Monday March 21st 2011

I’m back! The CSA is back! And it’s starting off with a BANG!

I know, I know, you were all so worried that my Farm Box Life blog wouldn’t come back after the end of the Farm’s winter break. But have no fear! After a few months of nights spent staring at a fridge devoid of farm-fresh produce, the CSA made it’s first delivery and my Farm Box Life blog is taking off for another season.

I’ll be continuing along the same plan as last year, though with a few tweaks here and there. Maybe a site redo, maybe more emphasis on what wines we’ve been drinking with our CSA box meals, maybe a few other ideas I have up my sleeve. I’ll keep you posted.

So, yes, the bang. Shelley and Julia from the farm approached me a month or so ago and asked if they could throw a cooking class/party at our house to coincide with the first delivery of veggie boxes. Um, duh, yeah, of course! We’d love that! If for no other reason than it would be cool to see a professional chef like Jonathan teach and cook a meal for 10+ in a kitchen as miniscule as mine. And wow, was he ever able to do it!

Here’s a good shot of Joe watching Jonathan in action. I think that he’s laughing cuz he’s never seen me let anyone in my kitchen! Gotta admit – it’s kind of hard. I really had to relinquish ALL control and put a camera in my hand instead of a kitchen knife!

On the menu were some calcots, a regional spanish delicacy. They get charred pretty much to bits over hot coals and …

… put in a big pile on the table. People take them in their hands and slide the charred outer layers off, revealing a soft sweet inner mass that gets tipped into romesco sauce.

Jonathan also made a sweet potato tart-like savory dish. See, if it’s got flour or dough in it, I don’t know what its called and I can’t follow it’s creation or instructions! I’m dough-illiterate!

Linda, the pig lady, and friend of Andy’s, supplied some pork for the party, which Jonathan braised with some farm box carrots and turnips. Yummmm.

The biggest hit of the night for me was the black rice dish Jonathan made. He had pre-cooked the rice, and then pan fried it with onions and other stuff, but also nice meaty strips of pork. The meat was sort of what I remember as back-bacon from the old country. It was so so good. Earthy black rice, asian-y flavoured with onions and other stuff, but then meaty with all that yummy pork. It was a meal untu itself!

I’m often at a loss for new dressing to feed the kids. They were saying last night that if they had their way, I’d make them creamy salad (aka caesar) every night of the week! So it was cool to try the salad Jonathan made with Farm Box lettuce onions and carrots, plus some avocado, and a dressing made with indian spices – cardomom, cumin, cilantro, if I remember correctly. What a great change.

In the end it all boiled down to why we do this in the first place. The communal feeling we get sitting down and breaking bread together!

Thanks so much to Jonathan and Shelley and Julia for making it up to the city and hosting the class/party at our house. It was a great start to the season!

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