FALL CSA WEEK 1 & 2 so belated

P I C K L I S T

october 18

carmen peppers - habanada pepper - hungarian hot wax - poblano peppers - zinnias - mizuna - red onion - garlic - cilantro - acorn squash - plum tomatoes - broccoli

BREAD OF THE WEEK: olive focaccia

P I C K L I S T

october 25

NAPA CABBAGE - CARROTS - GINGER - DAIKON RADISH - LETTUCE - SNACKING SWEETIE PEPS - CARMEN PEPPER - CAYENNE PEPPER - HABANERO PEPPER - LEEKS - PLUM TOMATOES - GARLIC - RASPBERRIES - HOUSE PLANT - CARVING PUMPKIN - FLOWERS   

BREAD OF THE WEEK: AUBERGINE BREAD

FARMY FOODIE PRO-TIPS: 

Literally meaning “sour stuff,” this is the everyday Vietnamese pickle that you’ve seen and eaten countless times in bánh mì, on rice plates, and in other dishes. Ðồ chua is typically made with daikon and carrot, but you can use jicama instead of the daikon for a crunchy-sweet result. It does require more time: You can’t massage it as it will just break apart and you need to chill the pickle 1–2 days to allow the flavors to fully develop before using. If using daikon, choose one that is dense with firm, smooth skin, which are signs that it enjoyed good growing conditions and will likely taste more sweet than bitter. Precut jicama may be sliced into matchsticks for this pickle.

Makes about 6 cups

2 lb. daikon (about 1), peeled, cut into 3x¼" matchsticks

12 oz. carrots (about 6 medium), trimmed, peeled, cut into 3x¼" matchsticks

4 tsp. Diamond Crystal or 2½ tsp. Morton kosher salt

4 tsp. plus 1 cup granulated sugar

2½ cups distilled white vinegar

Preparation

• Step 1
  Toss 2 lb. daikon (about 1), peeled, cut into 3x¼" matchsticks, 12 oz. carrots (about 6 medium), trimmed, peeled, cut into 3x¼" matchsticks, 4 tsp. Diamond Crystal or 2½ tsp. Morton kosher salt, and 4 tsp. sugar in a medium bowl to combine. Let sit 20 minutes. You should be able to bend a piece of daikon to make the ends touch without it breaking. (If you need to speed up the process, you can massage and knead vegetables with your hands until softened, about 3 minutes.)
  Step 2
  Rinse vegetables in a large mesh sieve or colander under running water, then press or shake to expel excess moisture. Divide between two 1-qt. glass jars or airtight containers.
  Step 3
  Stir 2½ cups distilled white vinegar, remaining 1 cup sugar, and 2 cups lukewarm water in a medium bowl until sugar is dissolved. Pour into jars to cover vegetables; reserve any excess for making salad dressing (you may have about 1 cup liquid left over). Cover and let sit at least 1 hour at room temperature. Drain before using.
  Do ahead: Vegetables can be pickled 1 month ahead. Chill.

BAECHU KIMCHI BY MORIHOUSE (@mori.house)/ Makes about one 750ml mason jar

1 large Napa Cabbage**, about 1kg/2lbs

Sea Salt (non-iodized), fine to semi-fine- 3% the weight of the Napa Cabbage

3-5 GARLIC cloves, thinly sliced

zest of 1 Lemon, sliced into thin slivers

2 dried Togarashi Chili Peppers or Chile de Arbol, chopped (deseeded, optional)

3-5 cloves Garlic, crushed into a paste

3-5 Tbsp Gochugaru (Korean Chili Pepper Flakes)***

1 Tbsp Fish Sauce (optional)

Pickling Brine* or Filtered Water

JENNY’S NOTE: 

OTHER CSA CROPS TO ADD TO THIS KIMCHI RECIPE JULIENNED CARROTS/ SLICED DAIKON RADISHES/ MINCED OR GRATED GINGER

Supplies:

1x Mortar & Pestle

1x Large Mixing Bowl

2-3 Spoons for mixing

1x 750ml sterilized, air-tight Mason Jar

1x Knife or Cleaver

1x Heavy object like a large stone or a large mason jar filled with water for weighing down your pickles.

1x Dish Towel

1x Small jar or pitcher for collecting excess brine

1x Fork or utensil to press down the pickles into the jar

Prepare the garlic scapes, lemon zest and chili peppers as described. Cut your cabbage into 1/8ths lengthwise and then widthwise into approximately 3 inch chunks. (JENNY’S NOTE: Add your julienned carrots, sliced radishes, grated ginger here to the mix)

Place into a large bowl and scatter the salt, lemon zest, garlic and chili peppers over the cabbage. Gently massage the salt into the cabbage mixture evenly. As you are doing this, you will feel the cabbage excrete its water content. This will take just a few minutes.

Next use a plate or another round flat object which has a smaller circumference than the bowl, so it fits just inside rim and on top of the cabbage mixture. Using a large stone, mason jars filled with water or another heavy object, weigh the plate and cabbage down. Cover the top of the bowl with a towel to keep dust from getting in and let it sit weighed down like this for at least 3 hours to lightly pickle. After the 3 hours or more have elapsed, you will find the water from the cabbage will have filled the bowl to cover the kimchi in what is now a salty *pickling brine.

Decant the brine into a pitcher or jar and gently squeeze a little out of the cabbage mixture. At this stage you will have a fresh, lightly-pickled style of napa cabbage known in Japan as “Hakusai no Tsukemono”. If you don’t like spicy, you can skip ahead to the jarring stage.

Crush your garlic into a paste with a mortar and pestle and a couple pinches of salt to break it down easier. Add your gochugaru, fish sauce (if using) and using small amounts of the brine, make a paste similar in thickness to a tomato paste. Chuck this paste into the drained cabbage mixture, still in the original bowl, and massage all together, making sure the paste is distributed evenly.

Use the following final steps for both the spicy and non-spicy versions: Layer your kimchi into the mason jar in 3-4 stages. Between each layer, use a fork to gently press the kimchi down as flat as you can. Continue to do this until all the kimchi is in the jar. Give it a few more presses with a fork, getting as much oxygen and as many air bubbles out as possible. If your kimchi paste was the right consistency, brine will rise to the top as you press the air out of the kimchi. If not, add small amounts of brine until it does. If making only non-spicy Kimchi, you will definitely need to add some brine. This extra thin layer of liquid at the top will help to seal your kimchi during the beginning of the fermentation process. Seal the jar and place it in the coolest and darkest part of your home.

Next is the waiting! 1 MONTH is the sweet spot but while it may not be for everyone, do try to wait at least 5-7 days before tasting. It takes at least this long for there to be any noticeable fermentation. In the colder seasons, it may take even longer, up to 10 days. If you want to “taste-as-you-go”, be sure to use a clean utensil and DON’T double dip! However long your preferred fermentation time, you will need to help the kimchi release carbon dioxide gas every couple of days. You may notice that when you open it, the kimchi will bubble. Sometimes it will bubble like soda but it may also only bubble slightly or barely at all. Either way, you can rest assured that it is fermenting. Each time you release the gas, you will also notice the kimchi may have risen slightly. Using a fork press it down again as much as you can. Brine may or may not rise to cover the kimchi at this stage and that is ok.

Note: Depending on whether or not you sterilized your jar properly and the environment temperature, you may occasionally find trace amounts of white, blue or green mold on the top of your kimchi. DO NOT worry about this. Simply remove it from the kimchi or wipe it off if it is on the jar or lid. However, if you find black mold, I’m sorry to say your kimchi may have been contaminated by unwanted outside bacteria. At that stage, it is better to start over just to be safe. All this said, mold is highly unlikely using this method.

After 1 month (or shorter) has elapsed, enjoy your kimchi as a side to most of your favorite Asian dishes, cook it in a dish or eat it as a snack!

**Do not use standard or savoy cabbage to substitute. However, you can use Bok Choy (same weight) as a substitute if Napa Cabbage is nowhere to be found.

***Note: I have had some students use Cayenne Pepper, Paprika or Chili Powder in lieu of Gochugaru before, but please use caution as the spice levels between these differ substantially. If you are absolutely unable to get Gochugaru and still want to try making spicy kimchi, start by making your paste with just one tablespoon of one of these substitutes. Taste it first, then add more, tablespoon by tablespoon until you reach a spice-level which is tolerable for you. However, I suggest you do try to add Gochugaru as a regular item in your kitchen. It is very versatile and easy to find online or at Asian Markets.

CSA WEEK 16

P i c k l i s t

watermelon - cherry tomatoes - field tomatoes - lunch box peppers - onion -

corn - potatoes - basil - carmen pep

THIS WEEK AT EDGEWATER…

SO MANY FALL FEELS! This weekend's equinox totally hit like a ton of bricks.  As the light levels change, I find myself already reaching and hoping for every bit of sun to shine on us, our fields, etc… It is hard to experience a change of seasons as we moved right over Summer, experienced an eternal Spring, and now suddenly Fall is here with its demand that we put on at least one to two layers of woolies during morning harvest, spark our ovens nightly for tomato/pepper roasting, 

and consider which pumpkin reaches Martha Sterwart stoop status, as we move them out of bins and clean them up to sell.  These are all good things, BUT after a summer that was sun deficient, I am certainly not ready.  

However it is not all doom and gloom at Edgewater, I am but one salty farmer in a village of many!  Pooh seems particularly tickled about Fall’s entrance; he spends his days seeding cover-crop and jonesin for the nightly potato harvest. 

Yes! The great potato harvest has begun! And compared to last year’s crop- think back to last summer’s drought and 0 irrigation on the potato field due to debatably poor planning, but also, who knew we were gonna have an intense drought?!?!?- this crop looks baller.  Every variety is coming through with pretty decent yields.  Nightly, Pooh and Mike venture down the road well after morning pick and afternoon deliveries.  Mike drives the tractor with a gigantic potato harvester attached to it and Pooh drives the other tractor with a massive potato wagon to collect said spud.  They ride side by side - it is indeed darling as they both have a tendency to be real lone wolves.  Mike's potato harvester pulls the tots from the earth, moving each potato through the machine like Miss Pac Man through the maze (sans ghost).  The potato makes its way to the top of the harvester, goes through the hopper and lands in Pooh’s wagon- a real “he shoots he scores” moment for all.  Each morning after harvest, field crew then heads to the field, scoop’n up all the little spuds that did not make the hopper.  Those potatoes- those perfect tiny round little bits- that is what is in your CSA this week.

In other perfect carby news, we are NOW taking Fall CSA bread share sign ups on the internet- woop woop! Honestly, I can not think of anything better to compliment a CSA veg pick up on a cold Wednesday night than a fresh loaf.  

Here are the deets:

Made by our in house baked good masters, Laura and Kathleen

$46 for 5 weeks/ pick up in conjunction with FALL CSA/ Space is limited.

FARMY FOODIE PRO-TIPS:

ROAST YOUR TOMATOES, ALL OF THEM… 

Please see CSA WEEK 14 on the blog to jog your roasting/saucing making memories on how to!

Serves 2 

JENNY’S NOTE: highly recommended making way more of the shakshuka tomato sauce and canning or freezing for deep winter brunch.  All your friends will be so impressed :)

For the tahini 

1 cup tahini paste

2 tsp fresh lemon juice, plus more to taste

1 garlic clove, grated 

1 tsp kosher salt, plus more to taste

½ cup ice water, plus more if needed 

To make the tahini: In a medium bowl, whisk together the tahini paste, lemon juice, garlic, salt, and ice water. It will reach a weird, lumpy consistency, but don’t be afraid. Keep whisking until it smooths out and becomes light in color (if it doesn’t, it needs more ice water, so just add a bit more). Tahini sauce with the perfect consistency will drip through the tines of a fork, but just barely. Taste for seasoning, adding more lemon juice or salt if desired. Store in a jar in the refrigerator for up to one week. If the tahini gets too thick while in the fridge, just loosen it up with a little water before using.

For the shakshuka

2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling 

1 small yellow onion, finely chopped

1 red pepper, finely chopped

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

3 garlic cloves, finely chopped

1 tsp ground cumin 

1 tsp curry powder (optional)

½ tsp ground turmeric

1 tbsp harissa, store-bought 

6 medium tomatoes, finely chopped

Pinch of sugar

4 large eggs 

Fresh dill or parsley, for garnish

Challah, pita, or other soft white bread, for serving

In a large skillet with a fitted lid, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion and pepper, and season well with salt and black pepper. Cook until the onion just begins to lightly brown, 6 to 8 minutes, then add the garlic, cumin, curry powder (if using), turmeric, and harissa. Sauté until fragrant and the onion is lightly browned, 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes and season with the sugar and a pinch each of salt and black pepper. Cover the pan and simmer over low heat until the sauce has thickened slightly, about 20 minutes. Uncover the pan, raise the heat to medium-high, and continue simmering, stirring occasionally, until the sauce is thick enough to cling to the eggs, 10 to 15 minutes. 

Use a large spoon to make four wells in the sauce. Crack an egg into each well, cover the pan with the lid, and cook over medium-high heat until the whites are set but the yolks are still runny, about 3 minutes. 

Remove the pan from the heat. Garnish with fresh dill or parsley and drizzle with olive oil and garlicky tahini. Serve hot with bread.

Crispy Roasted Potatoes with Garlic and Herbs – these are just classic. Once you figure out how easy this method is, it’s hard to make roasted potatoes any other way. You can totally omit the herbs and toss these potatoes in spices like, paprika, turmeric, curry powder….whatever flavor combinations you love. The key here is making sure you pre-heat the oven and space out your potatoes on the sheet tray so they have the ability to really crisp up and get golden and crunchy. 

• 2 lbs New Potatoes

• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

• 1 head garlic, crushed cloves

• 5 fresh thyme sprigs- can substitute with dried

• 3 rosemary sprigs- can substitute with dried

• Or your sage from last week’s csa!

• lots of Kosher salt and cracked black pepper to season

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to boil and add in the potatoes. Boil for 10-15 minutes until a knife runs through the potato easily. Strain and let air dry for 5 minutes.

2. Pre-heat the oven for 425 degrees F. Place the potatoes on a sheet tray and using the bottom of a cup or the heel of your hand press down on each potato. Make sure they aren’t touching. Season well with salt and black pepper. Sprinkle over fresh thyme, rosemary and drizzle over the olive oil.

3. Tear the leaves and rub them releasing all the aromas. Move the potatoes around on the seasoned oil, being very careful not to bread the potatoes. They are very delicate. When the oven is pre-heated place the seasoned smashed potatoes in the hot oven and let roast for 20-25 minutes until golden. Remove and eat those Crispy Roasted Potatoes with Garlic and Herbs.

