Reflection

Twenty weeks goes by so fast. It has been a pleasure for us to meet all of the CSA members. While I wasn't at the markets enough to get to meet everyone I know I can speak for Adam and share with you that he enjoyed seeing and talking (when he wasn't too busy) with you each and every week. You all are such an integral part of our summer and so important to us. You are why we grow food!

Each year we face new challenges and some old ones as well - deer - that one's not so easy to solve. But with these challenges, new and old, we are always learning (I did learn I really like venison). I don't think it would be as fun without being forced to do some problem solving. Easier? Yes! As interesting? No!

We are so thankful we get to do what we enjoy and be with our family everyday. It's so fun to watch Lucy become our little helper. She's always so eager to take clean veggies out of a crate and put them in dirt! And then clap, always so proud of her hard work!

Every year I am always amazed at the marvels of the earth. It's incredible to me that all it takes is a tiny seed, some even smaller than an ant, mixed with healthy, fertile soil and water, to sprout and turn into a generous plant, abundant with food and ready to feed us all. Sometimes I think we take that amazing little seed for granted, if we let big agriculture take over that little seed is going to be obsolete and most of our food producing seeds will be produced in a lab. It's already happening. So it is here that I want to say THANK YOU!, by supporting a CSA you are supporting the permanence of those seeds.

At the end of each season we realize that it takes a lot of faith along with hard work and knowledge of farming to believe in the process of nature. These days it seems like we hear a lot about how we need to treat the planet as a precious resource, but when we're out there working in the dirt all day, seeing nature at it's finest and it's worst, it's then that we can see how truly vulnerable the earth is and we are proud to be a good stewards of the planet.

I would like to share one final recipe of the season. This week you will be receiving cilantro in your share and seeing those beets and cilantro together reminded me of a delicious wrap I once ate at Edible Garden in Goochland. It's been years since i've eaten there, but I still remember this lunch. It consisted of roasted sweet potatoes and roasted beets in a yogurt, cilantro and lime dressing with lettuce wrapped in an orange tortilla. Super simple and delicious
I've made my version at home and I think it came out tasting just as good. I don't have a recipe, but I will share how I made my wrap at home. I used one beet and one sweet potato to make enough for four wraps, but I guess how full you like your wraps will determine how many you can get out of one s.p. and beet. I sliced them both long into strips, lightly coat with olive oil, place them in a glass baking pan and throw in a smidgen of salt and pepper. Bake at 375 for about 20 minutes or until they are at your preferred tenderness. I would also suggest preparing the yogurt dressing to your own taste. The ingredients are yogurt, lime and chopped cilantro. I haven't tried it, but a little tiny bit of cumin might be good in it too! Well, the rest really needs no explanation - throw in a little lettuce or arugula and wrap it up!