AMBATALIA SAYS EAT YOUR FRUIT AND VEGGIES

Eat your fruits and veggies! And join a CSA program!

Danielle with our first week's share from CSA. Modeling an Ambatalia kitchen furoshiki.

A few weeks ago my roommate Jen and I were shopping at the local Logan Square Farmers Market on a lazy Sunday. Montalbano Farms CSA sign caught our eye. We saw happy customers leaving with giant bags of fresh produce, so we decided we must learn more. 

CSA stands for Community Supported Agriculture. This is a program that has been in practice for over 25 years. Basically what happens is that a farmers offers a certain number of "shares" to the public. When you purchase a share you, in return you receive a box of seasonal produce throughout the farming season. CSA programs vary from farm to farm, but Montalbano Farms offers three options for their CSA program. You can either receive a vegetable and fruit share, a vegetable share, or a fruit share. And then you also get to decide if you want the box every week, or every other week.

This means that since we are signed up for the biweekly fruit and vegetable share, every other week we get to pick up a bounteous box of fresh produce with a wonderful mix of fruits and veggies. And a few days prior to pick up Montalbano Farms emails Jen and I a newsletter detailing what we can expect in the share that week, fun recipes to use the week's offerings, and updates on events at the farm. This week our menu looked like this:

Harvest season is upon us. Summer crops like tomatoes and peppers are finished while cool season plants are thriving.   In the Vegetable share this week, Chioggia beets Lettuce Radishes Turmeric Cauliflower Bok choy Cabbage Potatoes Shallots persimmons And in the fruit share:, Mix of Empire and Jonathan Apples from Earth First Farms Persimmons Cranberries Let these persimmons get a little soft and enjoy them chilled. They make great sorbet and they dry well too!

What is so great about the CSA program is that all the vegetables, herbs, and fruits arrive within days of being harvested. This means that it is as fresh as can be! Also it allows you to make a connection with your farmers, since Jen and I go to pick up the box every other week the farmers become familiar faces. I also love the fact that the CSA program is a great way to support local farms, but also receive quality produce at a reasonable price. 

Jen and I are both eating healthier and happier! Definitely check out the CSA options in your area. A great resource to find more information for a program to fit your needs is at your local farmers market. 

And don't forget to eat your fruits and veggies! Til next week! -Bridget 

9 SIMPLE WAYS TO WRAP THE AMBATALIA KITCHEN FUROSHIKI

This week I would like to introduce you to Danielle and the Ambatalia kitchen furoshiki. Danielle and I grew up together in the San Francisco Bay Area and have been best friends since the sixth grade. A recent graduate from Northwestern University, Danielle actually works behind the scenes as Ambatalia's blog editor. Since last week's post was quite a hit, we wanted to continue the how-to's. This week Danielle modeled one of my favorite products; the Ambatalia kitchen furoshiki. Photographed here in brown ticking, these magical squares are 31" x 31," 55% hemp and 45% organic cotton and manufactured 100% in San Francisco. The kitchen furoshiki also comes with a 68" twill tape and directions for use. They are perfect for carrying casserole, pie, and drinks to potlucks and picnic, but also turn into an instant apron and grocery bag, or a gift wrap for breads, wine, or your favorite book. This week Danielle helps us illustrate several general uses of this modern gem.

Using the twill tape that comes with the kitchen furoshiki, you can fold the square in half and wrap the twill tape as a belt to hold this half sized apron in place. Perfect for gardening or cooking. 

Simply tie corners into two square knots. Then, fold the corners inside. This will create a little basket to fill up with fruit or any finding at the market.

Similar to the bag demonstrated in last weeks post, this furoshiki can be tied into a little tote bag. Simply tie opposing corners into two square knots, and voila you have a bag! Tie one square knot tighter then the other to allow room for a handle.

Eliminate plastic or paper when you pick up flowers for your lover, have the florist wrap your bouquet in the kitchen furoshiki cloth and use the twill tape to secure it with a bow.

Perfect for a spontaneous picnic. Use as a miniature picnic cloth or tablecloth and enjoy your food!

Similar to option 1, but instead use the whole cloth and secure with the twill tape for a full length chef's apron. Simple and stylish.

Bring your books to school or wrap them as a gift. An easy folding method, simply lay books in the middle of the cloth and fold one set of opposing corners snug around the book. Take the other set of opposing corners and tie in a tight square knot. There it is!

Going on an adventure? Wear it as a bandana as you ride off into the sunset!

One of the more complicated wrapping techniques; this furoshiki can wrap two bottles of wine (or whatever you like to drink) and turn it into a lovely gift wrap. Lay down two bottles in the middle of the cloth with the bottoms of the bottles facing each other and about 4 inches apart. Proceed to roll the two bottles, until they are completely wrapped in a tube of the cloth. Then stand both bottles up, and tie in a square knot at the top. Now get to your party!

How do you guys use your Ambatalia kitchen furoshiki? Please share!

