Four Nights A Week

Whether it’s cheese or crackers or veggies, we like to end our day with a Cinq à sept – 5 to 7 – pre-dinner wind-down. Sometimes this gets fancy, sometimes not; sometimes a glass of wine or a classic cocktail.

What does all that have to do with anything?

This week, we had our first Fall CSA pickup at Clark Farms in Carlisle which is a short trip near our former home and pre-retirement commute. Adrien and I have joined a couple of local CSAs, especially since we downsized from our home with backyard garden, to our condo in the city. The Clark Farm CSA is a “market” CSA in that members don’t simply pick up a pre-packed box of veggies and fruits, they are invited to participate in pick-your-own crops as well as a weekly share of some beautiful produce. Also, pigs, goats and chickens! I like knowing where our food is sourced and am looking forward to this Fall’s bounty.

Another positive of belonging to a CSA and supporting local farmers is exposure to new crops. This week, we were treated to a new vegetable – Cucamelon. These thumb-sized cousins of cucumbers – or is it watermelons – were super tasty right off the trellis, but one idea I considered is pickling the cucamelon to add to our array of pre-dinner snacks.

Quick pickling is a technique I learned from studying Perfectly Good Food, by Margaret and Irene Li, two sisters who made zero-waste achievable. While I am still growing those skills, creating fresh pickled vegetables is pretty straightforward and does not require canning equipment. Simply cut up the veggies into bite-sized piece, add the brine and refrigerate for a day. Not sure how it’s done? The Li Sisters’ video about pickling is right here.