July 22nd CSA & Market Report

To say I was feeling uninspired Saturday morning would be a bit of an understatement.  This is highly unusual, because Saturday mornings are one of my favorite times of the week - I think about strolling through the markets all week long, I have to admit.  But last week, with no air conditioning, I did very little cooking; I had to get up and clean the fridge and sadly, discard some beets and other things I couldn't find the energy to cook or store.  I felt guilty about the waste and it kind of zapped my enthusiasm.  Oh, and it was raining.  Good for my tomatoes (or the raccoons who will eat them), not good for me.  But, for the first time all week, it was blissfully cool outside.  Just in time for my air conditioning to start working again.

It's a good thing I went quickly to see the boys from Wayward Seed farm (aforementioned forgotten farm from a few weeks ago); they were quite the pick me up.  We had a nice discussion about the beauty of real baby carrots, and I looked down to see this lovely bunch of hot pink lamb's quarters (pictured left) .  I told them how I spent $4 on a bag of lamb's quarters when I was in North Carolina only to come home and discover that it had taken over the parking area behind my house.  Yes, yes, I know it's a weed, but I didn't expect to have my own giant patch of it here in Columbus!  The unbespectacled farming partner noted that this was planted on purpose - it was a Seed of Change plant, after all.  That wouldn't have swayed me anyway, although it was interesting, because I already had my designs on it.  $2 was the agreed upon price and that led into a discussion on the use of lard and how it needs to make a comeback.  I told them they should go to Amish country, where lard has never gone out of fashion.  They noted that lard should be our fat of choice here in Central Ohio, considering it is abundantly available here just as olive oil is in Italy.  I have no plans to give up olive oil, but I do plan to utilize bacon fat in the cooking of these lamb's quarters, that's for sure.

My CSA contained Swiss chard, lettuce mix, cucumbers, potatoes, green beans, beets, onions 1/2 dozen eggs, and something else I know I'm forgetting.  I also bought some very nice dried cherry and almond granola from Quiver Full Farm, who have the lovely cornmeal I tried a few weeks ago.  It's more of the chewy variety, versus the crunchy version sold at the Magik Granola Company at the Clintonville Market.  I bought loads of hot peppers and yet more Red Thumb potatoes from Arbor Hill Organics.

We have yet to see heirloom tomatoes, and although I felt indignant that I had them this time last year, reading through my archives proved that I really didn't start seeing them until August.  Which is sad, because it seems like there's a whirlwind of tomatoes and then all of a sudden it's Autumn.  And this is the first year I can wholeheartedly declare that I am now a Summer person.  When my air conditioning is working.