p i c k l i s t
strawberries - rhubarb - cucumbers - celery - garlic scapes - mint - lemon balm - kale - basil
Enter June. A time when we start to eat the literal fruits of our labor. I am always so overwhelmed by the beauty of this month- the light in the sky, the buds on the flowers, the food emerging from the fields. June is a month of clean rows, freshly planted earth, quietly germinating seeds, perennial plant magic and easy cultivation. At this point in the early season, all appears tidy and weed free. Oh but get ready, it is a real illusion. Because while we are distracted keeping our butts in the air and our heads towards the ground over in the strawberry fields- the weeds are planning their mutiny. I am almost positive that they come together annually, have a team meeting marking their territory and by July 1, everyone from lambsquarter to crabgrass to nettles and beyond begin to form a brigade. But enough about the future weeds, and let us lean into this moment of real crop hope and early season field potential.
ALSO, and moreover, welcome back CSA season- for those who are keeping track- we are 15 years into this little food club that just won’t quit. Thanks for having us at your table!
PRO-TIPS
Full disclosure, I have not made this, but my bestie swears by it…
1/2 cup (125ml) extra-virgin olive oil
1 1/2 tablespoons red or white wine vinegar
1 tablespoon water
1 small shallot (25g) peeled and sliced
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
3/4 teaspoon kosher or flaky sea salt
2 cups (25g) loosely packed fresh basil leaves
- Put the olive oil, vinegar, water, shallot, mustard, and salt in a blender. Coarsely chop the basil leaves and immediately put them in the blender.
- Cover the blender and mix on high-speed for 15 to 30 seconds until the vinaigrette is smooth. If the sauce is too thick for your liking, add a little more water or olive oil to thin it out.
Notes: Serving and storage: The basil vinaigrette can be used right away or will keep for a week in the refrigerator. It’s best served at room temperature.
Yield:8 to 12 servings
2 cups sliced almonds
⅓ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (from 2 to 4 lemons)
Kosher salt
1½ cups extra-virgin olive oil
4 cloves garlic, crushed with the flat side of a knife, peeled and left whole
10 to 12 ounces washed and dried kale leaves, thick stems removed (weight after trimming)
1½ cups freshly grated Parmesan (optional)
Step 1: In a toaster oven or skillet, toast almonds until golden brown and fragrant. Set aside to cool.
Step 2: In a bowl, combine lemon juice and 1 heaping teaspoon salt. Slowly whisk in olive oil. Add garlic cloves and set aside to steep.
Step 3: Working in batches, cut the kale into thin ribbons: gather a large handful of leaves, bunch together tightly, and use the other hand to slice into ¼-inch-thick pieces. This need not be done very precisely or neatly; the idea is to end up with a kind of slaw. (Recipe can be made up to this point 1 day ahead. Keep kale and dressing refrigerated separately.)
Step 4:Place chopped kale in a very large bowl. Sprinkle surface with almonds and then with cheese, if using. Remove and discard garlic cloves from dressing. Pour half the dressing over the salad and toss. Taste for dressing and salt and add more as needed, tossing to coat thoroughly. Serve within 1 hour.
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 (SOOOOO GOOOQOOOOD YOU HAVE TO TRY IT) with olive oil & salt or pestoed. To move through and enjoy lots of garlic scapes all year long, make a ton of pesto, and freeze! Next week will include a pesto recipe to follow as I can assure, you will without a doubt be getting another bunch of garlic scapes.
(ANOTHER BESTY FAVORITE.)
Tart rhubarb is perfectly balanced with sugar in this sweet and moist rhubarb cake recipe with a streusel topping.
Cake:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 ¼ cups white sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
2 eggs, beaten
1 cup sour cream
3 cups diced rhubarb
Streusel:
1 cup white sugar
¼ cup butter, softened
¼ cup all-purpose flour
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon, or to taste
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour a 9x13-inch baking dish.
Make cake: Stir together flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl. Stir in eggs and sour cream until smooth, then fold in rhubarb. Pour into the prepared dish and spread evenly.
Make streusel: Stir together sugar and butter in a medium bowl until smooth. Stir in flour until mixture is crumbly. Sprinkle mixture on top of cake, then dust lightly with cinnamon.
Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 45 minutes.
LEMON BALM & MINT:
Fresh herbs for tea, cocktails, and salads! The basil and mint is obvious, you know what to do. lemon balm, I’m here to give you a heads up. Strip leaves, place in water, drink abundantly (because we all need to drink more water!)
Ingredients
Vinaigrette
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 lemon (medium zested)
3 tablespoon lemon juice (freshly squeezed)
3 tablespoons Greek yogurt
2 tablespoons minced shallots
1 teaspoon brown sugar
½ teaspoon Dijon mustard
½ teaspoon kosher or sea salt
Fresh cracked black pepper (to taste)
Salad
3 cucumbers (medium sliced (about 4 cups))
¼ cup chopped spearmint
Kosher or sea salt (if necessary)
Directions
In a bowl whisk together the vinaigrette ingredients. Chill until ready to serve.
Pat the cucumber slices dry between paper towels. Combine with the mint in a large bowl. Toss with the vinaigrette and season with additional salt, if desired. Serve chilled.
Make Ahead
The vinaigrette can be prepared one to two days in advance.
Happy eating friends!