Monthly potluck at Blooming Glen

That is Tricia, Blooming Glen founder and farmer, with her (and Tom's) sassy little daughter Dakota, at this Saturday's potluck. For as many times as we've been to the farm, this was the first opportunity we've had to meet Dakota. I must say, she is quite charming :)

There is a monthly potluck at Blooming Glen, though due to vacations, the one held this Saturday was the first to which we've gone. Busied by unexpected basil duties that afternoon, our potluck preparations were stalled and we (Brooke, Jason and I) arrived an hour late. As if going to an event/someone's house for the first time isn't awkward enough, right? There was no need to worry though; grown ups and adults were all over, filling their plates, sitting down to eat, hanging out, talking, running around (well, not so much the adults as the kids). We were able to slip right into the swing of things.

We had a really good time (although, I'm afraid I had one too many glasses of Pinot), ate pretty fantastic food and met some really fun and sweet people. Most importantly though, we learned that Tricia and Tom met in line for the bathroom in a bar in Philadelphia. You'll note that this is a slight deviation from the romantic storyline we had in our heads, which went something like:

While tilling the soil at a remote, midwestern farm, Tricia and Tom plant organic vegetables and, unknowingly, also the seeds from their hearts. When the plants blossom in the spring, so too does their love. Sigh.

Yeah. Turns out it didn't go quite like that, but instead they discovered farming together. Which is actually a pretty cool story, too :)

And, the second most important discovery of the evening was the naming of Brooke's eggplant dish (see PS on this post):

Aww yeah :) Brookie's Flavorful Eggplant Yummies! sums it up pretty well. Notice the added touch of basil leaf on the sign? Very clever, I know.

Not sure if regular potlucks are a standard CSA industry-wide practice, but they should be :)