P i c k l i s t
tomatoes - cauliflower - cilantro - beets - Thai basil - summer squash - celery - garlic scapes - lettuce - cucumbers
Yup, it’s true, I am totally attempting to win yall over this week with two shiny red tomatoes so you won’t notice the sad hole in your CSA this week… the lack of strawbs. So what the heck happened to our strawberry crop? Why did our season feel too damn short. This is what we are thinking: For one, tons of factors go into growing a perennial fruit crop. It is not just May and June that need to be considered, but rather the whole year. Remember that warm winter? How about those days of 70 degrees during sugar season?
So across the Upper Valley when farmers noticed many different crops/trees/flowers carrying blooms, emerging from the earth and showing up to the party at the same time, we all kind of scratched our heads, and thought, “OK Summer how is this going to carry out.”
Another oddity that felt blissful in the moment, was the warm nights of May. It was very rare that temps dipped below 50 degrees, which is kind of unheard of for this region. We are so accustomed to middle-of-May-2am-frost-scares at this point, that not experiencing them made for a much more well rested Spring. However, the plants got no rest and while we slept. They grew and grew and grew, revealing a real jack and the beanstalk effect.
That well rested feeling of no frost Spring was extremely fleeting as we entered the Summer solstice. Underneath that big strawberry moon we watched all berries of every variety ripen at the same time.
And then came the heat. Plants are most susceptible to stress when there is a high fruit load, and nothing brings on stress more than 4 days of 90 plus temps…
and then came the hard rain AND heavy humidity.
Lights out strawberry crop, better luck next year I suppose.
ONTO THE NEXT FRUIT, hello tomatoes you thing of beauty, you are too perfect on your own, and even more astounding between two slices of bread.
Also, this week the beets are beautiful, the cilantro is fluffy, and the Thai basil could not be cuter and aromatic..
Cheers to the holiday week, and before you know it, we will all be up to our ears in blueberries.
FARMY FOODIE PRO-TIPS:
Take it outside and grill!
Trust me, all your friends will be so impressed when you show up to the 4th of july bbq with your 2 summer squash, 1 head of cauliflower, and smattering of garlic scapes. Just add EVOO, S&P
Anita’s Cauliflower by up-the-road-chef-on-call, Mitchell Davis:
I’ve adapted this recipe from my friend Anita Jaisinghani’s amazing cookbook Masala. Chef of Pondicheri in Houston, Anita’s food reflects the principles of Ayurveda and her commitment to sustainability. Most importantly, it is lick-the-plate delicious.
Serves 4 to 6
1 medium cauliflower (with leaves)
5 tablespoons ghee (clarified butter), vegetable oil, or olive oil
1 teaspoon black mustard seeds
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 or 2 garlic scapes or garlic cloves, minced
½ teaspoon ground turmeric
1 ½ teaspoons sea salt
1 teaspoon mild red chili powder, such as Kashmiri chili
2 medium ripe tomatoes, diced (about 2 cups) or 1 cup canned crushed
tomato
1-inch piece ginger (not peeled), finely grated
1 teaspoon garam masala
Chopped fresh cilantro, for garnish
Remove any green leaves from the cauliflower and chop finely. Divide the head into 2-inch florets. Chop any stems finely and add to the leaves. Discard the tough, fibrous core. In a wide, shallow sauté pan, heat the ghee or oil over high heat. Add the mustard seeds and as soon as they start to pop, add the onion and chopped cauliflower leaves and stems. Lower the heat to medium-high, and cook until the onion is soft and begins to brown, 8 to 10 minutes. Add the garlic, turmeric, cauliflower florets, and salt. Increase the heat to high and cook for another 7 to 8 minutes, until the cauliflower softens and begins to color. Add the chili powder, tomatoes, and ginger and bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and cook until the cauliflower is tender, another 5 to 8 minutes or so. Sprinkle with the garam masala,
cover, turn off the heat, cover, and let sit for a few minutes to rest. Mix the cauliflower one last time, being careful not to break it up. Garnish with cilantro and serve.
Spicy Sichuan Smacked Cucumber Salad (one more from Mitchell! enjoy!)
This is a common Chinese salad of cucumbers that I first fell in love with at a mini chain of casual noodle shops in New York City called Xian Famous Foods. Although they are rightfully famous for their handmade Biang Biang noodles, stretched to order by slapping them on the
counter, it was their spicy cucumber salad I couldn’t get enough of. Smashing the cucumbers is a Chinese technique that helps draw out moisture when you salt them and creates a pleasant mouthfeel. The secret to the unique Sichuan zing is Sichuan peppercorn, not a true peppercorn at all, but the dried bud of the prickly ash that gives a numbing quality in your mouth. If you can’t find the spice itself, you can sometimes find Sichuan peppercorn oil, or a chili crisp with plenty of Sichuan pepper in it, such as the ubiquitous Lao Gan Ma, Fly By Jing brands. Otherwise, use a freshly cracked black pepper instead.
2 medium sized cucumbers (unwaxed), cucumbers
1 teaspoon kosher salt
2 cloves garlic, grated on a Microplane or minced to a paste
1 teaspoon sugar
2 tablespoon black Chinese vinegar, such as Chiangking, or Balsamic vinegar (if using, omit the sugar)
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
½ teaspoon toasted, ground Sichuan peppercorn or 1 teaspoon Sichuan peppercorn oil, or
additional ¼ teaspoon cracked black pepper
1 tablespoon soy sauce
2 teaspoons Sichuan chili oil or chili crisp, with sludge, or a favorite hot sauce
Place the cucumber(s) on a clean cutting board. Slice off the tips of both ends. Lay the wide part of a chef’s knife flat on the cucumber and press it down firmly or smash it with your fist to break the cucumber, as you would to peel a clove of garlic. Move the knife along the length of
the cucumber so it is smashed along its entire length. You should be able to pull the cucumber apart lengthwise in half, or else slice it. And then cut what you’ve got into bite-sized, misshapen pieces, about 1-inch or so wide. Place all the cucumber chunks and bits in a medium bowl,
season with the salt, toss, and let sit for 10 to 15 minutes to draw out some moisture. Drain off any liquid that accumulates in the bottom of the bowl.
To the bowl of cucumbers add the garlic, sugar, vinegar, black pepper, Sichuan peppercorn, soy
sauce and chilli oil or crips and toss to combine.
—Cookbook author and food writer Mitchell Davis recently moved from New York City to the
Upper Valley, just down the road from Edgewater Farm. For more recipes, subscribe for free to
his weekly newsletter Kitchen Sense at www.kitchensense.substack.com