From Fi el d to Fork
STORMYWEEKEND
week 12:
Our wish for rain was finally granted. The rain came down in buckets this weekend which
means that we were able to shut off the timers and forego the constant juggle of watering our
fields. With the good comes the bad; the violent windstorm ripped the top right off one of our
greenhouses. Suffice it to say that the tomatoes, peppers and eggplant in there got a good
drink this weekend.
Sept ember 1& 2
Since pictures speak louder than words, we thought we'd let these photos do the narrating.
THIS
WEEK'S
BOX
Beets
Cabbage
Above: A nature-made sunroof in our greenhouse.
Gar lic
Below left: It was
just a little blustery
this weekend. Our
little white
Ameraucana chicken
looks like she's
about to be blown
away.
Onions
Pepper s
Sum m er squash/zucchini
Tom atoes
Lar ge boxes add:
Kale
Rom anesco
Below right: Many
large branches fell
down but no one
was hurt, thankfully.
Summer St ew
-
1 onion, chopped fine
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/ 4 cup olive oil
4 cups diced summer squash and zucchini
1 pepper, chopped
1 cup fresh corn kernels (cut from about 2 ears)
~ ¾ pound chopped tomato
2 tablespoons minced fresh orégano leaves or 1/ 2
teaspoon dried, crumbled
- 1/ 2 cup packed fresh basil leaves, shredded
In a large deep skillet cook the onion and the garlic in the
oil over moderately low heat, stirring, until the onion is
softened, add the zucchini, summer squash, pepper, and
the corn, and cook the mixture over moderate heat, stirring,
for 4 minutes. Add the tomatoes, the oregano, and salt and
pepper to taste and simmer the stew, covered, stirring
occasionally, for 10 minutes. Simmer the stew, uncovered,
stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes more, or until the
excess liquid is evaporated, sprinkle it with the basil, and
serve it warm or at room temperature.
Raw Beet Sal ad
Raw, grated beets can be dressed and kept in the
refrigerator, covered well, for a couple of days. They
become more tender but don?t lose their texture, and the
mixture becomes even sweeter as the beet juices mingle
with the citrus.
-
1/ 2 pound beets
3 tbsp freshly squeezed orange juice
1 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 tbsp minced chives, mint or parsley (or a
combination)
- 1 small head of lettuce, leaves torn into bite-size
pieces
- Salt to taste
Peel the beets with a vegetable peeler, and grate in a food
processor fitted with the shredding blade. Combine the
orange juice, lemon juice and olive oil. Toss with the beets
and herbs. Season to taste with salt. Line a salad bowl or
platter with lettuce, top with the grated beets and serve.
Pico de Gal l o
Keep it mild with an Anaheim pepper; increase the
spiciness with a jalapeno.
-
2 cups tomatoes, finely chopped
2 tbsp finely chopped onion
2 tbsp snipped fresh cilantro
1 tbsp lime juice
1 Anaheim or jalapeno pepper, seeds removed and
diced
- Sugar
In a medium bowl combine all ingredients with a dash of
sugar. Cover and chill several hours before serving.
Garl ic Conf it
- 2 heads of garlic
- ½ - ¾ cup olive oil
Peel the cloves from 2 heads (or more) of garlic. Place the
cloves in a small saucepan and pour in enough olive oil to
cover them. Over medium heat bring the oil to just a hint
of a simmer, then reduce the heat to as low as it can go, to
poach the garlic, not simmer it. Cook for about 45 minutes,
until the garlic is soft and tender, but not falling apart.
Transfer the garlic with a slotted spoon to a clean jar and
pour the oil in to cover the cloves.
Cool the mixture to room temperature. Cover the jar
tightly and keep refrigerated for several weeks, or freeze
for several months. (Keep the cloves covered in oil and be
careful about using a clean spoon to dip into the jar). As a
variation, add rosemary and/ or thyme to the saucepan
along with the garlic to cook.
How to use garlic confit:
- Whip it up in a vinaigrette
- Whisk with infused oil and toss with vegetables or
pasta
- Spread it on bread or crostini and goat cheese
- Layer it in a sandwich or on pizza
- Whip it with bean or chickpea puree, or with mashed
potatoes
- Add it to sauces and soups
- Smash it into a paste and mix it with greek yogurt,
sour cream or ricotta cheese to make a creamy dip