CSA WEEK 15

P i c k l i s t

watermelon - cherry tomatoes - sweet peppers - sage - kale - onions - corn

THIS WEEK AT EDGEWATER…

I am overwhelmed with joy to announce the return of kale.  On Monday I slogged my wet boots out into the field to pick you bunches upon bunches of collard greens.  After last week’s box of pure bulk, I was missing something green and fluffy to pick and basque in.  All the good fluffy crops have just absolutely failed this season- Lettuce, arugula, swiss chard, and kale have all taken such a hit.  But alas! I peered towards the hill and to my total delight, I spied the return of the sweet green fluff, the old comeback kid. Kale is supposed to be the workhorse of vegetables- the one crop that never says die.* So we were all aghast back in early August, as we watched this patch of kale look so sickly.  That week- we did our best, and used every trick we could.  We stripped all the sad leaves off the plant, spread pelleted fertilizer, and looked to the sun praying to see her shiny face.  A month and a half later, we have curly greens again.  Woot! Woot!

Don’t get me wrong, I love a stand of collard greens.  I’d be just as happy with collards as kale, But it’s been a minute since we all made kale chips and ate kale salad.  As far as other greens go, we’ve been trying like hell to grow lettuce all season.  However there is a woodchuck that continues to eat every last plant that we seed in the greenhouse, and if the lettuce makes it to the field, the deer are all over it.  All that said, we have big plans for our Fall CSA.  We planted up a whole greenhouse of lettuce starts, keeping the sides of the greenhouse down as much as possible.  Tim (of field crew) volunteered to sleep in said greenhouse with a bow, an arrow, a jar of peanut butter and a nine iron.  We’ll see if it comes to that.  

Bottomline here, welcome back kale, but it is now my belief that Collard Greens are the real workhorse all star champ veg.  

Other noteworthy crops of the week, SWEET COLORFUL ROBUST PEPPERS! The pepper fields are finally ripening with all the colors of the rainbow.  Hopefully we can get a good flush out of the crop before the wind breaks all the plants, or we get the first hard frost.  WHAT A SEASON!

*I am positive I mentioned this in a previous note back in late July, please forgive my broken record tendencies. 

FARMY FOODIE PRO-TIPS:

I have no words for this recipe – it is definitely one of my all time favourites. This is hands down the ultimate crowd pleaser dish, and it doesn’t get much easier than this. Packed with creamy feta, rich olive oil, olives, fresh sage, toasted sesame seeds, sweet honey, a touch of orange zest and a hint of chili pepper, this dish is pure goodness. I mean, who wouldn’t want this?! If you are entertaining and need to get something on the table that looks sexy and tastes like heaven, this Baked Feta with Olives, Sesame, Sage & Honey dish is for you 😉

• 16oz Greek feta- pat dry 

• 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

• 3 strips orange zest- around half an orange

• 1 tablespoon lightly toasted sesame seeds

• 1/3 cup castelvetrano olives

• 1/3 cup kalamata olives

• Small handful of fresh sage- can also sub with fresh rosemary or thyme

• 2 tablespoons honey

• Half cayenne chili pepper, thinly sliced

• Flaky sea salt

1. Preheat the over to 400 degrees F.

2. In a small baking dish, place the feta, olives, orange zest, toasted sesame seeds, sliced chili peppers and olive oil.

3. Place into the preheated oven for 10-15 minutes.

4. Set the oven to broil and let broil for 3-5 minutes.

5. Remove, drizzle with honey, sprinkle Maldon sea salt and serve with crusty fresh bread.

6. Enjoy that Baked Feta!

I also implore you to eat the above sage feta with ROASTED PEPPERS!! YES PLEASE!

THE FOLLOWING ROASTED PEPPER NOTES ARE FROM bonappetit.com via Alex Delaney:

You don’t need much to make roasted red peppers. Peppers (duh). Olive Oil. And some kosher salt. That’s it. You have most of that stuff at home already, so grab some peppers and let's do this.

There are two ways to roast peppers. Both involve some form of aggressive heat followed by a more mellow, lower-heat method as needed. Whether you’re an oven person or a stovetop person, your cutlet sandwich will be stacked with red peppers in no time. Here’s how we do it:

The Oven Method: Turn on your broiler. Yes, the broiler. That fire thing you might be scared of. It’s cool. Broilers are our friends. We promise. Cut red bell peppers in half and remove the core and seeds. Toss the pepper halves in a tiny bit of olive oil and spread them on a sheet pan, with the cut sides down and skin sides up. Our goal here is to get the skin charred enough to be able to easily remove it. Put the peppers under the broiler for 12-14 minutes, until the skins are black. Remove the peppers and turn your oven to 250°.

The peppers won’t be cooked all the way through from that time under the broiler. But the skins should peel right off. Let them cool a bit until you feel comfortable handling them, then use your hands or the back of a knife to peel the charred skins off of the peppers and then place the skinless peppers back on the sheet pan. Throw them back in your oven for about half an hour, until the peppers are tender and cooked through. Take them out, let them cool, and slice them into strips. Look at you! You roasted red peppers! Amazing!

The Stovetop Method: You can also recreate the broiler effect by laying peppers directly over an open flame. We would not suggest using that BIC lighter in your junk drawer. The flame on your (gas) stove will work much better. (Sorry to those of you with electric burners—hopefully you have a broiler?) Turn the flame on medium, place the peppers on the burner so they're in direct contact with the heat, and use tongs to rotate as needed so the skin gets dark and charred all over. Repeat this with as many burners as you need for as many peppers as you have. Maybe it’s two. Maybe it’s 736. We don’t know how much you like roasted red peppers. When each one is finished charring, sling it into a bowl and cover with plastic wrap—you want to let those bad boys steam a bit once they come off the burner.

Once you've charred all the peppers and let them all hang out in that steamy covered bowl, take them out, pull out the stem and seedy parts, open the peppers kind of a like a book and place them (charred) skin side up on your cutting board. Using your hands or the back of a knife, scrape off the charred skin. (It's okay if some won't come off; it won't kill you.) At this point the peppers should be mostly cooked-through, but if you want them a little softer you can go ahead and cook them over low heat in a Dutch oven with a glug of olive oil, stirring every once in a while, until they've softened to your liking.

JENNY’S NOTE: i roast my peppers by charring on the grill :)

Storage Maneuvers: Whether you went the stove or oven route, you should be looking at some tender, skinless roasted red peppers. Nice job. You can eat them immediately if you’d like, but the secondary goal is to store them so they’re ready to use at a moment’s notice. Sprinkle the peppers with a bit of kosher salt and transfer them into a glass jar or plastic Tupperware. Pack them in tightly, then add olive oil until the peppers are fully submerged.

Keeping the peppers submerged in the liquid will make sure they don’t spoil in the fridge—they should keep for at least a week this way. And since these peppers can hang around in the fridge for a minute, we'd suggest roasting more than two. Maybe not 736, like we suggested earlier...but definitely more than two.

CSA WEEK 14

P i c k l i s t

watermelon - roma tomatoes - garlic - poblano pepper - 

Cherry tomatoes - carmen peppers - lunchbox peppers - carrots

THIS WEEK AT EDGEWATER…

We remain swimming in field tomatoes.  I believe the crop of plums might be at peak, or nearing peak yields right now.  The plants are dripping with fruit, and this abundance is simultaneously soul-nourishing-farmer-pleasing and totally overwhelming.  Being rich in tomatoes lends itself to a real feeling of urgency.  A crop based time crunch.  

For one, as soon as the fruit ripens, we have only so much time until the juice of the tomato bursts through the skin and rots the fruit.  The crew has done an incredible job of staying on top of the pick, however it is inevitable that some of the cherries and plums will rot before we move/sell/cook/eat them. 

The second feeling of urgency comes when the weather turns and the nights move toward fall and flannel.  This is that moment in between seasons that makes me want to harvest everything all the time by day and preserve via canning or freezing all the time by night.  This harvest rush makes for a real crazy person (i.e. me).

This week’s CSA share 100% reflects that crazy.  Please join me as we get into it and go deep with tomatoes.  By Sunday I expect everyone of your countertops to be tomato splattered and every dish piled high in your sink. But come JANUARY, you will be so pleased that you followed suit and took to heart the farmy foodie canny pro-tips.  

Let’s CAN people!

 (wait wait let me try again) 

We CAN do this!

FARMY FOODIE PRO-TIPS the canners edition: 

by far my fave way of preserving cherries and plums

It is simple and the only ingredients you need are tomatoes/salt/pepper/GARLIC/olive oil.

READ ON…

Cherry, grape or small Roma tomatoes

Whole cloves of garlic, unpeeled

Olive oil

Herbs such as thyme or rosemary (optional)
Preheat the oven to 225°F. Halve each cherry or grape tomato crosswise, or Roma tomato lengthwise and arrange on a parchment-lined baking sheet along with the cloves of garlic. Drizzle with olive oil, just enough to make the tomatoes glisten. Sprinkle herbs on, if you are using them, and salt and pepper, though go easily on these because the finished product will be so flavorful you’ll need very little to help it along.

Bake the tomatoes in the oven for about 3 hours. You want the tomatoes to be shriveled and dry, but with a little juice left inside–this could take more or less time depending on the size of your tomatoes.

Either use them right away or let them cool, cover them with some extra olive oil and keep them in the fridge for the best summer condiment, ever. And for snacking.

• JENNY’S NOTE:  Smitten’s slow roasted tomatoes stop there… but I am suggesting you take it one step further.  Let’s can :)

• STEP 1: Prepare your jars and lids- clean them, dry them/ get em lined up and ready.  

• STEP 2: Prepare your water bath (big pot with boiling water)

• STEP 3-STEP 100: is an excerpt from Tart and Sweet: 101 Canning and Pickling Recipes by Kelly Geary and Jessie Knadler (Rodale, 2011). The excerpt is from Chapter 6: Summer. I am also going to provide their favorite recipe to can tomatoes in case you want to go the “whole” tomato route.  However, if you want to take your newly roasted tomatoes and skip ahead to the canning part, go ahead and ladle your warm batch of tomatoes into jars, skip to bullet point 3 and proceed with the lemon juice. But do not add water- any juice leftover from your smashed down cherry tomatoes is enough!

Canned Tomatoes 

• 12–15 pounds tomatoes, blanched, peeled, andcored
• About 8 cups water per quart jar
• 2 tablespoons bottled lemon juice (or 1 tablespoon per pint jar)
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt (or 1/2 teaspoon per pint jar)

1. Leave the tomatoes whole or quarter or halve them, as desired.

2. Bring the water to a boil in a large saucepan (you may need more or less, depending on the size and cut of the tomatoes). Reduce the heat, but keep the water hot.

3. Place the appropriate amount of lemon juice and salt in each hot jar. Top with raw tomatoes.

4. Ladle hot water into the jars to cover the tomatoes, leaving 1/2 inch headspace. Check for air bubbles, wipe the rims, and seal. Process quarts for 45 minutes, pints for 40 minutes, adjusting for elevation.

YIELD: 4 quarts or 8 pints

Ok DO YOUR BEST HERE PEOPLE! I Highly recommend you get yourself a copy of this book. It is extremely user friendly and chock full of all my fave ways to preserve. Writing it one more time for the boys in the back:

Tart and Sweet: 101 Canning and Pickling Recipes by Kelly Geary and Jessie Knadler 

And if you are not ready to can, but do want roast your maters go ahead and these little gems on toast, with eggs, by the spoonful, or make soup:

Roasted Tomato and Goat Cheese Soup from the cook book: lucid food

serves 4

12 ripe tomatoes

2 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed

1 yellow onion, coarsely chopped

1 tablespoon honey

2 sprigs fresh rosemary

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

4 tablespoons olive oil

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 dried bay leaf

1/4 cup fresh goat cheese

Preheat the oven to 425°F.
Core and quarter the tomatoes and scoop out the seeds, reserving the seeds and cores for the stock. In a large bowl, toss the tomatoes with the garlic, onion, honey, rosemary, 1 tablespoon of the vinegar, 3 tablespoons of the olive oil, and a dash of salt. Spread the mixture on a baking sheet and roast for 40 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove the rosemary and set aside.
Combine the tomato scraps, bay leaf, and 1 cup water in a pot and bring to a boil over high heat. Decrease the heat and simmer, uncovered, for 15 minutes. Strain the stock into a bowl and discard the solids. Rinse the pot and return the stock to the pot. Add the roasted tomatoes. Bring to a boil over high heat, then decrease the heat and simmer, uncovered, for 5 minutes.
Let the soup cool for 10 minutes, then pour into a blender. Add the cheese and blend until smooth. With the blender running, add the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil. Season to taste with salt.

Garnish the soup with the remaining 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar and a few grinds of pepper and serve.

CSA WEEK 13

PICK-LIST

watermelon - corn - eggplant - roma tomatoes -

cabbage - garlic - onions - purple pepper - jalapeno-

habanada pepper (orange crinkly pepper, my fave! Not spicy! Smoky and sweet) -

cilantro - oregano

NO FANCY PIC THIS WEEK BECAUSE LIFE GOT A HEAD OF ME…

BUT I’M HERE FOR THE RECIPES!

FARMY FOODIE PRO-TIPS: 

Tomatoes up the waz. 

MAKE SALSA! MAKE SAUCE! ROAST FOR WINTER! ROAST FOR NOW!

EAT THIS SALSA FRESH

Makes about 2 cups

2 tomatoes

¼ onion, chopped

2 jalapeños, finely chopped

1 garlic clove, finely grated

⅓ cup cilantro leaves with tender stems, finely chopped

3 tablespoons fresh lime juice

Kosher salt

Gently toss tomatoes, onion, jalapeños, garlic, cilantro, and lime juice in a small bowl; season with salt. Let sit, uncovered, to let flavors meld, about 10 minutes.

(THIS IS A COOKED SALSA, GREAT FOR CANNING AND EATING IN JANUARY)

MAKES 1½ CUPS

• 4 medium Roma tomatoes(1 lb/453 g), cored and roughly chopped

• 2 chiles chipotles for mild or 4 for hot, stemmed

• 2 jalapenos, stemmed and seeded for a milder flavor

• ¼ medium white onion (3.5 oz/98 g), roughly chopped

• 1 garlic clove, peeled

• 1 teaspoon Morton kosher salt (0.21 oz/6 g), plus more to taste

• Fresh lime juice (optional)

DIRECTIONS

1. In a medium saucepan, combine the tomatoes, chipotles, chiles de árbol, onion, garlic, salt, and ½ cup water. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, reduce to a simmer, cover, and cook until the chiles and vegetables are soft, for about 15 minutes.

2. Remove from the heat, cover, and set aside for 10 minutes to cool slightly. Transfer to the jar of a blender and purée on medium-low until almost smooth. Taste and season with more salt and lime juice if desired.

3. FROM HERE, IF THE SPIRIT MOVES YOU, GRAB YOUR BALL JARS AND CAN! (Obviously google canning instructions if you are a newbie.  And if you are a newbie, dont be intimidated! You got this!)

MOM’S TOMATO SAUCE (FROM MY FAVE CANNING COOK BOOK TART AND SWEET)

1 Tablespoon olive oil

about 3 pounds of tomatoes chopped 

1 medium onion (or leek), chopped

3 tablespoons tomato paste

½ green bell or purple pepper, chopped

2 tablespoons white wine

½  red bell pepper or 1 full carmen pepper, chopped

1 teaspoon brown sugar

3 cloves of garlic, sliced or minced

kosher salt and pepper to taste

½ pound ground pork sausage (totally optional)

3 tablspn chopped herbs (oregano! Thyme! etc!)

