Tuesday, November 25, 2008

Happy Thanksgiving!

Last weekend I picked up my final share of the season from Tantré Farm: the Thanksgiving share. It was so massive I had to split it into two pictures.

Root vegetable bonanza: squashes, potatoes, rutabaga, onions, more potatoes.

More veggies! Brussels sprouts, turnips, radishes, chard, cabbage, kale, spinach, beets, cauliflower, parsley...I know I'm forgetting something...

The whole thing. That's a lot of vegetables!

Obviously, clocking in at over 60 pounds (lowball estimate), there is enough food here to feed 30 people for Thanksgiving. As such, most of this is going into my refrigerator and the cool basement for storage. I am taking some Brussels sprouts to my parents' for Thanksgiving dinner because I am going to introduce everyone to the miracle that is roasted Brussels sprouts. (I can hear my brother now..."You want me to eat what? No way! Ewwwwww!" By the way, he's 31.)

I had to take some close-up pictures of quite possibly the most visually amazing vegetable I've ever seen. This is Romanesco broccoli (a variant form of cauliflower).

The thing that is so interesting about this vegetable-cum-work-of-art is that it exhibits a complex mathematical pattern known as a fractal.

Each of these points is a universe unto itself. The pattern repeats itself into infinity. This is quite the marvel of nature. I'm reluctant to eat it (but better to eat it than let it go to waste).

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Thursday, November 6, 2008

Modern Alchemy

I am convinced that olive oil, salt, pepper, and 35-40 minutes at 400 degrees can turn anything into edible gold.

Case in point: Brussels sprouts. Most people cringe in horror at their name, fearing mushy, steamed green blobs. However, since I transformed a previously-hated vegetable (broccoli) into something I ate as fast as I could shovel it into my mouth by the holy trinity of olive oil, seasonings, and heat, I thought perhaps I could do the same with Brussels sprouts.

Enter the Barefoot Contessa and a pound of Brussels sprouts from Tantré Farm.

Result: I ate half a pound of these delectable morsels all by myself. John commented, "That's a lot of Brussels sprouts."

Yes. Yes it was. And they were wonderful.

Saturday, November 1, 2008

Harvest's End: Tantre Farm Week 23

The last share (sniffle).

Last Wednesday I picked up my final share of the year from Tantré Farm. I opted for the three-week extension to the regular 20-week season because I just could not bear the thought of being without my glorious vegetables. However, there is nothing more I can do now as the season is officially over. Once I have worked my way through what is left in my crisper drawers and freezer...

I am...going to...have to buy vegetables...

FROM THE GROCERY STORE.

Oh dear.

I admit I have become 100% utterly and completely spoiled beyond rotten when it comes to produce. I now take it for granted that my vegetables are actually going to have flavor and taste like they're supposed to. How on earth am I going to deal with pallid, mealy grocery store tomatoes after being buried in avalanches of the most luscious, robustly-flavored tomatoes I could ever imagine?

This was a memorable summer of vegetables. I discovered the wonders of the chocolate beet cake, the kale-banana smoothie, the eggplant hummus. I made my own tomato sauce, froze green beans, and even learned to like squash again.

The CSA experiment was a success. I can't wait to do it again next year.