p i c k l i s t
CABBAGE - CELERY - BEETS - CARROTS - SHISO -
TULSI BASIL - FENNEL - CAULIFLOWER
CSA FRAAAANDS!! On account of way too many crops that will leave y’all scratching your heads wondering what exactly you signed up for, I am skipping the farm updates and moving right into PRO-TIPS. And if anyone needs more on how we spent this week in farming, I can assure you this. No one went home dry. Yes, our wells and water-tables are pumped but ugggh my feet exist in a constant prune state.
PRO TIPS:
SHISO: This week we are going to try something new. We are all going to use SHISO (the beautiful reddish purple bunch in your CSA) and learn this herb together. Full disclosure, I know nothing about it. I’ve eyed it for years- heard stories of pickling and fermenting, garnishing, juicing, etc. But this year we have a really beautiful crop and it’s time to expand our horizons.
(Delicious Korean pickled perilla (shiso) leaves in soy sauce brine)
32 leaves shiso
SEASONING SAUCE (MIX THESE IN A MEDIUM-SIZED BOWL)
10 Tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp Korean chili flakes (gochugaru)
1 tsp minced garlic
2 Tbsp brown sugar
2 Tbsp spring onion , finely chopped
2 Tbsp green chilies or red chilies, finely chopped
Rinse the shiso leaves in cold running water and drain/air dry them while left in the colander.
While waiting for the perilla leaves to dry, prepare the seasoning sauce.
Place the perilla leaves in stacks in a large (glass) container (with a lid). Spread (about 1 Tbsp worth of) seasoning sauce on top of the perilla leaf. Repeat this process for every 3 leaves for the rest of the leaves. As it is already stacked, you will have to lift the leaves at every third interval with one hand while the other hand is spreading the sauce. You don’t need to spread the sauce on every leaf. If you have any sauce leftover, pour it onto the stacked leaves. If you run out of sauce, tip the container and scoop out the sauce from the bottom corner of the container and spread it over the perilla leaves.
Close the lid and move the container to the fridge. You can start eating this from the next day. Serve it with a hot bowl of rice. (It can be stored in the fridge for at least one week. Though traditionally this dish was made during the summer months when many perilla leaves are available and consumed through the summer to winter.)
18 oz Red/Purple Shiso leaves * 1 or 500g
2 cups water
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
Instructions
Prepare shiso leaves to boil. Wash and trim the shiso leaves.
Bring the 2 cups of water to boil in a large sauce pan and add the prepared shiso leaves.
Turn the heat down to medium heat and cook the shiso leaves for about a few minutes. The leaves colour will change from purple to a greenish colour.
Drain the shiso leaves with a strainer and squeeze the leaves to extract as much as you can. It is hot so be careful not to burn your fingers. I used a spoon to extract all liquid.
Place the drained liquid back to the saucepan and bring it simmer.
Add the sugar, and when the sugar is dissolved, turn the heat off and add the apple cider vinegar.
Cool it down and keep it in a clean bottle in a fridge. If you sterilize the container in which you keep the syrup, it will last about 6 months in the fridge.
To make shiso juice, place 1/4 cup of the syrup into a glass and pour about 200 ml of mineral water or fizzy soda water over the top. Add ice cubes.
Tulsi: Tulsi, or Holy Basil. This herb, I LOVE. Tulsi, the green bunch in your box topped with little purple flower is an herbal adaptogen. My dear friend and favorite herbalist Rachael Keener of ALKAME CO. wrote the following about adaptogens,
“ADAPTOGENS ARE CONSIDERED HERBAL SUPERSTARS BECAUSE OF THEIR UNIQUE ABILITY TO SUPPORT A HEALTHY STRESS RESPONSE. In what can sometimes feel like the barrage of the modern era, these plants stand beside us fostering grace and balance while offering their generous hand of support.
What’s even more impressive about adaptogens is that we’re not just talking about resilience to the occasional stress of the modern demands of work, family, etc. They may also support our body’s response to environmental stressors like pollutants in our water, and chemicals in our body products. These too pose a challenge unique to the times we are living in.
