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Vegetable List
Booya Broccoli Delectable Corn Fairy Tale Eggplant Poblano Peppers White Russian Kale Musk Melon Red Bull Onions Ailsa Craig White Onions Flat Leaf Italian Parsley Green Peppers Sungolds Tomatoes One Measly Summer Squash or Zucchini Notes from the Farm The thing about corn is that it's the best... it really is, it's the staff of life. Corn is one of those things that even if you don't like it, you likely have some sort of cherished memory featuring corn. It shows up at all the best times... cookouts, family gatherings, holidays, in early winter (when winter is still exciting) as chowder... corn is frigging everywhere... it has fully occupied all of our happiest moments, an Overlord of sugar, Commander of joy, General of our most intangible familial comforts. And the love of corn isn't just an American phenomenon... everybody everywhere loves corn. It might be the most agreed upon, beloved, whole unprocessed food.... everywhere. Corn simply spreads joy. Now, there are some sobering downsides to corn... the commodity world is weird and hard to totally understand, and I'm not well situated here, in this little space, to get into the complex repercussions of a world willingly bound to chemically produced corn... what I'm interested in here is sweet corn, people corn, joy corn. Just about half of our growing space at the HFF is taken up by corn. It's not super profitable, it uses a lot of resources to produce, is one of the most intensive crops to manage... but it brings the most joy. We're into our 5th block of corn... 5 of 6... so we're getting to the nearly done stage of corn... another 10 days to two weeks, and that'll be it for 2018. Looking out over the mowed corn, the finished corn, it stands as a significant gap in our field... this funny scar across our midsection that reminds us that summer is nearly over. Yesterday, we had our first corn gap, one day without corn in the stand, and we might as well have told folks that they now needed to eat glass... they were so horrifyingly disappointed. We knew it was going to happen, we're fortunate to have a lot of support here at the farmstand, and when we don't have corn, or our own corn, it is very disappointing to us, the customers, everybody... because corn is joy... the act of buying corn is joyful, of thinking about eating it, the eating, the immediate post mastication ecstasy... corn is joy... and part of the magic is that local corn season is so short... something to love and long for.. you can't really ask a whole lot more of a vegetable... Recipes Onion Focaccia 3 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil 2 pounds homemade or store-bought pizza dough 2 large red onions, thinly sliced Coarse salt and ground pepper 1 tablespoon cider vinegar 1/2 cup grated Pecorino Romano 1/2 to 1 teaspoon red-pepper flakes 1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Coat an 11-by-17-inch rimmed baking sheet with 2 tablespoons oil. Place dough on sheet, stretching to fit (if dough springs back, let rest 20 minutes and repeat). Drizzle edges with 1 tablespoon oil. Cover with plastic wrap and let sit 15 minutes. 2. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat 1 teaspoon oil over medium-high. Add onions and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onions are tender and golden brown in spots, 12 minutes. Add vinegar and cook, stirring and scraping up browned bits with a wooden spoon, 1 minute. 3. Remove plastic from dough. With your fingertips, poke dimples all over dough, then top with cheese, browned onions, and red-pepper flakes. Bake until golden brown around edges, about 30 minutes. Let cool on sheet 5 minutes. Cut into 20 pieces and serve warm or at room temperature. Onion Jam 3 large onions 2 tablespoons sugar 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar Olive-oil cooking spray 1. Cut onions in half lengthwise; peel. Cut off ends; cut lengthwise into 1/4-inch-thick pieces. 2. Coat a 13-inch skillet with cooking spray, and set over medium heat. Add onions, and cover. Cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and translucent, about 15 minutes. 3. Add sugar; re-cover. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onions are deep golden, 20 to 30 minutes. Add 1/4 cup water; stir with a wooden spoon to dislodge any brown bits. 4. Cover, and cook until dark brown, 20 to 30 minutes. Add balsamic vinegar and another 1/4 cup water. Continue cooking until liquid has been absorbed, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a bowl to cool. Store, refrigerated, in an airtight container up to 1 week. Rum Punch with Melon Balls 1 melon (honeydew or cantaloupe) 2 1/4 cups fresh pineapple juice 1 1/2 cups light rum (optional) 1/4 cup fresh lime juice (from 4 limes) 2 tablespoons Angostura bitters 2 liters ginger ale 1. Make melon balls (about 3/4 inch each) using a melon baller. (You should have about 2 cups.) Transfer to a rimmed baking sheet, and freeze, about 1 hour. 2. Stir together pineapple juice, rum, lime juice, and bitters in a punch bowl. Slowly add ginger ale, being careful not to disperse the bubbles too much. Add frozen melon balls. Serve immediately.
