Community Race

This past weekend, my journey took me to the roads that I know well, roads that I ran a hundred times during high school.
I ran in a community 5K with two of my high school friends. It was really fun to see about 80-90 community members out to support a scholarship fund and raise money for a local youth program in memory of a friends' father who passed away a few years ago.
I have been biking more than running recently, but I really enjoyed the run. I ran with my friends for the first mile and a half, then found that I had a lot of energy left, so I finished it strong. My time wasn't great, quite a few minutes slower than my races in high school, but I really like the distance.
It wasn't nearly as strenuous as a half marathon, and quite enjoyable to be honest. I'm thinking that budgeting a few community races into my spending for the year will be a good way for me to stay active :)
Here's a snapshot of my two incredible friends who ran with me:

Pricing Vegetables

I don't like it. Not one bit. Good food should be priceless- it just doesn't seem right to attach monetary value to a head of lettuce or a bunch of garlic scapes.
But, since I run the farm stand, it's part of my job. I want EVERYONE to eat vegetables, so I want the price to be really low. But at the same time, I know how much work went into growing the produce. There were so many people who were a part of the nurturing process, and it doesn't seem right that the snap peas that we planted, cultivated, trellised, and carefully harvested should be sold for just a few dollars a pint.
It just doesn't seem right. And yet I know that for someone who does their own gardening, that price would seem exorbitant.
A friend asked me earlier this season as we were planting peppers, "Do you find it depressing that produce farmers don't earn very much money, or are you inspired by their commitment to their vocation?" My answer is both. Both saddened, and inspired. There is more than monetary reward in cultivating the ground, but I wish that growing produce was a viable source of income.
For those who complain about high prices at the farm market, please know that there is a good chance that your farmer is earning significantly lower than federal minimum wage if wages are calculate based on an hourly rate.
Pricing aside, there is something beautiful about a full table of vegetables. Here's a peak at Joshua Farm's little roadside stand on 18th street. Very GREEN- I can't wait for a bit more color as the season progresses.


On another note- I'm looking forward to the first cooking class of the season with the youth on Friday. I am still working on the menu for lunch, but I'm excited nonetheless!

An Urban Farm Girl

I wake up early, eat some breakfast, and walk a few blocks to what used to be an athletic practice field, but is now Harrisburg's urban farm. Passing lots of "For Rent" signs, trash by the street, an empty plastic container gathering rainwater quite unintentionally, a wide side lawn of well manicured ivy. Climbing the steps and shutting the gate behind me, I pause briefly to observe the beauty of growing things. The basil, the peas, okra, each one of these plants has a mission in life: to produce something to be consumed by humans. However, according to Michael Pollan's book "The Botany of Desire", these plants might be a bit more in control than we would tend to assume. He proposes that "They evolve with certain properties that make humans want to propagate them, so they are the ones in charge".


Up in the high tunnel, the tomatoes are looking pretty sweet. Tall, stretching up on our hanging trellis system. I can't wait for the first fresh summer tomatoes. And neither can the farm stand patrons. Tomatoes are that classic homegrown vegetable that just aren't the same purchased at the grocery store.


I love to watch plants develop, blossom, produce fruit. There is something so healing for someone with a tendency towards perfectionism to work with something that I have little control over. God is the one who truly directs the growth and development of these little plants, and all I can do is try to help in the process.

Artichoke Garbanzo Pizza

It sounds a mite crazy, but it was really rather scrumptious.
My friend (and housemate) Laura and I decided to make pizza tonight, after cleaning out our kitchen and rearranging cupboards.
And we decided to use what was on hand to create a masterpiece.
We started with a frozen pizza crust. Not necessarily the best nutrition (it wasn't whole wheat) or flavor, but it was given to our house for free and someone might as well use it.
My barbecue flavored tomato sauce, which I considered an utter failure last summer when I spent all day simmering this sauce that was supposed to be delectable but ended up overly salty and sweet, was the absolute perfect base for a novelty pizza.
Topped with artichoke hearts, a handful of garbanzo beans, thin blobs of ricotta cheese, and a sprinkling of feta, this pizza was delicious. I added a few slices of turkey pepperoni to half of the pizza, which intensified and deepened the flavor.
Just toss it in the oven for 15 minutes at 350 degrees farenheit, and you've got a winner :)
Lesson of the night: be creative with your pizza! Branch out from the classic tomato sauce and mozarella/cheddar cheese, and toss on whatever you have in your fridge.

(Pre) (Re) (Up) Cycling

I was just telling Emily, (author of the excellent blog emilyrosedowney.blogspot.com) that I really like these four terms: "precycle", "recycle", "upcycle", and "cycle".