10 fennel seeds

 Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat.  Add the onion (or leeks), peppers, and garlic.  Cook until the vegetables are soft, about 6 minutes.  Add the pork and cook, breaking up the meat until it no longer shows pink, about 4 minutes.  Strain the grease if necessary.  Add the fennel, tomatoes, and juice, tomato paste, wine, brown sugar, salt, and pepper.  Simmer for 15 minutes.  Add the herbs and simmer for another 15 minutes, adjusting heat as needed

EAT ASAP ATOP SPAGHETTI OR FREEZE FOR FEBRUARY 

CSA WEEK 12

P i c k l i s t

Bok Choy - Napa Cabbage - Green beans - Shishito Peppers - Cayenne Pepper - Sweet Peppers - 

Cherry Tomatoes - Mint - Carrots - Cilantro

This week at edgewater: 

The cilantro continues to thrive.  I bet over the past few weeks you’ve had a hankerin for some basil… me too.  However, the herbs were flooded with river water back when we considered ark building, and it takes a minute to get the next planting going (yup, We are still seeding and planting over here!).  Also we’ve seen signs of downy mildew around the plants which is kind of like an airborne kiss of death for basil… So this Summer as a result, we continue to celebrate cilantro- who, as it turns out, loves a rain girl summer. I am aware that cilantro is not everyone’s fave herb- so thank goodness for Mrs. T and the mint she picked this week to distract the cilantro haters among us.  A new planting of parsley has started to fluff up and stretch its wings- and to be safe, we planted it in a greenhouse because you just can't trust the skies these days.  Fingers crossed you get dazzled with these bunches over the next few weeks, but until then, cilantro is queen.

Also over the next few weeks, get pumped!  It is officially cherry tomato overwhelm in the fields/ the packshed/ the farmstand/ the co-ops/ your kitchen etc.  Embrace this moment, and make some cherry roasted tomato candy to be eaten on everything all the time (recipe to come, probs next week).  

AND LASTLY FOR NEXT WEEK, we are in the midst of planning our Fall CSA, which is a mini extension of Summer, but sub out tomatoes for winter squash.  STAY TUNED FOR DEETS!

FARMY FOODIE PRO-TIPS: 

First off, bok choy + napa + carrots + hottie pep, HELLO KIMCHI! Cruise back on the Edgewater Farm CSA blog to week 4, for an easy peasy kimchi recipe.  Look for, BAECHU KIMCHI BY MORIHOUSE (@mori.house)

(This is admittedly an extremely New England version of a Thai Salad. It does its best to mimic the heavenly Som Tam papaya salad that you will find all over Thailand, but here we are in the upper Valley with 0 papayas in sight.  Give it a shot, I think you will be delighted with the results)

• 750g raw french green beans

• 1 cup baby tomatoes (halved)

• 2 yellow onions

• 1 1/2 cups raw peanuts

• 1/2 cup grapeseed oil

• 1 cup fresh cilantro leaves

• 1 cup fresh mint leaves

• 1 cup fresh basil leaves

Dressing

• 2 cloves garlic, finely minced

• 2 tbsp fresh lime juice

• 3 tbsp white sugar

• 3 tbsp fish sauce

• 1 tbsp fresh birds eye chili, diced

Instructions

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and place raw peanuts on a baking sheet.

2. Slice onions in thin half-moon rings, and then heat up grapeseed oil on medium heat.

3. Roast the peanuts in the oven for about 10 minutes until they start to brown.

4. Cook the onions for 15-20 minutes until they're brown and crispy. Stir every few minutes so they brown evenly.

5. In the meantime, prepare the rest of the salad. Mince the garlic, birds eye chili, and slice your tomatoes if you haven't already. Clean and cut your green beans into bite sized pieces.

6. In a large bowl, make the dressing by combining all of the ingredients using a whisk (garlic, fish sauce, lime juice, sugar). Add half of the diced chilis and taste the sauce to see if it's the right level of spice before adding more.

7. Once your onions have finished cooking, remove and place on a plate lined with a paper towel.

8. Remove your roasted peanuts and once cool, lightly chop them.

9. Add your green beans and tomatoes into the large bowl and toss with the fresh herbs. You can keep this for a few hours in the fridge.

10. When you're ready to serve, add in the fried onions and roasted peanuts.

Salsa Very Verde

FROM THE cookbook,

That Sounds So Good by Carla Lalli Music (which i highly reccomend getting a copy :)

JENNY’S NOTE: My brilliant friend Claire made this last week, and I had to nab the recipe for ya.  You might need more herbs than what is in the CSA this week, BUT I highly recommend holding onto this recipe, making it with what you have in sight and schmearing on everything.  It’s too damn good. 

• 2 oil-packed anchovy fillets

• Kosher salt

• 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

• 1 garlic clove, finely grated

• 1 shallot, minced (your red onion from last week is fine)

• 2 tablespoons capers, drained and finely chopped

• 1-inch pieces spicy green chile (such as jalapeño or serrano), finely chopped

• 2 cups thinly sliced tender herbs (such as basil, parsley, tarragon, chervil, chives, cilantro, and/or mint), loosely packed

• 1 cup extra virgin olive oil

• 1 tablespoon cider vinegar

• Freshly ground black pepper

• Place anchovies on cutting board and sprinkle with Kosher salt. Finely chop anchovies, then use the edge of your knife to smash them against the cutting board until they become a paste. Scrape into a medium bowl and add red pepper flakes, grated garlic, shallot, capers, and green chile. Add the chopped herbs and olive oil and stir. Once combined, add cider vinegar and taste to adjust seasoning with salt and pepper.

Charred Shishito Peppers

(THE SECOND* SIMPLEST WAY TO ACHIEVE THE PERFECT BITE)

• 2 teaspoons grapeseed or olive oil

• 1 pound shishito peppers

• Flaky sea salt

Directions

• In a large cast-iron skillet, heat 1 teaspoon of the grapeseed oil. Add half of the peppers and cook over moderately high heat, turning occasionally, until charred and tender, about 4 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl. Repeat with the remaining oil and peppers.

• season with flaky sea salt. Transfer to a platter; eat  ASAP

*FIRST SIMPLE WAY TO ACHIEVE EATING PERFECTION INVOLVES ONE TOMATO AND A DASH OF SALT

CSA WEEK 11

P i c k l i s t

Potatoes - Corn - Garlic - Onion - Green bean - Cuke - Summer squash - Italian frying peppers - Hungarian Hot Wax Pepper - Cherry Tomatoes - Eggplant - Collard Greens

This week at egdewater:  

All sorts of weather this week resulting in some movement toward ripening but unfortunately the nights are still so cold!  The pepper field remains mostly adorned with green fruit aside from these carmen peppers- the italian frying peppers- that are in your share this week.  Like a watched pot that just won’t boil, so too these peppers just won't ripen.  However, the field tomatoes are finally kicking in and we are all so jazzed about this late August candy otherwise known as cherry tomatoes.  It is actually so incredible what a couple of days of sunshine on a field can do to a stunted looking crop.  With Sunday’s perfect Summer weather, suddenly the fields jumped and the plants perked right up.  We are all just holding on so hard to these few days of SUN while we can before we go right back into the dreary mess this coming Friday.

In other news, we are in that very sweet spot of Summer- the time in between school starting and camp ending and all the college kids returning to school.  It is a time in which all child care suddenly disappears and we get two special guests full time on our field crew.  A very funny but also quick to fall apart 4 year old, and a 7 year old who loves being on field crew for the camaraderie and the snacks but not entirely for the actual work.  These make for very interesting days.  

Many moments as a mom and a farmer i think the following, 

“Teach your children well… unless you kill each other first”

“should i just say “f” it and take them to the beach?”  

“Where is the nearest snack? Why won’t this cucumber or sweet pepper or cherry tomato do the trick?”

“Thank heavens for farmstand cookies”

“Nothing is possible without grandparents” (in particular Grannie Annie, aka Anne Sprague co-founder farmer of Edgewater)

These kiddos were born and raised here, so they absolutely know the drill, but it still remains a challenge to take them to work. However, when it is good, it is very good- and nothing feels better than working alongside your kiddo while everyone is in the flow of farming.  But the moments of flow are so very unreliable.  We are in the middle of our big harvest season.  This is akin to asking an accountant to take their kiddo to work during tax season, ya know?  All this said, at the end of the day we are all a little grumpy, and tired and hungry, but I am positive that by next Thursday, when they do go back to school, we will be missing them on the crew.  Because while they are both total pain in the butts, they are also totally lovable and silly and very much a piece of the Edgewater Farm puzzle.  So if you open your delivered box this week, or pick up your farmstand share and your vegetables look a little curious- maybe an overly peeled onion? Or a green potato? Please know that they were likely touched and picked and peeled by the hand of a tiny person on the cusp of figuring it all out.  ENJOY!

FARMY FOODIE PRO-TIPS: 

Peanut Butter & Greens Sandwich

Makes 1 sandwich RECIPE BY: LUKAS VOLGER

• 2 slices sandwich bread

• 3 tablespoons natural peanut butter

• Salt, if needed

• 1/4 - 1/3 cup Marinated Greens (see below)

• Sriracha

• 1 scallion, white green and white parts, thinly slicedOlive oil or butter

• Flaky salt

Spread both sides of the bread with peanut butter and, depending on the saltiness of the peanut butter, sprinkle it with salt to taste. Spread the marinated greens over one slice and top with the scallion, and sriracha to taste. Close the sandwich.

Place a skillet over medium heat. When hot, pour in a thin film of olive oil or melt a pat of butter in it. Place the sandwich top-side down and cook until golden brown, about 3 minutes, pressing down gently if needed so that it begins to brown. Add a bit more olive oil or butter if the pan looks dry, then flip and repeat. Sprinkle the sandwich with a pinch of flaky salt, slice in half, and serve immediately.

Marinated Greens… Makes about 2 cups

PSA, JENNY’S NOTE: Even if you do not make this sambo, I encourage you to make these greens.  They are awesome on their own, or throw them into scrambled eggs, frittata, eating atop rice, etc… 

• 2 bunches (about 1 1/2 pounds) leafy greens: hello, Collard Greens!

• 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided

• 1 clove garlic, minced

• Pinch red pepper flakes, or to taste

• Salt

• Fresh lemon juice

Trim off and discard the tough stems from the greens. Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a wide skillet or saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes and stir for about 1 minute, until fragrant. Pile in the greens, in batches if necessary, and add a splash of water (you can also cover with a lid to compress them). Add a big pinch of salt and gently cook, stirring with tongs, until wilted and tender. Cooking times will vary depending on type of green, so watch and taste as you go. If cooking a combination of different greens, cook each type separately. Add a splash of water to the pan if it dries out.

Transfer to a colander to drain and cool until safe to handle. Gently squeeze out excess liquid using your hands or a spatula or wooden spoon, pressing against the side of the colander. Coarsely chop the greens, then transfer them to a medium bowl and toss with the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil and a few drops of lemon juice. Taste and add more lemon, red pepper flakes, or salt as needed.

SERVES: 4 (aka Crispy Chili-Yogurt Chicken Legs over Schmaltzy Bread) 

ACTIVE TIME: 35 MINS TOTAL TIME: 1 HR 20MINS 

This chile-flecked yogurt marinade gets stained bright orange when blended with mild chile flakes such as Aleppo pepper or Gochugaru. You’ll notice that I’ve given a much smaller quantity of Italian red pepper flakes (also known as pepperoncini) as a substitute. These are much spicier, so you won’t need as much, and therefore they won't strain the yogurt a rich hue. But they’ll work great nonetheless. Use whatever you’ve got! If you’ve ever made Samin Nosrat’s Buttermilk Marinated Roast Chicken, you may be familiar with the tenderizing effect that sour dairy has on meat--the enzymes in dairy products like buttermilk or yogurt help to break down the proteins in the chicken, resulting in supremely tender meat with an undeniable tang. As for the slices of bread that's it beneath the chicken,stale bread, which has dried out, will resist sogging out underneath the chicken and lead to crispier fried edges. If you only have fresh bread, slice it up and leave it out at room temperature to dry out for a few hours if possible. If you don’t have time for that, you’ll just need to embrace the crispy gone soggy factor (which I happen to think is pretty special in its own right). 

PRODUCE 

2 whole heads garlic

4 large shallots

2 large bunches kale, collard greens, Swiss chard or spinach

1 lemon 

PANTRY 

2 tablespoons fennelseed

¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon 

5 tablespoons olive oil Kosher salt

freshly ground pepper 

½ loaf crusty, stale sturdy sourdough bread (the staler the better, really)

2 tablespoons mild chili flakes(Aleppo, or Gochugaru) OR 2 tsp hot red pepper flakes(Italian) 

DAIRY

1 cup whole milk yogurt 

MEAT 

4 bone-in,skin on chicken legs(about 2½ pounds)

1. Marinate the chicken: In a blender combine 2 tablespoons fennel seed, 2 tablespoons mild red chili flakes(or 2 teaspoonsItalian red pepper flakes), and ¾ teaspoon cinnamon. Blend on high until the spices are finely ground. Add 1 cup yogurt, 2 tablespoons olive oil, 8 garlic cloves, ½ teaspoon salt, and blend again until smooth. Pat 4 chicken legs dry, and season all over with salt. Place the chicken in a baking dishor large resealable plastic bag. Pour the chili yogurt all over the chicken and let sit, turning occasionally, at least 1 hour and up to overnight. Arrange a rack in the center of the oven, and preheat the oven to 450 when you’re ready to cook.

2. Meanwhile, prep your veg and bread: Slice the stale bread into three or four 1” thick slices. (They ultimately need to fit in a 9 x 13 baking dish in a single layer so think about that as you decide how many you’ll need) Peel 8 small shallots, cut them in half through the root end. If your shallots are large, cut them in quarters. Cut the remaining head of garlic in half crosswise. Cut or tear 2 bunches of greens into 3 inch pieces(if you’re using kale or collards, you’ll want to remove the tough centerstem). 

3. Roast the chicken: Place the shallots, halved garlic and bread in a clean 9 x 13 baking dish. Drizzle all over with 3 tablespoons olive oil and season with salt and pepper, turning to coat everything. Arrange the chicken legs on top of the bread and vegetables. Roast, until the bread is golden brown and very crisp underneath, 25-30 minutes. The chicken will not yet be browned and crisp. Using tongs, move the chicken legs to a plate momentarily, while you flip the bread slices over, and stir the shallots and garlic. Return the chicken legs to the bread, and continue to roast until the chicken skin is crisp and deeply burnished, 12-16 minutes longer. Transfer the chicken and bread to a plate or cutting board to rest.

4. Add the greens and finish: Stir the greens into the baking dish along with the shallots and garlic, drizzle with some more olive oil, season with salt and pepper, and return to the oven to cook,stirring once halfway through until wilted and tender, 5-10 minutes longer depending on what greens you’re using. If it looks like the drippings at the bottom of the pan are burning you can add a couple of tablespoons of water to loosen them up. Squeeze the juice of 1 lemon all over the greens, chicken and bread. Divide the bread,shallots, and greens among serving bowls. Top each one with a chicken leg. Serve the roasted garlic alongside for schmearing on the schmaltzy bread.

