P i c k l i s t
HAKURAI TURNIPS - LETTUCE - CELERIAC - SWEET POTATOES - CARROTS - BRUSSEL SPROUTS - LEMONGRASS - MIZUNA - ONIONS - APPLES
CSA bread share really coming through this week, gotta love fresh warm Aubergine bread
OK y'all, it is officially Fall. The temps have dropped- though some of us are still fighting like hell to keep the short shorts going. You know these people. They are the teenagers that wear flip flops in December to homeroom at any hint of sunshine. They are also the ones in elementary school that refuse to wear a coat, or at least they will put on said coat and refuse to zipper past their belly button. Now, these people are grown, they work at Edgewater Farm, and they can't help but wash potatoes all afternoon in their fave summer work wear, or roll up greenhouse sides in 40 degrees just to get that last bit of golden ray on their lower legs. NOT ME. This time of year, you can find me buried in my onesie, wooly long johns on the inside, canvas thermal lined Pooh Sprague hand-me-down on the outside. This will be my uniform from now til March, I guarantee it.
Farm lewks aside, this week we are focused on wrapping up as many loose ends as possible. We have one week left with our field crew (all dressed daily in puff jackets and lined gloves, SMART) to knock out any big projects. This also means we have one week left to take in any last pizza party hurrahs, radio blaring sing-a-longs, morning coffee, donuts, jokes and high-fives. But how do we balance the too much fun with the actual work load, time will tell… I like to think it is all just a part of Edgewater Charm.
FARMY FOODIE PRO-TIPS:
Ripe for the oven: HAKURAI TURNIPS! SWEET POTATOES - CARROTS - BRUSSEL SPROUTS - ONIONS - CELERIAC
GREENS THIS WEEK: lettuce - hakurai tops - mizuna (eat fresh or braised!) - brussel sprouts
ALL OF THE FOLLOWING RECIPES CURATED BY OUR FAVE UP-THE-ROAD-NEARLY-RESIDENT- CHEF, MITCHELL DAVIS.
For more from recipes from Mitchell, absolutely check out his substack it is awesome:
Celery Root Rémoulade
A classic French slaw I love to serve with pork or other meat dishes, as the tangy vinaigrette cuts through the richness. Sometimes I make it creamy, sometimes not.
1 celery root
Salt
Juice of 1 lemon
2 tablespoons Dijon Mustard
1/4 cup white wine vinegar
2/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 small shallot, minced
½ cup mayonnaise, plain Greek yogurt, labne, sour cream or crème fraiche (optional)
Freshly ground black pepper
Handful chopped parsley
With a sharp paring knife, peel the celery root, cutting away and gnarly patches or dark spot. Cut the root in half or quarters, depending on how large it is. Using a mandoline or sharp chef’s knife, slice the celery root very thinly. Stack a few slices and slice them into fine strips or julienne. Place the julienned celery root in a large mixing bowl. Sprinkle generously with salt
and toss with the lemon juice. Let sit to wilt for 20 minutes or so while you prepare the dressing.
In a small bowl, whisk together the Dijon mustard and vinegar. Slowly whisk in the olive oil to make an emulsion. Stir in the shallot. To make a creamy dressing, beat in the mayonnaise, yogurt, or other dairy product. Pour the dressing into the bowl with the wilted celery root. Add a generous amount of black pepper and chopped parsley and toss to coat. The rémoulade can be eaten right away, but it gets better if it sits in the refrigerator for a couple of hours.
Glazed Harukai Turnips
A simple technique you can use with many different types of vegetables, such as carrots,
parsnips, or even celery root.
1 bunch Harukai turnips
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil or other vegetable oil
Salt
1/3 cup apple cider, white wine, or stock
Sugar, honey, or maple syrup (optional)
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
Cut the tops off the turnips as close to even with the bulb as possible. Remove the root. With the blade of a small paring knife, hold the turnips under cold, running water and scrape away any dark spots or blemishes to return them to their snowy white selves. If the turnips are fresh there is no need to peel them. Split turnips in half, large ones in quarters. You want them to be approximately the same size.
In a Dutch oven, heat the oil over medium-high. When hot, add a pinch of salt and lay the turnips in the pan cut side down. Let sizzle away until the turnips are nicely browned, about 5 or 6 minutes. Flip them over to check, and if they have more than one cut side, brown those also. Once browned, flip the turnips so their unpeeled side is down. Add the cider or other
liquid to the pan. (If using wine or stock, add a pinch of sugar, some honey, or syrup.) Cover the pan, reduce the heat and let the turnips steam for 7 or 8 minutes until soft. Remove the lid, raise the heat, and continue simmering until almost all of the liquid has evaporated, turning the vegetables over once or twice to coat in the glaze that forms. Turn off the heat. Add the butter to the pan along with some freshly ground black pepper. Toss the turnips to coat with the butter before serving.
Roasted Brussels Sprouts in Lime–Fish Sauce Vinaigrette
A flavor combination the original Momofuku Ssäm Bar in NYC made rightfully famous. They deep fried their sprouts; I roast mine.
1 or 2 pounds Brussels sprouts, cleaned and split in half
Extra-virgin olive oil
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
½ cup Thai or Vietnamese fish sauce
¼ cup water
2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
Juice of 1 lime
¼ cup sugar
1 garlic clove, grated on a Microplane
1 to 3 red bird’s-eye chiles, thinly sliced, seeds in tact
Preheat the oven to 400°F. Arrange the Brussels sprouts on a large sheet pan. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Toss the sprouts to coat and arrange them cut side up. They should barely touch. Roast for about 40 minutes or so, until they are tender and the outer leaves are deeply browned. Some burnt edges are fine. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, blend together the fish sauce, water, vinegar, lime juice, sugar, garlic and chili. Toss the roasted sprouts with the dressing and serve warm.