P i c k l i s t
roma tomatoes - curly parsley - corn - jalapeno peppers - melon - collard greens -
green beans - garlic - onion
NOTES FROM POOH SPRAGUE: For this week’s newsletter, I’d like to introduce you to Pooh’s blog, he updated the other day- thoughts on 50 years of farming…
FARMY FOODIE PRO-TIPS:
Ripe for the grill: corn - jalapeno peppers! - roma tomato - onion - green beans
Braised Green Beans recipe by nearly resident chef, Mitchell Davis… Although we’ve come to believe that green beans should be fresh and snappy, these long- cooked, tomato-braised beans that are common around the Mediterranean are totally delicious nonetheless. Long cooking changes the flavor and texture of green beans, in a good way. This dish can be scaled up or down and served hot or at room temperature.
Serves 4 as a side dish
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
½ small onion, finely chopped
Salt
1 small clove garlic, minced
Pinch red pepper flakes
4 or 5 plum tomatoes or 1 quart cherry tomatoes, cored and chopped
Water
1 tablespoons tomato paste
1 quart green beans, tipped and cut on the diagonal into 1 ½-inch pieces
Chopped parsley
Set a medium saucepan over medium-high heat and add the olive oil. Add the onion and a pinch of salt and sauté for 3 or 4 minutes, until soft. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes and sauté another minute or two until fragrant. Add the chopped tomatoes and sauté for a few minutes until they begin to soften and give off their juice. Add the water and tomato paste and
stir to dissolve the paste. Add the green beans. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to a simmer, cover, and let cook for 30 minutes or so, until the beans are tender but still hold their shape. Remove the lid, raise the heat, and let the juices reduce a little until the whole thing coheres. Stir in the parsley. Adjust the seasoning with salt and serve hot or room temperature.
Jenny’s note: I LOVE a pickled jalapeno! Add sparingly (or not) to soups, tacos, scrambled eggs, etc… I may have over picked these bad boys, so i have a pretty large canning project coming up this weekend, my winter tacos will be so pleased.
First, slice your peppers into rounds. There’s no law against using whole jalapeños, but smaller pieces will soak up the brine faster. Bring 1 cup distilled white vinegar, 2 Tbsp. kosher salt, 2 tsp. sugar, up to 2 Tbsp. spices (e.g., peppercorns, coriander seeds, and/or mustard seeds), chopped fresh herbs (like cilantro), and 2 cups water to a boil in a saucepan. You’ll want enough liquid to cover the peppers, so feel free to scale this ratio up or down as needed.
Transfer sliced peppers to clean glass jars and pour over the brine, leaving ½ inch of headspace between the liquid line and the rim. Screw on the lids and let the jars cool before transferring to the fridge. Your pickled jalapeños will be best after 48 hours and last up to two months refrigerated. OR, take the extra step to can for winter months and enjoy all year long.
The herbs are the star of this tabbouleh recipe—and require a bit of care. Make sure to use a very sharp knife so that you can slice through the parsley and mint just once. You don’t want to run your knife over them again and again or use a food processor; doing so will bruise the tender leaves and lead to a soggy salad. In classic recipes, like this one, there should only be enough bulgur and tomatoes to balance all those herbs, so keep the proportions in check. And, if you don’t eat gluten, you can swap bulgur for quinoa.
¼ cup fine-grind bulgur
3 medium ripe tomatoes (about 1 lb. total)
⅓ cup fresh lemon juice
Kosher salt
2 bunches of parsley, thick stems trimmed
1½ cups mint leaves
4 scallions, very thinly sliced crosswise
¾ tsp. ground allspice
5 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
Freshly ground black pepper
Step 1
Place bulgur in a small bowl and cover with boiling water by 1". Let sit until bulgur is soft and tender, 20–30 minutes.
Step 2
Finely chop tomatoes and transfer to a large bowl (juices and all). Add lemon juice and bulgur to bowl; season with salt, then toss to combine.
Step 3
Rinse parsley under cold water and shake to get rid of excess water. Working in batches and starting at stem end, finely slice stems and leaves with your sharpest knife, making one even pass. This is so the parsley doesn’t get bruised or wilt and stays light in the salad (you should have about 4 cups).
Step 4
Gather mint leaves in a tight bunch and repeat same slicing motion as you did with the parsley.
Step 5
Add parsley, mint, scallions, and allspice to bowl with bulgur mixture; toss to coat in lemon juice. Drizzle with oil; season with salt and pepper. Toss once more and serve immediately.