Week 9 Share

Blueberries, 2 pints ($3.98)
Radish, 1 bunch ($1.29)
Fresh oregano plant ($2.99)
Beets, 1 bunch ($2.50)
Parsley, 1 bunch ($0.99)
Tomatoes, 1.5 lb ($4.50)
Green Leaf Lettuce, 1 lb 5 oz ($1.95)
Cauliflower, 1 lb ($2.99)
Romanesque Broccoli, 1.5 lb ($3.50)
Sugar Snap Peas, 11 oz ($3.43)
Summer Squash, 13 oz ($1.21)

Total Share Value = $29.33




This is what I love about buying produce right off the farm.  When was the last time you saw squash that looked like this in the supermarket? These are a hybrid of zucchini often called eight-ball squash. Fantastic!









And how about this odd-looking one? Romanesque broccoli, is actually a type of cauliflower.  The broccoli name is more commonly used because of its green color. What's really interesting about this vegetable, is that it is a naturally occurring example of a approximate fractal. Wait! Don't go anywhere, you haven't accidentally ended up reading a math blog, just bear with me for a minute. In short, fractals are geometric patterns that are the same whether looked at from a distance or close up. If you look at the head from afar (pic on the right), you see its comprised of spiral shaped buds. If you zoom in on those buds (below) you can see that they are made up of smaller buds of the same spiral pattern.  The reason its considered an approximate fractal is because the pattern will eventually stop when it gets small enough. True fractals (based on mathematical theory) continue the pattern smaller and smaller infinitely. If you are interested in learning more about what a fractal is, here's a link to a more in-depth explanation.  Who'd have thought food could be educational as well as delicious?