This week has just been more than a little crazy. I was slammed at work putting together a mega-RFP. I was scrambling around in the wee hours of the morn e-mailing everyone I know trying to find a baby sitter for after school (I have one week left to find one). And then I kept getting "bad news" calls on an almost-daily basis that I can't get into. But the straw that broke the camel's back was the news that Solveig and Michael can no longer run Sunflower Fields after this year.
Before I even read the e-mail with their letter, I knew. Maybe it was the subject line, or the crappy day I was already having (just got turned down by my one hope for a baby sitter and was still at work at 7 pm) or the possibility that I might have jinxed them last week with my raving and cooking and organic food talking with my company.
But whatever it was, the sense that the good food times were over was intense. Of course, having the mile-wide empathy that I do, I totally and instantly felt for them and the awful struggle they went through to come to the decision. I also felt some of their great relief. But even though I felt a little sorry for myself, I felt this huge sense of loss for our community.
Having access to this wonderful produce -- and these dedicated, passionate farmers -- is simply priceless. Whether you own a share, buy from the website or just partake in some of the yummy food at the next potluck, you know you are a part of something special. It's something that should be part of our everyday human experience, this sharing of the land, of farming knowledge, of recipes and cooking and the love of all that. And yet, our society is set up so that this is NOT the natural order of things. And thus, Sunflower Fields is a rare treasure.
Needless to say, I am very sad, but hopeful that Solveig and Michael find happiness in their next endeavor. And that we here in our community find a way to keep farm shares going.
I guess I'd better get to a recipe, eh? I only had time to cook last night, and I had a fridge full of veggies from last week, plus some herbs from my friends in KC, plus the new farm share box! So I did what everyone does when faced with veggie overload -- I cooked up a HUGE veggie stew. This one does have everything but the kitchen sink in it, hence the name. Enjoy.
Kitchen Sink Soup
About 1 1/2 cups of whatever diced onions you can find
1 yellow squash, chopped (do not peel)
1 zucchini, chopped
2 cups cabbage, shredded
5 small carrots, diced
1 fennel bulb, diced
2 large cloves fresh garlic, diced or pressed
1 kohlrabi, peeled and chopped
3 red potatoes, chopped
2 sprigs fresh oregano
2 sprigs fresh thyme
1 or 2 packages veggie or chicken bouillon (depending on soup's consistency)
1 broccoli stalk, chopped
2 tablespoons olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
Sautee onion and fennel in oil until soft. Add the rest of the veggies, except for the broccoli heads, and continue to sautee for about five minutes. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add six cups of water, the bouillon, bring to a boil and then simmer for 20 minutes. Add broccoli and fresh herbs, plus salt and pepper and cook until broccoli is tender. Serve with freshly toasted homemade croutons and freshly grated parmesan. It's some seriously healthy comfort food guaranteed to cure you of some of the worst blues ... at least for a little while.
