- P I C K L I S T -
Sweet Peppers (all of them i promise: CARMEN, LUNCHBOX, HABANADA) - Arugula/Mizuna - Parsley -
Gold Potatoes - Kol Rabi - Garlic - Green Tomatoes - Plum Tomatoes
Written on the morning of the Fall Equinox- bundled in wool, sitting next to the wood stove as she hosts the first fire of the season, and me with my one millionth cup of coffee of the season. Today I begrudgingly welcome the Fall. Summer is glorious around here and everyday is packed with light and abundance. The food floods the plants, the kiddos need only shoes, underwear, sun hat (pants always optional), and we (the big farmers) run on coffee, water and a truck load of bushel baskets. Everyday is filled with purpose and movement and snacks in every field. Hot damn Summer is my season. But as we are reminded by too many songs and poems- the seasons change yatta yatta yatta.
In past years this movement into Fall occurred way more gradually. It was a real easing in. But this past Friday frost hit, three nights in a row, and it hard. To prep, we stress picked bins of peppers, bushels of eggplants and crates upon crates of tomatoes. We covered the green beans with remay, scooped up all of the winter squash, and Anne ran irrigation on her prized zinnias. We did what we could, and held on tight to the hopes of a thick Connecticut River fog to cover the fields (this prevents frost). But there is little moisture in the air. Friday night the temps dipped, and all that was not covered and all that is not cold hardy got hit by the inevitable change of seasons. And I cried multiple times.*
It’s hard to watch a field of food that you and the earth (mostly the earth) worked so damn hard to grow, get beaten up so badly in one night. There could have been so much more to reap and feed.
Pooh- my father in law/story-teller/tractor driver/plant propagator/knowledge base for all things soil and farm mentioned this was the earliest frost he’d seen in literal decades. The last time he saw a kill frost come this early, Ray was toddling around playing a gourd like a guitar about 34 years ago.
So here we are, moving right into Fall, with a lot still growing- but those Summer Gems (eggplant, peppers, corn) are gone. I mean we still have bins of them stored in a cooler but they will be empty in one week’s time. You (CSAer) will get the last of the peppers, and I somehow need to find a minute to freeze the last of the corn.
ALSO CSA friends! There is still room in the FALL CSA!! Sign on so we can continue to hang out over crops and recipes from now until Thanksgiving.
*also the passing of Ruth Bader Ginsburg did a number on my heart strings.
May have added to the frost tears. RBG may your memory be a blessing.
HOT TIPS:
The following recipe (romesco) is a RAY SPRAGUE FAVORITE, and this guy hates the taste of peppers. We typically make a huge batch and freeze into pint containers to smear on pasta, toast, etc all winter long
SUNFLOWER ROMESCO (from the blog: thefirstmess)
½ cup toasted sunflower seeds
2 roasted red peppers (homemade or from a jar)
2 cloves of garlic, chopped
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
½ teaspoon aleppo pepper, or a pinch of cayenne
2 tablespoons sherry OR apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon tomato paste
small handful flat parsley leaves
sea salt and ground black pepper
scant ½ cup virgin olive oil
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. Then, with the motor on low, drizzle the olive oil in through the feed tube until fully incorporated. Check the sauce for seasoning. Transfer sauce to a sealable jar, and set aside in the fridge until ready to use.
THE FOLLOWING IS A GREAT GUIDE
If making a large batch and storing in the freezer:
parchment paper
air tight containers that are freezer safe
For storing in jars
vinegar (plain, balsamic, white/red wine, or apple cider)
mineral salt
olive oil
clean pint sized mason jars
PREPPING PEPPERS: There are two ways to prepare your peppers for roasting.
The first is to simply roast the whole pepper, seeds, stem and all. (This will work with all roasting methods.)
The second is to slice the peppers in half lengthwise, remove the stem and seeds, and place on the baking sheet cut side down. (Use this method for the oven method and/or when using a baking sheet. These peppers require no flipping, only rotating of the baking sheet. This is my favorite way of roasting peppers.)
ROASTING METHODS: Oven: Preheat oven to 475 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment.
Place peppers on baking sheet. Bake 4 – 5 inches from the flame. If using an electric oven or there is no flame, place baking sheet on the middle rack. Roast peppers for 40 minutes, turning at least once during cooking using sturdy tongs (if peppers are sliced in half no need to turn, just rotate the baking sheet 180 degrees). They are ready when charred/blackened and blistered. Whole peppers will still be full of air and puffy once removed from the oven. As the peppers cool they will deflate and become wrinkly looking.
