Once upon a time we lived in a place where farmland was plentiful and the sun seemed to always shine. Organic produce seemed to grow everywhere- It was the land of milk & honey. Ok, that's an exaggeration, but we did live in the Appalachian Mountains of Virginia where finding locally grown produce was a lot easier than in Philly. It's sad to think that what comes naturally to people of one region could be seen as a granola-loving hipster ideal to another. 

Now that we live in the (big bad) city it seems the only place to get really good organic vegetables is Whole Foods. No offense to the holier-than-thou natural foods chain, but that sucks! So this summer we decided to try a CSA share with a pick-up within easy walking distance of our house. We love you Greensgrow! 

Also know as Community Supported Agriculture, the idea is that you pay for a season's worth of produce up front so that the farmers producing your food can cover the expensive start-up costs of the season. It helps them stay profitable throughout the year and gives you access to organic produce that's grown within an hour-or-so of your house.

Here's a sampling of dishes we've prepared from our share:

The downside is you typically have to pay for the entire CSA share up front- ouch. We did a half-share this year, which means we pick-up every other week, but we're looking forward to upping to a full-share next year! Once the produce starts flowing in the dent in your bank account starts to feel less painful, not to mention our grocery bills are almost non-existent. 

A sample summer share:

1. 4x Tomatoes
2. 4x Mini Eggplant
3. 4x Ears of Corn
4. Large bunch of Kale
5. Large bunch of Celery
6. 3 lbs. purple potatoes
7. 6 Cubanelle Peppers

What do you think- Would you ever consider buying into a CSA share? I'd love to hear your thoughts- follow me on Instagram (@bekuhb) and start the conversation. - b.

I love nordic cuisine. That's probably not a sentence you've heard very often, but it should be because every single meal we ate in Copenhagen was a bite of heaven! From traditional fare to the farm-to-table delicacies to the fresh veggies at the market, every morsel was delicious. Here are a few food pics to get your mouth watering:

After some long (and heated) deliberation Ryan and I narrowed down our Copenhagen food and drink favorites to our 8 favorite spots. These are must-trys in our book: 

Café lillebror - One of the best meals of my life...no, probably the best. By day this simple café serves good coffee and amazing bread, and by night it is transformed into an amazing nordic farm-to-table restaurant. The head chefs were formerly part of the world-renowned team at Noma and have since left to make their own mark on the city. They own a higher-end restaurant, Brør, just steps from the café. The result is fresh, sustainable cooking at an approachable price point. It didn't break the bank but it did break hearts because we only managed to eat there once. The menu changes regularly, but they do accommodate food restrictions.

Mikkeller- A world-class gypsy brewer, Mikkeller has built his empire with bohemian gusto and a knack for wild fermentation. Hailing from Copenhagen, he's set down some roots in the city with 2 bars, a bottle shop, and 2 restaurants spread between the hottest neighborhoods in the city. We of course made our way to every one and you should too! It's a great way to see the city and enjoy a delicious pint or two of incredible beer.

 Øl & Brød- Our favorite of Mikkeller's Copenhagen haunts was his avent-garde smørrebrød (open-face sandwiches) restaurant. We ate our fair share of this traditional Danish dish and these were by far the most interesting flavor combos, made with the freshest ingredients. The herbs still had dew on them (I'm sure of it). Ask the waiter to recommend beer for each dish, the pairings made the meal that much more mouth-watering.

Restaurant Puk- For the quintessential Danish smørrebrød experience, you can't go wrong with Puk.The pub like ambience alone makes the trip worth it. We had their small platter, which consisted of pickled herring, smoked salmon, pork with cracklings, and assorted Danish cheeses with all the fixings, and it was more than enough to fill us both up. They also serve a special beer that is locally brewed especially for them. It was simple and refreshing. My uncle recommended this spot to us and he was spot on- thanks Uncle John!

Paté Paté- Delicious small plates that take your mouth around the world in a single meal. The food is influenced by so many different cuisines it's hard to pin point an exact influence, but I think I read they're mediterranean sort of. It's best to share, and with so many amazing options to choose from, why wouldn't you? Known for their extensive wine list, we opted for cocktails instead. We're not much for the vino ourselves. A friend from work recommended this spot and now it gets my recommendation too.

Deb Økologiske Pølsemand (aka DØP)- Not your average hotdog stand, DØP is 100% organic and topped with the most delectable condiment combinations you'll find anywhere. From pork to goat to chicken, as long as you eat some kind of meat they have a dog for you. I was partial to the homemade pickles and onion straws myself. They're situated right next to the Ründetaarn, a must see anyway, so grab a link and sit on the nearby benches to enjoy.

Torvehallerne- Gourmet food market heaven. With two indoor sections, and thriving outdoor produce stalls this sprawling city farmers market has absolutely everything you could want or need from the furthest reaches of Denmark. After sipping lattes from Coffee Collective and eating freshly baked Danish pastries for breakfast, we went back for b
àhn mi at lunch. Oh and do pick up something fresh like strawberries or radishes for later, you'll regret it otherwise.

Coffee Collective- Infamous in Copenhagen, this minimalistic coffee shop was a friendly spot to pop into at both their namesake cafe in the Nørrebro neighborhood and their kiosk in Torvehallerne. Ryan got deep into conversation with one of the baristas about some espresso we tried, it went way over my head but the conclusion was that Ryan loved it.

Den Plettede Gris - Situated at the entrance to Paper Island, a hipster lunch hotspot famous for it's Copenhagen Street Food hall, this hole-in-wall coffee shop is the perfect place to grab a cuppa joe in the morning. The staff was beyond sweet and they didn't bat an eyelash as we butchered the Danish language in an attempt to look cool and culturally adept. The coffee was delicious too.

I think that about sums up our culinary experiences in Copenhagen. Who knew Danish cuisine was so modern? If you go and try any of our recommendations I'd love to hear what you think! There were so many places we heard were out-of-this-world but never made it to so I'd love to hear of other spots to try next time. There will be a next time. - b.

See more of our time in Copenhagen on Instagram, #rbvacay. Read the other posts: part 1 | part 2 | part 4 (coming soon) | part 5 (coming soon)

A family tradition, celebrated only once a year with the delighted oohs and aahhs of everyone who gets to enjoy them. They're my Grandma's delicious batch of fluffy, pastel-colored Ricotta Cookies. As a child I would sit in eager anticipation of our Easter meal together because I knew that at the end of it at least two cookies would be mine. It probably sounds strange, ricotta in cookies, but these are the most heavenly sweets you'll ever taste.

For a really long time I thought my Grandma was only person in the world who could have thought up something this delicious, but in recent years she let slip that she actually found this recipe in a newspaper years and years ago. It was upon this revelation that I first decided to share this closely guarded family recipe and now I'm ready to share it again, with you:

RICOTTA COOKIES

Cookie Ingredients:

• 1 LB Butter
• 2 Cups of Sugar
• 3 Eggs
• 1 LB Ricotta Cheese
• 2 Tsp Vanilla
• 4 Cups Cake Flour
• 1 Tsp Baking Soda
• 1 Tsp Salt

Icing Ingredients:

• 5 Tbsps of Butter
• 5 Cups of sifted Powdered Sugar
• 5 Tbsps of Milk 

Directions:

Cream together butter & sugar. Beat in Eggs. Blend in Ricotta & Vanilla. Stir Flour, Baking Soda & Salt together. Add to Creamed Mixture & beat well. Drop by tsp onto parchment paper lined cookie sheets. Bake @350 for 12 minutes. Reduced to 10 minutes if cookies get brown. Spread icing on cooled cookies.