Last weekend, Anne and I took a drive out to Amagansett, NY to see my family.  It’s that time of year when you try to squeeze in that final beach vacation or time spent with loved ones before the fall rolls around.  My aunt, uncle, and twin cousins live in a cozy house tucked away on a dirt path, removed from the hustle and bustle of the Hamptons but close to the beach.

Early Saturday morning, my aunt Melanie took a few of us to Quail Hill Farm, the Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) farm she belongs to.  I have memories of going to this farm from when I was a kid, eagerly scouring dirt patches with my cousins to dig up potatoes from the ground.  Digging for potatoes proved to still be one of my favorite activities, but going back now, I realize just how much this farm has to offer: Quail Hill Farm is one of the original CSAs in the United States!

We were amidst the veggies, herbs, and flowers for a few hours, and we entered a trance-like state from the sheer happiness of gathering food straight from the source.  (The feeling reminded me of the days when I worked at Stone Barns Center for Food and Agriculture.)  We weren’t the only ones out there, either.  Our morning excursion included friendly community farmers, each teaching the other how to cook this, and how to identify that.  No one was texting; no one was snapchatting.  We were all enjoying the beautiful weather, the pretty wildflowers, and each others’ company.

Below is a sampling of pictures that represent the treasures that we picked.  Keep reading for a full list of what we found!

We harvested:

• Curly parsley
• String beans (green, purple, white)
• Hakurei turnips
• Heirloom carrots (orange, purple, white)
• Fingerling potatoes
• Italian eggplant
• Japanese eggplant
• Cucumbers (green, white)
• Peppers (green, purple, red, orange)
• Heirloom tomatoes (cherry, grape, black cherry, green zebra, peach, red zebra, San Marzano, pear-shaped, pink)
• Zucchini
• Artichokes
• Garlic
• Onions (yellow)
• Lettuce (green and red)
• Cabbage
• Wheatberries

Also:

• Wildflowers
• Sunflowers
• Fresh bread

Here we are at the end of it all!  It is certainly an experience we will all remember for a long time to come.  Do you belong to a CSA?  Do you grow your own produce at home?  Respond to these questions and share your thoughts in the comments section below.