This morning after I came back from the gym, I was feeling a little experimental. Before I started cooking my habitual scrambled eggs, I decided to make my juicing debut.  I have never been one to like fruit juice, fruit shakes or liquid meals for that matter. But Maxine Yunker had already awakened my curiosity for blended delights. The wheatgrass-fig-cucumber concoction that we threw together in her kitchen had made me wonder what else I could conjure up on my own. The instructions are simple: toss everything into the Vorwerk Thermomix^TM but the kitchen sink. Well… there is a little more to it than that. You need top-shelf organic ingredients grown with a full load of love. I had plenty of those. Here is what I used:

• 1 cup of local frozen organic blueberries
• a hand full of fresh wheatgrass
• 1 cup of ice
• 1 cup of cold water
• 1 packet of stevia

Having everything I needed, I tossed it in my Vorwerk Thermomix^TM (a magical machine, like the Vita-Mix, plus more) and blended it all together for a minute and VOILA! I created my first drink, which I named after a song by one of my favorite artists of all time: “Purple Rain.” Enjoy!

The Vorwerk Thermomix^TM is a multipurpose kitchen machine that can do anything from weighing, chopping, blending, mixing and stirring to cutting, grating, grinding, and pulverizing. It also kneads and emulsifies. You can simmer and cook a full meal in it. Like I said, it’s magical. I didn’t even remember I had one tucked away inside my kitchen cabinets.

This morning we headed for the farmers’ market as gray skies loomed overhead, threatening rain. When we arrived, we saw that the market was not bustling as usual…perhaps our fellow market-goers had seen those clouds and decided against facing a potential downpour? Understandably, that wouldn’t be enough to stop us from getting our week’s supply of food.

As we walked by the stall for Gundermann Farms, we were amazed to see crates of peaches. Somewhere in our food memories, peaches had gone extinct ages ago, like trilobites and dodo birds. It had been almost a month since we had seen peaches at the market. We had already fixed on the promise of next year’s harvest and had moved on to figs and melons, exploring different varieties to find our match. I walked directly toward the peaches, reaching out to pick up a basket.

As my fingers brushed the soft velvet skin, turning one over in my hand, I imagined the delicate aroma and sweetness within. It felt like a stroke of luck to stumble upon this cache of fruit this morning.

That “luck” continued as we went from vendor to vendor. At Animal Farm, Gita asked us if we had tried Tiger melons. Not content to offer a sample, she picked up a beautiful orange/yellow striated specimen and told us we could take it home for free.

We next stopped at Fir Forest Harvest, where Tom was accompanied by his wife Maxine. They had been working different markets separately since we first met Tom, but with the seasonal closing of the other market, Maxine was now at his side. We picked up our normal order, and Maxine surprised us with a gift of purple hull beans, their first of the crop. We felt honored by her gesture, as she explained that she and Tom had hand-shelled them for us.

As we were leaving, we stopped by the stall of a new vendor, Keatingrove Farm, where we found (hot!) jalapenos and eggplant. As we completed our transaction, they slipped us a free zucchini with a smile.

We’re eight weeks into 100 Mile Harvest now. I could write endlessly about the fresh produce, the surprises of the summer season and the culinary delight we have enjoyed in that time (food has never tasted better). But most importantly, I have to acknowledge the people behind the food, whose care and dedication in farm fields and backyard gardens has made this possible. Thank you all for your commitment to real food and for your generosity.

Tom and Maxine Yunker

This past   Saturday we visited Fir Forest Harvest farm, home to Tom and Maxine Yunker. We knew Tom from the Bayou City Farmers’ Market. He probably doesn’t remember this, but he was one of the very first friendly faces we met as we started 100 Mile Harvest. His easy-going nature and his ready answers to our questions about his farming practices quickly created a trust that we’ve come to value greatly.

We first discovered his home-grown herbs: English mint, oregano, rosemary and basil. We bought these and were astonished when they remained fresh in our refrigerator for weeks. We’d never experienced that with store-bought herbs. They became legendary in our part of town – we just couldn’t help but share our amazement with everyone we knew. Soon after, Tom introduced us to his micro-greens and other vegetables from the garden. These included banana peppers, eggplant, juliet tomatoes and cucumbers. And let’s not forget the blackberries that I love for their tanginess!

It’s been almost 2 months since that first market day, and even though the market has grown with new vendors and an abundance of vegetables, we always stop and visit with him and pick-up our standing order. On one of those occasions, Tom extended an invitation to visit their farm. We were excited to finally meet his wife Maxine, with whom we had only exchanged emails.

Fir Forest Farm

On Saturday afternoon we drove an hour to Spring, TX and arrived at Fir Forest Harvest. Tom and Maxine were there to welcome us and we were immediately struck by their warmth and hospitality. They led us on a tour of their beautiful property, which started at their front porch where trays of micro-greens and wheatgrass were growing in the shade, protected from the hot Texas summer sun.

We passed through their herb garden, into the main growing area. In 3 short years it has come to occupy a substantial portion of their land, producing eggplant, tomatoes, arugula, peppers, okra and blackberries. Katerina got to pick her first cucumber from one of the vines, amazed at the way in which they grew. Tom explained how he rotated his crops, using buckwheat in some of the beds to restore nitrogen levels. He also showed us young lime, orange and mandarin trees which should start producing in another year.

Katerina Picking a Cucumer

While Tom and Adrian stayed behind talking about gardening, Maxine, Katerina and I all moved into the kitchen. Maxine had read my posts about feeling a lack of energy, and expressed her concern. She quickly suggested we try making a juice, saying, “We are only going to use ingredients that will be available to you in the coming months.” We gathered wheatgrass and figs to start our concoction, adding Katerina’s handpicked cucumber, water, ice and honey. No one was sure what to expect from this elixir, and I was a little nervous that Katerina got the first shot.

“Mmmmm, it’s good. It’s good!” she cried, and we were both relieved. At first, the scent of cucumber was strong, but the sweetness of the honey, figs and wheatgrass made it a very refreshing drink. The guys came in momentarily, and approved. That experience was our introduction to the world of juicing.

We spent the rest of the afternoon sitting in the porch, discussing 100 Mile Harvest and what to expect in the months ahead. It’s refreshing to find people like the Yunkers with whom we can share some of the same philosophies of life. They are great role models for anyone looking to live more sustainably.

As we said goodbye, I was overcome with a feeling of appreciation for what they have accomplished in their suburban setting. Not only for themselves, but also reaching out to those of us who have come to depend on their food as a source of sustenance.

The question that I have been struggling with is “What is stopping me from embracing that level of sustainability? Do I have what it takes? How much do I have to change my lifestyle?” What I know for sure is that deep inside a new dialog has started… one that is working in unison with the transformation that we are going through.

To see more pictures of our visit, click here.