To feel the cycle of the seasons in the foods we eat is one of the many delights I feel from eating locally. But to my kids, if its at the coop it must be good. It can be hard to explain why I won't buy a watermelon in April. And I don't want to burden them with any heavy thoughts on our industrialized food system - organic or not so I just quietly explain that we'll eat watermelons when they are ripe in the garden or when they arrive in our CSA share. They don't totally get it.
But strawberries and rhubarb... we all understand the precious treasure of this fleeting season.
Yesterday the kids and I made an amazing batch of homemade ice cream. Looking back it was all fresh, local goodness in there. Cream, milk, eggs, strawberries, and rhubarb from nearby farms. Maple from a friend down the road. We cranked the ice cream on a blanket in the yard. If was so easy, and so wonderful.
Simple goodness, I think. Simple, local, sustainable goodness.
If you're looking for a recipe I posted a stellar one here last year. The only substantial change I made this year was to throw in the sliced fresh strawberries. Happy churning!