P I C K L I S T
CHERRY TOMATOES - GOLD POTATOES - LEEKS - CORN - KALE - PARSLEY - RASPBERRIES - LUNCHBOX PEPPERS - ROMAINE LETTUCE - CARMEN PEPPER - HOTTIE PEPPER - CARROTS - GREEN BEANS
Somehow, we are entering October. Somehow it is week 16 of Summer CSA. The tomato ripening has really slowed down, the potato harvest is well underway, and yesterday was my first day working in carharts since early May. Full disclosure, I’m not into this transition. It is officially Fall here and I am waaaay too emotional to even approach the inevitable truth that Summer is over (I just want it to last forever), so let’s just move right into pro-tips and save the tears for next week (the very last week of SUMMER CSA!).
That said, I am very pumped about keeping the party going through our Fall CSA starting October 13th!
Who’s coming with me? (and Allie!!)
PRO-TIPS:
corn ear worm, A WARNING:
There is no way your corn is earworm free… For that I am sorry. Corn earworms appear to have taken residency in damn near every ear of corn. However I need to tell you how harmless these little devils are and how they are no different from the rest of us. Like you and I, the corn ear worm is looking for a cozy place to call home and a delicious meal (grown by your favorite farmers) to satiate their hunger. With an ear of corn, they can fulfill both those basic needs. OOOOF BUT NO ONE WANTS TO SEE A WORM IN THEIR FOOD!!
So here is the solution: Cut off the top portion of the corn- discard the ear worm habitat (they usually hang out right on top) and use the lower ¾ of the ear.
To make this vegetarian, omit the bacon and replace with more shiitake mushrooms; sauté them until they’re golden brown. This is part of BA's Best, a collection of our essential recipes.
Ingredients
8 SERVINGS
8 ears of corn
2 Parmesan rinds (about 4 ounces; optional)
4 ounces shiitake mushrooms, stems removed and reserved, caps cut into ¼-inch pieces
2 sprigs thyme
1 bay leaf
Kosher salt
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature, divided
Freshly ground black pepper
¼ cup dry white wine
4 ounces thick-cut bacon, cut into ¼-inch pieces
1 pound potatoes, cut into ½-inch pieces
3 shallots, thinly sliced
1 medium leek, white and pale-green parts only, quartered lengthwise, thinly sliced
2 garlic cloves, finely grated
2 Fresno chiles, seeded, finely chopped
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 cups heavy cream
1 tablespoon chopped marjoram
Chopped parsley and crushed oyster crackers (for serving)
Preparation
Cut kernels from cobs and place in a large bowl. Place cobs in a medium pot and add Parmesan rinds, if using, mushroom stems, thyme, bay leaf, 2 tsp. salt, and 8 cups water. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring occasionally, until broth is fragrant and reduced by half, 40–50 minutes. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a medium bowl; discard solids and set broth aside.
Meanwhile, heat 4 Tbsp. butter in a large heavy pot over medium-high. Add corn kernels, season generously with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally, until corn is tender and juices have evaporated and browned on the bottom of the pot, 12–15 minutes. Reserve ½ cup corn for serving; transfer remaining corn to a medium bowl.
Add wine to pot and cook, scraping up browned bits, until liquid is syrupy, about 2 minutes. Scrape into bowl with remaining corn.
Heat remaining 1 Tbsp. butter in same pot over medium and cook bacon until golden brown and fat has rendered, about 6 minutes. Add potatoes, shallots, leek, garlic, and chopped mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables have softened but haven’t taken on any color, 12–15 minutes. Add chiles and cook until fragrant and softened, about 3 minutes. Stir in flour and cook until nutty and fragrant, about 1 minute. Add reserved broth, bring to a boil, and cook, stirring occasionally, until potatoes are fork-tender, 10–15 minutes. Add cream and corn mixture and cook, stirring, until chowder has thickened, 5–10 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in marjoram. Let sit 15 minutes before serving.
Divide chowder among bowls. Top with parsley, oyster crackers, and reserved ½ cup corn; season with pepper.
AND IF YOU ARE NOT IN THE MOOD FOR CORN CHOWDER (IS THIS EVEN POSSIBLE?)
… FREEZE FOR LATER!
Freezing is a quick and convenient way to preserve vegetables at home. Sweet corn is a popular, easy and excellent vegetable to freeze. You can enjoy the great taste of summertime sweet corn all year long by following simple, basic procedures for freezing vegetables.
Blanching is a must
Blanching, followed by chilling in ice water, are critical processes for producing quality frozen corn. The natural enzymes in corn need to be inactivated before freezing to prevent both loss of color and nutrients, and flavor and texture changes. These enzymes are inactivated by a hot blanch treatment. The chilling process prevents the corn from becoming mushy due to overcooking the starch.
Husk, blanch, cool, cut, package, freeze, eat
An electric knife is a handy tool for cutting off the kernels.
Husk ears and remove silk.
Bring 6 to 8 quarts of water to a boil.
Submerge several ears at a time.
Blanch the ears for 4 minutes.
Cool promptly in ice water for 4 minutes.
Drain.
Cut the kernels from the cob. An electric knife is a handy tool for cutting off the kernels.
Package the corn in freezer containers, leave one-half inch headspace.
Seal and freeze at zero degrees F or below.
For best quality, eat within 8-12 months of freezing.