Our first week of CSA – the booty!

This year we are bought a share in a local CSA  program (Community Supported Agriculture).

I’m really grateful that we have this option here in NYC.  I like the idea of knowing where my food comes from and that it’s grown without harmful chemicals and pesticides, and I like the idea of directly supporting a small farm.  I also like not having to wait in a sometimes excruciatingly long line at our food co-op.

Everything about a CSA program appeals to me, especially since I just don’t have the room to grow all the veggies that I’d like to.

Yesterday was our very first food pick up.  One down, 21 more weeks to go!

I was very pleased with the variety and amount of goods that we got.  (Okay, the rhubarb bundle is a little skimpy, but everything else was plentiful.)

As you can see, I was not the only one excited to bring home my CSA booty…I had three curious helpers ready to examine the produce and make sure it was acceptable.  (click on any photo to enlarge)

Notice the lower left corner of this photo.  That’s Telly, our Russian Blue rescue.  He was beside himself trying to decide between batting the green onions or going after the turnip greens.

Yikes – the text in that photo appears much smaller here than it did when I entered it at home.  Here’s a much more readable list of what was included:

• 1 dozen brown eggs from pastured hens
• 1 small bunch of rhubarb
• 1 quart of strawberries (SO sweet and delicious!)
• 1 small pot containing a purple basil plant and an oregano plant
• 1 large bunch of green onions
• 1 head of Boston lettuce (gorgeous)
• 1 large bunch of bok choy
• 1 large bunch of broccoli rabe
• 1 large bunch of white turnips + greens
• 1 large bunch of green swiss chard
• 1 bag of sugar peas (not pictured)
• 2 (two!) garlic scapes….!!!

I realized after uploading the photo that I forgot to include <gasp> the sugar peas that were also part of our basket!  I had left them in my bag and decided not to retake the photo.  We got a healthy sized bag of really beautiful peas, and I can’t wait to dig into them.

Rico inspects the green onions

Rufus, our fearless Flamepoint Siamese cat, always takes a bolder  approach.

Meanwhile Telly decides that turnip greens are TASTY.

I haven’t had turnip greens in ages and honestly, I can’t remember the last time I bought or cooked turnips.  It will be fun to find things to do with the produce that isn’t on my usual menu!

As far as Telly is concerned, the farmer can send more turnip greens every week…

Sorry for the terrible photos!  Low light + fast-chomping kitty = blurry shots, but I couldn’t resist posting them anyway.  Telly is the biggest of our 3 cats weighing in at a formidable 16 pounds, but he’s also the most scared…he’s scared of just about everything (including produce), so this was a big, bold move for him.  Go Telly!

We are already looking forward to next week’s CSA basket – and to eating this week’s.

Garden Bloom Day – June 15, 2011

I had family visiting this week, so I’ve missed Wordless Wednesday and I’m a day late with my Garden Bloom Day photos!

Lots of things are blooming in the yard right now, especially on the west side of the yard in the border along the garage wall.  That area receives the most sun and the plants there seem happy.

Things are moving along on the east side of the yard in the border along the fence, but it’s shadier there so some things are slow to grow and bloom.  This our first June in the new apartment / yard, so it’s interesting to look around and see where things are NOT happening.  I’ll need to think about what things I can add to that East side fence line under the Privet trees for next year.  It would be nice to have SOMETHING blooming there in June, and right now there is nothing.

On to the things that ARE blooming!

This is Astilbe, ‘Peach Blossom’ – in the shade garden along the side of the house.  I’m not sure if it’s a shorter variety of Astilbe or if it’s just small because this is its first year…or maybe it’s too much shade?  Right now the plant is about 2′ tall.

the lavender plant I put in last fall has really filled out this year and is spreading out. It’s been in various stages of blooming for nearly 6 weeks now, and it smells terrific.
here’s a close up
This is Lilium, ‘Blackout’ I was expecting it to be a much darker maroon – nearly black according to the photo on Easy To Grow Bulbs, where I ordered it, however I am absolutely in LOVE with this color and I’m very happy with this Lily! I bought 3 bulbs and planted them in 3 different areas of the yard, so their blooming will be a little staggered – perfect. You’ll have to bear with me posting several pictures of this beauty – I’m a little over the moon about it!

If this Lily multiplies over the years you might hear my squeals of delight from miles away.
Day Lilies are also blooming. These came with the property. Earlier this spring I dug some up and transplanted them around to various parts of the yard.
I’m not usually a fan of the color orange, but these are just delightful.
Not the best shot, but this is the border along the garage wall. The sunniest spot in the yard, this border also benefits from being so close to the wall for protection from wind and a little extra heat off the building.  Everything is starting to get a bit more shade now as the fig trees are filling out…hopefully it won’t be too much shade a month or two from now!
This border includes: sweet basil, parsley, cilantro, bay leaves, Thai basil, lemon verbena, a 3-foot tall young lilac, foam flower, lavender, a “mystery” tomato, heliotrope, violets, lambs ears, Dusty Miller, a climbing rose, cosmos, day lilies, the Asiatic ‘Blackout’ lily, and a few weeds. 😉 Plus some begonias back on the steps in the shade.

Not yet blooming, but the Annabelle hydrangea is really filling out…
Since this is our first Spring/Summer in the yard, I thought it would help me to have an idea of how large this baby gets, how quickly it grows/spreads, etc. When we moved here at the end of last summer this hydrangea was about 4 feet tall and nearly as wide and was blooming its socks off. I divided it in the fall and gave a large division to my friend Bev in PA, where it seems to be doing well. Clearly, this hydrangea didn’t mind being divided one bit. In fact, I think it might be happier.

I’m not so sure the tree peony that I planted next to it this Spring is as happy and I hope it won’t end up getting crowded out by this enormous hydrangea!  You can just see the tip of the tree peony in the left side of the photo.

That potted plant on our portable makeshift “backyard coffee table” (a wooden half barrel with a granite slab on top) is a “mystery” clematis that came as a surprise gift from my friend Bev over the weekend, and I am SO excited.  We think it may be Autumn Clematis.  Whatever it is, it is most welcome here.  Clematis is one of my all-time favorite flowers.  Hopefully this time next year – or who knows, maybe even this fall! – I’ll be posting photos of IT blooming.