Precycle: consider the packaging of every product you buy- is there a version or size that you could purchase that would produce less waste? (Ex: don't buy plastic water bottles)

... I interrupt this blog post to say that I was just interrupted by a sweet faced white tailed deer staring at my typing away on my computer. I'm at Messiah's campus right now taking advantage of wireless internet...

Recycle: once you've finished something, rinse out the container, throw the cap away, and put the plastic or glass or aluminum in the recycling bin. It's simple!

Upcycle: be creative- turn something into a great piece of art- how about turning old cd's into jewelry? For lots of great ideas check out- http://toponlineengineeringdegree.com/?page_id=116

And last, but not least-

Cycle- take a bike for a spin, leave your car on the garage. Yesterday I traveled a meager 6 miles, but got to visit my brother's family (leaving with a load of asparagus), dropped off a thank-you note at a neighbor's, visited with 2 women in my community that I respect a lot (building social capital!), and ran into my aunt, uncle, cousin, and cousin-to-be (his fiance). Biking creates more opportunities for building relationships, saves gas, and gives great exercise as well! My parents blessed me with a new-for-me bike with a sweet saddlebag as a graduation present.

I don't have internet very often right now, but look for a future post with a few pictures about being an urban farm girl :)

The Blessing of Friends

Last night I had a few friends over, girls who have been a part of my life for a long time. Now, we came together as young women, ready to talk and share and laugh together. To facilitate this gathering, I provided the venue and food. I love to bring people together around a table.
My menu was based entirely on the "Simply in Season" Cookbook, with a fresh green salad with "Raspberry Vinaigrette" dressing, a quiche (modified from the "Spring Quiche Trio"), and "Rhubarb Pie". A simple and delicious meal when shared with friends.
Alas, I didn't take any pictures of the fruits of my labor- so you'll just have to take my word for it that it was good. I would definitely recommend the rhubarb pie- I made it with the shortbread crust, and my friends (who aren't always the most adventurous in culinary matters) were quite smitten.

On another note, I look forward to deepening another set of friendship this summer as I live in Harrisburg, and work at the Joshua Farm (http://joshuafarm.wordpress.com/), an urban farm that provides employment opportunities to youth and deliciously fresh veggies to the surrounding community. I had my first two days of work last week, and I'm off to the farm again tomorrow morning. The rain has put us a bit behind where we'd like to be, but we'll manage :)

Be on the lookout for some fun pictures of what's going on at Harrisburg's urban farm!

$222.59

That's how much my roommate and I spent on food this semester. Split two ways, that was $111.29 for each of us. Granted, we had spent $500.61 last semester, and some of those staples were still in our kitchen. But for 2 girls to spend only $723.20 for 8 months of food, I think we did pretty well. This was a definite money saver for us- since meal plans (per person) range from $1,400-1,900 for the same amount of time. 1/4 the cost. Plus, we had a lot of fun cooking for ourselves.
I must add a few disclaimers. I spent quite a bit of time last summer canning peaches, applesauce, pears, and freezing berries. I helped my brother to dig potatoes for an afternoon in exchange for a basket of my own. I froze sweet corn, braided onions, grew garlic, and froze green beans. In addition, my parents and brother generously provided my roomie and I with meat and eggs. We didn't eat a lot of meat, but a sufficient amount.
My roomie also worked in the dining hall, I worked in college catering, so she ate a few meals a week there, and I was able to eat at work every once in a while.
Oh, and I can't forget about Panera bread. My church gets day-old bread, so I get creative in incorporating that into our diet.
But, we know how to cook- curry, tacos, tabouleh salad, quesadillas, soups, and lots more. We didn't buy cereal, but simply ate rolled oats and yogurt with frozen berries, or made omelets for breakfast. We were even members of a CSA for the fall- receiving fresh vegetables from a local farmer. We wanted to support Spiral Path Farms, and to not have to make weekly trips to the grocery store for fresh veggies.
Tomorrow I graduate. It is so hard to believe that these four years are over. It's hard to say goodbye, but I'm looking forward to the next steps. It feels so good to have achieved this milestone, and I am doing my best to celebrate it well. This week has been full of sweet times with friends- I have gone tubing down the creek, had multiple picnics with different people, slept out in a hammock (twice), played a few rounds of banana grams, drove to my house for lawn games and a campfire, and lots of other little sweet blessings.
My apartment is nearly packed up- I made one last batch of granola since I had just a bit of honey and oil left in their containers, and a big bag of rolled oats. I really like granola- a little too much- so I try to ration how often I make it! We'll see how long I can make this batch last.