The first few years we were a part of his CSA, Leigh Hauter always had a few pigs running around part of his property. They were not only for meat but were intended as (yet another) deterrent to the deer; the theory was that the pigs would smell things up so bad up and down their enclosure that the deer would stay away. It sort of worked; the deer stayed out of the pigs enclosures and instead assaulted the fields by alternative vectors. Leigh’s pigs had from ¼ to ½ and acre of forest to root around in, they had plenty of space to remain active, and in addition to some supplemental grain, they ate roots and whatever vegetables were too far gone to go out in the shares.

They made for some really good eatin’, too. This was the first meat I had ever had where I not only knew the farmer but knew the animals. I thought that the fresh, rich taste was just because it was not coming from some mass-producing factory farm, but I discovered that there was something else to it.

What do you do with a whole pig? Make bacon, of course!

Leigh got tired of having to deal with pigs, so he stopped raising them and instead hooked us up with his friend Susannah who raises pigs and poultry on her farm in southern Fauquier County. She also grows corn organically and uses that as feed for her animals.  Now, do not get me wrong, Susannah raises some fine hogs, but there just seemed to be something missing from the meat we were used to having.

It did not really hit me until I was at Eastern Market one day and saw that Jose Canales had a sign up for Jamon Iberico. This is a very special and very rare type of cured ham from Spain. The hogs are sent up into the mountains to forage and gorge themselves on acorns before being slaughtered. Because of their diet and exercise the pig’s meat has a distinctly rich flavor which is further enhanced and concentrated by curing and aging. Mr. Canales sliced off about a quarter pound for me after giving me the short version of why Iberico is so special.

He did not have to try very hard; I told him about how I had noticed the difference in taste and texture between the hogs we had purchased and he nodded his head in agreement.

So when I saw what Bill had to offer, I knew I would have to make room in my freezer.

This is Kevin Bacon, the stud pig from Babes in the Woods. He is a cross of a Duroc boar with Tamworth sows. Handsome, isn't he....

It took two years for the timing to work out (we had to finish the pig we had, then we bought a quarter beef and we had to finish that) but we finally have one of his pigs.

Up Next: This Years’ Pig, Part II: Adventures in Curing

Did I mention I cure my own meats? Here’s a little photo to wet your appetite for part two of the story.

Let the curing begin.... this will be Guanciale - Jowl Bacon (More on this in Part Two)

He was Pushed!

The perils of CSA deliveries.

We had seedless sugar baby watermelons last week. I managed to drop only one of them; I opened the back of the van and it escaped. For the delivery I laid all of them out on the grass and let people pick theirs. One shareholder came around with, as he usually does, his five-year-old son. Paul had a good deal of fun rolling them around in the grass, which I did not mind at all. But then he picked one up and hurled it. Without my having to say a word about it the boy’s father scolded him, “We do not throw the watermelons! That one’s ours now.” he said picking up the cracked fruit. I felt relieved; the dad did not ask if there were any extra he could take instead of the damaged one. A small example of a responsible shareholder and parent.

No more sweet potatoes!

Our fruit share is not grown on the farm; Leigh goes out once or twice a week to the orchards and farms in his area and purchases peaches, apples, and such from them. It is still local fruit, and still community supported agriculture and he is upfront about the arrangement when people sign on.

So he and his wife, Wenonah, were out at one of these orchards when Wenonah noticed that the farmer had crates and crates of potatoes. She asked what he was planning on doing with them. “I’ve got so many, I don’t know where I’m going to sell them” he said. It has, I believe, been a banner year for potatoes in Virginia. My sister-in-law’s CSA has given her so many potatoes that she is pretty much sick of them, ‘I’m potatoes everyday. Sometimes twice a day. Potato soup, potato salad….” she went on a while, suffice it to say, she has been getting a LOT of potatoes in her share.

Wenonah decided that these potatoes might be a good addition to the shares this week, so they drove off with a few crates. They’re relatively small, but tasty, sort of like new potatoes, and boil up quite quickly.

They are also a welcome departure from the sweet potatoes which have been a staple of OUR shares the past few weeks!

Locally grown and milled flour!

I get asked all the time if I know a place to get locally grown & milled flour.  Somehow, I’ve miss Moutoux Orchards all these years.  They are a local CSA/Direct farm that grows the standard fruits and vegetables, but also has grains.    Art D. and I took our first trip over to the Falls Church farmers market and were really pleased by what we found.  This market isn’t exactly nearby for us, but somehow I think we’ll be find excuses to head out there more often.

Crepes...nom, nom, nom!

Moutoux Orchard flours are just a small taste of what’s to be found there.  Sadly an ATM did not seem to be nearby, so our shopping was limited.  There are about 40 vendors at the summer market, so the selectionwas great.  There was even a crepe stand — something we’ve not seen at our usual stops (Takoma Park, Bloomingdale, and Dupont Circle)

Potted Marigolds by Art D.

Here’s what I delivered for Bull Run Mountain Farm CSA this week:

• Garlic Scapes
• Onions
• Lettuce-Purslane-Tatsoi mix
• Basil
• Oregano
• Kohlrabi
• Marigold plant

What did you get?