Farm to Fork

This past Sunday Kyle and I were unexpectedly able to go to the 2011 Farm to Fork Dinner and eat amazing food prepared by local chefs using local farm ingredients.  Sunset Farms was well represented with Chris, Jamie Brie and Harlon along with Chris's parents Gary and Wanda, all Murray's and then Kyle and I.  We were paired up with Marco Shaw, a chef and owner of Piedmont, a restaurant in Durham.  We have become friends with Marco and his wife and two girls as we have seen them on a weekly basis when they buy produce, eggs and meat from us to use in the restaurant which is just up the street from the Durham Farmers Market.  Marco prepared corn and crab salad, topped with cucumber and tomato gazpacho, mint sour cream, and an old bay potato chip.  It was delicious and all came from Sunset Farms (except for the crab of course).  14 month old Harlon Jude surprisingly loved the corn and crab salad and could not get enough.  Kyle's goal of the day was to eat from every single farmer/chef tent, and there were more than a lot.  We succeeded with us sharing a plate from each place (the portions were small) with Kyle eating 2/3 of the serving and giving the rest to me.  Of course the food was amazing!  Imagine peach doughnuts, blueberry-lemon popsicles, potato salad made with 5 different types of potatoes, cherry tomatoes, aioli sauce and greens to mention a few.  It took place at WC Breeze Family Farm in a large open field with a U-shaped tent arrangement and a large tent in the middle with table and chairs.  We were thankful for the cloud cover that shielded us from the sun and the many glasses of ice water that added to the enjoyment of the afternoon.  It was a joy to be a part of this event and an encouragement to see so many farmers, chefs and people who were there to support the local food movement!

One Growin' Babe

I can't believe it is already the end of June, we will be meeting Lil Shug before we know it! We have been feeling him or her moving more and more and are loving it! We have been reading "Natural Childbirth the Bradley Way" and are learning so much about pregnancy and labor.  The Bradley Method focuses on husband-coached birthing which allows Kyle to have an active role in the labor process which we are both pumped about.  He is going to be a great coach, without a doubt! I am loving learning about everything that is going on in me and that will go on during labor, it is all so new and fascinating to me.  We have watched two insightful documentaries called "The Business of Being Born" and "Pregnant in America" that were both eye opening and interesting. We are starting Bradley Childbirth Classes next week in Elon and are looking forward to it! Here are some pictures our dear friend Kellay took for us to capture my growing belly.  Kellay is also our doula.  She has been such a help already during the pregnancy and we are looking forward to having her support and encouragement during labor as well!

 

 It is definitely summer here at Sunset Farms and everything is in full swing! Sadly strawberries are already gone but we still have some frozen berries we plan to make jam with one of these days.  Right now we are enjoying potatoes of all colors, including blue, which have been delicious mashed, roasted or boiled!  We enjoyed some fresh corn for a few weeks and are looking forward to more to come.  We also have onions and elephant garlic.  There is an abundant supply of cucumbers right now thanks to the honey bees doing their job.  Kyle has been keeping check on the bees and I'll go out with him every now and then to help out.  Two of the four hives are very strong, and all four of the queens have been identified and marked.  Kyle came in the other day with a swollen hand after he got stung.  His hand was pretty large for a few days and quite the sight.  We haven't quite figured out if he is allergic to honey bee stings or if his swelling is a normal reaction.  He got stung behind his ear a month ago and it instantaneously blew up and reminded me of Will Smith in Hitch! It ranks as one of the worst pains Kyle has ever felt, he has worn his veil ever since.