Get a load of this…

Yes, that’s a frog.

It’s a frog in a pint-sized deli container.

It’s a frog that I found hiding behind the window fan in my son’s room Friday night.

I went to close the window because the forecast was for rain the next day when I was at market.  Bleary eyed and ready for sleep, I go in and remove the fan from the window, only to find this THING attached to the screen on the INSIDE!

I screamed, but just a little.  Once I caught my breath, I raced around trying to find SOMETHING to catch it in – because the last thing I wanted to do was catch this slimy creature in my HAND *color me squeamish*.

Thus, the deli container.  I promptly released him onto the wet, swampy ditchbank he will now, thankfully, call home.

How did Kermit get into my home, you ask?  Was it The Boy in a moment of scientific wonderment?  Hardly.  It was the cat.

You see, White Sox was a stray that showed up on my doorstep on Christmas Day 2009.  It took about 2 years, but he is now a lap cat who routinely brings me gifts of the animal persuasion courtesy of the swinging kitty door.

I’m pretty sure this frog has been in my house for about 2 weeks – ever since I opened the bathroom door post-shower to find it staring up at me through a cloud of steam.  In that moment of drippy-ness, I was barely able to catch my breath let alone the beast, and he hopped under the washing machine.

I’m pretty good with a mouse trap.  A frog trap, though?  According to my aunt, that would be a snake… and I’m not about to bring one of THOSE in here.

And the cat better not, either!

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I want to take a moment to explain why I’ve been remiss in my blogging duties of late.

It’s not that I haven’t been cooking or writing and sharing recipes, I promise! I’ve just been sharing them elsewhere and with other people.

I hope that doesn’t sound snotty, because that isn’t my intention at all. In fact, I mean it in the most grateful way, because the people I’m writing for are those who have trusted us (meaning Bialas Farms) to provide their family with veggies all summer long! They are our CSA members.

I know I’ve written about our CSA before (like here, here, and here, etc).  In addition to a box of field-fresh veggies every week, our members receive an e-newsletter a day or two prior to pick-up.  The way I figure it, if our customers don’t know how to use the vegetables we grow, they won’t want to buy them!

Happily, I oblige and talk food all day long at markets and send out links and ideas to keep people in their kitchens once they’ve filled their shopping bags with home-grown goodies.

An excerpt from last week’s CSA e-newsletter.

This is it, folks… the last two Summer 2012 CSA distributions.  Can you believe we’re on Week 16 already?

I know, I know.  We’re being inundated with pumpkin this and pumpkin that and it’s only October 1st.  Even though most of us think of pumpkin pies, breads, lattes and donuts, pumpkin and winter squash ( they are all in the same family – cucurbita) are very well suited to savory applications.  Try this Caramelized Butternut Squash with Sage-Hazelnut Pesto.  If you don’t feel like making a special trip for ricotta salata cheese, a mild feta will be a fine substitute.

In the ‘why didn’t I think of that’ category, we have Grilled Swiss Chard Stems.  Anchovy vinaigrette may not appeal to you, but any dressing will work.  I think this would be a terrific side dish to steak or pork chops.

Before we’re out of eggplant for the year I wanted to share another dish that just screams ‘comfort food’.  Baked Orzo with Eggplant and Mozzarella

Looking for something new to wow! the kids?  TryYukon Gold Potato Fans.  Easy baked potatoes that will impress (hopefully) even the pickiest peanut in the family.  They will bake for about an hour and a quarter, so plan on roasting a chicken or pork loin and some beautiful carrot sticks at the same time.  A complete meal made in the oven is just what we need on a chilly fall night.

Last but not least, I’m including cippolini onions for you again this week.  They are absolutely heavenly, and when glazed with balsamic vinegar, you’ll be getting a sweet and sour rich oniony side dish.

And so it goes… this is a small portion of what keeps me busy twice a week from June to October.  And judging from the response we’ve gotten for our Winter CSA, it looks like I’ll be doing more of the same through January.  Our regular markets will end in a few short weeks and then I hope to be able to get back to cooking and posting more frequently.

For now, though, I’m trying to preserve whatever remnants of summer I can.  I’ve got tomato sauce canned in my pantry, fresh sweet corn has been blanched, cut off the cob and frozen, roasted tomatoes have been suspended in jars of oil in the fridge and the poblano peppers are being roasted and frozen this weekend.  I’ve got lovely 2-ounce packages of fresh Edgwick Farm chevre portioned and frozen for the months when the goats are dry.  I’m sad that I didn’t get any of our fabulous green beans in my freezer, but I’m proud of all that I accomplished considering time constraints.