not so MANIC MONDAY

"if i knew you were coming i'd have baked a cake..." or a cobbler!
FLASHBACK summer of 2012
we pass it every sunday, on our way to the lake. a farm fresh veggie stand. we stop every sunday, on our way home from the lake. zucchini, yellow squash, ears of corn, beefsteak tomatoes, watermelons, cantaloupes, and plums. 

FLASH FORWARD spring 2013
the bk is thinking we should join a csa. a what? csa means "community supported agriculture". basically, farmers sell off shares of their crops. you buy in for the season and receive a box of seasonal fruits and veggies each week. the farmer does all the work and you reap all the benefits. also, you share in the risk. hail knocks out all your corn, you're disappointed along with the farmer and all the members of your csa...it's YOUR farm. 

how is this a benefit? why not buy veggies from the grocery? well, #1~this keeps your money local...most of the veggies at your big chain retailers are not locally grown. #2~it's money saving...our co~op breaks down to approximately $15 per week...i priced our same items, at the grocery, and we saved $10. #3~being introduced to veggies you would never buy at your grocery...i have never ever ever bought garlic scapes. the first week of the season, we got a ton of them...an internet search later, i was using them in everything from salads to pasta sauces!  interested in joining a csa? localharvest.org is a good place to locate your area csa's. just enter your zip and BOOM! you're provided a listing of farmers, near you, and their contact info...

FLASH FORWARD today
we get up every saturday and head to the local farmer's market to meet up with our csa and pick up our goodies...this week: corn, tomatoes, radishes, egg plant, watermelon, and blackberries. yummmmmmm....blackberries!!! a search of pinterest takes me to ree drummond's recipe for blackberry cobbler!!! PINTEREST SUCCESS!!!!!

PIONEER WOMAN'S BLACKBERRY COBBLER

ingredients:
½ cup butter (1 stick)
1 ¼ c sugar
1 c self~rising flour
1 c milk
2 c blackberries

pre~heat oven to 350°. melt butter. combine 1 cup of the sugar and flour. whisk in milk until smooth. whisk in melted butter until well combined. generously butter baking dish. pour batter into baking dish. rinse blackberries and lightly pat dry. add to baking dish making sure to spread them evenly. sprinkle ¼ cup of the sugar evenly over cobbler. bake for 1 hour.

**note: i didn't have self~rising flour and wasn't going to make a trip to the store just for that. to make your all~purpose flour "self~rising" simply add 1¼ teaspoons baking soda and ¼ teaspoons of salt to each cup of all~purpose flour.**

national farmer's market week is august 4~10. support your local farmers!!