CSA Week 8

Vegetable List
Bunch 'o' Carrots
Cucumborama
Beatrice Eggplant
Concho Hot Peppers
Pint 'o' Husk Cherries
Toensmeier Cliffside Kale
New Red Fire Head Lettuce
Ride The Red Bull Onion
Sandpiper Bell Peppers
Quart 'o' Sungolds
Quart 'o' Tomatillos
Tomatoes
Some Kind Of Zucchini and/or Summer Squash
Notes from the Farm
I've always said that the challenge in life is to continuously maintain the just-right degree or philosophy of enoughness in mutability to remain fit for life... I bet I've said it a thousand times... Descartes was only half-right... it's true we think, but what makes us, what proves the immutable existence of the self, is the ability to change... thinking in motion.
I admire people who can be pleasantly surprised... I typically meet surprises with active grumpiness... splash water on me sometime when I'm not expecting it and see what happens.
I don't know what it is, a flexibility, pliability, a willingness to be open, that allows some folks to meet seemingly every moment as a new experience... I suppose, on some level, my general slow-to-come-around take on life is just latent prejudice... I think I know what I know, and don't what I don't. I suppose I'm inflexible... from time to time.
Recipes
Tomatillos and Husk Cherries are closely related, and can be used similarly. Tomatillos are tangier, Husk Cherries are sweeter...
Tomatillo Mary
1 pound tomatillos, husked, rinsed, and chopped
1 medium English cucumber, peeled and chopped
1 jalapeno chile, seeded and chopped
3/4 cup cold water
3 tablespoons fresh lime juice (from 2 limes), plus 1 lime wedge
1 tablespoon sugar
Coarse salt
Cayenne pepper
1 cup chilled vodka
Ice cubes
Puree tomatillos, cucumber, jalapeno, water, lime juice, sugar, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and a generous pinch of cayenne pepper in a blender until smooth. Stir in vodka. Refrigerate until chilled, about 2 hours.
Meanwhile, stir together 2 teaspoons salt and 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper on a small plate. Wet the rims of 4 glasses with lime wedge, and dip each in salt mixture, turning to coat. Stir Tomatillo Mary mixture well, and divide among 4 ice-filled glasses.
Grilled Tomatillo and Pineapple Salsa
1 pound tomatillos, husked and halved
2 slices pineapple (each about 6 inches long and 1/2 inch thick)
3 fresh serrano chiles, stemmed
1 garlic clove
1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
1 tablespoon honey
1/2 cup loosely packed fresh cilantro, finely chopped
1 tablespoon finely chopped white onion
Preheat grill to medium (if using a charcoal grill, coals are ready when you can hold your hand 5 inches above grate for just 5 or 6 seconds). Grill tomatillos, pineapple, and chiles, flipping once, until blackened and cooked through, about 4 minutes per side. Set aside.
Using a mortar and pestle or the side of a large knife on a cutting board, crush together garlic and salt to form a paste. Pulse garlic paste, tomatillos, chiles, and honey in a food processor until coarsely combined; transfer to a bowl.
Cut pineapple into 1/2-inch dice. Add pineapple, cilantro, and onion to the tomatillo mixture; stir until combined. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Chilled Buttermilk Tomatillo Soup
2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium-size onion, coarsely chopped
1 pound tomatillos, husked, rinsed, and quartered
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and finely chopped
3 cups low sodium vegetable or chicken stock
1 teaspoon ground cumin, plus a pinch for garnish
2 tablespoons coarsely chopped cilantro, plus 4 sprigs for garnish
1 cup buttermilk
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Heat the olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until translucent, about 10 minutes. Reduce the heat if the onion begins to brown.
Add the tomatillos, garlic, and jalapeno and cook for 5 minutes. Raise the heat to medium-high, add the chicken stock, cumin, and cilantro, and cook 10 minutes more. Remove from the heat and cool.
Pour the mixture into the bowl of a food processer and puree until smooth. Add the buttermilk, salt, and pepper and pulse to combine. Transfer to a bowl and chill in the refrigerator.
Ladle the soup among 4 bowls and garnish each with a cilantro sprig and the cumin.