“I sincerely believe that for the
child, and for the parent seeking to guide him, it is not half so important to
know as to feel when introducing a young child to the natural world. If facts
are the seeds that later produce knowledge and wisdom, then the emotions and
the impressions of the senses are the fertile soil in which the seeds must
grow. The years of early childhood are the time to prepare the soil.” -Rachel Carson, A Sense of Wonder
On Tuesday, Otis and his kindergarten
class took their first field trip together, and since I’m all about outings and
adventures I signed up to be one of the parent chaperones. The destination was BerryPatch Farms located in Brighton, Colorado, about 25 minutes from Denver…
We’re no strangers to this amazing organic farm. It’s where we pick cherries and raspberries every season. And in addition
to “u-pick” options, the farm provides the most spectacular and unobstructed
views of the Front Range. (You can see mountains for miles and miles and
miles!)
There are animals on the farm,
including chickens, turkeys, goats and a donkey. Two porcine friends also call
the farm home, one with the lamentable name “Bacon Bits” (but don’t worry, she
won’t be eaten) and another named Heidi. The kids toured the farm by tractor,
strung necklaces made of yarn, beads and clay, picked pumpkins, and watched a
film about bees and the importance of these natural pollinators. The outing wrapped up with a picnic lunch, which for me meant pumpkin bread with chocolate chunks (delicious!).
The field trip with Otis's class reminded me of the
visit Theo and I took to the farm a few months back, around the second week of September
when his school was closed for one of the many (many) Jewish holidays. We cut flowers, shopped at the farm stand and shortly thereafter Theo proclaimed, “Today I will pick berries and not
boogers.”
Speaking of picking (sorry), I scooped up tomatoes, herbs,
zucchini and a variety of other fall squash. I
sautéed the zucchini in olive oil for a simple side dish, but the vast majority
of them went into Ina Garten’s Zucchini Vichyssoise, which I modified only
slightly (recipe below). We made pots and pots of it and can’t wait for next summer/fall to
make more.
Enjoy!
xx,
Batya
** PS: I chose not to share photos from Otis's class trip because he's in public school and I'm only beginning to acquaint myself with the families from our classroom. I thought it would be best (and wise) not to include images of children I don't know that well (and without parental consent). That said, Theo said he's fine with sharing :)
** PS: I chose not to share photos from Otis's class trip because he's in public school and I'm only beginning to acquaint myself with the families from our classroom. I thought it would be best (and wise) not to include images of children I don't know that well (and without parental consent). That said, Theo said he's fine with sharing :)
Zucchini Vichyssoise
Modified only slightly from this Ina Garten recipe
Serves 5-6
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
(to make it vegan, omit butter and add 1 extra tablespoon of e.v.o.o)
1 tablespoon good olive oil
5 cups chopped leeks, white
and light green parts (4 to 6 large leeks)
4 cups chopped unpeeled white
boiling potatoes (6-8 small)
2 large zucchini, chopped
1-1/2 quarts homemade
vegetable stock or good quality store-bought (canned).
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground
black pepper
2 tablespoons heavy cream (to
make it vegan, omit the cream)
Fresh chives or julienned
zucchini, for garnish
Heat the butter and oil in a
large stockpot, add the leeks, and sauté over medium-low heat for 5 minutes.
Add the potatoes, zucchini, chicken stock, salt, and pepper; bring to a boil;
then lower the heat and simmer for 30 minutes. Cool for a few minutes and then
process through a food mill fitted with the medium disc. Add the cream and
season to taste. Serve either cold or hot, garnished with chopped chives and/or
zucchini ribbons.