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Vegetable List
Golden Beets Sweet Summer Carrots Romanesco Cauliflower American Dream Sweet Corn Cucumborama Orion Fennel Ailsa Craig Sweet Onions Bell Peppers Concho Hot Peppers San Marzanos Tomatoes Some Kind Of Zucchini and/or Summer Squash Notes from the Farm The cows are a big part of the farm... we don't keep many, and we don't do all that much with them, but they are an intense regulatory force in our scene. I really think that the cows are the ticking heartbeat of our farm. In the winter when the days are slow, the cows are consistent. In the summer when the days are hot and long, the cows are consistent. The cows are consistent. Every day they need some grass, some water, some space to walk around, and a moment to ruminate. Its the perfect beating heart outside of my body. The two girls we have right now have been with us for a while... and we love them. They've been with us since the Porter days. Mutha', I picked up outside of Concord New Hampshire in 2012, picked her out of a big herd, just had a good feeling... and Beltie, added a year later, was a breeder reject, the belt around her midsection wasn't all that good, a cull cow we picked up on the cheap, she doesn't moo, she coos... coos when she's happy, coos when she's sad. And the both of them have thrown a ton great calves over the years. We've had dozens of cows, but these two have stuck, they are the still point of our turning world. I mean, we don't keep them because it's profitable, or for meat (although we do eat them), or because of any logical reason... we keep cows because we love them. They are our very calm friends. We all have those friends... the ones that when you get together, all your troubles melt. We are, for better or worse, terrible at maintaining human friendships, so we keep cows. We keep cows for a calming force in our lives... And really, they are not pets, they are not commodities... they are something different. At our farm, our cows exist beside us, in a Hinduian autonomy, like some kind of in this arcane hyper-pre-modern-ultra-animalistic equanimity. Equally stewards and stewarded, yanged yin, unchasamably united. Recipes Sliced Fennel with Parmesan 1 bulb fennel, fronds reserved 1 1/2 ounces Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese Flaky sea salt, such as Maldon Freshly ground pepper 1. Using a vegetable peeler or sharp chef's knife, peel or cut the cheese into thick, bite-size shavings. 2. On a work surface, cut fennel in half lengthwise, then slice into 1/4-inch-thick wedges. 3. Season fennel salt, pepper and a drizzle of olive oil. Top with fennel fronds and cheese shavings. Mexican Corn Coarse salt 4 ears corn, husks removed 1/4 cup mayonnaise 2 cups freshly grated queso fresco Cayenne pepper Lime wedges, for serving 1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add corn and cook until tender, about 5 minutes. Drain. 2. Place a thick wooden skewer or dowel lengthwise up through base of each ear of corn. Working with one ear at a time, spread 1 tablespoon mayonnaise over kernels. Using a spoon, sprinkle 1/2 cup queso fresco over mayonnaise. Season with cayenne pepper and serve with lime wedges. Corn Fritters 3/4 cup all-purpose flour 2 tablespoons yellow cornmeal 1 tablespoon sugar 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder Coarse salt 1/4 teaspoon cayenne 1/2 cup whole milk 1 large egg 2 cups yellow corn kernels (from 2 ears corn) Vegetable oil, for frying Honey, for serving 1. In a large bowl, stir together flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, and cayenne. Add milk and egg to flour mixture and stir together to create a batter. Add corn and fold to combine. 2. Heat 4 inches oil in a large heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven over high heat until a deep-fry thermometer reaches 375 degrees. Working in batches, using a small ice cream scoop or two spoons, drop batter by the tablespoon into the oil. Cook, turning occasionally, until cooked through and deep-golden brown, 1 to 2 minutes; adjust heat as needed to keep oil temperature between 350 and 360 degrees. Transfer fritters to a paper-towel-lined baking sheet. Season to taste with salt, and serve immediately with honey. Vegetable List
Oh Boy, Beets! Carrots Collard Greens Allure Bi Color Sweet Corn Cucumborama Beatrice Eggplant Fairytale Eggplant Ailsa Craig Onion Bell of a Pepper Sungolds Tomatoes One Measly Zucchini or Summer Squash Notes from the Farm A brotherhood is a hell of a thing... brotherhood, sisterhood, sorority, fraternity, mongrel horde... whatever you want to call it... you know, that feeling you get when you're in a group of folks that operates with a quiet collective understanding... that feeling of simultaneously being nurtured and nurturing, being in an ultimate form of family... I'm a dyed in the wool introvert. I love my alone time, I thrive on it really... but the human scene is a social scene, and there is no way of avoiding the need for a brotherhood (I'm using brotherhood here because it's true to my experience... feel free to swap the concept that works for you). I don't know if it's true for everyone, but I get all weird if my nurtured/nurture ratio is way out of wack. There are times when I need a little more support than I can give, and there are times when I've got excess stores of support to dole out... but on the whole, I tend to get all psychically garbled when I feel like I'm taking more than I'm giving, or the when I get caught in the inverse. And maybe that's one of the reasons I love alone time, when I'm alone, I'm not worried about taking to much or giving to little. But no person is an island... We're fortunate to be a part of so many familial scenes... our farmer scene, the customer scene, the town scene, all the scenes. We are, for some reason, well buffered in our lives here on the farm... we are well