Where have I been, you say ?  Oh, I'm so glad you asked.  I've been to Juniper Moon ........ Juniper Moon Farm, that is.  Some time ago,  I decided I needed a little break from all that goes on here in the heat of summer.  Just a weekend would do the trick.  When I saw that Susan had posted that she was having several different kinds of weekend camps for grown-ups,  the one most appealing to me was the Culinary Camp and I signed up.  As the date drew closer,  I began to wonder whether I should have committed to something that required me to drive 8 hours each way and be gone from Thursday through Sunday.  Mike was a pretty good sport about having to take on my chores while I was gone.  He bravely took my list of instructions for feeding routines and bunny exercise sessions. 

( that's not yarn - it's homemade pasta ! )

I've been reading the Juniper Moon Farm blog for several years now and have admired ( and marveled at ) Susan's energy and resourcefulness.  She started the very first yarn CSA in America and does an unbelievable job of keeping her share-holders up to date and involved in the goings-on at the farm.  Besides learning to make pasta from scratch,  I was interested in seeing her farm operation and how things worked with a CSA.  Susan is just as upbeat and enthusiastic in person,  as she seems on her blog.

Susan is a Culinary Institute of America graduate and she knows her stuff.  I don't know when I've ever seen and tasted so much good cooking in such a short time.  We made bolognese sauce,  fresh pasta  ( spaghetti and ravioli ),  homemade pizza on the grill,  brined and roasted pork loin,  glazed salmon,  a delish little olive oil cake,  no-knead bread,  yogurt,  goat cheese ice cream,  slow-roasted tomatoes  and more that I can't even remember right now.   ( and once again,  that would be the "Royal We".  Susan did the lion's share of the cooking )  When I left Virginia yesterday afternoon,  I felt like I might never need to eat again ! 

( left to right - Pam,  Monica,  Susan and Zac )

Getting to know Susan,  just a little bit,  was a treat and watching her farm helpers,  Caroline and Zac,  in action made me wish for a pair just like them to bring home to Tanglewood Farm.  I also got to witness the historic event of the "first milking of Bertie and Samantha".  ( I'll confess now that it made me wish for a milk goat of my own to help me through lambing next spring.  Bottle babies thrive on goat's milk. )  Many, many years ago,  I had a Nubian milk goat who helped me raise an orphan foal and an orphan llama.  I was not the only culinary camper at the farm this past weekend.  I also had the pleasure of getting to know Pam and her niece,  Monica.  They were such fun and easy to be with and I hope to see them and spend time with them again.