Fun with the neighbor kids!

Last Sunday, we had planned for a “preserving the harvest” workshop as one of Edible Eden's free series of sustainability workshops. I had krauting, lactofermenting and pickling projects planned and materials laid out. Teri and I were sitting in the living room making peace with the fact that no one was coming to the workshop and debating marketing strategies sullenly, when we heard an approaching tumult. Then... a neighbor family burst upon the scene with four girls between the ages of 8 and zero! Teri and I shifted gears and redefined the workshop on the fly...preserving the harvest you say, why no, how about... Farm Camp Extravaganza???

So we smelled fresh herbs and guessed their names, picked and ate cucumbers and cherry tomatoes, met the worms, and saw how figs and blueberries grow. Then we took apart the potato stack and harvested twenty lbs of papa sancho heirloom potatos. The girls dove for the potatos with shrieks of excitement and we remembered our own inspiration and excitement at discovering how food grows.

Then we came inside to the pickling table and actually made a half gallon of lactofermented dills, a quart of dilly beans, three jars of sliced jalepeno and carrot, two jars of whole pickled fish peppers and got started on a gallon of kraut... Elisheva, who is 3, carefully put all the hot peppers into the jars.

It was really uplifting to be around children who were genuinely enthusiastic about things that we care about and served as a solid reminder that no matter what you plan for...hashem invariably gives you what you need!

September weeknight dinner:

-Roasted Papa Sancho heirloom potatoes with fresh rosemary (garden),

-fresh lettuce and arugula salad (garden) with parmesan, avocado and honeycrisp,

-Sauteed baby onions (garden) and mushrooms with sour creme