Marc and I took the kids to what we thought was a Blueberry festival yesterday. It turned out to be a sad collection of carney rides in the middle of a ball field. No thanks, we got in the car and left. No problem, we thought, as we had passed a few farm stands on our way, the plan was to just pick up some berries and I’d make crisp when I got home.
We stopped at Lull Farm in Hollis, (seriously, even if you live in Texas, it’s worth the ride to get to this place) and it ended up being an unexpected education in local produce. They had more different types of fruits and vegetables than I had even known existed including chocolate tomatoes and peppers. (well who wouldn’t like that?)
We had stopped in only to grab some blueberries, but as you all know, that’s never how it ends up being. We also picked up figs, corn, cheddar jalepino bread, peaches, maple syrup, and two cups of steaming coffee.
While there I also saw shelves of regional cheeses and I already have plans to go back for some of my gourmet mac and cheese recipes.
Even our kids were excited about the produce they saw. More than once, I was called over to look at a potato that had fingers (you only see perfect ones in the grocery store) or a bag of rainbow-colored carrots. (a purple carrot?) I was glad to see (and I give a lot of credit to our non-stop discussions about our CSA) that my kids no longer seem to be afraid of the dreaded vegetables on their plate. Even the other night when I had to use up some wilting veggies, they hardly flinched when I served one of their favorite comfort foods – shells and beef mixed with onions, peppers, egg plant, and tomatoes.
Mission accomplished.
Blueberry crisp – a little slice of heaven
***
Wendy Thomas writes about the lessons learned while raising children and chickens in New Hampshire. Contact her at Wendy@SimpleThrift.com
Also, join me on Facebook to find out more about the flock (children and chickens) and see some pretty funny chicken jokes, photos of tiny houses, and even a recipe or two.
Like what you read here? Consider subscribing to this blog so that you’ll never miss a post. And feel free to share with those who may need a little chicken love.