Hello Our Table supporters!! It was a big planning day on the farm today, the Ouija Board was consulted and the future of Our Table has been decided...if only it were that easy, right? Unfortunately, no spirits were actually called upon today (except maybe the spirits of "let's stay on track here" and "enough chit chat"), but we did spend all morning talking about the specifics of next year's operations and what we need to accomplish in order to make it a smooth and successful year. Everybody enthusiastically took on new projects to begin working on ASAP, and though it seems like we may have our hands full, it's like having our hands full of big delicious blueberries that we're going to gobble up before we go and take another handful. The whole Our Table crew really rallies around the work we do and the food we grow, so adding on more responsibilities only gets us excited about being able to bring more good stuff to your community!! Here's to 2014!!
As for harvest it was a pretty straightforward day. The temperature seemed to drop between the time we started the morning meeting and when we finished and went out to the field. But, that might just be because we were pampered by the newly finished HEATED office where we held the meeting. Anyways, I've really been enjoying the fall veggies so far. I used to be a chicory skeptic, but I have just been devouring the stuff, especially the Cornet escarole from last week. Simply sauteed in oil with a little salt, maybe a chopped leek, and you can't go wrong. I'm excited to try my hand with the Sugarloaf from this weeks share. Josh's way of roasting the halves sounds like a winner to me.
We made good time packing up the shares today too, so good in fact that we ate our homemade lunches in the barn and then went off into downtown Sherwood for a second lunch at the restaurant Da Mimmo on SW Railroad St. We're planning on supplying them with a bunch of our goodies through the 2014 season so we figured we'd check 'em out and have a chat to see what they'd like us to grow for them. First of all, the food was incredible: authentic Italian cooked by an authentic Italian. Mimmo and his wife came and sat with us for a bit to talk produce ("Mama mia!"'s and flying expressive hand gestures included), but we also got to see them as a family dedicated to the same principles as Our Table: great food, and a community standing (eating) together. Most, if not all of the produce and meat that they cook with is local, or at least regional, and the passion they cultivate for their cuisine and for feeding their neighbors is almost enough on it's own to fill your stomach...That is until they put a meatball and provolone sandwich in front of you and then you suddenly have room. But, it's places like Da Mimmo and Our Table that really rely on that direct community support in order to thrive. Things like keeping resources within the community are a big part of what Our Table is all about, and finding partners like Da Mimmo to join with in the cause makes fighting for it a little less daunting.
'Til next time.
Lou
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