Broiler: I used to have an oven where the broiler was underneath the oven, now mine is in the oven. Either way, turn broiler to medium – high (or 500 degrees if yours is by numbers) and char peppers turning every so often until browned and blackened. If you’ve prepped your peppers by slicing in half, no need turn the peppers, simply adjust the baking sheet turning it to get all the peppers charred. This may take anywhere from 15 – 25 minutes.
Open Grill: Place whole peppers on their sides over an open flame on the grill, turning every now and then until nicely charred all over. Depending on how big your grill is will determine how many you can do at one time.
Stove Top: If roasting just 1 or 2 peppers, you can roast it over the gas burner of your stove (I suppose you could do 4 peppers utilizing each burner). Place pepper on its side and adjust the flame so it ‘licks’ the peppers. Keep an eye on it and turn it as needed to blacken and char, about 15 – 20. This tends to be a more time consuming method since you have to be so watchful.
From here use right away to make hummus, romesco, soups, layer on sandwiches and toss in salads, etc.
STORING:
Refrigerator: Great for short term storage.
Keep leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 – 6 days.
If you coat them with a little oil they will for a couple of weeks. You can even add some of the pepper juices to the container. To always be safe, at the first sign of mold or spoilage, throw away immediately. If storing for longer, you have a couple simple options:
Freezing: This is my favorite method of long term storing, as it is not blended with any other flavors, it’s super easy to do, and they thaw out amazingly well. Freeze your peppers in a tightly sealed container. They thaw out pretty fast once removed from the freezer making this a nice way of preserving your precious peppers.
Vinegar Method: This method will leave your peppers with a little bit of tang from the vinegar, in some cases it may overpower them, but it’s a great way to store them. Use these peppers for sauces, dips, and soups.
Place peppers in a jar with a little salt, vinegar and pepper juices. To do this you’ll want to sprinkle your peppers with a generous pinch of mineral salt and mix well. Place 1/2 inch of vinegar at the bottom of your pint sized mason jar, add peppers leaving about 1 1/2 inches headspace. Using the handle of a spoon or fork, poke along the inside edges of the jar to release air bubbles (this is important), pour reserved pepper juices over top so peppers are completely covered, leaving 3/4 inch room. Add about 1/8 inch of olive oil over top to keep air out, leaving 1/2 inch headspace. Seal and place towards the back of the refrigerator. Will be good for up to 2 months, maybe even a little longer. If you see any sign of mold or spoilage, throw away immediately!
GREEN TOMATOES:
I am in love with the below recipe- reminds me of my georgia roots- this was a favorite recipe eaten at our favorite restaurant, The Flying Biscuit
For the cashew relish:
1 1/2 cups cashews
2 red jalapenos, stemmed, seeded and roughly chopped
1/3 cup fresh cilantro leaves
3/4 cup honey
1/3 cup white vinegar
For the tomatoes:
2 1/2 cups milk
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup cornmeal
1 tablespoon salt
1 tablespoon celery salt
1 tablespoon black pepper
1/2 tablespoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon paprika
4 medium green tomatoes, sliced 1/2 inch thick
6 cups canola oil
1/2 cup goat cheese
Prepare the relish: In a food processor, add cashews, jalapenos and cilantro and pulse just until combined. Transfer to a bowl. Add honey and vinegar and mix thoroughly.
Prepare tomatoes: In a bowl, combine milk and eggs. Set aside.
In a bowl, combine flour, cornmeal, salt, celery salt, black and cayenne peppers, onion powder and paprika.
One at a time, dredge tomato slices in flour mixture, then in the egg mixture, then in the flour mixture again.
Heat the oil to 375 degrees. Fry tomatoes, a few at a time, until golden brown. Drain briefly on paper towels. While still hot, place three to four tomatoes per plate. Top with goat cheese and cashew relish.
Makes 4 servings
GREEN TOMATO CAKE
This recipe was shared by Becca Webb of Two Potters on her instagram page. She and her husband Nathan craft beautiful and resilient pieces of kitchenware (mugs, bowls, plates, vases, etc…) I can testify to their resilience as I take my car mug (though I call it my field mug) on all morning harvests. It has been left in fields overnight, and fallen off many a kubota buggy. Bottomline, though I have not taste tested this recipe, I trust their craftsmen ship and therefor am eager to bake this cake come weekend. You in?
