When it comes to cooking here at the farm, I’ve not stockpiled food. You might say I’m a lousy survivalist. I’m long on somethings, such as tuna, but have no more paper products, canned goods, or freezer items than I ordinarily keep on hand.
Summer Camp vs. Health Spa
The first several days in my secluded, farmland bunker seemed like summer camp. What fun it was to frolic in the outdoors, enjoy the unfolding flowers, and munch on chips, cookies and ice cream.
Then reality struck. This confinement might stretch longer than we first imagined. I could return to St. Louis, weeks from now, ten pounds heavier and with straggly hair, that was no longer blonde. (On a more positive note—I’m sure it’s just my imagination—but the frequent, over-scrubbing of my hands seems to have made them smoother.)
Changes had to be made, at least, on the food front. So we began looking for healthier fare.
Planting a Small Garden
Robin plants some herbs near the kitchen.
To occupy ourselves, and regrettably contribute to the diet of local wildlife, we decided to plant a small garden. We picked a raised garden bed, not used for years. No extensive planting, mind you, just some lettuce, tomatoes, zucchini, onions and herbs.
Robin and JC spent one afternoon getting the plot ready. We were inspired by the produce that our neighbors, Paul and Martha, brought us from a local farmer. Paul emailed us, saying the grower currently had arugula, bok choy, baby kale, and garlic scapes. Did we want any of those? Robin excitedly replied, “Yes! All of the above!”
The basil plant that I planted in this spot last year got as big as a bushel basket. I found my first seed tick today (or I should say, he found me). Spring is here.
Drop and Dash
Paul made the “drop and dash.” But before he dashed, we took a while to sit on the deck and visit, being careful to observe the distance rules. How wonderful it was to talk in person to a human being again! What’s more, Martha sent me some oregano, that I desperately needed for my spaghetti sauce.
That evening I made a Vegetable Bolognese and Robin used the baby greens for a salad. The small, tender leaves were the very essence of spring. There was no hint of bitterness, that comes with older and larger greens. With a sprinkling of feta cheese, the salad didn’t need a dressing!
Below are some photos of recent meals that we particularly enjoyed.
Vegetable Bolognese, Italian Meatballs and locally-grown, mixed salad greens
JC cooked one of his childhood favorites from Colombia: fried plantain. The skins need to have blackened for best results.
I love this Vegetable Soup! It has nine different veggies.
I also made Italian Meat Balls to go with the Vegetable Bolognese.
Guess who couldn’t wait for this chunky Apple Cake to cool completely? It wasn’t me, nor JC. I didn’t have my bundt pan at the farm, so I halved the recipe and cooked it in a ten-inch cake pan.
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