freshy fresh!
One of the things that most Cleveland transplants will point out in their list of Cleveland pros is the well defined seasonal divide. Spring, Summer, Winter and Fall are all very distinct and each turn of the calendar brings out new events, foods, or natural events that mark the passage of time.
At the moment I am reveling in the explosion of summer produce that started with berry season in June and continues with rotating fresh fruit and vegetables until about October.
Last weekend I was back at the little hobby farm owned by Julie’s uncle. After a birthday dinner of grilled steak and potato salad we headed out to the chicken coop to collect eggs. Admittedly this was my first experience collecting eggs from a nest. I ADORE experiences like this because it is something so simple, but something that I will remember forever. As we dropped the feed and vegetable scraps into the dished her uncle told us the story of the crazy hen that chooses to live under the hen house instead of out with the rest of the chicks in the yard area. He also taught the kids about the meaning of “pecking order” after one of them asked about the missing feathers on one of the birds.
At the end of the evening Julie and I each were sent home with a dozen of the prettiest and freshest light brown eggs. Truly farm fresh.
On Monday I was sent home with red and yellow tomatoes grown by our department chair’s husband. I tasted one of the smaller yellow heirloom tomatoes by itself and they have to be some of the most amazing tomatoes, ever! I truly understand now why tomatoes are really considered to be a fruit. That night my 15 minute dinner consisted of eggs scrambled with a little cream, salt and pepper, a chopped tomato salad with basalmic, olive oil, fresh basil and a sprinkling of cheese, and an english muffin with strawberry jelly.
To me this is what gourmet means. Fresh food grown to perfection and completely un-fucked with. Cheers to fresh.