Yesterday for dinner: First Root Farm arugula, mizuna, and radishes, shaved parmesan, balsamic.
It was the first time I’ve eaten anything we’ve grown. I’ve been working 10+ hour days, worrying about weeds and weather, pulling sedge, making beds. We harvested our first arugula on Saturday and gave it away to our CSA members, but I didn’t get a chance to actually eat any until yesterday.
It was one on the best salads I’ve ever had. The greens were frilly and bright green, peppery and fresh, tender, not too bitter. The radishes were sweet and juicy, just the right about of bite, a gorgeous array of pinks, reds, and whites.
There is always something thrilling about the first harvest of the season, the first day you can walk into the field and get your dinner. But this year’s first harvest was unlike any other I’ve ever had. It’s been a long time coming. From determining how much to grow, and where, and when to plant, from deciding on the variety and ordering the seed, to putting it in the ground, covering it, weeding it, and watching it grow- to sitting down at the end of a long day and actually getting to enjoy all of that hard work – pretty incredible. This arugula was the first thing to come up on the farm (other than garlic), and when it did, I felt a huge sweep of relief.
The season is here. I’m still worrying. It’s still harder than anything I’ve ever done. But I’ve grown some remarkably delicious arugula, and eating it is a blessing.
Laura
I had a similar feeling yesterday, eating spinach salad that had been growing ten minutes before it went into our mouths. So nice to hear you are starting to enjoy the fruits of your labor!
And I felt privileged and excited to being sharing that first harvest dinner with you. Those vegetables are amazing
It was really tasty. Ours was eaten with shaved parmesan and onion flowers from our kitchen garden.