Somehow weeks 6, 7 and 8 have flown by, and I'm in week 9, as I've been informed by Grant Farm's e-newsletter. We are about one-third into the 26-week season, and I am still firm in my commitment to support local agriculture and organic farming, rather than giving my dollars to huge mega-farms from far away who use genetically modified seeds that have bred Roundup into the food.

I am still trying to think of new ways to use up all the kale. I was told that one way to use it up is to steam it, roll it into balls, and freeze it, using it in the winter months for soups and stews. That seems like a good way to spread it out, so I steamed some this week and stored it in a ziploc bag in the freezer.

As the season rolls along, we are finally getting into zucchini, summer squash, and green beans. Also this week for the first time there was eggplant, artichokes, and corn on the cob. These are vegetables that I find easier to use up. I've been eating the zucchini raw in salads or dipped in hummus, and squash and green beans I've steamed and mixed with other veggies. We've also had fresh basil leaves the last two weeks, which inspired me to make a new type of salad--Caprese-style. Since we aren't quite into tomatoes yet, I bought some organic heirloom tomatoes at the supermarket and sliced them over a lettuce bed of baby greens (this time soaked in water and cleaned more thoroughly, inspecting carefully for worms). On top of the tomato slices, I put a slice of fresh buffalo mozzarella and sprinkled it all with fresh-ground pepper. Over the top, I drizzled some balsamic vinegar dressing. It was sooooo good.