What would you say if you could support Connecticut farmers and small business entrepreneurs, reduce your carbon footprint and enjoy a wide variety of locally grown, farm fresh food with just a few clicks of your mouse? “Bring it on!” comes to mind.
Which is just what I did when I heard aboutCT Farm Fresh Express. This wonderful service recently arrived in Fairfield County, bringing Connecticut grown produce, meat, dairy, baked goods and other products right to your front door.
Now, you can leave the shopping and the driving to Deb Marsden, who began her service, CTFFE, in February ’08
Sometimes as Fairfield County residents, it is easy to get wrapped up in the daily suburban grind, a world of strip malls and meals on the go. Given all the white noise of routine life, it is nice to occasionally escape from the carpools and commuting…andhead to the farm. With its open space, beauty, and serenity, you can be transported...nourished. Many of us journey to the fields as an annual Fall ritual to pick pumpkins and apples, drink cider, or get lost in a hay maze, but the beautiful farms of rural CT can offer much more than just kid-friendly fun.
Last week I attended a "Meet Me at the Farm" lunch on the Sport Hill Farm in Easton.
Dinners at the Farm has hosted its final meal for the season, but for those of you who missed out of this exceptional dining event, make sure you make this a priority for next summer. If you didn't read our post on this last spring, Dinners at the Farm is a series of dinners hosted on farms throughout CT, using ingredients that are produced locally, and benefiting organizations that support our local farming community.
I have to admit, I was a bit skeptical about driving an hour and a half in the rain to The Old Maids Farm in South Glastonbury to eat dinner in a possibly mosquito laden field. But despite Dinners at the Farm's rustic backdrop, the dining experience was a perfectly run 5 star culinary affair. From the first corn fritter and warm spiced whiskey sour cider, passed as the sun was setting, to the magic of the beautiful candle-lit tent with its white clothed communal tables..it was a perfect evening.
A few years ago, I tasted yogurt on the Greek island of Paros and it changed my life. Well, maybe not my life, but definitely my mornings. I now start every morning with a bowl of greek yogurt topped with fruit and granola. It’s routine, but never boring and it satisfies my subconscious craving to be back in Greece. I’ve enjoyed Fage, which is also made in Greece, is thick, creamy and has a slight sweetness to its tang. Trader Joe’s makes a Greek-style yogurt, and I give him points for trying, but his is farther removed from the real deal. I thought I was happy alternating between these two brands until I recently tasted Beltane Farm Goat Milk Yogurt, which is delicious and with just a little imagination nearly transported me back to Paros.
Natalia working her magic behind the counterWith more stores and restaurants evaporating around me every day, I live in fear of the Organic Market closing its doors.Not that there are any known plans or rumors of this, but I would have to pick up and move to Berkeley… or beg and plead with Maggie – the owner and food genius, as far as I’m concerned – to come home and cook for me.She could name her price.And I would just as soon give up my car, a limb, or possibly one of my children before living without her irresistible fare.
What would you say if you could support Connecticut farmers and small business entrepreneurs, reduce your carbon footprint and enjoy a wide variety of locally grown, farm fresh food with just a few clicks of your mouse? “Bring it on!” comes to mind. 
