Weekly Local Booty 9/21-9/27/08 and An Award!!

It has been a beautiful week here in Mid-Missouri. I would likely enjoy it more without a cold, but I am doing what I can to reduce the duration and intensity of the dang thing. Thanks for the well wishes and the advice - I eschewed citrus instead choosing local orange veggies which are packed with Vitamin C, and red bell peppers (thanks Courtney!) which are too. Sweet potatoes here we come! After going to the market and doing a few chores around here though, I am feeling pretty crummy, so aside from a little cooking, I'm taking it easy. I'm going to play in a Pot Limit poker tournament online, read, and snuggle with the kitties (and Brett too if he's lucky). Oh, and I think Brett might be coming down with my cold too (probably from continuing to snuggle with me). Hopefully I'll be good to go for work on Monday. Blech.

Enough of my whining. The weather has been consistently warmer and sunny for the past week or so, and the peppers really seem to like it. We got some peppers from the container garden this week - with more on the way!

Here is what we got from our container and community gardens this week:















A Roma and our first Better Boy! I can't wait to eat it!















Starting from the left: jalapenos (!!), petite bell peppers (they are really small), and 2 "serexican" chile peppers.

Here is this week's CSA. It is hard to believe that there are only a few weeks of the CSA left. We're going to miss Dan, and his fine, fine produce. Dan is an awesome guy, he grows incredibly high quality fruits and veggies, and I would dare to say he is one of the more enlightened people I interact with. This was our first year subscribing to a CSA, and we just wish we could have done it sooner. It has been a wonderful experience and we recommend it to anyone who has the means to do so.















Starting from the left: Gala apples (I finally remembered to ask! I've had "grocery store" Gala apples before and they don't hold a candle to these, they taste [oddly] a little like banana), some Roma tomatoes (!!!), a zucchini, a cucumber, and a sweet potato (!!!!!!!!!!).

Here is this week's farmer's market booty. This load ran us $45, we picked up 7 squash to put up for winter and found some great variety. Oh, and we stocked up on some more organic potatoes too.















Starting from the bottom left: a white eggplant (!!), a Poona Kheera cucumber (!!), local hot salsa (with habaneros - !!!!!!!!!!), local pickles (wahoo!), rainbow chard, a 5 lb. bag of organic red potatoes, sweet potatoes (!!!!!!!!!!), a mini Hubbard squash (!!), 2 acorn squash, 4 delicata squash (!!), some organic grass fed beef for Brett, and a "regular" eggplant.

I got close-up pictures of the things I was really excited about. I love how produce can be both beautiful and so darn yummy!















A couple of acorn squash. We will probably get a few more of these as we really like acorn squash. I've never had this variety before. The only kind we've had are the dark green ones (we would like to pick up some of those next weekend, our bags were really full). The farmer said they didn't really taste any different, they just looked different. I think they look really cool.















A mini Hubbard squash!! This was a really exciting find. I didn't think we would ever get to try Hubbard squash - which is one of the older varieties of squash, acclaimed for its flavor. Why did I think we would never get to try one? Because the "non-mini" variety are usually 15-30 lb squash. They are flippin' huge. People use saws to get them open! The mini variety is about the size of a small pumpkin. Hubbards keep really well, if stored in a cool, dry place, they can last for 6 months or more.















A Poona Kheera cucumber. This is an heirloom Indian cucumber. The purveyor said it was very crisp, like an apple. They contain more mature seeds, so they need to be seeded before slicing. I wish I was more inspired, since this is such a rare treat, but all I can think to do with it is put in on a bagel sandwich and that just doesn't seem right. I am going to hold on to it until tomorrow in case someone can give me some ideas as to what I could use this beauty in. I've never seen anything like this! The purveyor also had some rare varieties of radishes too, they were gorgeous. Just white and plain looking on the outside, but with a burst of vibrant purple when you cut in to them. We don't like radishes, so obviously we didn't pick them up, but we will definitely be on the look out for his stand from now on. We love the opportunity to try some of the prized veggies!















A white eggplant. Brett thinks that the white ones are where they get their name from - 'cause, well they do look a little like really large eggs.

This week's "installment" of Leng's Fried Rice (I told you we ate this all the time) will include the white eggplant, carrots, zucchini, mushrooms, onions, peppers, and edamame (and lots of sriracha on mine). We're going to have B's Eggplant Steaks and Lentil and Potato Tacos again too. Those tacos are one of our favorite meals. I've got some ideas for those potatoes and sweet potatoes though.

I am moving a little slow because of the cold, so please don't be upset if the updates and monthly introduction for the Unplug Yourself initiative are just a little late. I should be able to get the permaculture post done soon, and can work on the alternative news one early next week. Brett has finals next week, so he will be pretty busy, but I think he'll have the introduction out before Friday - his update might be more like a week or two. Basically, by Friday, my updates and the introduction will be up. Sorry about the delay.

I was also planning on making tortillas this weekend! Excuses, excuses...

Update: The lovely and green-thumbed Daphe, from over at Daphne's Dandelions passed on the "I Love Your Blog" award to me. This is a high honor coming from her - her blog is excellent and her garden makes me dream of bigger and better things. So thank you so much Daphne, you've made my day - and with this cold it really helps!













Now, per the award, I get to pass this on to seven of my very favorite blogs. Wahoo! I like the opportunity to thank folks who brighten my life and inform me as much as these people have. You all rock. And if you desire, you can pass the award along as well.

Here it goes:

Jessy from Happy Vegan Face - Hers is one of my very favorite blogs. Not only is her food drool worthy, I know I'm always certain to get a smile on my superhappyawesomeexcitedface. ;-) But she is about more than just food - she and her husband try, in their daily lives, to live how they think they should, always striving to live better, to live more sustainable and just lives.

Selina from Vegans Rock!! - Her blog rocks!! She shares her food adventures, her cute pup Piper (and her kitties too), and her trials and tribulations in her garden. I also appreciate her tackling challenges head-on, when she decides she wants to do something, she does it with a passion. We have a lot to learn from people like her.

T from Vegan Soul Power! - I still love the name of this blog! That is, in no way, the only reason I like it. This girl has spunk, class, brains, and knows her way around the kitchen. She's had a rough year but has managed to transition to what sounds like a wonderful new neighborhood and she ditched her car - all while trying to make her way through law school. T you rock!

Ilex from Homesteading in a Condo - She tries to live sustainably in Detroit and documents it with eloquence. I almost don't even need to say anymore about why I love her blog!

M from My Face Is on Fire - M is never afraid to tackle uncomfortable topics, expose hypocrisy, teach us a thing or two, or inform us about things that we might not otherwise know. She speaks with authority and acts as our media really should - with a critical eye and quick wit.

Theresa from Pondering the Myriad of Things - Her blog provides intellectual and even spiritual stimulation. I've gotten angry with her as she tried to do what she could to make sure a wetland was not illegally sucked dry; I've sympathized with similar repressive and draconian governments though we live in different places; I've felt despair with her as if no matter what "they" always win; and she has reminded me of the small things in life, those little things that help us go on. Thank you Theresa!

And last, but definitely not least is DP from Square Foot Gardening in Nashville - I love this blog! I have really enjoyed reading about her adventures in the garden. But my favorite part about her blog is that she names her fruits and veggies. It's like watching a child grow when the cantaloupe isn't just a cantaloupe, it's Betty. ;-)

'Til next time.