The Kale Lady Returns!

Yes, after a months-long absence, I have emerged. The winter was spent eating all the amazing food I canned last summer and autumn. What a pleasure to make a cherry pie in February! To eat peaches in March! The applesauce is all gone now, but I still have jam and some pickles. In fact, I think I shouldn't make jam this year -- we're not big jam eaters and it doesn't go very quickly. The peach salsa was a much better idea; that's almost all eaten. And the canned peaches are a huge hit with the kids. This past summer was my first full-on preserving year, and I have learned many valuable lessons, the most important of which was to make only what people will eat, not simply what looks like a cool recipe.

We're gearing up for the CSA again this year; luckily since CSA's have started up in nearby neighborhoods, Fort Greene and Bed-Stuy, we're not quite as overwhelmed by our long waiting list. I can barely contain my excitement, though. Spring is finally here, my winter-long funk seems to be lifting, and a whole new year of beautiful local produce beckons in only a few months.