CSA WEEK 10 (a week late post oops)

P i c k l i s t

Melon - saucey/jammy/smoothie Blueberries - Green Pepper - Cilantro or Parsley - Beets - Cabbage - Red Potatoes - Cherry Tomatoes - summer squash

Oh goodness, the blueberry gleaning did so much for my very tired -high summer- heart!  So great to se e those that came out to pick!  It is not lost on me how wonderful it is to be a part of your kitchen meals and table scraps, and I often wish there was time for more farmy events in order to make connections and just say hello to your faces.  The gleanings hold space for those moments to connect farmer to people, and I was so pumped just to say hi.  MOREOVER, yall took home some serious fruit!

Thanks for making the trek up the Meriden Hill.

As for other Edgewater news, this will be an abbreviated check in because even farmers have sick kiddos that need to go home “early” from the farm and just take rest.  So with that, we exit blueberry season, enter the extreme run-around pick ‘everything everywhere all at once’ vibe that is mid-August, and hope that our immune systems don’t deplete before the Cornish Fair.

FARMY FOODIE PRO-TIPS: 

BEETS!!  

Our first round of beet crop got eaten by weeds back in June, so I am thrilled to welcome these baddies to the table.  The beauty of the young beet, aside from the obvious earthy sweetness of the root, are the greens! You can eat the whole damn veg, and the recipe below does just that.  Check it:

Vinegar & honey roasted beets with Labneh (or greek yogurt)

 BY Eden Grinshpan from her book, Eating out loud

Roasted Beets 

6 small beets, a mix of yellow and red, with leafy tops removed and stems reserved, well scrubbed 

3 tablespoons red wine vinegar 

3 tablespoons honey 

3 strips of orange zest 

1 teaspoon coriander seeds 

1 teaspoon kosher salt 

Beet Stem Gremolata 

¼ cup finely chopped reserved beet stems 

¼ cup chopped fresh parsley 

1 small garlic clove

grated Grated zest of 1 small or ½ large orange 

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 

1 tablespoon red wine vinegar 

2 teaspoons honey 

½ teaspoon kosher salt 

Serving 1 cup labneh, store-bought or homemade (see page 52) Sumac Easy Peasy Pita (page 150) or Nan-e Barbari (page 146)

1. ROAST THE BEETS: Preheat oven to 350 degrees

2. In a large bowl, combine the beets, vinegar, honey, orange zest, coriander seeds, salt, and 1 tablespoon water.  Toss to coat. Arrange the beets on a rimmed baking sheet and cover the tray tightly with foil.  Roast until the beets can be easily pierced with a knife, about 45 minutes.  I like to wait until almost all the liquid has evaporated and you get to roll the beets around in the sticky juice that forms on the bottom.  Roast for another 5 minutes until the skin carmelizes and forms and almost candied shell.  Once the beets are cool enough to handle, cut them into 1-inch-thick wedges.  

3. MAKE THE BEET STEM GREMOLATA: In a medium bowl, combine the beet stem, parsley/or cilantro, garlic, and orange zest.  Mix gently to combine.  Dress the mixture with the olive oil, vinegar, and honey, season with the salt, and toss until evenly coated.

4. TO SERVE: In a large bowl, combine the beets and gremolata and toss to coat.  Spread the labneh (or greek yogurt) on a platter and place the dressed beets on top, including any juices that have accumulated in the bowl.  Add a sprinkle of sumac and serve with flat bread.

YOUR BLUEBERRIES:  

End of season berry queens have reached the point of exhaustion.  This pint, while just fine for fresh eating, will be even better for smoothies, icecream sauce,  jam, cake, etc… 

Or, because your grill is turned on, try out the below BBQ sauce :)

Servings 4

Blueberry BBQ Sauce

• 1 cup blueberries

• 1 small onion, grated with a box grater

• 1 clove garlic, finely minced

• 2- inch piece of ginger, peeled and finely minced

• 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup

• 1 tablespoon tomato paste

• ½ teaspoon gluten-free tamari soy sauce

• ¼ cup balsamic vinegar

• sprinkle of chili flakes (optional)

• sea salt and ground black pepper, to taste

Grilled Veg & Tofu Skewers

• 1 block of extra firm tofu (350 grams/12 ounces)

• 1 bell pepper, cut into 1-inch pieces

• 1 medium zucchini, cut into 1-inch pieces

• 1 large peach, cut into 8 wedges

• 1 small red onion, cut into 1-inch pieces

• avocado or other high heat-tolerant oil spray

• sea salt and ground black pepper, to taste

Instructions

1. Make the blueberry barbecue sauce: In a medium saucepan, combine the blueberries, grated onion, garlic, ginger, maple syrup, tomato paste, tamari, balsamic vinegar, chili flakes, salt, and pepper. Set the pot over medium heat and stir. Bring the sauce to a boil and then simmer until blueberries are broken down and sauce is slightly thickened, about 10-12 minutes. Set aside.

2. Preheat your grill to high.

3. Drain the tofu and cut it into 1-inch cubes. Thread the tofu cubes, bell pepper, zucchini, peach, and red onion onto your skewers. Don’t overload the skewers! Spray or drizzle the veg and tofu with oil on all sides and season with salt and pepper.

4. Grill the skewers until light char marks appear on all sides. Then, brush the skewers with about half of the blueberry barbecue sauce. Grill the sauced skewers for another minute or so. Remove the skewers and serve them hot with extra blueberry barbecue sauce on the side.

Equipment

• Grill

Recipe Notes

• As I mentioned in the post, I could see this barbecue sauce pairing nicely with plenty of different proteins. You could make this on a meal prep day and store it in a sealed jar in the refrigerator for up to one week.

• I use metal skewers, but if you don’t have those, you’ll need to soak some wooden skewers ahead of time for this recipe.

Blueberry barbecue sauce with ginger and maple syrup is a simple way to make grilled summer vegetable and tofu skewers extra delicious. The sticky sauce can be made well ahead of time with under 10 ingredients.

CSA WEEK 9

P I C K L I S T

collard greens - heirloom tomatoes - carrots - golden squash - yellow onions - garlic - corn - jalapenos - bell peppers - herb (parsley or oregano)

THIS WEEK IN FARMING: We are all starting to feel a deep loss.  The loss of Summer.  As the calendar days move into August we are hit with the feeling that Summer never really came.  We’ve all just been existing in a state of eternal Spring.  While there have been some nice hot sunny days peppering all the rain accumulating since June, it is evident from the fields that this season is bananas, B-A-N-A-N-A-S.  Even the winterbor Kale, the absolute workhouse of a vegetable, the blue ribbon allstar crop that gives her all when everything else fails, is crying tears  pleading for sunshine.  I went to pick kale after harvesting your CSA collard greens and I was astonished by the yellowing of their leaves- as sure signs of over saturation.  Yeesh.  The tops of the plant look alright, so I am hoping we get some sun to shake her out of this moldy funk.  But who knows - totally unpredictable climate times ahead.

ARE YALL SICK OF ME CRYING OVER THE WEATHER? GAH! ME TOO! However it really affects our food! Your Food! If we had more sun and heat, if we had an actual Summer, your CSA shares would be overflowing with peppers of all colors and sweetness, ripe melons, AND we’d still have an abundance of blueberries.  Don’t get me wrong, I'm a sucker for a week of collard greens, heirloom tomatoes, alliums, and corn, but I just can’t help but think of past Summers and their easy breezy bounty.  With all this said, and with no surprise to anyone, blueberry season is indeed slowing down.  So before it slips away, come hang, pick blues (it's free!), bring bug spray, and rejoice in what we DO have.

BLUEBERRY GLEANING Taking place SATURDAY!

Open to the entire Edgewater Farm C.S.A. community

WHERE:  TBD!  I will email yall Friday with an address for your googling

WHEN: Saturday!!!, August 12th from 1-3pm;  rain or shine though we will cancel in case of thunder and lightning

HOW: You pick!  Bring your own containers, we will have zero supplies for you to pick into.  FYI, if you have a used yogurt container and a shoelace, poke holes in the yog. Container, string the shoelace through, and make yourself a picking necklace- it’s fashion forward and an extremely efficient way to pick- very hip, all the kids are doing it.  

WHY: BECAUSE it is the quintessential New England past-time, and sharing is caring.  

FARMY FOODIE PRO-TIPS: 

1) slice your peppers into rounds. There’s no law against using whole jalapeños, but smaller pieces will soak up the brine faster.

2)  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.

3)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. 

Collard greens:

I really love collard greens. I think they are the perfect hardy green for all your hardy green needs.  They fry up beautifully and I have been known to use collards for chips instead of kale.  I am particularly fond of frying bacon, throwing in some collard greens and eating both bacon and greens atop crusty bread.  Just add salt and you have perfection.  But if you reaching for a recipe to dazzle your kitchen look no further, than the following by Toni Tipton-Martin

• SERVINGS: 6/ TIME: 4 HOURS, MOSTLY HANDS OFF / SOURCE: JUBILEE, BY TONI TIPTON-MARTIN

I was unable to get ham hock or smoked turkey wings the week I made these (in the more unevenly-stocked months of the pandemic) and decided to use bacon (8 ounces thick-cut in 2-inch segments) instead for the smoky flavor. The broth doesn’t have the depth of a broth made with bones, but the flavor was excellent.

• SMOKY SOUL STOCK

• 2 smoked ham hocks or smoked turkey wings (see Note)

• 2 medium onions, quartered

• 4 celery stalks, including leaves, halved

• 2 carrots, trimmed and quartered

• 2 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed

• 1/2 teaspoon black peppercorns

• 2 bay leaves

• GREENS AND DUMPLINGS

• 1 1/2 quarts Smoky Soul Stock (above)

• 1/2 cup chopped onion

• 1 garlic clove, minced

• 1 pound collard greens

• 2 small dried red chile peppers or 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

• 3/4 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste (used 2t diamond in greens)

• Black pepper

• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour

• 1 1/2 cups coarsely ground cornmeal

• 1 teaspoon baking powder

• 1 teaspoon granulated sugar

• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter

• Salt, to taste

Make the Smoky Soul Stock: In a large heavy stockpot, bring 3 quarts water, the smoked meat, onions, celery, carrots, garlic, peppercorns, and bay leaves to a boil. Reduce the heat, and simmer, partially covered, until the flavors are well-blended, about 2 hours. The broth develops a stronger flavor the longer you let it simmer.

Remove the meat from the broth. When cool enough to handle, pull it off the bones (discard the skin, fat, and bones). Chop the meat and reserve for another use. Use a fine-mesh sieve to strain the stock. Refrigerate the stock until the fat floats to the top. Use a slotted spoon to skim off the fat and discard. Store the stock tightly covered in the fridge or freezer.

Make the Collard Greens with Cornmeal Dumplings: In a saucepan, bring the stock, onion, and garlic to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat, cover, and simmer while preparing the greens.

Thoroughly wash the greens and trim away the stems, if desired. Discard the stems or chop small. Stack 2 or 3 leaves on a cutting board and roll tightly into a log. Slice the greens crosswise into 1/4-inch-wide ribbons. Place the greens and the chiles in the broth and return to a simmer. Cook, covered, for about 1 1/2 hours for very tender greens; you may cook them for less if you have young greens or prefer greens with more chew. Season to taste with salt and black pepper. Spoon out about 1 cup of the potlikker (the cooking broth) and set aside.

Meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk together the flour, cornmeal, baking powder, sugar, and 3/4 teaspoon salt. In a small saucepan, melt the butter. Add the reserved potlikker, and heat to just below boiling. Remove the potlikker mixture from the heat and whisk half of it (1/2 cup) it into the dry ingredients, and more if needed, 1 tablespoon at a time (I needed almost the full cup to reach a thick batter consistency). Let stand 5 minutes. When cool enough to handle, use wet fingertips (or in my case, a big scoop) to shape the dough into 6 dumplings.

During the last 15 minutes of the collards’ cooking time, carefully drop the cornmeal dumplings into the pot with the greens, making sure the dumplings rest in the potlikker. Cover the pot and simmer until the dumplings are cooked through, 10 to 15 minutes.

Serve the greens and dumplings in bowls with plenty of potlikker.

CSA WEEK 8

P i c k l i s t

Blueberries - cabbage - tomatoes - cucumbers - summer squash - patty pan squash -

 wax beans - dill - potatoes - peppers - eggplant - fennel

This week in farming…

The past week has been extremely chill compared to the past few weeks of fury.  While we are still figuring out what comes next and what takes priority, it is a bit of a relief to usher in cooler, drier weather.  This allows the crops to hold their horses and slow down production.  This is especially helpful in cucurbit land (summer squash, zucchini, cucumbers, etc) where it is more often than not that we are culling caveman club sized zucchini from the fields, then picking the more epicurean faves.  Thankfully, it is not just our crew coming in for harvest.  Willing Hands- the awesome organization that assists in food security for the Upper Valley has been dropping by weekly with their own crew to glean from the fields.  To glean, is to pick from a field post initial harvest.  Gleaning is an excellent opportunity for farms to share the literal fruits of their labor.  These crops are known as “seconds” on our farm- still great stuff, but not necessarily the most supreme picking.  Typically in July, we host a strawberry glean for you all, our dearly beloved CSA crew.  However, this July was met with the most extreme rain that brought the season to a real hard stop.  Super fun times for all, amiright?

As far as the current veg situation goes, we are delighted to welcome potatoes to the team.  Prior to our big potato harvest that will start in about a month, we hand dig these cuties.  Digging for potatoes is like searching for buried treasure.  Rather than an x marking the spot, you hone in on the potato plant.  Once you pull the plant, you can get an idea of how glorious the potatoes will be underground by the resistance the plant gives.  The Harder to pull, the more potatoes you reap.  There is also a very satisfying plucking sound that occurs when potatoes leave the plant- pop-pop-pop-pop.  Anyhow, once the aboveground plant has separated from their babies,  you dig until every last sphere is found.  After last year’s drought that culminated in a very small potato harvest, it is a real joy to pluck these beauties from the earth, wash them off, and make some dynamite potato salad.  

Another veg to geek out about are the wax beans.  However, a big heads up to you all, we did not wash the bagged beans.  Because there is so much rot in the fields from the very damp weather, we opted to keep them dirty to avoid ushering in any unnecessary rot.  They should keep for a hot minute, but absolutely wash before use.  No one likes a gritty bean salad.

That is all from the fields.  Melon is on the horizon friends!

FARMY FOODIE PRO-TIPS: 

THINGS TO GRILL THIS WEEK: 

EGGPLANT! SUMMER SQUASH! PATTY PAN SQUASH! PEPPERS! FENNEL! Just add salt!  Also shaved parm takes all the above grilled crops to the next level.

This clever wax bean dish is a cross between a salad and a side dish: it's served warm but loaded with the bright, fresh flavors of tomatoes and basil.

