A few weeks ago, I was a chaperon for my 5-year-old’s class field trip to a pumpkin farm, Ticonderoga Farms in Loudoun County, Virginia. After being ushered onto the hayride, we were literally dropped off at a pumpkin patch to choose our jack-o’-lanterns off the vine.  Granted, some of those pumpkins where conveniently placed next to the vine to prevent a shortage of pumpkins and upset kindergartners. But the entire experience made me think how strange it is that I had never seen a baby pumpkin on  a vine before.

I went on to buy freshly picked figs from the farm.  Do I do things like this usually?  No.  Would I like to buy straight from the farm more often? Absolutely. It felt like I was taking my first baby steps into the Slow Food Movement. I am starting to become more in touch with where my food comes from and how it is produced.

It felt so nice to see where a pumpkin — or any food for that matter — starts out and really appreciate the work that goes into the food we eat. To realize that it takes time for a vegetables to grow before you can harvest, and get food on a plate was a small moment of wonder.

I was so motivated by my experience with the pumpkins, that when I saw Brussels sprouts on a stalk, I decided to buy them even though I had to no idea how to cook them.  After two days of the stalk taking up a whole shelf in the refrigerator, my husband asked me gingerly if I was planning on cooking them any time soon. I decided to search for some recipes.

It took two minutes to snap all the Brussels sprouts off the vine, 5 minutes to steam and 5 minutes to sauté 1 pound of Brussels sprouts.   I was out of thyme so I substituted with McCormick’s Greek Seasoning and enjoyed my Brussels sprouts with a slice of Greek Z-Pizza. The next day, I tossed some chilled Brussels sprouts on my salad and was pleasantly surprised by how much I liked this new vegetable – and appreciated all it took to get to my plate.

Anu’s Brussels Sprouts Recipe

1 teaspoon olive oil

½ Tablespoon of Butter

2 cups trimmed and Steamed Brussels sprouts

½ teaspoon of McCormick Greek Seasoning or Thyme

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat.  Add Greek Seasoning or Thyme and steamed Brussels sprouts; sauté 5 minutes.  Add ¼ cup water, salt and pepper.  Cover for a two minutes or until tender.  Eat as a side or toss into a green salad and enjoy.

What Have You Bought Directly from the Farm?