taken care of by our collective brotherhoods. I feel like I get that knowing look from people every day... that look of compassion and support, of gratitude and benevolence. There are a lot of different kinds of people that pass through this farm... a huge diversity of politics, life choices, life experience... and it all kind of works, everything kind of melts away, here in this place, around the corn table, we're all kind of in this brotherhood of farm... this sorority of the most basic joy... a familial bond of pure humanism. So thank you... and don't peel your eggplant. Recipes Eggplant Caviar Purple-globe eggplant 1/4 cup minced onion 2 tomatoes, seeded, finely chopped 1/4 cup roughly chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil 1 1/2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper Pita or rye bread, for serving 1. Roast eggplants: Using a wooden skewer, pierce eggplants all over. Turn two gas burners or a gas grill to high flame; place one eggplant on each. Cook, turning with tongs as each side blackens and softens, until skins are completely black and flesh is falling-apart tender, about 10 minutes. Remove from flame; transfer to a nonreactive baking dish. Place one end of dish on a slant so that the juices can run from the eggplants. When cool enough to handle, peel away all blackened skin. 2. Place eggplant flesh in the bowl of a food processor; pulse until pureed. Transfer to a large bowl; stir in the onion, tomatoes, parsley, olive oil, lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Serve warm or at room temperature with pita or rye bread. Hoisin-Glazed Eggplant \ 1/4 cup hoisin sauce 2 tablespoons canola oil 4 baby eggplants (1 1/4 pounds) or 1 large eggplant, cut lengthwise into 1-inch-thick slices and scored Salt Heat grill to medium. In small bowl, whisk together hoisin sauce and 1 tablespoon oil; set aside. Halve eggplants lengthwise; slice a bit off the skin side so they lie flat, and score both sides in a crisscross pattern. Brush both sides of eggplant halves with remaining 1 tablespoon oil, and season with salt. Grill until charred and tender, 4 to 7 minutes per side. Brush both sides generously with reserved hoisin mixture; grill each side again just to glaze, about 1 minute per side. Serve hot. Garlic & Parmesan Collard Chips Bunch fresh collards 5-6 clove garlic , minced sea salt , to taste 3 teaspoon olive oil 1/4 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese Remove stems from Collards. Chop into chunks and wash well Place collardsin a large bowl. Toss with olive oil, sea salt, and garlic. Lay flat on a large baking sheet. For best results, don't overcrowd the baking sheet. Bake at 375 degrees F for 8 minutes. Stir and toss on baking sheet. Cook 8 more minutes, or until the edges are crisp and light brown. Remove from oven. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese. Serve warm or store in an airtight container to save. Vegetable List
Romanesco Cauliflower Early Queen White Corn Cucumborama Classic Eggplant Orion Fennel New Red Fire Head Lettuce Baby Mustard Greens Ailsa Craig Sweet Onions Sungolds Some Kind of Zucchini and/or Summer Squash Notes from the Farm Finding the time and space to consider time and space can be overwhelming... I'm a creature of habit. I eat what I know. If I'm craving a different kind of food than I usually cook, I go out... which is silly. We live in the age of miracles and wonder... in a half of an evening, I could learn everything I want to know about almost anything in the world... and that goes for cooking. If I wanted, I could gain a serviceable, workable skillset for being half competent at preparing Bhutanese inspired cuisine... but have I? you know the answer just as well as I do... I'm stuck in the tradition of tradition... and I don't think I'm alone. This week we tried to craft the share a bit to give you some of what you might need to make a culinary trip to Italy... romanesco cauliflower, white corn, eggplant, fennel, sweet onion, mustard greens... these are ingredients that allow you to stretch out a bit... find your place in the cosmic race towards culinary omniscience... these are, after-all, the days of lasers in the jungle... and you can't be neutral on a moving spaceship. Recipes Eggplant Focaccia1 medium eggplant (1/2 pound), cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices Coarse salt All-purpose flour, for rolling 1 ball (1 pound) homemade or store-bought pizza dough 2 tablespoons fine cornmeal 6 tablespoons olive oil 1 cup shredded Emmentaler cheese (4 ounces) or other type of Swiss 2 tablespoons chopped fresh oregano 1. In a colander, toss eggplant with 1 1/2 teaspoons salt. Let stand 30 minutes. Press slices between a double layer of paper towels to dry and set aside. 2. Preheat oven to 400 degrees; place a rimless baking sheet or inverted rimmed baking sheet in oven. On a floured surface, roll out dough to 1/2-inch thickness. Sprinkle cornmeal on another baking sheet or inverted rimmed baking sheet or lightweight wooden board; top with dough (you will transfer it onto the preheated sheet to cook). 3. Brush dough with 3 tablespoons oil and sprinkle with 1/2 cup cheese. Layer on eggplant; top with 3 tablespoons oil, oregano, and 1/2 cup cheese. Let stand 30 minutes. Give sheet a gentle shake to ensure dough isn't sticking. 