Day 224
It was the last week of the season for our CSA box, a weekly share of locally grown organic produce which I wrote about in The One Knife Kitchen. I’m not even sure how the farm made it to the last week of November in Colorado, but they did. It was a heroic agricultural effort, we received root vegetables, kale and even some hearty herbs well past what I would consider prime growing season.
It has been a bittersweet week as the cold and shorter days bring an end to our summer bounty. It is like a small death each Fall when we mourn the end of the harvest.
That last comment is what a better, perfect version of me should be saying. It is how I imagine I should feel. Instead I’m breathing this huge metaphorical sigh of relief.
FINALLY
I always start the growing season off strong. I find creative uses for all the old favorites and the slightly unusual offerings that show up in the box. But, by the end of the growing season, I am tired of finding new uses for kale and butternut squash is starting to stack up around my ears.
I need a break from creating meals around oddities like this Yugoslavian finger squash.
Sea Creature? Giant Microbe? Dinner?
As strange as it looks, it tastes worse. Or maybe worse isn’t the right word…it tastes like nothing. If it didn’t have some volume, you wouldn’t even know you had anything in your mouth. Since, I could barely stomach it, I didn’t even care that my kids refused the traditional no-thank-you-bite.
Then there was this:
My kids called it the “scary hairy” vegetable. I had no idea what it was, perhaps some farm hands clever prank? The general consensus was that it was celery root. Although that is the first one I have ever seen that looks like it had a beard. I gave it to a neighbor who was too polite (or horrified) to turn it down.
In spite of my irreverent comments, I don’t regret participating in the program this year. The pros definitely outweigh the cons. But, I really had gotten to the point where I needed a break. But, then I got an unexpected pick me up.
Mr. Carrot arrived in our last box of the season.
Who says mother nature doesn’t have a sense of humor?
And, now you know why I was writing a seemingly unrelated post about vegetables on a blog which is supposed to chronicle our reduced consumption.
It is because some things–are too good not to share.
Happy Friday
Mr Carrot made my day, Thanks Terry
I love your sense of humor, Kerry! We’ve considered doing a CSA next summer, since there are quite a few of them near the homeports we’re looking at. But then, we won’t be able to pick up our orders when we’re away. *sigh* I remember the one day when I actually found a farmers’ market with VEGETABLES last summer, and it was like Christmas.
Hahahaha!! Love Mr. Carrot.
OMG, Mr Carrot is amazing and most certainly an excellent explanation for the vegetable post.
I also thought I would share that here in south CT, we had a devastating celery root shortage at Thanksgiving time. Yes, really. I personally went to three different supermarkets looking for one, all had sold out. One told me they had put in an order for more, but when I went back the next day to pick up my promised celery root there was still nothing to be found. The darling husband was sent out to yet another store where he was finally victorious and the check-out lady told him that “these things were VERY popular this year”. It is excellent with parsnips on the Thanksgiving table, (and I couldn’t do Thanksgiving without it…)
Mr. Carrot made me laugh so hard I choked. Thank you- that was hilarious!!!
Thank you, thank you for Mr. Carrot this morning- just what I needed. I always smile when I see there’s a new post from you!
Mr. Carrot is awesome. I have to say, though, that I sort of rolled my eyes when I read your italicized comment about dying a little each fall as you mourn the end of harvest. Then laughed right out loud at the very next sentence. Thanks for being real (and so very relatable)!
OMG! Hilarious!!! I tried a CSA once and also found a variety of things I didn’t know what they were. I think they work better in climates where you can grow “regular” vegetables!
Priceless…
My Internet connection was slow, and the pictures weren’t loading right when I made that first comment…So seeing it just now made me spit out my coffee!
Porno Carrot! He just needs a creepy mustache!
that was so unexpected and too funny!
I am dying!!! Love it 🙂
That’s too funny, glad you shared.
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