By Jody Williams  Updated on March 31, 2014

• 2 pounds yellow wax beans, trimmed (UNFORTUNATELY, you only have .75lbs of these beans, but i STILL think the recipe is worth downsizing the rest of the  ingredients for…)

• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

• 4 ounces thickly sliced bacon, cut into lardons (1 cup)

• 2 tablespoons sherry vinegar

• 10 ounces halved cherry tomatoes (or chopped regular tomatoes!)

• 1 small shallot, very finely chopped

• 2 garlic cloves, very finely chopped

• 1/3 cup chopped dill

• Kosher salt

• Freshly ground pepper

• Cook the beans in a large pot of salted boiling water until crisp-tender, about 5 minutes. Drain the beans and cool them under cold running water. Drain well and pat dry; transfer the beans to a large bowl.

• In a large skillet, heat the olive oil. Add the bacon and cook over moderate heat, stirring, until golden, 7 to 8 minutes. Remove the skillet from the heat and stir in the vinegar, tomatoes, shallot, garlic and dill. Scrape the bacon vinaigrette over the beans, season with salt and pepper and toss to evenly coat. Serve warm.

SOUR CREAM SLAW WITH FENNEL

From my second favorite cook book, START SIMPLE by Lukas Volger

1 small cabbage 

1 medium fennel bulb, cored and very thinly sliced, fronds reserved

¼ cup sour cream

1 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

1 teaspoon or more herbs de provence (thyme!!! Oregano, rosemary, etc)

½ teaspoon salt, or to taste

¼ teaspoon sugar

Pinch red pepper flakes

 In a serving bowl combine the cabbage (kale) and fennel.

In a small bowl, stir together the sour cream, olive oil, lemon juice, herbes de provence (thyme etc!), sugar, and red pepper flakes.  Taste and season with salt.  Add most of the dressing to the cabbage (kale) and fennel and taste, adding more if needed (you may have some dressing left over).  Coarsely chop about 3 tablespoons of the fennel fronds and stir them in.  You can eat this slaw immediately, but the flavors will meld a bit after and hour or so at room temperature.  

A crisp salad of pole beans, fennel, and parmesan cheese 

From my tried and true old standby eating bible, TENDER by Nigel Slater

Wax  beans 

Medium fennel bulb

Small, salad leaves (chop up your savoy!) 4 double handfuls… 

White bread- 2 thick slices

Oil for frying the bread

For the dressing:

Tarragon vinegar- a tablespoon 

Dijon mustard- a teaspoon

An egg yolk

Olive oil- a scant ½ cup

Grated parmesan cheese- 3 tablespoons, plus a block of parm for shaving

Lemon juice- 2 teaspoons

 Trim the beans and boil them in lightly salted water or steam them, until tender.  Drain them under cold running water.  Cut the fennel bulb in half and shred finely.  Make the dressing by whisking the vinegar, mustard, and egg yolk together with a little salt and black pepper, then beating in the oil followed by the grated cheese.  It should be thick and creamy.  Squeeze in the lemon juice, stir, then set a side for a few minutes.  

 Put the “salad” leaves in a large bowl with the cooked beans and the fennel.  Cut the bread into small squares and fry in shallow oil until golden on all sides.  Drain the croutons on paper towels.  Toss the leaves and beans lightly with the dressing.  Pile the salad into two plates and shave pieces of parmesan over with a vegetable peeler.  I usually do at least 8 per salad, depending on my dexterity with the peeler.  Tip the hot croutons over the salad and eat straight away while all is fresh and crunchy.  

POTATO SALAD!

I have no real recipe, but for crunch and flavor, add your fennel!!  Also dill :)

CSA WEEK 7 (a very belated post, one week late!)

p i c k l i s t

heirloom tomatoes - blueberries - lettuce - carrots - mint -

cilantro - cucumbers - kale - zucchini - jalapeno

in proper late July fury, I accidentally deleted the newsletter from week 7, the words were meh, but the recipes were *chefs kiss*

classic 2023. Let’s move onto week 8, shall we?

CSA WEEK 6

p i c k l i s t

pickling cucumbers - garlic - dill - summer squash - zucchini -

lettuce - celery - tomatoes - blueberries - hungarian hot wax pep

This week was farmed with a pretty heavy heart, and we are still wrapping our heads around it all.  We are still trying to calibrate all we lost and take count of all the pests and diseases that are thriving as a result.  We are still trying to figure out the best ways to support our farming buds in Vermont that lost too much.  Because I am in fact here to farm-splain let me break it down to you the best way I can.  Farming is so much more than sweet corn and tomatoes and beautiful photos and pastoral sunsets (if you are a CSA veteran then you absolutely know this by now).  When you choose to give your life over to farming- you sign a deal with the weather gods.  For better or worse you are always under the thumb of a 10 day forecast.  Sometimes it works in your favor, but this year, there is no good compromise.  The first humbling hit occurred with that late Spring kill frost, and we’ve been drenched and pruned every day since.  And when it is not raining we are staring at a pink sun and breathing in air that's just not quite right.  Quite frankly, growing food this Summer sucks.  However last Summer was hard too.  Ray reminded me recently of last Summer’s drought and crazy winds.  While people were vacationing and lounging around their favorite swim holes (remember those dreamy blue skies?), we were all thirsty and moving around irrigation lines, watching crops dry up and die.  We prayed for rain, and it came 1 year later in the form of bucket loads upon our heads and pools at our feet.  

Clearly, I am feeling pretty doom and gloom this week as climate change is moving fast and it is impossible to look away.

However, as noted above, we gave our lives over to farming a while back now and that’s not gonna change.  We are still pumped on growing  all the Summer faves and we just gotta learn to adapt and be more mindful with every step along the way.

In other news this week, we are totally overwhelmed with cucurbits! And I can not stress enough the urgency to pickle all your cucumbers and grill all your squashes.

As far as flood relief goes, and the massive financial hit that many farms are experiencing, please know that we are working on a plan to help, and I’ll pass around info as we navigate that.  

FARMY FOODIE PRO-TIPS: 

IT’S PICKLING SEASON YALL! Here are my 2 fave recipes and pickling tips followed by the very best, most refreshing after work meal.

Pickling and Fermentation 101

Presented by Jeffrey Yoskowitz of The Gefilteria

author of The Gefilte Manifesto: New Recipes for Old World Jewish Food

Lacto-Fermentation vs. Vinegar Pickling 

Lacto-fermentation, also known as saltwater pickling, is a traditional preservation method that utilizes the natural bacteria found on vegetables and fruits in order to preserve them. Vinegar pickling, also known as quick pickling, by contrast, utilizes vinegar to destroy all bacteria found on vegetables and fruits, thereby preserving them in the process. 

With lacto-fermentation, we create an ecosystem for Lactobacillus (the same bacteria found in yogurt) to thrive and convert carbohydrates (sugars) into lactic acid. The acid acts as a natural preservative. The end result is not only delicious, but healthy—it aids in digestion and boosts the immune system. 

4 Essentials of Lacto-Fermentation 

Salt: The salt brine regulates fermentation by enabling positive bacterial growth and inhibiting negative bacterial growth. Use kosher salt or sea salt, nothing with added iodine!

Spice: Add your desired pickling spices to saltwater to infuse flavor into brine. Tannin-rich leaves—such as bay leaves—help keep the crunch. Garlic, dill, mustard seeds, coriander, peppercorns, chili peppers and cinnamon sticks are standards. 

Produce: Choose the freshest, thinnest cucumbers possible. Kirby is your best choice variety, but you can replace cucumbers with green beans for similar flavor results and a consistent crunch. 

Patience: The true process of fermentation involves waiting as the bacteria goes to work. Be sure to keep your jar in a moderate temperature space (65-75 degrees F). Keep your vegetables under the salty brine, too. Anything above the liquid may get a tad bit moldy. Note that mold happens often, and it’s ok! Anything white can simply be scraped away/cut off of the veggies. The rest will be just fine. Once your pickles are at their desired flavor point, place them in the refrigerator to stop the fermentation process and keep them there and enjoy. 

Recipe for Crisp Garlic Dilly Beans or Cucumbers

• Fill a pint sized jar with water (2 cups). Add 1 heaping Tbsp kosher salt and shake or stir to dissolve the salt fully. 

• Place cucumbers or green beans in the jar (as many as will fit! Squeeze them in tightly!), along with 1-2 bay leaves, 1-3 cloves chopped garlic,
  2 sprigs of dill,
  and 1/2 tsp seeds such as mustard seeds, peppercorns, coriander seeds, etc. If needed, add more water/salt mixture (same ratio) and cover the veggies, leaving at least an inch between the liquid and the top of the jar. 

• Seal the jar. After the first two days, “burp” the jar. Check them daily after that. When you like the flavor, transfer the jar to the fridge. Enjoy! 

(quick) DILL PICKLES from the cookbook TART & SWEET

4 cups white vinegar

2 cups water

¼ cup kosher salt

4 ½ pounds cukes

PER JAR:

3 cloves garlic

3 dill heads or 4-5 dill sprigs

1 tablespoon yellow mustard seed

1 tablespoon brown mustard seed

1 teaspoon dill seed

1 teaspoon black peppercorn

• Bring the vinegar, water, and salt to a boil in a medium reactive pot.

• Stir to dissolve the salt.

• Place Garlic, dill, and spices in each hot jar.  Pack cukes in as tightly as possible without crushing. 

• Pour in boiling brine, leaving ½ inch headspace. Make sure the cukes are submerged in brine.  

ANOTHER RECIPE I STUMBLED ON… Calls for caraway instead of the mustard seed… I am actually leaning towards caraway seeds rather than mustard for my next pickling adventure because that classic caraway flavor found in rye bread or saurkraut seems completely appropriate and potentially awesome here.  

• 2 lbs cucumbers, halved lengthwise, seeded and chopped

• 1/2 cup plain fat-free Greek yogurt

• 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

• 2 small garlic cloves

• 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for garnish

• 1 tablespoon chopped dill, plus sprigs for garnish

• Kosher salt

• Pepper

Directions

• In a blender, puree the cucumbers, yogurt, lemon juice and garlic. With the machine on, gradually add the 1/2 cup of oil until incorporated. Transfer to a bowl, stir in the chopped dill and season with salt and pepper. Cover and refrigerate until chilled, 30 minutes. Ladle the soup into bowls and garnish with a drizzle of olive oil and dill sprigs.

Make Ahead

The soup can be refrigerated overnight.

Notes

The soup can also be served as a sauce for grilled meats or used as a salad dressing.

CSA WEEK 5

p i c k l i s t

Zucchini - summer squash - cauliflower - lettuce - cucumbers - lemonbalm - heirloom tomatoes

Spent the past two days harvesting for CSA and watching the river rise.  Not a ton for us to do other than watch.  All day Monday we played eye spy with this one particularly low field at the farm.  I must have have done 16 drive-by’s just eyeing the water level and taking note of every change.  The concern is that once the water crests in that once particular spot, we have about 50 minutes until that field is totally flooded. That field is home to our carrot crop (remember those beauties from last week?), 4 greenhouses, strawberries, and all of our herbs.  It would be a massive hit.  The river never peaked right there, and we were mostly alright.  The water did pool up considerably around the herbs and one of our lower greenhouses.  As a result, you will see a massive cut back in herbs over the next few weeks.  All in all, we experienced very little loss.  But the ground is still so damn heavy and saturated and this summer remains the perfect breading ground for disease and rot and not a morning goes by that I put on dry boots.  

And while we walked away extremely lucky, so many others did not.  I’m thinking of our buds at Hurricane Flats Farm in South Royalton and Joe’s Brook Farm in Barnet.  All of our farms experience the total joy of planting crops on alluvial (river bottom) soil.  That proximity to rivers and streams makes for great farming.  These fields tend to be flat and long and rich and easy to irrigate.  Flooding can occur, but moments of catastrophic destruction are known to happen very rarely, every 100 years… and here we are 12 years later since Irene, and it all feels like too much too soon.  Not to mention this flood on the heels of that extremely late Spring kill frost, and farming in smokey air.  The 2023 growing season is absolutely going on record as one of the hardest years to grow food.  But here we are, and at this point, let’s play ball. 

One crop we went heavy on this week is cauliflower.  Is it your favorite veg? I hope so.  If not, it will be this week.  We had to harvest our whole cauliflower crop ahead of the rains because this weather can turn your cauli from beautiful white delicious florets to rot in a heart beat, as a result you have 4(!) heads of cauliflower- which I know is alot, but also, in this case, is the nature of a CSA.  Sometimes you get whole lot of something but I can assure you there is a good reason for it.  And in other news that will hopefully cheer up this box of non stop rained on veg, hi hi to our beloved heirloom tomatoes that were grown inside a high ground greenhouse!

Alright sun, we are ready to see you shine now.  ok?

FLOOD RELIEF, WAYS TO HELP:

FARMY FOODIE PRO-TIPS: 

ZUCCHINI ON THE GRILL by Nigel slater:

Summer squash/zucchini

Zest and juice of a lemon

Olive oil- 3 tablespoons

Small bunch of fresh herbs

Wipe the zucchini and slice thinly along their length, no thicker than ⅛ inch thick.  Put them in a colander in the sink.  Grind over a little salt and leave for half and hour.  Prepare the grill.  Once they are covered with little beads of moisture- as if they have broken out in a flop sweat- pat them dry and put the slices on the hot grill.  Let them brown lightly in stripes on the underside, then turn them over and brown them on the other side.  

Meanwhile. Make the dressing.  Grate the zest from the lemon into a mixing bowl.  I do this finely and lightly, as any white pith will make the dressing bitter.  Add the lemon juice, then beat in the olive oil with a fork or small hand whisk.  Add a pinch of salt and black pepper.  Coarsely tear the basil leaves, depending on their size- I like to leave small ones intact.  Lightly crush them in the hand to release the oils, add them to the dressing.  As each slice of zucchini becomes reasy, drop it into the dressing and mix gently so that the slices become completely soaked.  Set aside for the flavors to marry and vegetables to soften slightly

REALLY JUST GO AHEAD AND GRILL IT ALL:

Grilled cauliflower wedges are perfectly tender and spiced after a quick steam and finish on the BBQ. Served with a luscious tahini yogurt, tangy sumac onions, and crispy chickpeas, this vegan main is so impressive.

SUMAC ONIONS

1 small red onion, thinly sliced

2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

1 ½ teaspoons sumac

sea salt and ground black pepper, to taste

TAHINI YOGURT

¼ cup tahini

¼ cup unsweetened vegan yogurt

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 small clove garlic, finely minced or grated with a Microplane

sea salt and ground black pepper, to taste

3 tablespoons cold water, plus extra

GRILLED CAULIFLOWER WEDGES

1 medium head cauliflower

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 teaspoon maple syrup

1 teaspoon paprika

1 teaspoon garlic powder

½ teaspoon ground cumin

sea salt and ground black pepper, to taste

TO SERVE:

crispy chickpeas (see notes)

chopped leafy herbs (cilantro, mint, parsley, basil or a mix)

extra drizzles of olive oil

NOTES:

I learned the sumac onions technique from Ottolenghi! I sub apple cider vinegar for lemon juice, but otherwise it’s the same.

My favourite unsweetened vegan yogurts for savoury applications are Yoggu or Culina.

