World Peas CSA – Week Five

The weather this year is so different from last year and it has really made a difference in the amount of produce we’re receiving.  This week we got:

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World Peas CSA – Week Two

In this week’s share:

• Lettuce
• Baby Bok Choy
• Turnips
• Kale
• Basil
• Cherries

The milk is from the dairy.

World Peas CSA – Week One

Finally! YAY!

This week we got:

• Pea Tendrils
• Chinese Broccoli
• Swiss Chard
• Lettuce
• Garlic Scapes
• Radishes
• Mint (which I left in the swop box, my mint plant is double-OC)
• Strawberries
• And of course I picked up some milk at the dairy!

This year, for the first time,  World Peas is offering a small share which is what we signed up for.  This filled up the small (1/2 bushel) box pretty well, so I am interested to see what our yield is as the season progresses.

Doors Open Lowell

This weekend was Doors Open Lowell, a chance to tour historic properties throughout the city.  Gist and I had a great time visiting 14 of the 25 buildings.  Our only regret? That we weren’t able to visit more!

This is Appleton Mills, which was built between 1902 and 1914. They Mills were among the last buildings built in the Appleton millyard and are currently in the midst of construction into artist live-work space.

Pawtucket Gatehouse (1847) is the largest on the Lowell canal system and controlled the flow of water into the Northern Canal.  Still in use today, the gatehouse contains much of its original gate raising equipment.

Fennel Pizza with White Bean Purée

Thanks so much for all of your nice comments about Sebb. He was a well-loved cat and he is missed. His feline diabetes, however, is not. To both cheer me up and acknowledge the fact that we no longer have to be at home at 7:00 am and 7:00 pm to administer insulin, Gist and I headed out to Western Mass. for the weekend where we enjoyed my favorite food:

Pizza, it’s what’s for dinner.

Snowshoes!

It is absolutely no secret that I love snow!  So when I got a pair of snowshoes for my birthday, I was super-excited and desperate for a good snowfall so that I could bust them out.  Yesterday, after a lot of false promises (hello, snowpocalypse that never was) and watching places like Washington D.C. and South Carolina get slammed with record-breaking snow, New England finally got the snow we deserved and I was able to go snowshoeing this morning!  It is a happy day!

My snowshoes:

I got to see the sun rise over the Merrimack this morning:

My tracks:

I had a great time snowshoeing along the Merrimack River on the Vandenberg Esplanade this morning and, as someone who grew up in a very rural area, I was pretty excited to be snowshoeing in the fourth largest city in Massachusetts.  I’m looking forward to exploring all of the walking and biking trails in the city itself, along with visiting trails in more rural environments, including Great Brook Farm, one of my favorite places to walk in the summer!

Caramelized Balsamic Vinaigrette

There’s only one word for Brie (or any cheese) topped with this vinaigrette – YUMMMMMMMM!  In the recipe description in Vegetarian Planet, Didi Emmons mentions that its “flavor threw me straight into food heaven.”  I couldn’t have said it better myself!

Potato & Roasted Garlic Soup

I made this over the very snowy New Year’s weekend and it is the perfect warm, smooth, comforting, and yummy thing to enjoy after playing in and shoveling the snow.

Baked Shells with Winter Squash

This right here may be the perfect late fall/early winter dish – it’s seasonal, warm, comforting, and (most importantly) delicious. Oh, it’s also pretty easy too.

Caramelized Onion, Blue Cheese & Arugula Pizza

Mmmmmmmmm, pizza! This is an easy-to-prepare and tasty pizza, perfect for enjoying on a relaxing Friday night with some good teevee (hello, Gossip Girl) and a glass of wine.