Interestingly, adaptogens don’t have one specific way in which they act. Instead, they act as harmonizers. Their diverse chemistry helps balance our diverse chemistry and supports the stability of our neuroendocrine and immune systems (aka how we perceive and respond to mental/emotional and environmental/chemical stressors). Science has identified some of the ways in which adaptogens do this, but due to their broad-ranging mechanisms of actions, every aspect of how they work has yet to be clearly defined.
Adaptogens are, by definition, considered appropriate for long-term use… Best adopted as daily tonics, they build our resilience over time. They are not an instant fix, and they do not stand alone as a replacement for other forms of self-care. Instead they stand firmly behind us, supporting lifestyle changes that promote resilience in this wild world*.
With self-care and adaptogens at our side, we can restore our ability to be actors in our worlds. We can orient to action, rather than reaction. The world is indeed a crazy place, and yet we still belong to it. Lean on your plant friends when the going gets rough and you notice that you’re having a hard time adapting or finding balance. They make pleasant companions and reflect back to us how to welcome ourselves home no matter what is happening around us.”
MORE ON Tulsi from Urban Moonshine… “Tulsi, in particular, is one of the few adaptogens that come in a green leafy form, this plant supports our nervous system during periods of occasional stress and burn out. It's sweet, spicy vanilla aroma and taste make it a favorite one to uplift the spirit. It's a favorite in tea, as well as smoothies, salads and fresh juices.”
All this being said, I remember when I was pregnant my midwife discouraged tulsi… Not entirely sure why- but if you are a pregnant person, please ask your midwife first.
TULSI TEA
1 cup water
1 tsp-2 tsp dried tulsi, or 4 tsp fresh (really based on the taste you prefer)
Bring the water to a boil. Remove from the heat and pour over the tulsi in a heat-safe container.
Allow the tea to steep, covered, for 10-15 minutes.
Strain tulsi from tea and enjoy daily.
USE FRESH LEAVES: Add chopped leaves to culinary dishes just as you would basil. Freeze leaves in ice cubes to add to summer drinks. Eat a few fresh leaves to get phytonutrients and boost your immunity.
TULSI is also found in tinctures, infused honeys, elixirs, vinegars etc… for more on that give it a google.
Caramelized fennel with parmy frico
by Molly Baz from the book: COOK THIS BOOK
(recommended by Coreen at the farmstand!)
3 large fennel bulbs with fronds
1 lemon
2oz Parmesan cheese
¼ cup plus 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
salt & pep
Position a rack in the lower third of your oven. Preheat the oven to 425*f
Prep the fennel and Parm:
Trim off the long stalks of 3 fennel bulbs, right where they meet the bulb. Reserve about half of them; discard the rest. Trim the root ends of the bulbs if they are looking a little brown and sad. Discard any bruised outer layers of the fennel bulbs. Position each bulb upright on your cutting board, root-end down, and cut into ½-inch thick planks. Transfer the planks to a large rimmed baking sheet.
Drizzle the fennel planks with ¼ cup olive oil, being sure to coat them evenly and all over. Season with salt and black pepper.
Using a microplane, finely grate 1 ounce of Parmesan cheese (about ¼ cup) over the fennel (on top only, no need to flip). Roast until the fennel is deeply caramelized on the underside, 20 to 25 minutes.
Remove from the oven and flip each plank. Finely grate 1 ounce more cheese (about ¼ cup) over the caramelized side of the fennel. Return to the oven and roast until tender and browned all over, 10 to 15 minutes longer.
Prep the raw fennel salad:
While the fennel roasts, pluck any fronds attached to the reserved fennel stalks and coarsely chop them. Thinly slice the fennel stalks crosswise into coins. Transfer everything to a medium bowl.
Cut 1 lemon in half; squeeze the juice from both halves over the raw fennel. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon olive oil, season with salt and black pepper, and toss well to dress the fennel. Taste and adjust the seasoning if it needs it.
SERVE: Transfer the roasted fennel planks to a serving dish. Scatter the r