I quickly tossed my chickpeas with oil, salt, and pepper and air fried them for 12 minutes at 390 to get them crispy, shaking the basket often. You could also accomplish this in the oven with the method that I outline in this recipe. If you have a bag of store bought crispy chickpeas hanging around, they would be great too!

If you don’t have a grill, I recommend roasting the steamed cauliflower wedges with all the spices, oil etc in a 400 oven for about 20 minutes, flipping the pieces over at the halfway point. You could also just break the cauliflower down into florets and skip the steaming step! If you’re doing that, I’d increase the roasting time to 40 minutes.

The sumac onions can be made in advance and kept in the fridge for up to 3 days. The yogurt tahini will keep for up to a week.

1. Make the sumac onions. In a medium bowl, combine the sliced onions, apple cider vinegar, sumac, salt, and pepper. Give them a toss with your hands and set aside for at least 20 minutes.

2. Make the tahini sauce. In a medium bowl, whisk together the tahini, yogurt, lemon juice, garlic, salt, pepper, and water. The texture should be fluid but fluffy in a way. Add more water is necessary, and then set aside in the fridge.

3. Cut your cauliflower into 2-3-inch wedges, leaving the core intact. I flip the cauliflower head upside down and cut right through the core to have 2 equal halves. Then I cut each half into 4 even quarters.

4. Grab a large, deep skillet with a lid and pour a couple inches of water in. Bring that up to a simmer over medium heat on the stove. Add the cauliflower wedges to the skillet (or into a steamer basket if you have one) and place the lid on top. Steam until just tender in the core, about 7-8 minutes.

5. Set the steamed cauliflower wedges on a baking sheet and blot them dry with a clean kitchen towel or paper towels. In a small bowl, stir together the olive oil, maple syrup, paprika, garlic powder, and cumin. Brush this mixture on all sides of the cauliflower wedges. Season the cauliflower wedges on all sides with salt and pepper.

6. Preheat a grill to high. Lightly mist the grill with oil spray. Place the cauliflower wedges on the grill grates, shut the lid, and grill until char marks appear, about 3-4 minutes. Using tongs, gently flip the pieces over and char the other side for another 3-4 minutes.

7. To serve, swoop the tahini sauce over the surface of your serving platter. Arrange the grilled cauliflower wedges on top. Top the cauliflower with the sumac onions, crispy chickpeas, chopped herbs, and some little drizzles of olive oil. Enjoy immediately!

LEMON BALM: FOR ALL YOUR POST FLOOD FEELINGS, MAKE TEA, STEEP THIS HERB, DRINK IT COLD OR HOT, AND CALM YOUR NERVES.

CSA WEEK 4

P I C K L I S T

Cilantro - strawberries - napa cabbage - bok choy - carrots - radishes - 

garlic scapes - english cucumber - lettuce

Will need to forgo all farm updates this week, as I chose to town parade followed by river nap on the 4th rather than newsletter.  But if you are wondering how your farmers are doing, we are damp to say the very least.  Despite rain boots, our feet are forever pruned and there is always one article of clothing on our body that just won’t dry.  The rain is relentless.  

On that note, eat your strawberries today!  These Summer jewels have very little holding power.  Delicious berries, but they too are feeling the effects of too much rain.   

FARMY FOODIE PRO-TIPS: 

BAECHU KIMCHI BY MORIHOUSE (@mori.house)/ Makes about one 750ml mason jar

1 large Napa Cabbage**, about 1kg/2lbs

Sea Salt (non-iodized), fine to semi-fine- 3% the weight of the Napa Cabbage

3-5 GARLIC SCAPES, thinly sliced (original recipe calls for garlic, but i think scapes would be awesome here)

zest of 1 Lemon, sliced into thin slivers

2 dried Togarashi Chili Peppers or Chile de Arbol, chopped (deseeded, optional)

3-5 cloves Garlic (I BET YOU COULD ALSO CUISINART SOME GARLIC SCAPES INTO A PASTE HERE), crushed into a paste

3-5 Tbsp Gochugaru (Korean Chili Pepper Flakes)***

1 Tbsp Fish Sauce (optional)

Pickling Brine* or Filtered Water

JENNY’S NOTE: 

OTHER INGREDIENTS TO ADD TO THIS KIMCHI RECIPE JULIENNED CARROTS/ SLICED RADISHES/ CHOPPED BOK CHOY
Supplies:

1x Mortar & Pestle

1x Large Mixing Bowl

2-3 Spoons for mixing

1x 750ml sterilized, air-tight Mason Jar

1x Knife or Cleaver

1x Heavy object like a large stone or a large mason jar filled with water for weighing down your pickles.

1x Dish Towel

1x Small jar or pitcher for collecting excess brine

1x Fork or utensil to press down the pickles into the jar
Prepare the garlic scapes, lemon zest and chili peppers as described. Cut your cabbage into 1/8ths lengthwise and then widthwise into approximately 3 inch chunks. (JENNY’S NOTE: Add your julienned carrots, sliced radishes and chopped bok choy here to the mix)

Place into a large bowl and scatter the salt, lemon zest, garlic and chili peppers over the cabbage. Gently massage the salt into the cabbage mixture evenly. As you are doing this, you will feel the cabbage excrete its water content. This will take just a few minutes.

Next use a plate or another round flat object which has a smaller circumference than the bowl, so it fits just inside rim and on top of the cabbage mixture. Using a large stone, mason jars filled with water or another heavy object, weigh the plate and cabbage down. Cover the top of the bowl with a towel to keep dust from getting in and let it sit weighed down like this for at least 3 hours to lightly pickle. After the 3 hours or more have elapsed, you will find the water from the cabbage will have filled the bowl to cover the kimchi in what is now a salty *pickling brine.

Decant the brine into a pitcher or jar and gently squeeze a little out of the cabbage mixture. At this stage you will have a fresh, lightly-pickled style of napa cabbage known in Japan as “Hakusai no Tsukemono”. If you don’t like spicy, you can skip ahead to the jarring stage.

Crush your garlic into a paste with a mortar and pestle and a couple pinches of salt to break it down easier. Add your gochugaru, fish sauce (if using) and using small amounts of the brine, make a paste similar in thickness to a tomato paste. Chuck this paste into the drained cabbage mixture, still in the original bowl, and massage all together, making sure the paste is distributed evenly.

Use the following final steps for both the spicy and non-spicy versions: Layer your kimchi into the mason jar in 3-4 stages. Between each layer, use a fork to gently press the kimchi down as flat as you can. Continue to do this until all the kimchi is in the jar. Give it a few more presses with a fork, getting as much oxygen and as many air bubbles out as possible. If your kimchi paste was the right consistency, brine will rise to the top as you press the air out of the kimchi. If not, add small amounts of brine until it does. If making only non-spicy Kimchi, you will definitely need to add some brine. This extra thin layer of liquid at the top will help to seal your kimchi during the beginning of the fermentation process. Seal the jar and place it in the coolest and darkest part of your home.

Next is the waiting! 1 MONTH is the sweet spot but while it may not be for everyone, do try to wait at least 5-7 days before tasting. It takes at least this long for there to be any noticeable fermentation. In the colder seasons, it may take even longer, up to 10 days. If you want to “taste-as-you-go”, be sure to use a clean utensil and DON’T double dip! However long your preferred fermentation time, you will need to help the kimchi release carbon dioxide gas every couple of days. You may notice that when you open it, the kimchi will bubble. Sometimes it will bubble like soda but it may also only bubble slightly or barely at all. Either way, you can rest assured that it is fermenting. Each time you release the gas, you will also notice the kimchi may have risen slightly. Using a fork press it down again as much as you can. Brine may or may not rise to cover the kimchi at this stage and that is ok.

Note: Depending on whether or not you sterilized your jar properly and the environment temperature, you may occasionally find trace amounts of white, blue or green mold on the top of your kimchi. DO NOT worry about this. Simply remove it from the kimchi or wipe it off if it is on the jar or lid. However, if you find black mold, I’m sorry to say your kimchi may have been contaminated by unwanted outside bacteria. At that stage, it is better to start over just to be safe. All this said, mold is highly unlikely using this method.

After 1 month (or shorter) has elapsed, enjoy your kimchi as a side to most of your favorite Asian dishes, cook it in a dish or eat it as a snack!

**Do not use standard or savoy cabbage to substitute. However, you can use Bok Choy (same weight) as a substitute if Napa Cabbage is nowhere to be found.

***Note: I have had some students use Cayenne Pepper, Paprika or Chili Powder in lieu of Gochugaru before, but please use caution as the spice levels between these differ substantially. If you are absolutely unable to get Gochugaru and still want to try making spicy kimchi, start by making your paste with just one tablespoon of one of these substitutes. Taste it first, then add more, tablespoon by tablespoon until you reach a spice-level which is tolerable for you. However, I suggest you do try to add Gochugaru as a regular item in your kitchen. It is very versatile and easy to find online or at Asian Markets.

LENTIL, CABBAGE, AND FETA SALAD WITH FRIZZLED ONIONS BY LUKAS VOLGER

JENNY’S NOTE: I LOVE THIS RECIPE. My house has been eating this once a week since cabbage has been field ready.  We never have all the ingredients.  Many times we’ve made this without the lentils or onion- BUT the main players here are cabbage, feta, toasted almonds and fresh herbs, salt, and dressong.  If you can gather those essential foods then chop on and eat up!  (Also, I use the term “we” incredibly loosely, as my dear friend/housemate Rich, has been doing the cooking here). 

Also, the book this recipe is from, START SIMPLE by Lukas Volger (Copyright © 2020 by Lukas Volger. Published by Harper Wave, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers. Reprinted by permission.) proves to be an excellent Summer eating resource.

INGREDIENTS:

½ cup brown, black or dark green lentils

Salt

½ medium white or yellow onion

Olive oil

5 cups sliced cabbage

¼ teaspoon sugar

2 tablespoons red or white wine vinegar

2 teaspoons dijon mustard

¼ teaspoon honey

½ cup crumbled feta cheese

1.2 cup coarsely chopped toasted almonds

½ cup cilantro leaves (or other herbs!)

Combine the lentils with 1 cup water and ½ teaspoon salt in a small saucepan.  Bring to a simmer, cover, and cook until tender, 12 to 18 minutes, depending on which lentils you use.  Drain off and liquid left in the pan and allow to cool.

(JENNY’S NOTE: SO FAR, WE HAVE NOT DONE THE FOLLOWING, BECAUSE THE ONIONS HAVE ONLY RECENTLY STARTED PUTTING ON SIZE, IT SOUNDS DELISH, BUT FEEL FREE TO SKIP IF YOU DON’T HAVE ANY ONIONS)  Meanwhile, slice the onion into paper-thin wasps, preferably using a mandolin, or working carefully with a chef’s knife.  Warm about ¼ inch of the olive oil in a small skillet over medium heat.  Dip a piece of onion into it to ensure it’s properly hot- it should sizzle immediately- then add all the onions.  Cook, stirring often with a fork, untl they get crispy and turn a reddish-brown color, 10 to 20 minutes. Watch carefully for the final few minutes, as they burn easily.  Use a slotted spoon to transfer them to a paper towel- lined plate and sprinkle with salt.  SAVE THE OIL!

When the oil has cooled until it’s safe to handle, strain it through a fine mesh sieve or coffee filter to remove all solids into a glass jar (I use a 3-inch strainer for this task).

Toss the cabbage, ½ teaspoon of salt, and the sugar in a colander and let soften for 15 to 30 minutes, then gentlypress with a spatula to drain off excess liquid.  

Combine the vinegar, mustard, and honey in a jar, along with the 3 tablespoons of the cooled onion-cooking oil.  Shake to emulsify.  

Fold the cabbage, lentils, cheese, almonds, and parsley leaves with most of the dressing in a serving bowl.  Taste and add more dressing if needed.  Pile the frizzled onions on top, tossing them into the salad at the table it’s being served. 

CSA WEEK 3

p i c k l i s t

strawberries - garlic scapes - cilantro - lettuce - fennel - broccolini - 

cucumber - summer squash - zucchini - plants!

This was a very hard rain.  Too hard of a rain.  We are at that point in berry season where so many strawberry varieties are ripening up and ready for the picking.  Strawberries want sunny days, therefore we want sunny days.  The rain was expected to come on Sunday, but somehow it held off until Monday around noon, at that point we knew we were working under borrowed time.  Enter Monday morning, A chance to pick off as much fruit as possible before the inevitable.  Right as our bellies called us to lunch, the heavens opened up, and the rain came crashing down.  Within the first hour, there were little rivers everywhere pooling up around the farm draining into flood zones.

This does not make for the end of strawberry season- there is still a lot of good fruit out there, and late season berries to come, BUT it will make for slower picking for the field crew and there is a very good chance you will find a few extra ripe and soft berries in your quart this week, nothing a little cream and biscuit can't fix (hello strawberry shortcakes!).  These berries are meant to be eaten the same day as they are picked.  Our hearts are a little heavy after this rain, but hopefully some good jam and smoothies will come out of it, and fingers crossed that by next week the fields will dry out and the next flush of berries will be primo.

In other news, the field cucurbits have arrived! Summer squash, zucchini, cucumbers galore. 

FARMY FOODIE PRO-TIPS:

This is a perfect week to grill or to salad 

Crops to grill: Garlic scapes! Fennel! Summer squash! Zucchini! broccolini!

Crops to salad: Lettuce! Fennel! Cucumber! Cilantro!

Also I bet if you grab a cuisinart, some garlic scapes, cilantro, olive oil, salt, and pepper you could make some real dippy-spread magic happen for all that grilled veg.

1. Depending on how much you like (or should I say love?) garlic flavor, you can swap the green stalks for half or all of the basil in your go-to pesto recipe. Blitz in a food processor with Parmesan, pine nuts, olive oil, and salt and pepper.

2. Fold chopped and sautéed garlic scapes into frittatas, omelets, or our best-ever scrambled eggs.

3. Swap thinly sliced garlic scapes for the scallions in your next batch of crispy fried rice.

4. Cut garlic scapes into coins and add them to a hot pan to make all sorts of stir-fries.

5. Mix finely diced garlic scapes into a vinaigrette or green goddess dressing to instantly upgrade your next salad.

6. Blister whole garlic scapes on the grill for a lightly charred snack or side dish to serve at your next barbecue.

7. Stir finely chopped garlic scapes, olive oil, and salt into Greek yogurt to make a dip for crackers or crudités. Or, thin the mixture with a spoonful of water and drizzle it over grilled meat or roasted veggies.

8. Pickled garlic scapes are a revelation. Cut the green shoots into 6-inch pieces and process them the same as pickled ramps.

9. Sauté sliced scapes to use as a homemade pizza topping. Save any leftover oil from the pan in the fridge for your next salad dressing.

10. Use the scapes whole in a hearty, warm-weather-friendly braise.

11. Add a few diced garlic scapes with the chopped onion the next time you make risotto. Feeling fancy? Save one finely sliced green stalk to garnish each bowl.

12. Mix chopped scapes with room-temperature butter and roll it into a log to make a versatile compound butter. Use it on grilled or pan-fried fish, roasted veggies, and garlicky grilled cheese. Or stash it in the freezer and pull it out a few months down the road to make a truly special Thanksgiving turkey.

