There is a fight for food freedom going on in Wisconsin right now. Maybe you’ve heard about the raw-milk bill that is in the Wisconsin Senate. Their seems to be a growing number of people who wish for the right to know where their food is coming from, wish for it to be unaltered, or more simply wish for the freedom to buy something a simple as a gallon of milk from whoever they wish to buy it from.This little Piggy went to the Market…
I’ll just come right out and say it, I’m a raw cow milk drinker. I was not born or raised on a farm. I was raised in a clean, inner-city home that used anti-bacterial soap and ate canned vegetables and super-market meat. As my interest in where my food came from grew and my access to fresh, local and organic ingredients widened, I began drinking raw cow milk not only because I liked the way it tasted, but because I began to see it for what it was, a wholesome, perfect food, filled with live enzymes and good bacteria that strengthened my intestinal flora. My sheltered city-girl immunity somehow managed to digest this farm-fresh product without a single tummy ache to report.
My relationship with food became much more intimate as I began working on farms. I began to see that food was much more than just an object on a shelf with a sticker or a barcode as I had previously believed. Food was not just a price, it was a face. Food became a story and a place to me. As I began milking the goats and feeding the chickens that were feeding me, I never looked at food as something that someone else could decide for me if I could eat it or not.
I understand that there are people out there that live in cities that could become sick from drinking milk from a farm with poor herd maintenance. I understand the argument completely. But what’s on the table now is our ability to make our own choices, to make this decision for ourselves. If buying and selling raw cow milk becomes legal, it doesn’t mean you have to buy it or even that you have to drink it. It just means that you have a choice given back to you. It would represent one more of our food freedoms given back to us all.
I wasn’t able to make it to the hearing on Monday in La Crosse because I was picking tomatoes all afternoon, watching over my daughter and binning up squash for our CSA deliveries. And while I do my best to remain as politically neutral with our CSA newsletters, I couldn’t quite help myself on the subject of food freedom. I’m guessing that most of you were also at your day jobs and were not able to make it to the hearing. But I did call my representatives to let them know how I feel and I encourage you to do the same. And while you’re at it you could also tell them that you are thankful for the freedom to be buying your vegetables directly from a farmer who you know and trust.
Green Cabbage- Really nice heads of fresh, green cabbage this week that grew nice and big thanks to drip-line irrigation!
Sweet Dumpling Squash- These are the round-ish hard winter squash at the bottom of the box. They keep best in a dry place. Your kitchen counter works great. Cut them in half, scoop the seeds out, and bake them face down with a little water at the bottom of the pan for about 1 hour at 350.
Tomatoes- Two big bags of tomatoes this week totaling a hefty 9-10lbs per member. Tomatoes prefer to ripen at room temperature. Do not put them in the refrigeration unless they are fully ripen and you just need them to last a bit longer. Think about dehydrating, freezing or canning your tomatoes to preserve this bounty if you’re not able to use them all up. Check out the “Really, Really Good” Roasted Tomato Soup recipe below;) 
181 CSA boxes stacked in the cooler and ready for loading the vans the following morning. Ahhh, our work is done for the day.
White Onion- One more white onion for your everyday use.
Sweet Pepper Mix- A generous 7-8 peppers per member. We have a stunny array of yellow, orange, and red sweet peppers of several different varieites to share. Check out our Stuffed Peppers recipe below!
Eggplant- Eggplant production is really down now. Don’t worry, they’re on their way out. Maybe one more giving if we’re lucky.
Jalapeno Pepper- Another spicy peppino to give a little spice to your life.
Fennel- Fennel has a nice anise or licorice flavor when used raw and its flavor melows significantly when it is cooked. Use the frawns for garnishing.
Kohlrabi- Kohlrabi loves the cool weather. Thanks to our irrigation system, these buggers survived the drought and look amazing right now. More kohlrabis coming next week.
Lemon Balm- An annual herb for making tea or for putting into soups.
Stuffed Peppers (Tried and True from yours truly)
Really, Really Good Roasted Tomato-Basil Soup (Thank’s Andrea and Aaron!)
Roasted Eggplant Recipe with Seasoned Potatoes (Thanks Cathy!)
Eggplant Curry (Thanks Natalie!)
