Honey CSA pick-up

Sergi Farm

34 Glenn Road, Belmont MA 02478

sergifarm.com

Today I got to venture out to Sergi Farm in Belmont to pick up my honey share from Joan Teebagy of Little Red Truck Farm. Hooray! On the way there, I thought Google Maps had let me down--there I was in the middle of a Belmont neighborhood, looking for the correct street number for the farm. This can't be right, can it? All of a sudden--FARM! It was pretty amazing how it was nestled in amongst all that suburban asphalt. It ended up taking a while to get there, and I was ridiculously late for work, so I only had a few minutes to look around. However, I will make a point of going back when I can spend more time. I did get to speak with Joan about her bees, check out some of the hives, and to see an enormous pumpkin that she had grown (sadly, it had rotted out so it had to be tossed on the compost). And, I am happy to report, the honey is delicious!

I really hope she does this again next year...

Blackberry jackpot!

My sister and I spent this morning picking wild blackberries at an undisclosed location. Sorry, I'd have to kill you if I told you where this blackberry patch is. There are few things more delicious than cramming handfuls of sun-warmed blackberries into your mouth. Oh, and I put some in bowls to bring home, too.


Check out our stash of blackberries! (And yes, that is a vintage McBoo on the front right-hand side.)

Strawberries from Springdell

We had our first CSA pick-up from Springdell Farm! Talia was a big fan of the strawberries. Here she is, polishing off the last two. She picked up the basket and didn't put it down until it was empty. Luckily, I was able to get her to share a few with me before they were gone. Yum!

Chirp-chirp-chirp

I know this has nothing to do with local agriculture (except maybe that these cute babies are here since we have ton of wild fruit growing in our yard), but look at what I literally bumped into this morning! We've had birds build a nest on our front porch for the past couple of years. Although I could hear chirping, I couldn't figure out where the nest was this year. Until I hit my head on a tree branch right next to the porch, that is.

Springdell Farm, Littleton MA

Springdell Farm

57 Great Road, Littleton, MA 01460

978.486.3865

springdellfarms.com

Today we were invited to bring a picnic lunch and get a guided tour of Springdell Farm's herd of cattle. In addition to their vegetable CSA (which I signed up for this year), they also have a meat CSA. Apparently, they have a really long wait list, so I'm happy we are already shareholders at Chestnut Farm out in Hardwick. Plus, we love Kim and Rich, our farmers there. Anyway, we got a really good look at some of their herd (including babies born a couple of days ago--baby cows are so cute), and learned about their livestock practices.

It was a beautiful day for a picnic and to walk around the fields. They were full of spring wildflowers, which seemed to be well-serviced by a couple of hives hanging around.

I can hardly wait for their vegetable CSA to begin!

Mother's Day Brunch at J's Restaurant, Nashoba Valley Winery in Bolton, MA

Nashoba Valley Winery

100 Wattaquadock Hill Road, Bolton MA 01740

www.nashobawinery.com

For the second year in a row, I took my mom to brunch at J's Restaurant at Nashoba Valley Winery in Bolton, MA. Last year, we decided it needed to become a tradition. One of my sisters joined us this year for an amazing spread that included local ingredients. In season, some of the ingredients are grown right outside the restaurant's door. Included in brunch was a tour of the winery. You can see the tasting station (one of quite a few) in front of the giant stack of wine casks.

In addition to wine, they also make spirits and microbrews. After the tour, I tried something called Baerengfang (with that name, how could I not, right?) which was a honey brandy. It would definitely keep you warm on a cold winter's night! They have a pretty extensive selection of fruit wines, grape wines, distilled spirits, and microbrews. Something for everyone. Now that the weather is warming up, it's also a good time to try (which I haven't yet, but plan on doing) their picnic lunches. You order a lunch online on the day of your visit, and come to the winery to enjoy it. In season, they have fruit picking, but it's also a beautiful spot just to relax and enjoy a good lunch (and adult beverages, if you so choose).

New season for Cape Ann Fresh Catch fish CSA

Gloucester Fishermen's Wives Association/Cape Ann Fresh Catch

PO Box 831, Gloucester, MA 01930

http://www.capeannfreshcatch.org

http://www.gfwa.org

The new season for Cape Ann Fresh Catch's fish CSA started today. And, oh what a fish did we get! When they ask if you want a big one, they mean it! Here's Brian, holding it up just before filleting it.

If you want in on the action, I believe they are still accepting new shareholders. Click here for sign-up information. If filleting isn't your idea of a fun meal preparation activity, don't worry, you're not alone. They added an option this season where you can pay a little extra and have your fish filleted for you.

However, if you go with the pre-filleted option, then you don't get to make fish stock for delicious chowders, or my new favorite thing to make with homemade fish stock: Thai soups (think tom kha gai and tom yum). I also have a bucket in the backyard that's cooking up some fish emulsion for the garden. This week I was too lazy to make stock (and the freezer was REALLY full, so no saving it for later--you see the size of that sucker!) so I threw the leftovers in a bucket with some leaves from my yard, a little unsulphured molasses, and some Epsom salts. In a few weeks I should have amazing fertilizer for my vegetable garden.