Finally, here at the end of August, it is HOT. We’ve been spoiled by a season of remarkably mild days, and now we resent the relentless sweat of long harvests in the sun. Nevertheless, heat means peppers and tomatoes and melons, so we’re happy to see all of our fruit on the vines finally ripening up. continued »
Food, food, food! This is the time of year when we almost give up eating meat altogether and dive full-on into veggie heaven. Warm sautees, cold salads, crisp raw dipping plates – we’ve got so much here to experiment with, our kitchen is transformed into something like an art studio much of the time, with pots stacked ramshackle on stove and counter, recipe books open everywhere like giant resting butterflies, and the laptop perched somewhere atop it all, most often linked to epicurious.com.
If we’ve got a passle of houseguests, which we do much of the warm season, this kitchen studio is messy, crowded, loud and prolific. When it’s time to eat, we have to sort of sweep pans out of the way while we enjoy the fruits of our labors, then get
everyone organized into a cleaning crew. When we finish tidying up, it’s pretty much time to start thinking about the next meal. Ah, summer. This week we’ve included some of our latest favorite recipes which are on the unusual side. Have fun!
Summer Squash
Tomatoes – We’ve given each of you some very ripe and some not so ripe tomatoes to use both now and in a few days. The best test of ripeness with heirloom tomatoes, since many ripen to colors other than red, is to gently push the side opposite the stem and see if it’s soft.
Cucumbers – Both the large green and the small white are tender, tasty and great for raw eating.
Radish – These pretty Easter Egg radishes are a spicy treat for summer. Layer with nasturtiums and cream cheese for a fabulous, dressy appetizer.
Nasturtium Leaves and Flowers – This is one of our favorite treats in the summer garden. Use these peppery leaves and flowers to make a creative appetizer or just use to enliven a salad or garnish a dessert. From this week’s box, you can slice multi-colored radishes, cucumbers and summer squash, then spread with nasturtium-leaf cream cheese, and top with a flower. Yum! To make nasturtium cream cheese or butter, soften 4 oz of either, then add two tablespoons finely chopped leaves and/or flowers. Dill or onion would be nice in there, too. Nasturtium vinegar also makes a great peppery vinaigrette. In one quart white wine vinegar, add a handful of nasturtium flowers and let steep for a couple of weeks before straining. It takes on a lovely pink color.
Green Beans
Fresh Red Onion
Garlic
Salad Turnips – These terrific little turnips are crisp and sweet, perfect for fresh eating or glazed with ginger in the recipe we’ve included below.
Baby Beets
Eggplant – Just a few are ready so far, but sooooo pretty! The white ones are like pearls growing under the leaves of the lush plants.
Cilantro and Basil
Tarragon, Thyme, Oregano, Summer Savory, Parsley – Experiment! Here’s a suggestion – take a little taste of each and then go ahead and season with them, without knowing what they are. Just try it. If you must know what you are using – the tarragon is the tallest stalks, parsley is next in size. The oregano has round leaves, and the thyme and savory have tiny little sharp leaves. Thyme is thicker and milder than the savory.
Ginger-Glazed Young Turnips with Cider and Raisins
from Farmer John’s Cookbook
½ teaspoon salt plus a dash, divided 1 bunch young turnips, trimmed
¼ sugar or honey
1/8 cup white vinegar
1-2 teaspoons freshly grated ginger (or more, to taste)
2 tablespoons cornstarch
¼ cup apple or grape cider
½ cup raisins
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley
Finely chopped crystallized ginger (optional garnish)
Bring 2 quarts water to a boil in a large pot. Add a dash of salt, then the young turnips. When the water returns to a boil, cover and reduce heat. Simmer the turnips gently until tender but not mushy, 10 to 15 minutes depending on size. Remove the pot from heat and transfer the turnips to a dish to cool.
Meanwhile, transfer ½ cup of the hot cooking water to a medium pot. Stir in the sugar or honey, vinegar, and ginger to taste. Add 1/2 teaspoon salt. Combine the cornstarch and cider in a small glass or bowl; let stand until cornstarch is dissolved.
Slice the turnips to your desired thickness. Place the pot with the ginger mixture over medium heat. Stir in the cider mixture and adjust the heat so the ingredients simmer. Cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture is smooth and thickened, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove the pot form heat; stir in the raisins and sliced turnips and continue to stir for 2 minutes, until the mixture reaches a thick, gravylike consistency. If necessary, stir in a bit more cider to reach the desired consistency. Stop stirring and let stand for 2 minutes. Garnish with parsley and crystallized ginger.
Sauteed Beets with Turmeric and Toasted Black Mustard Seeds
Farmer John’s Cookbook
1 ½ pounds beets, peeled, cut into matchsticks
½ teaspoon turmeric 2 tablespoons ghee or vegetable oil
½ teaspoon black mustard seeds 1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar
Put the beets and turmeric in a large pot. Fill with enough water to barely cover the beets. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Cook, uncovered, until tender but still firm, 5 to 10 minutes. Drain beets and set them aside to cool. Heat the ghee or oil and the mustard seeds in a large skillet. As the mustard seeds begin to pop, place a lid over the skillet for a few seconds (to prevent the seeds from popping out), then add the beets. Cook and stir constantly, uncovered, for 1 minute.
Sprinkle the salt and sugar over beet mixture and cook for 1 minute more. Remove the skillet from heat. Season with more salt to taste if desired. Serve hot, at room temperature, or chilled.
What with the panic of flood clean-up and all of the uncertainties of a first-of-the-season CSA delivery, I ran out of time yesterday to put together recipes for the boxes. So here, straight from the rather fishy-smelling Circle M farm fields, are some terrific ways to use the first bounties of the spring garden. continued »
Well, last night’s nightmare of flooding and destruction has all but disappeared with this morning’s lovely sunshine and gentle wind to lift the moisture off the gardens. And boy, are they full! We’ve got a box packed with greens coming out to you today, with a few surprises tucked in. continued »
Like all Judeo-Christian celebrations, Sabbath and Sunday included, Easter is all about getting the day off work and eating. continued »
Some of the tasks here at Circle M are so truly mundane they defy mention, but these few are some of my favorite seasonal chores: washing the wool from my spring shearing and making stock from last year’s frozen soup bones and stewing chickens. continued »
Every time I put a Julia Child disc into the DVD player, I start off looking for laughs and end up looking for a pencil and paper. continued »
To atone for my recent disparaging comments about Julia Child’s grayscale “Potato Show,” I pulled out “Mastering the Art of French Cooking, Vol. 1” and made her wonderful Potage Parmentier this week. Thank you, Madame Julia, for the world’s easiest and most romantic-sounding Potato Soup. continued »
Whoa! We almost got blown off the planet trying to bring in the harvest this morning. What a send-off for the last box of the season! continued »
Last box of the season! This year, our first as a CSA (community supported agriculture) farm, has absolutely flown by and we’ve been almost too busy to notice. Busy in the best possible way, that is. We feel rich in good work, good food, good partners, even if we often feel desperate for more time in every day. And now the hours of light are shrinking on us at a frightening pace! I suppose that’s our cue to get inside and enjoy the woodstove and all the hearty dinners the year-end garden offers up. Here’s what’s in the box… continued »
