of salt and pepper.

Heat your grill to medium and make sure it is cleaned & oiled. Put the fennel on the grill, cover, and turn down to medium low. Check on the fennel in 5 minutes, if it is young and tender, it is probably ready to be turned; otherwise it may need another few minutes. Baste with olive oil as needed. Grill 5-8 minutes per side and then drizzle with balsamic when hot. it should still have a good crispness to it, but not raw either. Serve hot or at room temperature.

The picture below is of our loot! Everything that is pictured here is our this week's goodies! The eggs does not come with the shares. You can buy them whether you have share(s) or not! We did! I love natural Easter eggs anytime of the year! Each week, we go back to the market with our empty "Go Green" bag(s) and empty egg cartons (to be reused). Then we leave the market with the following week's harvest of more yummy fresh grown produce!