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon plus ½ teaspoon baking powder
¼ cup plus 3 tablespoons sugar, divided
¼ teaspoon kosher salt, divided
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into cubes and chilled
2 hard-boiled egg yolks, mashed with a fork or pushed through a small-mesh sieve
1¾ cup chilled heavy cream, divided
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted

3 pints fresh strawberries, washed, hulled and halved or quartered, depending on size

Preheat oven to 400˚F.

In a large bowl, sift together the flour and baking powder. Mix in ¼ cup sugar and the salt.

Add the chilled butter cubes and, using your fingertips, work the butter into the flour mixture until it has the consistency of coarse crumbs. Add the mashed hard-boiled egg yolks.

Add ¾ cup cream, little by little. Gently mix until the dough just comes together.

Turn the dough onto a lightly floured board and gently knead into a smooth ball (about two or three turns). Gently pat down the dough to make a flat 1-inch-thick slab. Using a lightly floured 2½-inch-round biscuit cutter or an overturned glass, cut straight down to create 6 shortcakes. Place the shortcakes on a plate lined with waxed paper or plastic wrap and refrigerate for an hour, or overnight.

Just before baking, brush the tops of each shortcake with melted butter and sprinkle with 1 tablespoon sugar.

Transfer the chilled shortcakes to a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake on the center rack of the oven until golden and firm to the touch, 15–20 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool.

While the shortcakes cool, prepare the fruit filling and whipped cream. Place the strawberries in a large bowl. Gently toss with 2 tablespoons sugar and let sit until macerated, up to 10 minutes.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, whip the remaining chilled heavy cream on low and gradually increase speed until it begins to thicken. Reduce speed, add remaining 2 tablespoons sugar and begin to slowly increase the speed until the whipped cream is thickened, about 4 minutes total.

Alternately, vigorously shake cream and sugar in a large Mason jar until desired consistency is reached, 10–15 minutes, depending on upper-body strength and determination.

Using a fork or serrated knife, cut the shortcakes in half. Place the bottom halves on plates and generously spoon the macerated strawberries and juices over them. Top with a heaping dollop of whipped cream. Top with the other half of each shortcake, or serve open-faced with the top halves on the side. Serve immediately, if not sooner.

BROCCOLINI: 

Yes yes, the broccolini has flowered but it is still good! Just quickly stirfry with sesame oil and a pinch of salt.  We had to pick off these shoots to keep the plant production going, and figured it would be better to share with you then toss in the compost pile. They are delish, enjoy!

CSA WEEK 2

p i c k l i s t

strawberries - garlic scapes - basil - mint - bok choy - lettuce - cucumber - plants

Enter Summer Solstice with those all-day-high-in-the-sky light levels and the sweet scent of berries calling you to the fields… so let’s get right into it… c’mon out, PYO berry season is here!

HERE IS WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW:

Location head to 99 River Road/ Plainfield NH and follow the signs to the patch!

HOURS  morning hours: 8am-noon/ afternoon hours: 3-6pm

WEATHER & CROP PERMITTING! we will update facebook & instagram if there are early closures

FIELD REPORT: IDEAL CONDITIONS (so far/ heads up this can change in a heartbeat)

FARMY FOODIE PRO-TIPS

(it’s a scape season must)/ YIELD About 1 cup recipe from the NYTimes

JENNY’S NOTE: No real measurements here, everything is to taste.

The star of this pesto is the garlic plant’s under-appreciated second offering: the fleeting garlic scape. The ingredients are straightforward except for the substitution of sunflower seeds for pine nuts. The seeds are a fraction of the cost and do the job just as well. A food processor is a must for this recipe. For pesto, ingredient order matters. Start with the scapes and process for about 30 seconds. Add the seeds until they are broken down and mixed well with the scapes. Scrape the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula for wandering bits. Next, pour in the olive oil. If you have Parmesan cheese in chunks, add it now, but if it is grated, wait until the scapes and seeds smooth out. If you’re serving right away, add the basil and lemon juice. If not, hold back on the basil for now — otherwise the pesto will lose its vibrant color. Add generously to cooked spaghetti or spread on crusty bread.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 cup garlic scapes, sliced crosswise (about 10 to 12 scapes)

• ¼ cup raw sunflower seeds

• ½ cup extra virgin olive oil

• ¼ cup Parmesan cheese

• ½ cup basil leaves

• Juice of one lemon

  PREPARATION

• Place the garlic scapes in a food processor and pulse for 30 seconds.

• Add the sunflower seeds and pulse for 30 seconds. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.

• Add the olive oil and process on high for 15 seconds.

• Add the Parmesan cheese and pulse until the ingredients are combined.

• Add the basil and lemon juice, and process until reaching the desired consistency.

• Add salt to taste and serve immediately.

As for all the other crops included in this pick-list, welcome to salad season!

The following are some standby combos and quasi recipes I hold onto to brighten up all these greens for eating:

• Rice noodle bowls!  Perfect vehicle for every green thing. Just add coconut aminos or tamari and sesame oil.  For protein you will have to look elsewhere- but as for the basil, bok choy, mint, lettuce, and cukes- just chop and fold in.

  GARLIC SCAPE PESTO SALAD DRESSING: 

• Remember all that garlic scape pesto you intend to make this week)? Take a couple of tablespoons of that and add the following: olive oil, vinegar, maple syrup, and lemon juice. Everything to taste- whisk to combine.  

author: CHIHYU SMITH

Baby bok choy salad (or Pak Choi) with creamy toasted sesame dressing. This is the best Chinese bok choy recipe that’s easy and super delicious.

bok choy

2-3 tbsp creamy toasted sesame dressing, or more if you like

1-2 tsp coconut aminos 

• Bring a large pot of water to boil.

• In the meantime, halve or quarter the baby bok choy. Rinse them under tap water to remove dirts hidden inside the layers.

• Blanch them in hot boiling water for about 1 to 1.5 minutes. Use a large slotted spoon to scoop out the bok choy and shock them in cold water. The bok choy will remain crunchy this way.

• Gently squeeze the bok choy to remove the water. Place them over a serving dish. You can place them either cut side up or down. Personally, I prefer cut side up.

• In a bowl, combine the sesame dressing with coconut aminos. Spoon the sauce over the bok choy one tablespoon at a time until your desired quantity. The more sauce the stronger the flavor it will be.

• Serve at room temperature or chilled.

Creamy Toasted Sesame Dressing

Makes about 1/2 cup.

1 tbsp white sesame seeds

4 tbsp Paleo mayonnaise

1.5 tbsp rice vinegar

3 tbsp coconut aminos

½ to 1 tsp toasted sesame oil

2 tsp tahini

• In a dry cast iron skillet, add the sesame seeds and toast over low heat for about 2-3 minutes. Stir the seeds often with a spatula or gently rock the skillet back-and-forth to keep the sesame from burning.

• Off heat, grind the seeds with a pestle and mortar (or a clean coffee grinder) until smooth.

• In a medium-size bowl, add all the ingredients from sesame seeds to tahini. Whisk and stir until creamy smooth. Taste and make seasoning adjustments to your own liking.

• For thinner texture, add ½ tbsp water a time until desired consistency.

CSA WEEK 1

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

1. In a bowl whisk together the vinaigrette ingredients. Chill until ready to serve.

2. 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!

FALL CSA WEEK 7

p i c k l i s t

garlic seconds - onions - radish - watermelon radishes- murasaki sweet potatoes - butternut squash - kale - spinach - beets - purple top turnips - carrots - brussel sprouts - mixed potatoes - popcorn

BREAD: ZUCCHINI BREAD (but actually summer squash)

WOW- WHAT A WHIRLWIND.  Another CSA season has come and gone!  What started with seeds in January, ends today with a cornucopia of root vegetables, some fresh greens, and a smattering of storage crops to keep you thinking of edgewater well into winter.  

Brief 2022 recap: The farming season is so wild!  From sunrise to sundown, every moment from April to literally right now in late November is either an epic win or an epic fail, very little in between.  So much occurs from spring seeding to summer picking to late fall storing and finally deep winter eating.  In total honesty, this was a tough growing season.  Lack of rain really took a toll on all of our crops, we were short two people on field crew, the crop failure we had during strawberry season was enough to make us all cry, weeds were out of control in every field and now we are dealing with rot in our potatoes.  It’s just a lot.  And this season more than any one prior, I gotta say, we are all ready for some real rest.  

Don’t get me wrong, we weren’t just irrigating our crops with tears this Summer.  There was awesome fruit to reap!  The melons were sweet and plentiful, winter squash blossomed like a dream, blueberries were divine, the cherry tomatoes were endless,  and we got a good handle on exactly how much collared greens to grow for future plantings.  Also, the good folks that show up every summer to work on our field crew are so dear to my heart and I love working alongside them.  Mike, Ray, Strong, Roy, Jasper, Garnet, and Tim continue to be total badasses in the field. Everyone shows up daily to give their all to whatever veg/fruit is in front of them.  Newbies Pam, Claire, Denroy, and Carlington fell into the groove while also experiencing steep learning curves.  Pam in particular, really stole my heart this Summer.  Her first year in farming reminded me how cool every crop is and how there is brilliance in every systems of planting/seeding/irrigating, etc… It was totally inspiring to work with someone so new to the field, and so eager to learn.  Her awe in growing food is contagious, Cheers pam!

And as far as the CSA round up goes, while we are ending our 7 weeks of Fall foods today, the farm is completing 24 weeks of CSA pick ups and pack outs- wowie wow wow wow.  Such a journey we went on this Summer beginning with the first bite of strawberries in June! 

We were all so lucky to have support from Mrs. T on herbs, Claire on early morning green harvesting as well as sky scrapers of wax box building, Anne on after hours kiddo duties, Ray on crop plan management, and of course allll the support from field crew on bulk planting, harvesting, etc…  (think cucurbrits, cherry tomatoes, small fruits, etc).  

My bottomline here is this:  you hear alot from me throughout the growing season via newsletter and instagram, but this farm is far bigger than one person and one persons voice.  It is an actual village and everyone here keeps the village moving, and food growing, and goodness gracious we haven’t even brought up all the cool stuff happening at the farmstand, in the  kitchen, and in the greenhouses.  Edgewater is a pretty special place, I often can’t believe I get to do this everyday… 

And without further ado, Allie and Holle (of the farmstand and greenhouses) just walked into the farm office with a 6 pack of white claws.  It’s 6pm, dark as hell, time to wrap up- so cheers to you all, thanks for having Edgewater at your table these past 7 weeks (and some 24!) dig in, Happy Thanksgiving, and let's party.  

pro-tips:

ACTIVE TIME/ 15 minutes TOTAL TIME/40 minutes… 4 servings

1½ lb. brussels sprouts, trimmed, halved

¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil

½ tsp. kosher salt, plus more 

Freshly ground black pepper

¼ cup honey

⅓ cup sherry vinegar or red wine vinegar

¾ tsp. crushed red pepper flakes (optional)

3 Tbsp. unsalted butter

3 scallions, thinly sliced on a diagonal

1 tsp. finely grated lemon zest

Step 1
Place a rimmed baking sheet on bottom rack of oven; preheat to 450°. Toss brussels sprouts and oil in a large bowl; season with salt and black pepper.
Step 2
Carefully remove baking sheet from oven. Using tongs, arrange brussels cut side down on baking sheet. Roast brussels on bottom rack until softened and deeply browned, 20–25 minutes.
Step 3
Meanwhile, bring honey to a simmer in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook, stirring often, until honey is a deep amber color but not burnt (it will be foamy, that’s okay), 3–4 minutes.
Step 4
Remove from heat and add vinegar and red pepper flakes, if using, and whisk until sauce is smooth (it will bubble up quite aggressively when you add the vinegar before settling). Return saucepan to medium heat, add butter and ½ tsp. salt, and cook, whisking constantly, until glaze is glossy, bubbling, and slightly thickened, 3–4 minutes.
Step 5
Transfer brussels sprouts to a large bowl. Add glaze and scallions and toss to combine. Transfer to a platter and top with lemon zest.

Prep Time 20 mins/ Cook Time 45 mins/ Total Time 1 hr 5 mins

Hemp Seed Ranch (makes extra)

• ½ cup raw + hulled hemp seeds

• ¼ cup fresh lemon juice (from approximately 1 lemon)

• ¼ cup water

• 1 tablespoon olive oil

• 1 teaspoon dijon mustard

• 1 teaspoon garlic powder

• ¼ teaspoon nutritional yeast

• 1 green onion, finely minced (approximately 1/4 cup)

• 1 sprig of dill, chopped (approximately 1 tablespoon)

• sea salt and ground black pepper, to taste

Roasted Winter Bowl

• 1 small-medium sweet potato, (about 3/4 lb or 330 grams) peeled + diced into 1/2 inch cubes

• 1 tablespoon olive oil, divided

• ⅓ of a block of tempeh, from a standard 1/2 lb or 250 gram block, cut into 2-inch pieces

• 2 tablespoons barbecue sauce of choice (see notes)

• 7-8 brussels sprouts, trimmed and quartered

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Set out a large baking sheet, lining it with parchment paper if you like.

2. Make the hemp seed ranch dressing. In a blender, combine the hemp seeds, lemon juice, water, olive oil, dijon, garlic powder, nutritional yeast, salt, and pepper. Whizz the mixture on high until you have a smooth and creamy texture. Scrape the dressing into a small bowl and stir in the green onions and dill. Cover the dressing and store in the refrigerator.

3. Place the diced sweet potatoes onto one end of the baking sheet. Toss the sweet potatoes with 1 teaspoon of the olive oil, some salt and pepper. Slide the sheet into the oven and set your timer for 15 minutes.

4. At the 15 minute mark, remove the baking sheet. In a small bowl, toss the tempeh pieces with another teaspoon of olive oil, some salt and pepper. Arrange the tempeh pieces in the middle segment of the baking sheet. Lightly toss the sweet potatoes. Slide the sheet back into the oven and set your timer for another 15 minutes.

5. At the 15 minute mark, remove the baking sheet. Throw the brussels sprouts into the same small bowl that you used for the tempeh. Toss the brussels sprouts with the remaining olive oil, salt, and pepper. Scatter them in a single layer on the remaining segment of the baking sheet.

6. Flip the tempeh pieces over and brush them with the barbecue sauce. Slide the sheet back into the oven for 15 more minutes. Once brussels sprouts are lightly browned, remove baking sheet from the oven.

7. Transfer sweet potatoes, tempeh, and brussels sprouts to a serving bowl. Drizzle some of the hemp seed ranch dressing over top and enjoy.

Equipment

• Blender

Recipe Notes

• For barbecue sauces, there's no shame in a good store bought one OR you can make one from my recipe. This one and this one also look great.

• I used a high speed blender for the ranch dressing, but I imagine a normal blender could get the job done because hemp seeds are quite soft.

A super easy, vegan, one-tray roasted winter bowl supper with BBQ tempeh, brussels sprouts, sweet potatoes and vegan hemp seed ranch dressing. This is a great lower effort, nourishing meal for one.

