Every now and then I am struck by a little, simple moment. This week it was a tomato, fresh picked from the CSA. The house is a mess. Filled with boxes. A friend was over to pack. We ordered a pizza and made a salad. There is nothing like that first bite of a summer tomato. It drips with juice. It oozes flavor enhanced with just a pinch of salt. You can taste the sun and the earth. There is nothing quite like it and words do not do it justice. We paused. In the middle of packing and recited the Shehecheyanu—the prayer that thanks G-d for sustaining us and enabling us to reach this moment. Ah.

A note on CSAs. Lots of people ask me what one is. Community Supported Agriculture. My husband and I own half a share of Jones Farm in Chelmsford. Every week during the season we pick up fresh vegetables. Lots of kale, which I have even learned to like. Tomatoes. Herbs. Things I had never tasted before last year, hakurei turnips (like a Japanese radish) and tatsoi, a kind of Asian mustard. Going to pick up the vegetables always makes me feel good. There is a connection with the earth that I otherwise might not get. Jones is doing interesting things. The owners Deb and Phil Jones are working on growing the most bio-nutrient dense vegetables and understanding the science behind good soil and the resulting health benefits. The proof is in these wonderful tomatoes. Try one and remember to say a blessing.