AMBATALIA GOES TO THE FARMERS MARKET IN CHICAGO

The only reason I will wake up before noon on a Sunday is to go to the Logan Square Farmers Market. I have lived in Chicago for four years now and every neighborhood I have lived in has had a weekly farmers market, but none of them have impressed me like the one in Logan Square. Every Sunday from May 19th until October 27th, farmers from all over the Midwest gather on Logan Boulevard to sell fresh produce and products. This week I brought my camera and my Ambatalia products.

Good morning Logan Square Farmers Market!

Growing up in Marin County, California, my mom practically bought all of our groceries at different farmers markets. We had our butcher, our blueberry farmer, our heirloom tomato stand, our kettle corn provider. We knew the faces of our food.  Every Sunday my mom, my dad, and I would all go to the Civic Center market, Tuesdays my mom and I would go to the smaller market at the Marin County country mart, and of course on Thursday nights my friends and I would attend the market in downtown San Rafael.

When I left for college I found myself in the city of Chicago. I began buying my fruits and veggies at supermarkets because I thought it was more convenient and cheaper, more suited to a college kid’s budget. However when I started attending the market in Logan Square I found this not to be true at all. There were plenty of bounteous stands selling fresh produce at reasonable prices, it seemed that the more expensive items were the fresh packaged items such as jams, cured meats, etc. Shopping at the city farmers market on a budget is possible, you just have to be conscientious on how to spend your money.

This week I bought some super sweet cherry tomatoes and delicious lemon basil from Sweet Earth Farms. What drew me to their stand was their colorful tomatoes and their handpainted sign. Once I got home I was interested in finding out more about where my produce came from. Located in Wauzeka, Wisconsin, they travel four and a half hours to come to the market. I loved what Farmer Renee of Sweet Earth Farms says on their website, “By the ordinary act of eating we can affect our world, we can have a more life giving environment and more life giving food.” This excited me because this is what Ambatalia encourages in a different way. By making small adjustments in our weekly routine we can not only improve our own well-being, but it can also help the environment. I am looking forward to seeing what produce Sweet Earth brings to the market next Sunday.

I brought home all my produce in Ambatalia bento bags.

Another booth that caught my eye was Underground Food Collective. Their catchy red logo and their giant glass jars in the display immediately had me hooked. This week I tried the mind-blowing Spanish chorizo. Perfect to bring home for a cheese plate or throw in your market bag for a picnic, these meats are truly worth the trip to the market. Based in downtown Madison, Wisconsin, their handcrafted salami and cured meats are all done in house.  

Love their packaging. Simple and classic.

The cherry tomatoes, lemon basil, and Spanish chorizo were just the beginning. While walking around the market I began to accumulate quite a full market bag. I stumbled upon Brockway Farms towards the end of my trip. What caught my eye were all the mason jars of fresh flowers and the giant chalkboards in front of the stand. Randy (pictured below on the far left) was extremely interested in Ambatalia and sent me home with some sweet flowers.

Thank you, Randy!

Using recycled glass jars from sparkling water, wine, or apple sauce is a fun way to display flowers.

A successful trip. Pictured are Ambatalia bento bags in grey ticking. Perfect for bringing home market finds.

All in all it was a great afternoon at the market. If you are interested in attending a farmers market in Chicago, check out the schedule! With over 20 different farmers markets all around the city, there is bound to be one that could fit into your schedule. 

Attending the farmers market in your area (wherever you may be) is a weekly routine that can keep you in touch with your local community. I would love to hear about your experience.

What is your experience going to your local farmers market? How is an urban market different then a more rural market? What is your relationship with your food?

Headed home from the market with my Ambatalia market bag.

Ambatalia Furoshiki Video

I made my first how to Furoshiki video. I hope it helps you use Furoshiki more and more in your everyday life.

Ambatalia Kitchen Furoshiki from Molly de vries on Vimeo.

Summer at Ambatalia

This summer is the first of feeling truly relaxed in my business and family. Honestly I could probably write about book about how it is to be a creative and be a big fat disorganized mess. Life has generally been that way for me. I could go into all the whys and what fors but for now I'm just so relieved that I'm at a place where everything is falling into place with help from others. I love my work and building a business by my self has been struggle to say the least. What an amazing journey of somewhere deep inside believing in my self and just going for it and not quitting EVER. If you come to my blog,  I would love to get to know who you are. Are you an artist. Do you struggle ( in the aloneness of creating by your self)? and how do you cope? 

"The African" opens to a big fat round basket inspired by the traditional African basket. Made with reclaimed Cone Mill salvage denim and Loui Vuitton( seconds) leather handles.

                                       

     Reclaimed Linen patch work bread basket

                             

       Butterfly visited studio.

Forager

                                         

       Small Bento

                                   

   "New apron design"

   My sister Colleen's every days ceramics

                                                     

  "The Moroccan" Inspired by the traditional Moroccan basket.

    Made with Heavy hemp canvas and reclaimed leather.

  Kitchen Furoshiki made with Hemp/ organic cotton 31"x 31"

    Buying locally Milled Flour for Bread with a dear old friend.

                                          

  " Plastic bag keeper" made with reclaimed denim and scrap leather.

"Halter Apron" Pure Linen

      Peter

                    Peter was commissioned to make this love bracelet out of scrap leather for a client.

                   It turned out awesome.