4. Carefully remove baking sheet from oven and slide focaccia onto sheet. Return to oven and bake until bottom of focaccia is crispy and edges are golden, 20 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature. Caramelized Fennel and Onions1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil 1 fennel bulb, trimmed, cored, and thinly sliced 1 large yellow onion, halved and thinly sliced Coarse salt and ground pepper 1. In a large skillet with a tight-fitting lid, heat extra-virgin olive oil over medium-high. Add fennel and onion, and season with coarse salt and ground pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until mixture begins to brown, about 5 minutes. Reduce heat to medium, cover, and cook 5 to 7 minutes. Uncover, add 1 tablespoon water, and cook, stirring constantly, until golden brown and soft, 2 minutes. Romanesco Cauliflower and Parmesan Puree 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 2 pounds Romanesco cauliflower, cut into 3/4-inch pieces 4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons water Coarse salt 1/2 cup whole milk 1/2 cup heavy cream 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, plus more for sprinkling 1. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add broccoli Romanesco and garlic, and cook until brightly colored and beginning to turn golden brown, about 8 minutes. Remove and reserve a few pieces for garnish. Add water and 1 teaspoon salt to skillet. Cover, and cook until tender, about 10 minutes. Drain any remaining liquid from skillet. 2. Puree half the broccoli Romanesco in a food processor, and then transfer to a large bowl. Puree remaining broccoli Romanesco. Bring milk and cream to a gentle simmer in a saucepan. Add milk-cream mixture to food processor with puree, and pulse to combine. Stir mixture into first batch of puree. 3. Stir in Parmigiano-Reggiano, and season with salt and pepper. Garnish with reserved broccoli Romanesco and more cheese. Serve immediately. Vegetable List
Baby Mix Lettuce Booya Broccoli Cucumborama German Extra Hearty Garlic White Russian Kale New Red Fire Head Lettuce Ailsa Craig Onions Sungolds Tomatoes Some Kind Of Zucchini and/or Summer Squash Notes from the Farm We are here now, now more than ever, at the turning point of green to weight. We start our membership program a little later than some farms. Back in the day, the good ole days, we started almost a mother earlier. It was nice... nice to see the faces of the membership, nice to have some motivation to get going, nice to feel needed. The hard part of starting early is dealing with Greens Fatigue. Greens Fatigue is a real thing, and I'd never judge anyone who has quietly suffered in a kitchen piled with kale. You see, we live in Maine, and although we do the best we can to muscle as many tomatoes and ears of corn we can into your summer, sometimes the reality of a three month growing season comes around to collect it's due... when eating locally, the cooking green is king, especially in late spring early summer. So we start a little later. We love the greens, but we don't want anyone to be exasperated by the time the first zucchini or tomato comes around. We might have a week or two of heavy green, but typically we try and take a balanced pantry approach, hoping to not overload you in one kind of food or another. This week is the turning point. This week we have more weighable food than bunched green food. Weighable food is a concept we use for fruiting vegetables. Broccoli, cukes, tomatoes and corn... and while we don't always weigh that food for sale, it does have weight, and so, it is the weighable food. I love the first share of the year that features substantially more weighable food than leafy greens, and that is happening right now, this week, it's all happening... here and now. Recipes Broccoli With Olives 1 head broccoli, cut into medium florets 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil 1 teaspoon coarse salt 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper 1 cup pitted and slivered Kalamata olives Prepare an ice-water bath; set aside. Put broccoli in a steamer basket over boiling water, cover, and steam until just tender, about 7 minutes. Briefly plunge into ice-water bath. Drain; pat dry. Heat 1/4 cup oil in a wide saute pan over medium heat. Add half of the broccoli, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper; cook, stirring, until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Stir in half of the olives. Cook until heated through. Transfer to a serving dish; cover. Repeat with remaining oil, broccoli, salt, pepper, and olives. Combine batches. Serve immediately. Kale Slaw with Peanut Dressing 1 large bunches kale, center ribs discarded, very thinly sliced crosswise (about 10 cups) 1 yellow, orange, or red bell pepper, ribs and seeds removed, halved crosswise and thinly sliced lengthwise 2 carrots, thinly sliced crosswise 1/2 cup vegetable oil 1/4 cup cider vinegar 1/4 cup salted peanuts, plus 1/4 cup salted peanuts, coarsely chopped 2 tablespoons packed light-brown sugar 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt Toss kale, bell pepper, and carrots in a large bowl. Puree vegetable oil, cider vinegar, salted peanuts, light-brown sugar, and coarse salt in a blender until smooth. Pour dressing over vegetables just before serving. Sprinkle with salted peanuts, coarsely chopped. Gazpacho Salad with Croutons 1/4 small sweet onion, such as Vidalia, or red onion, diced (1/4 cup) 1 small clove garlic, peeled 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard 1 tablespoon sherry vinegar 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper 1 pound small tomatoes, such as Campari, sliced crosswise 1 yellow bell pepper, seeded and cut into 1-inch pieces 1 mini cucumber, cut into 1/2-inch half-moons 2 slices country-style bread (2 ounces), crusts removed 1. Place onion in a small bowl of ice water. Let stand 10 minutes, then drain and pat dry. 2. Using a Microplane, finely grate garlic into a small bowl. Whisk in Dijon and vinegar. Slowly drizzle in oil in a steady stream, whisking until emulsified. Season with salt and pepper. 3. Arrange tomatoes, pepper, cucumber, and onion on a platter. Toast bread, then cut into 1/2-inch cubes and sprinkle over salad. Season with salt and pepper and drizzle with vinaigrette; serve. Vegetable List