FALL CSA WEEK 6

P I C K L I S T

LEEKS - RUTABAGA - CELERIAC - WATERMELON RADISH - RED KURI WINTER SQUASH - BROCCOLI - FENNEL - SPICY SALAD GREENS (ARUGULA & MIZUNA) - TINY RUSSET STORAGE POTATOES
BREAD: FROZEN PIZZA DOUGH

It’s a real who’s who of root veg this week- so I won't bore you all with the weather and how it totally dominates our everyday life (as per usual) at Edgewater.  But most importantly, let it be known that our field crew drops from 8 to four farmers this coming Saturday when Roy, Garnet, Strong, and Jasper head back home to Jamaica.  Can’t get too emotional over their leaving just yet, we have a ton to accomplish before that day- and like most professional farmers do, we will continue to bury our feelings in farm chores: cleaning squash &  bagging potatoes.  But goodness gracious,  they will be missed- and every day until they leave, we will celebrate field crew love via baked goods fresh from the farmstand kitchen. Today it’s carrot ginger muffins. Tomorrow it’s ginger cookies. Thursday, it’s donuts from Jumbo Honey Bun Bakes.  Who knows what Friday will bring- But Saturday, there will be hugs and tears.  

Pro-tips:

Storage heads up: Friends! Are you experiencing refrigerator overwhelm with all this veg?!? Here is a little heads up, if it is a root or an allium or a squash, and you are not eating it tonite, leave it out… maybe even make yourself a cutesy little counter top cornucopia of CSA goods… OR, if you do not anticipate meal making in the next little bit with said allium, root, or squash, do keep in a cold area of your home- but not freezing! MUDROOMS AND GARAGE SPACES are great places to hold veg.  Ray can attest to this, as he often comments on my vegetable hoarding skills as he steps over eurocrates and bushels of beets and onions and squash to enter our house.  You too, can start hoarding your veggies today with your fancy ½ bushel box of baby russet potatoes.  It will keep for a long time if stored correctly- think cool and dry.

Rutabaga… Because it would not be a proper Fall CSA without a rutabaga.  

Let it be known that the rutabaga is by far the least sexy veg.  However there is a case to be made for the rutabaga.  Like turnips, they roast beautifully when chopped, and taste great as a mash.  And people swear by them when paired with pork.  Nigel Slater has tons of great recipes to explore around this root. I highly recommend a google sesh searching “nigel slater” and “swede*” for your rutabaga recipe.  

*swede is another name for rutabaga  

WATERMELON RADISH: What appears to be your everyday root veg on the outside, is actually a ruby diamond on the inside.  Slice in half to be wowed, then proceed to eat.  Great roasted (like you would a beet), shaved thin in salad or crudite’ it up into spears with dip of choice.

CELERIAC (aka celery root): For those that are experiencing this veg for the first time, again prepare to be wowed.  There are sooo many recipes on google for what to do with this alien looking rooty cutie- but the bottomline here, it is a less starchy potato with a hint of celery.  Roast in cubes with salt and pep,  boil to mash, or follow the next recipe below…

Garden keeper's pie is a cozy vegan main course with beets, lentils, herbs, and a creasy celery root topping. Perfect for a holiday meal.

PREP TIME:45 MINS/ COOK TIME:1 HR 35 MINS/ TOTAL TIME:2 HRS 20 MINS/ SERVINGS 4

 FILLING:

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 cooking onion, diced

2 cloves of garlic, minced

1 sprig of rosemary, leaves minced

4 sprigs of thyme, leaves removed and divided

pinch of chili flakes, optional

2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar

5 cups-worth of small diced root or tuber vegetables or squash (I used a mix of butternut squash, carrots & beets)

⅓ cup black or french lentils, rinsed

2 ½ cups vegetable stock

1 teaspoon tamari soy sauce

sea salt, to taste

ground black pepper, to taste

2 teaspoons arrowroot powder

1 tablespoon cold filtered water

 CELERY ROOT MASH:

3 cups peeled and diced celery root

2 cloves of garlic, peeled

1 ½ tablespoons olive oil, plus extra

¼ cup unsweetened non-dairy milk

Notes: These are rough measures, but this isn’t a fussy endeavor by any means. You’re just making one big sauté, thickening it with arrowroot, topping it with a rustic mash and baking it until the whole thing bubbles and browns.

Some cooked beans would fill in nicely for the lentils. Just make sure you throw them in closer to the end of the cooking process.

 Preheat the oven to 400°F. Lightly oil 4 ramekins/cocottes/mini gratin dishes with at least 8 oz/1 cup capacity. Place dishes on a sheet pan and set aside.

 For the filling, heat the 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the diced onion and sauté until very, very soft, about 5 minutes, stirring often. Add the minced garlic, rosemary, thyme, and chili flakes (if using) to the pot and stir. Sauté until the garlic is very fragrant, about 45 seconds. Add the balsamic vinegar and stir. Add the 5 cups of diced vegetables and the lentils to the pot and stir to coat everything in the oil. Season heartily with salt and pepper. Sauté the vegetables and lentils another two minutes or so, stirring often.

Add the vegetable stock and tamari and stir. The liquid should cover all the vegetables and lentils nicely, by about a half inch. Bring the mixture to a boil and then simmer until the vegetables are tender and the lentils are just soft, about 45 minutes. It helps if you place a lid on top of the pot slightly askew, leaving a little gap for air to escape.

When the filling is done, in a small bowl mix together the arrowroot powder and cold water. Scrape this slurry into the pot with the filling and stir to mix it in. Remove the pot from the heat.

For the celery root mash, place the diced celery root and garlic cloves in a medium saucepan. Cover the vegetables with cold water/vegetable stock if you like, and then place the pot over medium heat. Bring the mixture to a boil and then simmer until the celery root pieces are tender, about 15 minutes.

Drain the celery root and garlic, and place it in a food processor fitted with the “S” blade. Pulse the vegetables a couple times to get them moving. Add the olive oil, unsweetened almond milk, and some salt and pepper. Run the motor on high until you have a cream, homogenous mixture. Check it for seasoning and adjust if necessary.

Divide the filling amongst the 4 oiled dishes. Then, divide the celery root mash among the tops of the 4 dishes, smoothing it out with a butter knife or spatula. Drizzle a bit of olive oil on top of each pie and sprinkle with salt, pepper, and thyme leaves. Place the assembled pies back on the baking sheet and slide into the oven. Bake the pies until the filling is bubbling and the tops are very lightly browned, about 20 minutes.

From The First Mess (thefirstmess.com)/ SERVES: 2-3
NOTES: This recipe is so versatile: use any steamed/roasted/grilled/raw vegetables you like, noodles of whatever persuasion you prefer. But the sauce! Please keep the sauce :)

soba:

2-3 portions of soba noodles (I like a 1:1, sometimes 1:2, noodle + veg ratio, but make as much as you prefer)

1/2-1 full bunch of broccoli, cut into florets (save the stalks for green juice or maybe some pesto?)

sauce:

1-2 garlic cloves, grated on a rasp

1 inch of fresh ginger, peeled + grated on a rasp

1 tbsp tamari soy sauce

splash of maple syrup/brown rice syrup

1/2 tsp light miso

hot toasted sesame oil to taste

2 tbsp olive oil

pinch of cayenne or chili flakes

juice of 1/2 a lime

4-5 brazil nuts, chopped + divided

Cook the soba noodles according to package directions. This usually takes anywhere from 8-10 minutes once your water's boiling. Drain them and rinse with cold water. While the noodles are cooking, in a small bowl whisk/stir together the grated garlic, ginger, tamari, maple syrup/brown rice syrup, miso, hot toasted sesame oil, olive oil, cayenne, lime juice and chopped brazil nuts. Add a little fresh ground black pepper if you want. Set aside.

Steam the broccoli to a point you find enjoyable. I like mine still sorta raw-ish, so once the water's simmering in the pot, that steamer basket hangs out for about 3-4 minutes.

Divide the noodles and broccoli among bowls, drizzle the sauce on top, sprinkle the tops with some extra chopped brazil nuts if you like and serve.

FALL CSA WEEK 5

P I C K L I S T

COLLARD GREENS - SWEET POTATOES - OREGANO - PURPLE TOP TURNIPS - LEEKS - ACORN SQUASH - CARROTS - GARLIC - BEETS - MINI BROCCOLINI BUNCHES - LETTUCE 

BREAD: CHEDDAR JALAPENO SANDWICH BREAD (!!!)

Oh Goodness gracious, it is impossible to hide from all this change that is currently brewing.  So much energy around the election, the Lunar eclipse, and now the weather.  On Monday Roy and I were harvesting collard greens in tank tops and the sun felt so hot and so good, and we were both so aware of this extremely fleeting moment.  On Tuesday we all woke up, stepped outside to greet the day and promptly ran back inside to put on 10 more layers, all our woolies, and our neoprene gloves.  We saw this change coming about a week ago in the 10 day forecast. Ever since, we’ve been working hard to accomplish as many outdoor tasks as possible before the hard frosts really sets in.  For example, Carrots are being dug and stored nearly daily.  Turnips also harvested.  And around the farm, the great button up for winter continues. Tasks include pulling rebar from the field, storing remay in bins, cleaning greenhouses, oiling tools, etc….  Also we’ve been thoughtful in what we pick and when.  Allie and I knew this day would come in which we’d be hemming and hawing over late fall harvests while on the 48th bunch of kale and the chill drops right into your bones.  So this week we treated ourselves to harvesting from inside a greenhouse.  Oh it is such a farmers dream!  When temps turn south, you step right in, shut the door, and you are existing in a tropical bubble.  Ray was savvy enough to think ahead about this. While we were still harvesting for Summer CSA back in August, he was seeding, planting and prepping for this moment in which it is waaaaaaay more fun to pick in a toasty greenhouse than the blustery cold.  So on Monday of this week when the sun was hot, we picked all the field veg: collards, oregano, leeks, purple top turnips and on Tuesday we harvested baby broccolini bunches and lazy lettuce from the greenhouse while outside the cold wind blew. 

Pro-tips:

MINI BROCCOLINI BUNCHES: I know! I know! These cuties are too small to base an entire meal off of, BUT they are so dang tasty!  Eat the whole thing, stalk, leaves, flowers, etc! Hopefully by cutting all the plants back we will see a regrowth by the last CSA pick up (fingers crossed)!

Beet and Turnip Gratin Servings 8 by Brandon Matzek

• 9 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided (1 for the skillet, 8 for the sauce)

• 4 1/2 pounds mixed beets and turnips (I used red, gold and chioggia beets, peeled and sliced thin crosswise (I used an mandolin)

• 3/4 cup finely chopped leeks

• 2 teaspoons minced garlic

• 2 teaspoons chopped fresh oregano

• Kosher salt

• Freshly ground black pepper

• 3/4 cup chicken stock, preferably homemade

• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh chives

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Grease a 12-inch cast iron skillet with 1 tablespoon of butter.

2. Working from the outside in, tile sliced beets and turnips in a rosette pattern. I started with red beets on the outer edge, then gold, turnips, and chioggia. If you don't want to fuss with all of that, check out the note above.

3. Warm 3 tablespoons of butter in a small skillet set over medium heat. Add shallots and cook until soft, stirring frequently (about 4 minutes). Add the garlic and thyme and cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute more. Take the pan off the heat, and stir in the remaining 5 tablespoons of butter. Once the butter is melted and incorporated, season to taste with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper.

4. Pour the butter-garlic mixture evenly over the prepared beets and turnips, then pour over the chicken stock. Cover the skillet tightly with foil, then bake in the oven for 45 minutes. Remove the foil and cook until the top of the gratin is just starting to brown and get crispy (about 30 minutes). Let the gratin cool for 30 minutes. Sprinkle with chopped chive just before serving.

 

SERVINGS: 6/ TIME: 4 HOURS, MOSTLY HANDS OFF 

• SOURCE: JUBILEE, BY TONI TIPTON-MARTIN

 I was unable to get ham hock or smoked turkey wings the week I made these (in the more unevenly-stocked months of the pandemic) and decided to use bacon (8 ounces thick-cut in 2-inch segments) instead for the smoky flavor. The broth doesn’t have the depth of a broth made with bones, but the flavor was excellent.

• SMOKY SOUL STOCK2 smoked ham hocks or smoked turkey wings (see Note)

• 2 medium onions, quartered

• 4 celery stalks, including leaves, halved

• 2 carrots, trimmed and quartered

• 2 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed

• 1/2 teaspoon black peppercorns

• 2 bay leaves

• GREENS AND DUMPLINGS1 1/2 quarts Smoky Soul Stock (above)

• 1/2 cup chopped onion

• 1 garlic clove, minced

• 1 pound collard greens

• 2 small dried red chile peppers or 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

• 3/4 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste (used 2t diamond in greens)

• Black pepper

• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour

• 1 1/2 cups coarsely ground cornmeal

• 1 teaspoon baking powder

• 1 teaspoon granulated sugar

• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter

• Salt, to taste

Make the Smoky Soul Stock: In a large heavy stockpot, bring 3 quarts water, the smoked meat, onions, celery, carrots, garlic, peppercorns, and bay leaves to a boil. Reduce the heat, and simmer, partially covered, until the flavors are well-blended, about 2 hours. The broth develops a stronger flavor the longer you let it simmer.

Remove the meat from the broth. When cool enough to handle, pull it off the bones (discard the skin, fat, and bones). Chop the meat and reserve for another use. Use a fine-mesh sieve to strain the stock. Refrigerate the stock until the fat floats to the top. Use a slotted spoon to skim off the fat and discard. Store the stock tightly covered in the fridge or freezer.

Make the Collard Greens with Cornmeal Dumplings: In a saucepan, bring the stock, onion, and garlic to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat, cover, and simmer while preparing the greens.

Thoroughly wash the greens and trim away the stems, if desired. Discard the stems or chop small. Stack 2 or 3 leaves on a cutting board and roll tightly into a log. Slice the greens crosswise into 1/4-inch-wide ribbons. Place the greens and the chiles in the broth and return to a simmer. Cook, covered, for about 1 1/2 hours for very tender greens; you may cook them for less if you have young greens or prefer greens with more chew. Season to taste with salt and black pepper. Spoon out about 1 cup of the potlikker (the cooking broth) and set aside.

Meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk together the flour, cornmeal, baking powder, sugar, and 3/4 teaspoon salt. In a small saucepan, melt the butter. Add the reserved potlikker, and heat to just below boiling. Remove the potlikker mixture from the heat and whisk half of it (1/2 cup) it into the dry ingredients, and more if needed, 1 tablespoon at a time (I needed almost the full cup to reach a thick batter consistency). Let stand 5 minutes. When cool enough to handle, use wet fingertips (or in my case, a big scoop) to shape the dough into 6 dumplings.

During the last 15 minutes of the collards’ cooking time, carefully drop the cornmeal dumplings into the pot with the greens, making sure the dumplings rest in the potlikker. Cover the pot and simmer until the dumplings are cooked through, 10 to 15 minutes.

Serve the greens and dumplings in bowls with plenty of potlikker.