p i c k l i s t
KALE - MINT - LEMONGRASS - BROCCOLI - LEEKS - WATERMELON RADISH -
GREEN PEPPERS - POBLANO PEPPERS - WINTER SQUASH - MIZUNA - HOTTIE HOT PEPS
BREAD OF THE WEEK: ANADAMA BREAD
THIS WEEK AT EDGEWATER…
Oh the bone chilling wind outside is making it completely difficult to motivate any sort of farming today, but so it goes. Also, it is better to continue moving through the honey-do list now with no ice on the ground then wait til tundra sets in. Every Fall, when darkness sets and the temps drop, I think of Pooh's take on winter projects. He once said, “The chores taken place in winter take 5 times as long as they would in Summer” and I would like to add here, that this same chore once done in shorts and sunshine and lickety split is too often completed half ass, grumbling, and chilled to the bone. As we get closer to the winter solstice the farm grumblings become louder. So pick that kale, cut back those gardens and tidy up quick before your fingers fall off. OR at least that’s where I’m at in early November.
Also, last night we bought airplane tickets for the crew- Roy, Jasper, Strong, Garnet, and Daniel- to return home next week, back to Jamaica. Another sure sign that the winds have shifted, and it's time to wrap it all up.
But until then, much to do, more crops to pick (I believe the goal for today is to harvest all the brussels sprouts), and cookies to eat, bread to break. Cheers to the BREAD CSA kitchen crew for continuing the baked good warming of bellies thus all our hearts.
In other news, we had the greatest broccoli harvest we’ve had all season this past Monday. Broccoli has become a real challenge for us. Alternaria disease, brought on and made worse by crops swimming in fields, made it nearly impossible for the plant to produce a solid green head. Black spots were found on nearly every plant we tried to grow. However the broccoli trajectory changed for the duration of the season when in October and some of September, the sun began to shine. Here we are now, with an awesome harvest and no farmstand open to sell it through- thus a major CSA win for you, enjoy!
FARMY FOODIE PRO-TIPS:
A NEW PUMPKIN LAKSA FOR A COLD NIGHT BY NIGEL SLATER
For 4
Winter squash, unskinned
cilantro and mint leaves, to finish
For the paste:
3-4 chiles
2 garlic cloves
thumb sized lump ginger
Stalks lemongrass
cilantro stems and leaves
2 tablespoons sesame oil
For the soup:
2.5 cups Chicken or veg stock
1¾ cup coconut milk
2 tablespoon fish sauce
1-2 tamari
juice of a lime
3.5 oz dried noodles, cooked as it says on packet, then drained
Cut and seed the squash into large chunks. Cook in a steamer or in a metal colander balanced over a pan of boiling water until tender. Remove from the heat.
For the spice paste, remove the stems from the chiles, peel the garlic, and peel and roughly chop the ginger and lemongrass. Put them all into a food processor with the cilantro and the sesame oil and blitz until you have a rough paste.
Get a large, deep pan hot and add the spice paste. Fry for a minute, then stir in the stock and coconut milk and bring to a boil. Let simmer for seven to ten minutes, then stir in the nam pla, tamari, lime juice, squash, and the cooked and drained noodles. Simmer briefly, add the cilantro and mint leaves over the top and serve in deep bowls.
It’s time we started treating vegetables like big old slabs of meat, don’t you think?
This is not their recipe but my riff on it, inspired by what I ate there; I used a small amount of the dry rub I put on ribs with a little less sugar, and then roasted various stalks of broccoli the way I always do before finishing it with a little cheddar (as they at the restaurant and which can totally be skipped because, honestly, I love cheese but it doesn’t add that much here). The vinegar dipping sauce is like a vinaigrette, minus the oil, and it cuts nicely against the broccoli and rub flavors, the way a squeeze of lemon juice usually does against green vegetables. This is a spectacularly simple and habit-forming way of making broccoli, so you’ll be glad this makes more rub than you’ll need.
Serves 2, heartily
Olive oil
About 1 pound broccoli, although the weight isn’t that important, either in 1 big head or 2 or so “trees”
Grated aged cheddar (optional)
Dry rub
2 teaspoons packed dark brown sugar
1 teaspoon paprika, ideally smoked but regular will also work
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
Chipotle powder or ground red pepper (cayenne) to taste
1 teaspoon coarse or kosher salt, and more to taste
Cider vinegar dip
1 tablespoon cider vinegar
1/4 teaspoon smooth dijon mustard
Pinch of salt, smoked flaky sea salt is wonderful here if you have it
Pinch of pepper flakes
Shake of smoked hot paprika or chipotle powder
Heat oven to 450 degrees F. Coat a large roasting pan with a glug or two of olive oil. Combine rub ingredients in a small dish. Taste a pinch; it should be flavorful, but more salty than sweet, with a kick. Make adjustments to taste.
Prep broccoli by peeling any knobby bits and outer skin off stalks. Cut smaller heads lengthwise through stem into two “steaks;” cut larger ones a second time into four wedge-shaped “steaks,” if desired. Place cut side down in roasting pan; drizzle tops very lightly with olive oil and sprinkle with rub. Roast for 20 minutes, until deeply brown underneath. While roasting, combine cider vinegar dip ingredients. Flip, coat cut side with more rub and roast for another 10 to 15 minutes, until charred at edges. Remove from oven and immediately grate a small amount of cheese over broccoli.
Serve with cider vinegar dip and, if you’d like to be more like the restaurant, with a little pile of smoked sea salt on the side. Eat with forks and steak knives.
Watermelon radish
Yall! Don’t be discouraged by the white turnipy looking thing that we swear is a radish! Grab a knife, slice open, and behold the most beautiful hot pink gem of root crop! Taste great fresh on salads, roasted with olive oil, pickled in vinegar, all the things.
PREP TIME: 10 MINUTES COOK TIME: 10 MINUTES SERVES: 4
3 1/2 Tablespoons black sesame seeds
1/8 teaspoon flakey sea salt
1/4 cup tahini
1 Tablespoon mellow white miso
1 clove of minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon rice vinegar
1/2 teaspoon tamari or soy sauce
3 Tablespoons water + more to thin if necessary
2 medium-sized watermelon radishes, very thinly sliced
4 slices of good quality bread, lightly toasted
2 scallions, minced, white and light green parts only
Heat a small skillet over medium heat. Add the black sesame seeds and lightly toast, shaking the pan often until lightly toasted and fragrant, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat and let slightly cool. Using a mortar and pestle (or the back of a spoon) lightly crush the sesame seeds and sea salt together.
With an immersion blender or small food processor combine the tahini, miso, garlic, lemon, vinegar, soy sauce and water. Blend until smooth and creamy-you want a thick consistency but smooth enough to spread on toast. Add more water, 1 teaspoon at a time until you reach the right consistency. Taste test and adjust seasonings if need be.
Spread the tahini-miso sauce over 4 slices of toasted bread and top with a few slices of radishes and sprinkle each piece of toast with minced scallions and a few pinches of the sesame seed/salt mixture (Gomashio) and enjoy.