Nufar Basil Chioggia Beets Broccoli Bunch 'o' Carrots Rainbow Chard Green Garlic Jericho Head Lettuce Mizuna Pint 'o' Peas Purple Top Glob Turnips Notes from the Farm Navigating the summer can be tricky. It seems like the easiest season, but really, I think it's the hardest. You know, summer, for me anyway, more than any other season, simultaneously embodies all the best forward leaning hopes and all the most cherished pure joyful memories... of my life... There is a lot on the line in the summer... I know it, you know it, everyone knows it... and it's easy to panic and screw it up. I can't tell you how many times I've tried to manufacture a feeling or potential memory in the summer, and just ended up feeling all upset. Trying to get to that beach I've never been to, trying to visit that friend I never get to visit with anymore, trying to adventure in a way I've always wanted to adventure... “kids, we're going on this adventure and we're going to have fun (insert non-threatening, exasperated expletive here) .” Actually, now that I think about it, some of my favorite memories are of trying to do something in the summer, based in panic that I'm not doing enough, having it explode in my face and kind of cancling the whole thing. There is something amusing, charming, about looking back on shoe-horned attempts of having fun in the summer... its a time honored tradition. These days, I try and just let the summer come to me. We're fortunate to work outside, to work with fun people and to have so many visitors everyday at the farm. We're on vacation everyday... and if every day is a vacation, I don't need to go anywhere. oh, and Mizuna is my favorite sandwich green ever. Recipes Turnip Hash with Broccoli 1/2 pound plum tomatoes 1/2 pound medium turnips, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch dice 1/2 pound parsnips, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch dice 1/2 pound Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch dice 1 head broccoli, cut into 1/2-inch pieces (about 6 1/2 cups) 1 1/2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 1 medium onion, coarsely chopped 4 garlic cloves, smashed 3/4 teaspoon coarse salt 1/4 teaspoon crushed red-pepper flakes 1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Prepare an ice bath; set aside. Score an X on the bottom of each tomato with a paring knife. Add tomatoes to the pot. Boil until skins are loosened, about 30 seconds; remove tomatoes with a slotted spoon (keeping water at a boil), and immediately plunge them into the ice bath. Drain, peel, and seed tomatoes, then coarsely chop flesh. 2. Add turnips to pot; boil until just tender when pierced with a fork, 3 to 5 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the turnips to a colander to drain. Repeat process with parsnips, then potatoes. Add broccoli to pot, and boil until bright green and crisp-tender, about 1 minute. Drain in colander; set aside. 3. Heat oil in a large, heavy skillet over medium heat until hot but not smoking. Add onion, garlic, salt, red-pepper flakes, thyme, and reserved turnips, parsnips, and potatoes; spread evenly to cover bottom of skillet. Cook, without stirring, until vegetables begin to brown on bottom, about 15 minutes. 4. Add reserved tomatoes and broccoli to skillet. Stir once; cook until vegetables are very tender and browned, about 25 minutes. Serve hot. Beet Chips 2 medium beets 1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil 1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees, with racks in upper and lower thirds. Peel beets and slice 1/16 inch thick with a mandoline. In a large bowl, toss beets with extra-virgin olive oil. 2. On two rimmed baking sheets (or use one sheet and bake in two batches), arrange beets in a single layer. Stack another rimmed baking sheet on top of each. Bake until edges of beets begin to dry out, about 20 minutes. Uncover and rotate sheets. Bake 10 to 20 minutes, removing chips as they become lightened in color. Transfer to a wire rack; chips will crisp up as they cool. Swiss Chard, Garlic, and Gruyere Pizza 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 2 cloves garlic, sliced 1 bunch Swiss chard (1 pound), stems removed and thinly sliced, leaves torn into pieces Coarse salt 1 pound store-bought whole-wheat pizza dough or homemade pizza dough 1 cup grated Gruyere (2 ounces) Pinch red-pepper flakes 1. Place pizza stone or inverted baking sheet in oven and heat to 500 degrees. 2. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Cook garlic until just tender, about 1 minute. Add chard stems and cook, stirring, until tender, about 5 minutes. Working in batches, add leaves and cook until just wilted, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and set aside. 3. Stretch dough into a 10-by-14-inch rectangle and transfer to a piece of parchment. Brush with remaining oil and season with salt. Sprinkle with half the Gruyere, then top with chard and sprinkle with remaining Gruyere. 4. Transfer to the oven: Slide parchment onto stone or baking sheet and bake pizza until cheese is bubbly and crust is golden, 13 to 15 minutes. Sprinkle with pepper flakes. Vegetable List
