P i c k l i s t
tomatoes - broccoli - basil - parsley -
cabbage - blueberries - eggplant - corn - green beans
This week in farming proved way chiller than last- woop woop! We did not have to take shelter due to thunderstorms, we did not have to pull riverside equipment in fear of flood, and we did not have to grin and bear at 2 pm on those 95 degree days. We got to enjoy the season, we got to enjoy farming. It is all harvest all the time right now and it feels so good to swiftly fill a bushel with carrots, or a flat with raspberries. Pints upon pints have been filled daily with the sweetest blueberries, and I can't help but eye the shishito pepper crop nightly as it is planted right outside my bedroom window. I like to lazily dream gaze at this field, waiting for it to produce an abundance of my fave veg (the shishitos) to pick and fry.
Bottomline here, we are in the middle of what seems to be a good all around summer bounty, with loads of cukes, pickles, squash, zucchini, and green beans coming in from the fields. Now adding cherries, grapes, and mixed colors little tomatoes to pint up along with their elders: gobs of red slicing tomatoes and heirlooms just waiting to be sliced. The corn is ready! The melons are sweet as can be- lets just hang out in July forever shall we?
What is proving to be a challenge right now? We are struggling to get our Fall crops seeded, and our fields weeded. Even with this abundance of light levels, there are just not enough hours in a day. Forgive me, if I’ve said that last part about light and not enough hours, 100000 times. But it’s so true!
FARMY FOODIE PRO-TIPS:
Basil: hot tip on storing basil, treat it as a cut flower and keep it in a vase on your counter (outside the fridge) in about 2 inches of water.
Ripe for the grill: broccoli - cabbage - eggplant - corn - green beans - tomato
Where are Mitchel's recipes?!? Due to the nature of this CSA (diverse and ever changing), we had to make some last minute crops switching on account of a sudden abundance of green beans and blueberries. Therefore, Mitchel’s recipes for what would have been a cucurbit heavy CSA will be bookmarked for the next cucumber-squash-zucchini week.
Grilled Summer Veg with Creamy Sesame Dressing BY MOLLY BAZ
https://mollybaz.com/grilled-summer-veg-with-creamy-sesame-dressing/#memberful_done
SERVES: 4 Silken tofu is the magical miracle ingredient in this creamy mayo-less sesame dressing. If it sounds weird to blend tofu into a dressing….it’s not. It Lends body and a subtle soy flavor that gets bolstered with sesame seeds, sesame oil, and garlic.As for the grilled vegetables, really ,the world is your oyster here. I’ve suggested some green things that cook quickly and go well together but I’ve also used this dressing on grilled or roasted mushrooms, and drizzled over baked sweet potatoes, so don't feel like you have to stick to the script.The recipe will yield twice as much dressing as you need and that’s intentional – no sense in busting out the blender for one meal.
ACTIVE TIME: 45 MINS TOTAL TIME: 55 MINS
PRODUCE:
4 garlic cloves
2 lbs green summer vegetables (zucchini, asparagus, snap peas, scallions or green beans)
1lemon
PANTRY
4 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
¼ cup toasted sesame seeds
½ cup plus 2 tablespoons canola oil
⅓ cup unseasoned rice vinegar
1tablespoon soy sauce
Kosher salt, lots of freshly ground black pepper
PROTEIN 8 oz soft tofu
1. MAKETHE CREAMYTOFU SESAME DRESSING:
In a small food processor or blender, combine 8 ounces soft tofu, 4 teaspoons toasted sesame oil, ¼ cup toasted sesame seeds, 2 garlic cloves, ½ cup canola oil, ⅓ cup rice vinegar, 1 tablespoon soy sauce. Blend or blitz until very creamy. Season with salt and lots of freshly ground black pepper - it should be noticeably peppery. Finely grate the zest of half a lemon into the dressing and blitz once more. Set dressing aside.
2. GRILL: Prepare a grill for medium-high heat. If using zucchini, cut into ½” rounds or planks. Snip the ends of any green beans or peel the strings of snap peas, if using. Combine all the prepped veg (2 pounds total) in a large mixing bowl. Drizzle with a few tablespoons of canola or olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Finely grate 2 more garlic cloves over the veg and toss to coat. Arrange the veg on the grill and cook until charred in spots and softened but not mushy–you be the judge. Everyone likes their vegetables cooked to a different doneness. Get some good color and then start tasting.
3. SERVE: Spread some sesame sauce on a serving platter.Top with the grilled veg. Finely grate some more lemon zest over everything and squeeze the juice of the lemon over just before serving. Finish with more sesame seeds.
Serves 4
This is it guys. The crispy eggplant you have all waiting for… The trick is to slice it thick-ish and salt it generously. Let it sit out releasing puddles of water. Pat dry aggressively, cover in corn starch aggressively and then fry in hot oil until it comes out golden and dark brown in some places (you want to make sure the eggplant meat inside is cooked, custardy and sweet). I have topped the eggplant in with garlicky tahini, amba (mango pickle sauce), fresh parsley and sea salt but you can really do whatever you want here. Someone suggested drizzling it with honey or silan (date syrup) and once I tried that...you’ll see.
1 large eggplant or 2 medium eggplants
kosher salt
1 cup cornstarch
4 cups canola oil or any oil with no flavor and a high smoke point like grapeseed, sunflower, veggie
sea salt to finish
serve with garlicky tahini (recipe below), amba, fresh parsley, fresh lemon, parsley, honey
Slice the eggplant in 1/2 inch thick pieces. You have the option of keeping the skin on or removing the skin. I keep it on, because I don’t like to waste it but if you remove the skin, it will get even crispier. Place the eggplant slices on a sheet tray and generously salt the eggplant. Let it sit out at room temp for at least 1 hour. Puddles of liquid will come out of the eggplant.
Before frying, take a kitchen towel and pat down the eggplant well, drying them off as much as possible. Slice in half on a diagonal (I think they are too big to fit in a sandwich or a pita this way so I like to slice them in half) Place the cornstarch in a bowl and toss each piece in the cornstarch well. Shake off excess and place on a dry sheet tray. Heat up the oil in a deep pot. If you don’t have a thermometer (which I don’t) heat on high and sprinkle a little cornstarch in the oil. If it sizzles it should be ready. Turn the heat to medium high it should be around 350 degrees f and add in the first piece. I like to fry one at a time so that the oil temp stays up (if you overcrowd the oil the temp will come down and the eggplant wont fry they will soak)
Flip the eggplant over once the bottom is golden and brown in some places around 1-2 minutes. When the other side is golden another 1-2 minutes remove from the oil and place on a paper towel to let dry. Immediately season well with sea salt.
Serve this eggplant on its own, on sandwiches, in pitas…you can do a lot with it.
garlicky tahini
1/2 cup tahini paste
2 tsp fresh lemon juice
1 small garlic clove, finely grated
large pinch kosher salt- or to taste
3 tablespoons cup ice water
Place everything in a bowl and mix. The tahini will get thick and pasty but keep mixing. Add more water to loosen, if needed.