Wednesday, June 2, 2010

Farm Fresh to You, and "The moths are kissing on their butts"

Yesterday we received our first box of produce from Farm Fresh to You, which as the name implies is a local farm or cooperative of organic farms that deliver produce directly to families. It's called a CSA or community supported agriculture. We live in California's Central Valley, one of the most fertile farming areas in the world (except that it's too dry to support large scale agriculture without massive diversions of rivers to supply water, but that's another discussion.) Although I'm a vegetarian, I realize that there are many vegetables that I don't eat, so this is a way to expand my eating habits while bringing more organic produce into the home and supporting local organic farmers.

The produce included was a mix of fruits and vegetables. My son Leo grabbed the blueberries and ate the entire package for breakfast. He let me have a few and they were large and very sweet. Today he ate one of the peaches, which was also good but not quite ripe. He has also claimed the honeydew melon for himself, although he can't eat all of it and we'll make him share, mostly to see how it tastes. Most of the rest are standard vegetables - Klamath pearl potatoes, butter lettuce, baby bok choy and rosemary. But two will be more of a challenge to eat. A head of cauliflower was included, and that is one of two vegetables that my husband David won't eat, the other being artichokes. He loves broccoli but won't eat cauliflower, even though I have heard that they are the same genus and species of plant, just different varieties. The other vegetable is a bunch of beets, which I am taking as my challenge for the weekend. There are always recipes included in the box, including one for red beet saute. I'm going to try making it on Sunday. I have also heard that beet greens can be stirfried, so I may try to find a recipe. Does anyone out in blogland have a good beet recipe? I don't want to just pickle them. I tried those a few times and never got into the taste. Today I'm off work and steamed some of the cauliflower and an onion and added it to spaghetti sauce. I'll use less cauliflower next time but it tastes fine.

Leo's class has some silkworms that are now in their chrysalises, and the first two have emerged. I took Leo to school on our bikes today, and another one was beginning to emerge - all the kids were excited, and the parents took a look too. He mentioned that the first two to emerge were "kissing on their butts." Well, they weren't kissing, but they were bonded together. I may gently explain to him what the moths are doing, in generic terms, something like 'the male and the female are coming together, and soon the female will lay eggs.' I don't really know how to start to explain sexual intercourse to a six year old, but I should start soon. Any suggestions?

10 comments:

  1. g&p...
    wow... six years old and already it might be time to tell him, in general terms? where babies come from....didnt jimmy said it was the stork that brung him? - so maybe hes on to something there...good luck with that... this should be fun... keep us posted on how it goes, k?

    - cheers... david

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  2. when one moth loves another moth very much...

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  3. lol when I remember wondering where babies came from when I was around his age (I couldn't have been older than 6). I asked my parents, and they told me to look it up in the encyclopedia, which I did. I ended up being a 6 year old who understood everything about reproduction from conception, to gestation to birth; the only part that I didn't understand was how exactly the sperm got from the father to the mother (our encyclopedia conveniently neglected to mention anything about intercourse)

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  4. at least leo likes fruit. that's good. now you gotta get him to eat veggies

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  5. Thanks everyone. Yeah Robbie, your encyclopedia left out the part that I don't know how to explain. I'll probably explain it all but leave intercourse vague for now. I've read that it's best to answer their questions but not give too much detail.

    Buffguy, that's easier to say than to do. When he was young he would eat anything that we gave him if we were eating it too. Now he looks and food and determines if it's edible. Our rule is that he has to have a few "tasting bites" of everything.

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  6. sex:

    When two daddies love each other very much, they sleep in a bed together. Then, in the morning, they go to the store and pick out a baby.

    recipe for beets:

    1 lb. beets
    3 quarts water
    1 tbsp salt
    1 cup bourbon

    While the salted water is heating to a boil, peel and wash the beets. Cut the stems off and set them aside. When the water comes to a rolling boil, throw away the beets and stems. Plunge your hands into the boiling water as a painful reminder to never buy beets again. Have a few shots of bourbon. Call 911, if necessary.

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  7. Forgot to say this:

    Broccoli and cauliflower may be "the same genus and species," but they taste quite different. Much as women are "the same genus and species" as men, but . . . uh . . . taste different.

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  8. dont do what my dad did, and show him a straight porno film to show him what sex is (yes thats a true story lol)

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  9. In Australia we use beetroot on burgers. Just an idea.
    As for the sex thing, I have no idea

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  10. Thanks nobody, john and Tommy. nobody, I looked at the ingredients and thought "What a strange list of ingredients", then read your directions. Maybe I should have followed your advice. See my next post.

    john, oh wow. No, not gonna do that! Sorry that you have to endure it.

    I've heard of beetroot, Tommy but never had it.

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