Gonzales Cabbage Bunch 'o' Carrots Clientele Collards Jericho Head Lettuce Pint 'o' Sugar Snap Peas Cherry Belle Radishes Winter Ice Scallions Spoon Spinach Some Kind Of Zucchini and/or Summer Squash Notes from the Farm So Collard Greens sometimes throw folks for a loop... but this day, today, is not that day. Today you will master Collard Greens. You will do it with shrimp, or peanut butter, or cornmeal. Today you will embrace the unwieldy cooking times, the elaborate multi-stage directions. Today you will throw off the hard-held-hangups about cooking greens. BECAUSE TODAY IS YOUR INDEPENDANCE DAY (from feeling less than inspired by collard greens)... Hope you're all having a great beginning of the summer... we're glad you're aboard. Recipes Shrimp with Bacon and Collards Coarse salt and ground pepper 1 cup long-grain white rice 4 slices bacon, thinly sliced crosswise 1 garlic clove, minced 1 medium yellow onion, diced medium 1 can (28 ounces) diced tomatoes 1 bunch collard greens, center ribs removed, leaves sliced crosswise 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil 1 pound large shrimp, peeled and deveined Hot-pepper sauce, such as Tabasco, for serving 1. In a small saucepan, bring 1 1/2 cups salted water to a boil. Add rice and return to a boil. Cover, reduce to a simmer, and cook until rice is tender, about 15 minutes. Remove pan from heat and let stand 5 minutes. Fluff rice with a fork. 2. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, cook bacon, stirring occasionally, over medium until browned and crisp, about 10 minutes. With a slotted spoon, transfer bacon to paper towels to drain. Add garlic and onion to skillet; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is soft, 5 minutes. Add tomatoes and collards; season with salt and pepper. Cover and cook until collards are tender, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a medium bowl. Wipe skillet clean. 3. In skillet, heat oil over medium-high and add shrimp. Season with salt and pepper and cook, undisturbed, 2 minutes. Add collard mixture and cook until shrimp are opaque throughout, 2 minutes. To serve, spoon mixture over rice and top with bacon and a few dashes hot sauce. Creamed Collard Greens with Peanut Butter and Chile 2 lb. collard green leaves, roughly chopped (12 cups) 1 cup dried shrimp 4 Scotch bonnet or habanero chiles, stemmed, seeded, and finely chopped 1 1⁄2 medium yellow onions (1 roughly chopped, 1⁄2 sliced into 1⁄4-inch-thick rings) 1 vine-ripe tomato, cored, seeded, and roughly chopped 4 tbsp. vegetable oil 2 tbsp. tomato paste 1⁄2 cup natural peanut butter Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper Bring 2 cups water to a boil in a large saucepan and season with salt. Add the collard greens, cover, and cook until the leaves are tender and wilted, about 5 minutes. Drain the leaves in a colander set over a bowl and reserve 1 cup of the cooking liquid. Place the leaves and reserved liquid in a blender, purée until smooth, and scrape the paste into a bowl. Clean the blender and return it to its base. In the blender, combine the dried shrimp with three-quarters of the chiles, half the chopped onion, and the fresh tomato and purée until smooth. In a large saucepan, heat 2 tablespoons palm oil over medium-high. Add the remaining half of the chopped onion and the tomato paste and cook, stirring constantly, until the onions are soft and lightly caramelized, 6 to 8 minutes. Scrape the shrimp and tomato paste into the pan, reduce the heat to medium, and cook, stirring, until lightly caramelized, about 5 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat, stir in the puréed collard greens and peanut butter, and mash until evenly combined. Season the greens with salt and pepper and scrape into a serving dish. In a 10-inch skillet, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons palm oil over high, add the onion rings, and cook, stirring, until soft and slightly caramelized, about 5 minutes. Arrange the onion rings over the collards and garnish with the remaining chile. Collard Greens, Cornmeal, and Sausage Soup1⁄2 cup yellow cornmeal 2 tbsp. canola oil 6 oz. kielbasa sausage, cut diagonally into 1⁄4"-thick slices 7 cups chicken stock 4 oz. collard greens, stemmed and thinly sliced crosswise 2 eggs, lightly beaten Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste 2 scallions, thinly sliced Heat cornmeal in a 10" skillet over medium-high heat and cook, swirling pan constantly, until lightly toasted and fragrant, about 3–4 minutes. Transfer cornmeal to a bowl; set aside. Heat oil in skillet and add sausages; cook, turning occasionally, until browned and cooked through, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a plate and set aside. Bring chicken stock to a boil in a 6-qt. pot over high heat. Whisk in reserved cornmeal, reduce heat to medium-low, and cook, whisking often, until cornmeal is tender, about 40 minutes. Stir in reserved sausages and collards and cook, stirring occasionally, until collards wilt, 15 minutes. Place eggs in a medium bowl and add 1 cup cornmeal mixture; whisk until smooth. Return mixture to pot and stir until incorporated; cook for 1 minute more and season with salt and pepper. Ladle soup into 6 serving bowls and garnish with scallions; serve hot. Vegetable List
Nufar Basil Rainbow Chard Garlic Scapes White Russian Kale Kossak Kohlrabi Cherry Bell Radishes Spoon Spinach Some Kind of Zucchini and/or Summer Squash Notes from the Farm I'm not going to lie, it's been a really great spring here at the farm. The food isn't coming as fast as we like (it never does), the weeds aren't properly under control (they never are), and the list of to-do's is getting longer (it always does)... but I've got a really good feeling about this year... it just feels right. First, it's green as the dickens out there. It just looks good. We gambled a bit this spring, and whadda ya' know? It payed off... it doesn't always pay off, as it turns out, in farming, as in all endeavors of chance, the House always wins... but every now and again, you hit that hand just right, and it feels like your winning, or you are winning, in the moment... in this moment, with the risks we took this spring, we're winning... and it's a hell of a feeling. Second, we've got one of the best, most complete, crews we've ever had here at the farm. We've farmed with some really great folks before, but this crew (so far) is special. The whole of this group is just remarkable... now, there is plenty of time for us all to get grumpy with each other, but for now, we're on a winning streak. And finally, we're ready for the CSA. Some years it comes like a shock... “oh god, it's CSA time? What do we do now” (picture a group of grown-ass farmers running in