Pick List:
corn - cauliflower - sweet potatoes - parsley - arugula -
leeks - radishes - pumpkin - plum tomatoes - eggplant
KITCHEN LIST:
Pumpkin bread & Raspberry Apple Sauce
BONUS LIST: Lisianthus
Truthfully- I have been out of the fields for the past week now. Carrot pulling, beet washing, cherry tomato packaging is still going strong, but I have been at the desk, working on creating new bags in which to house our potatoes for COOP sales. As a farm, and cohabiters on this planet- we think about the health of the environment and we think about our carbon foot-print, and all the things that surround that. In choosing new bags for our potatoes, we are choosing to move away from a wholly plastic product. We found a source that uses potato starts to create a film that mixes with plastic so this bag won’t live forever and ever and will eventually break down- sounds great, right? Kind of. I can’t help but think that while we move away from heavy plastic, and towards a “greener” system, we are supporting monoculture which is pretty devastating for soil health. However, I’m hoping these bags will travel from our farm to the co-op, to potentially reused as your lunch bag and eventually to the trash or recycling where they will go and break down thus keeping them out of our oceans and away from our whales. Because as an inland farmer growing food in Cornish/Plainfield, NH I’m mostly thinking about the whales.
In other news, thank-goodness for this greenhouse that continues to produce these flower-blooms to remind us all that the harvest does not end in October.
TIPS - TRICKS - RECIPES
ROMESCO ROASTED WHOLE CAULIFLOWER W/ HERBED TAHINI CREAM
Serves: 4-6
Notes: You can make the romesco and tahini cream up to 5 days in advance. Keep them in the fridge!
-I dropped a few lemon slices and smashed garlic cloves into the steaming water for my cauliflower for a little extra flavour infusion. This is an optional additional step.
-You can broil the cauliflower on high at the end for a couple minutes for some extra browning if you like! Just keep an eye on it while it’s under.
SUNFLOWER ROMESCO:
½ cup toasted sunflower seeds
2 roasted red peppers
2 cloves of garlic, chopped
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 tablespoons sherry OR apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon tomato paste
small handful flat parsley leaves
sea salt and ground black pepper, to taste
scant ½ cup virgin olive oil
HERBED TAHINI CREAM:
¼ cup fresh lemon juice
2 garlic cloves, peeled
1 teaspoon maple syrup
½ teaspoon sea salt, plus more to taste
½ cup parsley leaves, loosely packed
2 green onions, chopped
1 sprig rosemary, leaves removed
½ cup tahini (I like Soom brand)
⅓ cup ice water, plus extra
CAULIFLOWER:
1 medium-large head of cauliflower (2 lbs), leaves removed
1 tablespoon olive oil
sea salt and ground black pepper, to taste
Make the sunflower romesco: In the bowl of a food processor, combine the sunflower seeds, roasted red peppers, garlic, paprika, aleppo pepper, vinegar, tomato paste, parsley, salt, and pepper. Pulse the mixture until all ingredients are finely chopped and lightly pasty. Scrape the bowl down. With the motor on low, drizzle the olive oil through the feed tube until sauce is creamy. Check for seasoning and set aside.
Rinse the food processor. Make the herbed tahini cream. In the food processor combine the lemon juice, garlic, maple syrup, salt, parsley, green onions, and rosemary. Pulse the mixture until herbs are finely chopped. Add the tahini and pulse to combine. It will get pasty. With the motor running, drizzle in the ice water until you have a smooth, fluid, slightly aerated sauce. Check for seasoning and set aside.
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
Make the whole roasted cauliflower: using a paring knife, cut into the core of the cauliflower on an angle to expose the “branches” and crevices of the cauliflower. Flip the cauliflower right side up and place in a steamer basket. In a large pot, bring a couple inches of water to a boil. Once boiling, carefully drop the steamer basket in and close a lid on tight. Steam the cauliflower for 10 minutes. The exterior should yield to a poke from a paring knife.
Carefully extract the cauliflower from the pot and dry off the surface thoroughly. Flip the cauliflower over and spoon some of the romesco into the crevices. Shake and tap the cauliflower to work it in.
Line an oven-proof skillet or baking sheet with parchment paper and place the cauliflower inside, right side up. Brush the exterior with olive oil and season with salt & pepper. Transfer to the oven and set a timer for 10 minutes.
After 10 minutes, take the cauliflower out and brush it liberally with romesco. Place the cauliflower back in the oven for another 35-40 minutes, or until browned, dry on the exterior & yielding when poked with a knife.
Serve whole roasted cauliflower hot on a platter with more romesco, herbed tahini cream, and garnishes of choice.
STICKY & CRISPY SESAME CAULIFLOWER RECIPE SERVES: 4
NOTES: If you don’t want to use cassava flour, you can substitute brown rice, chickpea or regular wheat flour. Lower the amount of water to 1 cup if you’re making this substitution (and add more if necessary)!
CAULIFLOWER INGREDIENTs
1 head of cauliflower (about 2 ½ lbs)
1 cup cassava flour
1 ½ cups water, plus extra
½ teaspoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon sesame seeds
sea salt and ground black pepper, to taste
STICKY SESAME SAUCE INGREDIENTs
¼ cup tamari soy sauce
2 tablespoons maple syrup
1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 tablespoon chili paste (optional)
2 cloves garlic, peeled and finely grated/minced
2-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and finely grated/minced
1 tablespoon sesame seeds
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
Cut the cauliflower into small florets. In a large bowl, combine the cassava flour, water, garlic powder, sesame seeds, salt, and pepper. Whisk to combine. The resulting batter should be fluid but thick–thick enough to coat a piece of cauliflower and pool only slightly once set on the baking sheet. If the batter is too thick/pasty, add water by the tablespoon until you reach the proper consistency.
Drop the cauliflower florets into the batter and stir until all pieces are coated. Using a fork, carefully transfer battered cauliflower to the baking sheets, leaving 1 inch of space around each floret.
Bake the battered cauliflower for 20 minutes. While the cauliflower is baking, make the sauce. In a small saucepan combine the tamari, maple syrup, sesame oil, rice vinegar, tomato paste, chili paste, garlic, ginger, and sesame seeds. Bring the sauce to a boil on the stove over medium heat. Simmer for 5 minutes or until slightly reduced. Set aside.
After cauliflower has baked for 20 minutes, remove and let cool slightly. Once it’s cool enough to handle, transfer the par-baked cauliflower to a large bowl. Cover the cauliflower with all but 3 tablespoons of the sesame sauce. Toss to thoroughly coat the cauliflower.
Bake the cauliflower for another 20 minutes, or until the edges are starting to darken. Remove the crispy sesame cauliflower and let it sit for a full 5 minutes before serving in lettuce wraps, on rice etc., drizzled with remaining sauce and topped with extra sesame seeds, and chopped green onions.