-P I C K L I S T -
SPINACH - GARLIC SCAPES - BOK CHOY - SCALLIONS - RHUBARB - BASIL - CUCUMBER - STRAWBERRIES
To those that are new to this eating/farming journey, welcome! And for those well seasoned CSAers, I am so pumped to have you back because hot damn it feels good to be picking food again for all of you!
This June feels more welcomed than any June I have ever known. With the emergence of the garlic scapes from the garlic crop and the ripening from white to red of the strawberry fields, we too are emerging and I am reaching for the sun! And, like a strawberry, with every sunny day, I too am turning white to red. (Who’s got my sunscreen?)
ALRIGHT LET’S GET INTO THOSE GARLIC SCAPES:
What are they? For you fresh CSA babes, the garlic scape might be a mystery crop, but let me tell you there is magic in those green twisty wands. Garlic scapes grow out of the garlic plant. They are the eventual flower that the garlic would naturally produce. However, we cut them back in order to make a more robust garlic bulb. Plants use a ton of energy to make flowers. When you cut back your flowers, or prune your trees, it might feel disheartening at first (if you know you know). For example, in my own garden, I go through each of the early blossoms and snip back the flowers. We try to do this in our cut flower field as well. This encourages all that good energy that goes into producing flowers to be redirected into the foliage of the plants and its roots, encouraging a stronger, more productive plant over the growing season. However, unlike pruning your tomato plants or apple trees, we get to eat the ‘cut back’ flower right now. For all you medicinal foodies, there are real benefits to eating garlic scapes: immune system support, reduce inflammation, vitamin C, antioxidant properties, etc. The garlic scape is a more mild garlic that can be chopped fresh, fried on the pan, grilled with olive oil & salt or pestoed. I prefer pesto- see the PRO-TIPS section for more on this.
AND AS FOR STRAWBERRIES! We are one week into picking berries and the fruit is coming on nicely. The initial heat gave us a scare. Watching all the varieties ripen up at the same time was a little unnerving as too much fruit at one time is completely overwhelming for the farmer and the plant. Thankfully, this cool weather came to town and allowed us to take some deep breaths as we gear up for the next month of early mornings, butts up in the air, and flats full of berries.
PRO TIPS:
WASH YOUR SPINACH! Really and truly, give it one more rinse before you eat in order to take it to the next level of grit free greens.
THE FOLLOWING IS A REPEAT CSA RECIPE FROM PAST YEARS, I'M SORRY I CANT HELP MYSELF THE END PRODUCT IS JUST SO DANG GOOD…
Make the following recipe! It’s entirely mandatory! Bonus, this stuff freezes beautifully, so don’t feel committed to eating it all right away. This is one of our staples our family makes a ton of and keeps in our chest freezer to enjoy all winter long. The recipe says eat with spaghetti or (crusty) bread, but don’t stop there- slab it on your eggs, use it for a salad dressing base, dollop it in your winter soups, etc… And if you do make a ton to freeze, make sure that however you are packaging it, leave room at the top of the container for the pesto to expand. (we pack ours in mason jars, and have run into many-a-broken pesto filled jar. (1“ of space at the top should suffice).
YIELD About 1 cup recipe from the NYTimes
The star of this pesto is the garlic plant’s under-appreciated second offering: the fleeting garlic scape. The ingredients are straightforward except for the substitution of sunflower seeds for pine nuts. The seeds are a fraction of the cost and do the job just as well. A food processor is a must for this recipe. For pesto, ingredient order matters. Start with the scapes and process for about 30 seconds. Add the seeds until they are broken down and mixed well with the scapes. Scrape the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula for wandering bits. Next, pour in the olive oil. If you have Parmesan cheese in chunks, add it now, but if it is grated, wait until the scapes and seeds smooth out. If you’re serving right away, add the basil and lemon juice. If not, hold back on the basil for now — otherwise the pesto will lose its vibrant color. Add generously to cooked spaghetti or spread on crusty bread.
BOK CHOY
I am a huge fan of bok choy. For us, It's one of the first Summer greens that grows nicely in what appears to be all conditions. We obviously add it to stir-fries, ramen, fried rice, kimchi etc… But we also chop and use it as a sub for any early green. For example, it goes great in eggs- chopped thin and eaten fresh in tacos, etc…
by smittenkitchen!
JENNYS NOTE: At Least one point in the season- typically towards the beginning I have fantasies of making these muffins, only a handful of times has that fantasy come true… but these are perfect and easy enough. I encourage all to make extra and drop them by the strawberry fields on any given morning, the entire crew will thank you. (lol, jkjkjk, but also, not jk ya know?
Streusel
1/4 cup (31 grams) all-purpose flour
1/4 cup (28 grams) white whole wheat flour
1 tablespoon (13 grams) granulated sugar
3 tablespoons (38 grams) light or dark brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Pinch of nutmeg
Pinch of salt
3 tablespoons (42 grams) unsalted butter, melted
Muffin
1 large egg
1/4 cup (50 grams) light or dark brown sugar
3 tablespoons (38 grams) granulated sugar
5 tablespoons (71 grams) unsalted butter, melted and cooled to lukewarm
3/4 cup (177 ml) sour cream
1 cup (approx. 120 grams) white whole wheat flour or whole wheat pastry flour (see Note)
1/2 cup (63 grams) all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup diced rhubarb, in 1/2-inch pieces (from about 6 to 8 ounces of stalks)
Preheat oven to 375°F. Butter 12 muffin cups.
Make streusel: In a small dish, stir together flours, sugars, spices and salt. Stir in butter until crumbly. Set aside.
Make muffins: Whisk egg in the bottom of a large bowl with both sugars. Whisk in butter, then sour cream. In a separate bowl, mix together flours, baking powder, baking soda and salt and stir them into the sour cream mixture, mixing until just combined and still a bit lumpy. Fold in rhubarb and 1/3 (feel free to eyeball this) of the streusel mixture.
Divide batter among prepared muffin cups. Sprinkle each muffin with remaining streusel, then use a spoon to gently press the crumbs into the batter so that they adhere. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until tops are golden and a tester inserted into the center of muffins comes out clean. Rest muffins in pan on cooling rack for two minutes, then remove muffins from tin to cool them completely.