A 'Berry' Good Day

Last evening Kelly & I rode our bikes down to a nearby raspberry farm, Pullins Raspberries.



We've been driving by the farm on our way to work since last winter, and for the past month we've been waiting for the sign to change from 'closed' to 'open'. So last night after work we got out our bicycles, made space in the trunk pack I have attached to mine, and rode off to get some fresh fruit.

Soon enough we made it there and pulled into their gravel driveway, heading around back to register pavillion. We met the owner and he handed us some paper cartons. Then he took us out to the field to show us where the best berries could be picked. We started with the black raspberries.

Now I have picked black raspberries in the wild but they never were as big as the ones on the farm. We didn't have to go very far to find the good ones here.



They were plentiful and in no time Kelly & I had a carton each filled.



We resisted our temptation to eat them right there (okay - one just for a taste!) and brought them back to the register. Next were the red raspberries.

Now I had never picked red ones, nor seen them growing in the wild, but the owner took us out and showed us what to look for... or better still, what to feel for. Since the berries are already red, he said, you have to feel them. They should be soft and should pull off the stem with little resistance. It is still a little early for the reds, so the going was slow. Kelly & I scoured and eventually filled up a single carton until it was overflowing.

The owner rang us up, and for 3 cartons of berries the grand total was $5.35... not bad compared to buying store-bought, and no contest when compared to freshness.

I wrapped the containers in plastic bags, placed them in my bike trunk, and we rode back home.

That night we made pancakes, and by this morning all the red raspberries were gone.

Guess we'll just have to go back in a few days once the reds are riper.

Pullins is open for a few more weeks. If you'd like a chance to get out, enjoy the fresh air, and pick some good raspberries, here is their contact info:

20780 Liberty Hi Road, Bowling Green, Ohio 43402.
Phone: (419)823-3024.
Open: Mon-Sat 8am-8pm; Sun 12-6pm.
Picking starts Sun 6/24/07.
Black Raspberries and Red Raspberries.

Hangin' in the Bunny Garden

With the pleasant weather last weekend, I had the opportunity to bust out the grill and cook Kelly & I some veggies (and meat for me... I can't quite go all veg like Kelly). The grill is a little 10,000 BTU tabletop grill, not much but plenty big enough to cook dinner for two. We grilled up some freshly picked radishes, some onions, potatoes, tomatoes, zucchini, mushrooms, and burgers.

We've finally got the backyard set up how we like it... a screened in pavillion tent, chaise lounge for two, wind chimes, and prayer flags. Ditzy has a new cat harness and I've attached a long leash to the clothesline to make a cat-run. So while we were waiting for the food to cook we relaxed and wathced Ditzy 'stalk' the bunnies running in and out of the cornfields. It was also a good opportunity to read. I am just starting to read one of Kelly's condensed versions of the Dhammapada.. a very enlightening read (pun intended). Only the occasional drone of farm machinery lurching down the country lane disturbed the serenity of our bunny garden. (Kelly & I affectionately call our backyard the Bunny Garden, though we have yet to see any bunnies actually help themselves to the contents of our garden.)

And our garden has really grown. We found our first green tomatoes this weekend. And we learned a lesson about planting our veggies too close together for next year... it looked like they would have so much space when we first planted them!

Dinner turned out great, though the cooking took longer than expected due to my overenjoyment of a quiet Sunday evening. I had to change to spent propane canister that I thought was still cooking our dinner. Wow those things go fast!

Speaking of going fast, soon we found our day had come to an end. Long shadows cast across the bunny garden and into the farm fields. Eventually only the faraway barn had any sunlight to share, and then even that was gone. 

We we took a moment to watch the sun set behind the clouds. Then we tidied up our mess and headed inside to prepare for the looming work week. With us both working full-time, it is nice to have a little place like the bunny garden to sit and unwind for a spell.

May you all have your own bunny gardens!

Evening Bike Rides

Kelly just bought a bike a few weeks ago, a cute little Trek 7100 WSD.

It's a perfect match to my own Trek 7100 that I purchased two years ago when I first started this blog.


So anyways we have matching bicycles!

We've been making it a habit to get out and ride 3-4 days each week in the evening when the weather starts to cool. Kelly hasn't biked for a while, but with every bike ride we go further and further as she builds her endurance back up. The land is rather flat out here so hills aren't a problem.


For the past several days it has been grotesquely hot... in the 90s w/ a heat index of 100°, but last night it cooled back down into the 70s. Wonderful weather for a bike ride.

To the south were a bunch of swirling cirrostratus clouds. They were catching the light from the setting sun, changing colors from orange to pink to purple.



We stopped once we reached Cross Creek & Tontogany Rd. to watch the sunset.


Camera phones can be very convenient sometimes, especially when treated with such a lovely evening. I had to stop on our ride back home to capture the moment.

Between the red & purple clouds, blue sky, green corn & trees, yellow wheat fields, and orange sunset and riding along with my Kelly I really felt peaceful and wonderfully grateful for being able to live out in the country.


I'm hoping that everyone else is able to enjoy moments like this. I am so lucky.

Eating from the Garden

Kelly & I have a little garden going this year.... my 1st attempt at gardening. We planted in early May thinking that we were late in getting it started, only to find out from other gardening friends that we planted way early!

But, luckily the weather was somewhat warm in May, with only 1 frost warning. The plants languished in the cool weather but survived.


We left them to the elements without our amateur interventions as we went on vacation over the end of May. When we returned the plants had experienced a growth spurt.

And since then, we've been trimming and picking veggies for our meals.

The current list of planted goodies includes:
3 varieties of tomatoes,
Zucchini
Yellow squash
Red bell pepper
Cucumbers
Green Onions
Spinach
Radishes
Swiss Chard
(and now for our potted herbs)
Basil
Cilantro
Parsley
Peppermint
Sage
Chives


Last weekend we picked some of the radishes and spinach (only 40 days and they're ready to eat... wow that is fast!). Last night Kelly cooked up the spinach to make Spinach Catalan. She found the recipe over at the Gutsy Gourmet

Here is the recipe:
•1/2 cup golden or regular raisins
•Salt & pepper to taste
•1/3 cup olive oil
•5 garlic cloves, crushed
•3 large spinach bunches (about 30 ounces), trimmed, rinsed, well drained
•1/3 cup pine nuts (Roasted in pan previously)

PREPARATION:
•Place raisins in bowl. Cover with hot water and let soak 10 minutes. Drain.

•Heat olive oil in heavy large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add garlic and cook until golden, about 4 minutes. Discard garlic. Increase heat to high and add spinach. Cover and cook until wilted, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes. Uncover, add raisins and pine nuts and stir until cooking liquid evaporates, about 4 minutes. Season spinach to taste with salt and pepper. Serve spinach immediately.