7/9/15 VRFH CSA Fresh Box

“There are, it seems, two muses: the Muse of Inspiration, who gives us inarticulate visions and desires, and the Muse of Realization, who returns again and again to say "It is yet more difficult than you thought." This is the muse of form. It may be then that form serves us best when it works as an obstruction, to baffle us and deflect our intended course. It may be that when we no longer know what to do, we have come to our real work and when we no longer know which way to go, we have begun our real journey. The mind that is not baffled is not employed. The impeded stream is the one that sings.”
― Wendell Berry

Photos of last week's box from Megumi Sugihara.  Thanks Megumi!

This week's box:

·      1 lb Beefsteak Tomatoes, Graber’s Produce, Alamosa
·      1 English Style Cucumber, Ab Yoder Family Farm, Alamosa
·      1/2 lb Crimini Mushrooms, CO Mush Farm, Alamosa
·      2 bunches Beets (Chioggia and Gold), Hobbs Family Farm, Avondale
·      1 bunch Carrots, Hobbs Family Farm
·      1/4 lb Ruby Red Chard, Eat Fresh Farms (Aquaponic), Alamosa
·      1/2 head Frisee Endive, Green Earth Farm, Saguache
·      1 Head Red Butter or Red Leaf Lettuce, GEF
·      1 lb Apricots, from AVOG from Western Slope
·      1 oz Tarragon           
·      2 Taos Mountain Energy Bars  

Shout out to Liza for helping in procurement this week, to Krystin for helping keep our books straight, to Bruce and Beki from AVOG (Arkansas Valley Organic Growers) for meeting me during the Wednesday night dinner hour, and to Jay Young for helping pack orders this morning (and congrats to his wife and family for having a baby last night!)  The torrents of life have no end!

I am really pleased to be distributing Graber's tomatoes to the CSA shares, to AVOG to the tune of 200-300 lbs per week, and the single beautiful tomato to the random wholesale account or person that is in my path.  When I look at these tomatoes I see perfection.  In fruit, form, and function.  But I also see the Amish Graber kids blue eyes who helped me load the truck, and I feel the calloused hands of Allen Graber, even while he was off running a construction business.  This is family farming.  Its not perfect, timely, or convenient, but it puts wholesome food on the table and revenue to hard working families. 

To Ab Yoder, thank you for allocating some of your cukes for our kitchens, I have been missing that fresh crunch in my salads.  And thank you for gearing up for more GMO-free egg production, we're gonna need it!

Whadya know, Crimini mushrooms are baby Portabellas!

Beets.  When I farm, beets are one of, if not my most, favorite crop.  Something about the big seed, which makes planting easy, but also the double harvest: dense, succulent, and colorful flesh under a canopy of mineral-rich greens.  In the dew-laden morning hours, I cruise the rows looking for that bit of red voluptuous flesh emerging from the wet, darkened soil.  Every tug and pull out of the earth might as well be Christmas.  These Chioggia and Gold Beets (also carrots) are from AVOG's Hobbs Family Farm.  Not only does this farm put out some amazing produce and seed, but Dan Hobbs is one of the champion's of Colorado agriculture.  He and his colleagues such as Bill Stevenson at Rocky Mountain Farmers Union have helped incubate the Valley Roots Food Hub as well as many others.  Colorado agriculture as good as it gets.

Shout out to veteran farmer Tom McCraken at Green Earth Farm. His produce is tight, clean, and I don't think I've been shorted yet.  That's waxing miraculous.  Note the Frisee this week.  Frisee is actually an Endive which is a leafy vegetable belonging to the Chicory genus.  Endives are rich in minerals and vitamins, particularly in folate and vitamins A and K.

Apricots are from an AVOG member farm.  They are tasty like I've never had, and are never sprayed.

Finally, what do you think of Taos Mountain Energy Bars?  To me, these bars are changing the definition of what a "bar" should be: diverse, nutritious, and inspiring.

In food we trust!