circles, hands in the air, screaming). This year, we're ready... and it doesn't mean we might not fail you from time to time, but at least we're not starting from behind. Thank you all for the support. Thanks for being a part of this farm... and here's to a great 2018 season. Recipes Kale Pesto 2 garlic scape spears 1/2 cup blanched almonds, toasted 1/4 cup finely grated Parmesan 10 ounces kale 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil Coarse salt In a food processor, pulse garlic and almonds until finely chopped. Add cheese and half of kale; pulse until combined. Add remaining kale; pulse to a paste. With motor running, pour in oil. Season with salt. Tortellini In Broth with Swiss Chard and Pecorino 3 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth 1/4 cup shaved Pecorino (or any other good hard cheese) cheese for serving 1 package (8.8 ounces) cheese tortellini 1 bunch Swiss chard, ribs and stems removed, cut into 1-inch pieces Lemon wedges (optional), for serving In a medium pot, bring broth, rind (if using), and 3 cups water to a boil. Add tortellini and cook according to package instructions. During last minute of cooking, add chard and cook until tender. Remove rind; serve soup with shaved cheese and lemon wedges if desired. Lillet and Brown-Butter Glazed Radishes with Kohlrabi 3 tablespoons unsalted butter 1 large bunch globe radishes (about 12), halved, plus leafy green tops for serving 1 large or 2 small kohlrabies (about 3/4 pound), peeled and cut into 1/2-inch wedges 1 cup Lillet Blanc (a sweet white wine will work fine) Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper Melt butter in a large skillet over medium-high. When it boils, reduce heat to medium; simmer until foamy. Continue cooking, stirring occasionally and scraping bottom of pan, until foam subsides, butter turns golden brown with a nutty aroma, and milk solids separate into brown specks that sink to bottom, 2 to 7 minutes. Remove from heat. Add radishes, kohlrabi, Lillet, and 3/4 cup water. Generously season with salt and pepper. Boil, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are crisp-tender and liquid is reduced to a glaze that evenly coats vegetables, about 15 minutes. Transfer to a serving bowl; let cool 5 minutes. Toss with radish greens; serve. Garlic-Scape Toasts 4 French-bread rolls (about 4 inches long), halved horizontally 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature 2 garlic scapes, thinly sliced diagonally 2 tablespoons coarsely chopped fresh chives Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper Heat grill to medium-high. Place rolls, cut sides down, on the grill; toast until golden brown. Spread with butter. Scatter the scapes and chives on top of each, and season with salt and pepper. Vegetable List
Bag 'o' Beets Bag 'o' Carrots Couple 'o' Leeks Couple 'o' Heads 'o' Baby Lettuce Quart 'o' Bell Peppers Bag 'o' Radishes Couple 'o' Tomatoes Handful 'o' Delicata Handful 'o' Honey Nut Notes from the Farm Time is a funny thing... it passes, it always seems to pass... like breaths, the breathing of years. This growing season, here at the HFF, has passed, more quickly than I would have thought... our season is over. We haven't been farming all that long... but long enough now to really lose track of the seasons. These days, each season seems layered on the last rather than a linear string of time. Time is starting to play tricks on me... for example, when I think of June, and I see all the Junes, I lose track of the years... I see Matt Derose planting beets in the yard, Frayser and Melissa bundled up at a rainy Tomato Plant Sale, Liz and Will organizing the green house... not in order, all layered together. And then I think of CSA distributions, all the members, all the years, it all seems to exist in this hyper-duality of the present and some ancient memory. Beyond all of our reality, the more time I spend here, at Frank's Purity Farm, our farm, The Hancock Family Farm, I'm starting to really absorb the ghosts of this place... I'll find myself moving hay in the barn and be struck by a warm feeling of meta-repetition, repetition of all the women and men who have moved hay around the property for the last 200 years... and it happens kind of a lot... pulling rocks out of the field, eating a plum off the tree, squinting in the low hot autumn sunshine, rubbing flies off the backs of my cows, telling my kids a story on the side porch... it's all happened before, and it continues to echo. This season, in a vacuum, has been a wonderful season... and you all are a huge part of that, so thank you... but the real joy isn't just in seeing this season, it's in seeing all the seasons, folded back on one another, taken in together, a blooming collective experience, retaining all it's identity... staring at the sun... Recipes Leek and Olive Tart with Two Cheeses 2 large leeks, white and pale-green parts only 1 tablespoon unsalted butter 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil Coarse salt 1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh thyme 1 box (14 ounces) frozen puff pastry, such as Dufour, thawed 1 large egg beaten with 1 tablespoon water 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese Scant 1/4 cup Nicoise olives, pitted 4 ounces Pave d'Affinois or other soft-ripened cheese (such as Camembert or Perail), thinly sliced 1. cut leeks crosswise into 3-inch pieces; halve each piece lengthwise, then cut into 3/8-inch-thick strips (about 5 cups). Rinse well, and drain; set aside. 2. Melt butter with oil in a medium saute pan over medium heat. Add leeks and 1/4 teaspoon salt; cook, stirring occasionally, 5 minutes. Reduce heat to medium-low; cover, and cook, stirring occasionally, until leeks are tender but not browned, about 15 minutes. Stir in thyme. Leeks can be refrigerated in an airtight container up to 1 day; bring to room temperature before assembling tart. 3. Cut or roll out pastry to a 6-by-14-inch rectangle; place on a parchment-lined baking sheet (reserve remaining pastry for another use). Score a 3/4-inch border. Brush with egg wash; sprinkle with Parmesan. Refrigerate 30 minutes. 4. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Bake pastry until golden, 10 to 15 minutes. Remove from oven, and press center area with a metal spatula. Arrange leeks end to end in rows within border of pastry. Scatter olives over leeks. Bake until crust is golden brown, about 10 minutes. If bottom is soft, bake 3 to 5 minutes more. 5. Remove tart from oven, and arrange soft cheese over top. Using an offset spatula, slide tart onto a wire rack; let cool slightly. Cut into pieces; serve warm or at room temperature (tart can stand at room temperature up to 1 hour). Spiced Carrot Spread 6 medium carrots, thinly sliced 1/2 small garlic clove, chopped 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin 1/4 teaspoon finely grated peeled fresh ginger 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon Pinch of cayenne pepper 1 tablespoon tahini 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice Coarse salt and ground pepper 1. Set a steamer basket in a saucepan with 2 inches simmering water. Add carrots. Cover and steam until tender, about 12 minutes. Transfer to a food processor, along with garlic, cumin, ginger, cinnamon, cayenne pepper, tahini, and lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper. Process until smooth, about 1 minute, adding up to 2 tablespoons water, if necessary. Vegetable List
Mac or Cortland Apples Carrots By The Bunch Rainbow Chard Beatrice Eggplant German Extra Hearty Garlic Lincoln Leeks Bell Peppers Watermelon Radishes Delicata Squash Notes from the Farm The passing of summer is kind of a multi-stage affair. I, intellectually, mark the First of September as the ceremonial beginning of Fall... with September comes changes in light, evening air, moisture... it's just different. Celestial Fall is coming this week, on Friday the 22nd, marking the evenness of light and dark... and the day everyone tries to balance eggs. Both of those are totally fine beginnings of Fall, but a life guided by math and the brain is far too sterile a life for me... true Fall is much more of a moving target. In my heart of hearts, the Fall of the year is not a season, but moments in time. True fall appears when I'm picking apples with my kids, sweater draped, cool air, bright sun and hillsides of colors. True fall is roast squash dinner on the side porch... hand in hand with my wife at the fair... daily staring at the back trees as they turn and drop their leaves... true Fall is quiet joy. Nostalgia is a beautiful thing... but it ain't what it used to be... I love everything about nostalgia. I love it when I'm nostalgic, I love it when others are nostalgic... it's just a cool thing... love, longing and appreciation... the good nostalgia, the one that's used for building something positive. The Fall of the year, for me, is the most nostalgic time, the most actively introspective, the time when I am most attentively appreciative. In the Fall of the year, time becomes all time, and I become calm. I love the Fall. Recipes Sauteed Swiss Chard with Orange 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil 2 bunches Swiss chard (large stems removed), leaves cut into 1-inch strips Zest from 1 orange, cut into wide strips, plus juice Coarse salt and ground pepper In a large skillet, heat oil over medium-high. Add Swiss chard and orange zest. Cook, tossing frequently, until chard wilts, about 4 minutes. Season with coarse salt and ground pepper, then add juice of the orange; toss to coat. Radish Dip 1 pound radishes (about 25), julienned, plus whole radishes, for serving 1 1/4 cups sour cream 3 ounces feta cheese, crumbled (3/4 cup) 1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest, plus 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (from 2 lemons) 1 1/2 teaspoons coarse salt 1/3 cup chopped fresh dill Combine julienned radishes, sour cream, feta, lemon zest and juice, salt, and dill. Serve with toasts and whole radishes. Delicata Squash with Caramelized Seeds 2 delicata squash 2 tablespoons unsalted butter 1 tablespoon packed dark-brown sugar Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper 1 tablespoon olive oil Halve squash, and scoop out seeds and stringy fibers; reserve seeds. Cut each squash half in half again, and slice into 1 1/2-inch-thick half-moons. Place in a large saucepan, and set aside. In a small saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Add seeds; cook, stirring, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in sugar, and cook until seeds are browned and caramelized, 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer to a plate to cool. Season reserved squash with salt and pepper, and drizzle with oil. Add 1 cup water, and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Cover, and simmer until squash is fork-tender, 20 to 25 minutes. Drain; transfer to a serving platter. Serve immediately, garnished with seeds. Roasted Delicata Squashes and Apples 2 delicata squashes (1 1/2 pounds total), cut crosswise into 1/2-inch slices, seeds removed 6 apples (1 1/2 pounds), cut in half 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 1/4 cup plus 3 tablespoons light-brown sugar 6 ounces slab bacon, cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices, then cut crosswise into lardons (1/2 inch wide) Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Toss together squashes, apples, oil, sugar, bacon, and 1/2 teaspoon salt; season with pepper. Spread on a rimmed baking sheet, and roast until golden on bottom, about 50 minutes. Flip squashes and apples over, and roast until tender, about 5 minutes more. Sprinkle thyme over mixture, and serve immediately. |
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