Losing the fight against the blight August 12, 2009

What some had said was inevitable happened. It sounds like the tomatoes at our farm have succumbed to the late blight epidemic. So very sad. Some of my happiest moments each summer have been out in the fields at Brookfield picking cherry tomatoes. Intoxicated by the fragrant herby smell of tomato vines. Listening to kids heeding their parents’ advice about picking the right ones. “Red, red, ripe!” is their mantra as they march down the rows. Warm cherry tomatoes popping with a juicy little burst as I sample a few while picking. The sun beating down and in the stillness I can can almost feel my freckles multiplying. There may be other things to pick this season but it won’t be quite the same.

Here’s a post from two years ago that Josh wrote about tomato season:

http://kitchendancing.wordpress.com/2007/08/14/the-smell-of-tomatoes/

Little did all those athletes know… August 10, 2009

Who needs performance enhancing drugs? Just eat beets!

A recent study conducted in the UK suggests that nitrates found in beets can improve stamina and allow people to exercise longer without getting tired. I thought this article was fascinating and just wanted to share.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/8186947.stm

Someone needs to tell Popeye – the days of canned spinach are in the past. Beet juice is the way to go!

NOFA Conference and Beating the Blight August 7, 2009

Today I stumbled upon some information about the Northeast Organic Farming Association’s Summer Conference. It’s happening this weekend at UMass Amherst. As far as I can tell it’s not too late to register. Sounds like they will have a weekend full of interesting workshops and speakers plus dancing and programs for kids. A wide variety of topics will be covered for everyone from experienced farmers to backyard bumblers.

Check out their site for more information: http://www.nofasummerconference.org/index.html

Also – for anyone interested in learning more about the terrible potato and tomato blight that is affecting our area (I talked about this a little bit in an earlier post), the public is invited to a discussion on Sunday. It will take place at 10:00 a.m. at UMass in the Student Union Ballroom. Click here to find out more: http://www.nofasummerconference.org/lateblight.html

A New Beginning July 30, 2009

After a not so brief hiatus, I’ve decided it’s finally time to resurrect our poor neglected blog. Some of you may be wondering what happened. The answer is I was busy cooking up something special. Let me introduce you to our newest Kitchen Dancer (who is actually more of a Kitchen Crawler at this point): Toby Carlson Stearns.

With a new baby on the scene I of course have been busy dealing with a big adjustment in my life and unfortunately have not done much exciting cooking for quite a few months.  But now with farm season in full swing I am feeling a bit more inspired to spend some quality time in the kitchen. I’ve been pulling out some old favorite recipes and discovering some new ones in addition to making lots and lots of homemade baby food.

Coming soon:

I have some great recipes (complete with photos!) I look forward to sharing with you.

Musing on making baby food.

The next RecipeHacker challenge.

Plus lots more. Stay tuned!

Work and Food May 31, 2008

Last fall I traded some homemade salsa with one of my coworkers for a dozen eggs from her hens. This year we are taking staff trips to the local farmers market in the middle of the day, and bragging about whose CSA was what available each week. It has been a lovely way to get to know the people I work with everyday through our common connections to local places and local food.

Reading this blog post from the Official Google blog, I got thinking about the intersection of where we work and how we eat. Here is a snippet from the Google post:

Food Songs, part three May 19, 2008

I was first introduced to these two traditional songs via the Nields, who were featured in our last Food Songs post. Notice how food in these songs is taken out of the purely human context and interwoven with the surrounding environment. So much of our food is removed from the natural world around us, these songs are good reminders of the nature of our meals.

Oh, John the Rabbit
Traditional American Folk Song

Oh, John the rabbit, Yes, Ma’am
Got a mighty habit, Yes, Ma’am
Jumping in my garden, Yes Ma’am
Cutting down my cabbage, Yes Ma’am
My sweet potatoes, Yes Ma’am
My fresh tomatoes, Yes Ma’am

Quick Bites – Veggie Soul Food October 21, 2007

While in Chicago I stumbled upon a Quizno sub shop that had been turned into a vegetarian and vegan soul food sub shop. With hip hop on the radio and 15 different flavors of soy they were pioneering a whole new kind of hoggie in this deli. If you are in Chicago be sure to check out this cool little shop in Hyde Park. Check out more about vegetarian soul food here: http://www.vegetariansoulfood.com.

Food Photography, part 2 September 28, 2007

This is the second in a series of posts on food photography. This week I want to feature someone very different from the last photography post. In the pictures posted here, Craig van der Lende combines wonderful food photography with a sense of whimsy and creativity with props, settings, and generally, by putting food in action. These are not so much still portraits of vegetables, but rather cleverly captured moments in time.

Please go check out van der Lende’s website at http://www.vanderlende.com/ to see more of his wonderful photos. Click on to see a few more on this site…

What’s on Your Plate? September 9, 2007

Erica and I walked into the farm shop earlier this week and noticed a glossy flier by the check in sheet. In big letters it asked “What’s on Your Plate?” and went on to announce an upcoming event at the Kripalu center for yoga in the Berkshires. What caught my eye was the name of the conference: Conscious Kitchens (note the similarity to the tag line for our blog?). I was intrigued and excited and thought this would be a perfect event to attend and report back to all of our readers. However, the five day event costs $375 for tuition and at least another $700 for room an boarder person. So needless to say, we won’t be attending, however, here is more info if you want to. It looks great!

“Join leading food activists, authors, filmmakers, nutritionists, and chefs for five spectacular days of experiential inquiry into the personal and global implications of our food choices. We will participate in vital conversation around healthy eating, whole foods, environmentally sound agricultural methods, and how our approach to food can change our lives and our world”

The image above is from their website – visit them at kripalu.org

The Smell of Tomatoes August 14, 2007

I may be going out on a limb here – but does anyone else know that incredible, unique, and lovely smell of tomatoes? Not just tomatoes, but more specifically, tomato stems freshly snapped from the vine. There is nothing like it.

Today, Erica and I arrived at the farm and the air was thick with late summer humidity. The overcast sky made it seem like it should be cool or even crisp out, but instead the steely gray of the clouds just seemed to weigh down on us, heavy like damp newspaper

The farm was stocked with the first melons of the season, which in and of itself was exciting. The interlocking mesh of the rind was stretched tight over hundreds of little cantaloupes in the big wooden bins. Even though I know that you test their ripeness by how tightly the mellon has grown into its crosshatched rind, I couldn’t help but tap lightly with the tips of my fingers and listen for the hollow knocking sound that someone once told me I am supposed to hear.