Farm Share Thursday

My neighbors were on vacation this week, and they offered me their weekly CSA subscription box. The vegetables come from Parker Farm. I knew Steve Parker back when he used to deliver to restaurants. He also used to be a fixture at the Central Square Farmer’s Market, but this year he’s only at the Saturday’s Market in Union Square, Somerville. I especially like to support the farmers I know.

In the spirit of Farm Share Tuesday, I invited a few friends over to enjoy a dinner in the garden eating farm fresh food. In my box this week: yellow carrots, cucumbers, corn, sweet onions, radishes and arugula. To add to the bounty, I still had a few things left from my visit to the farm: Cherokee purple and turtle gold tomatoes, eggs and new potatoes. And to round out the offerings: fresh herbs and celery in the garden.

With Dina in the house, I had to make my now famous Smoked Chicken Salad¸ tossed with celery, carrots, and onion tops, mixed with mayonnaise. I canned peachy mamas at the farm, which made a lovely hors d’œuvre to accompany the chicken, served with crackers. Or if someone has celiac disease, you can use cucumber slices instead of crackers.

The main meal, which coincidentally was gluten-free, manifested itself into:

Arugula, Tomatoes and Cucumber, Simply Dressed with Basil, Lemon and Olive Oil

Creamed Corn – the surprise hit of the night

Tortilla Española with Homemade Smoked Tomato Ketchup

Ginger Marinated Salmon with a Vietnamese Coconut Crepe and Radish Salad

And to top it off, Mint Chocolate Chip and Chocolate Ice Creams from Christina’s.

Vietnamese Crepes
(Makes 16 8” crepes)

1/2 Pound Rice Flour
2 Ounces Corn Starch
2 Eggs
1 ½ Cups Coconut Milk
1 Cup Water
2 Teaspoons Salt
2 Teaspoons Turmeric
4 Tablespoons Canola Oil

1 Pound Carrots, Peel, Julienned Or Shredded
6 Red Radishes, Julienned Or Shredded
½ Cup Mint Leaves, Julienned
2 Teaspoons Salt
1 Cup Vinegar
1 Cup Sugar
Pinch Chili Flakes
1 Garlic Clove, Minced
1 Tablespoon Fish Sauce

Method

1. Combine corn starch, rice flour, salt and turmeric in a bowl. Stir in eggs, coconut milk and water. Add more water if the batter is too thick, more rice flour if too thin.

2. Heat a large, non-stick skillet over medium-high flame. Add 1 tbs. of oil, or enough to coat the bottom of the pan. Add 1/3 cup batter to pan, swirl around to create a thin layer.

3. Cook crepe until crepe is crispy and brown on the bottom. Fold crepe in half. Repeat process with remaining batter.

1. Mix carrots and radish with salt and let rest for ½ hour, or until carrots are soft. Add mint.

2. Combine remaining ingredients for sauce in a stainless steel sauce pot. Cook over medium heat until sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat

3. Combine carrots/radish with sauce.

4. Serve crepes with salad.

Farm Share Tuesday

Friends Dina and Rena share a CSA subscription.

CSA, (or Community Supported Agriculture) is a way for community-at-large to create a relationship with a farm. By buying a subscription, people make a financial commitment to a farm, and become "members" (or "shareholders," or "subscribers") of the CSA. In return the farm gives the shareholders a weekly box of the freshest produce available. The farmer receives payment for the season up-front, which gives him/her financially stability before the crops come in, allowing the farmer to focus on the land.

Part of the fun of a CSA is experimenting with new vegetables. Unlike shopping at a farmers’ market or supermarket, the CSA subscriber has little say in what will be delivered each week, being beholden to the weather and the whim of what the farmer planted. Though to be fair, if the farmer wants to maintain a solid relationship with the subscribers, he will incorporate mostly familiar and desirable items.

Dina and Rena embrace the mystery. Each week they send out an invitation:

Any chance you can come for farm share dinner on Tuesday? We can't tell you what you'll be eating, but you know that it'll be fresh....(this past week we got a free slug with our bok choy!). Usually we tell people to come around 7pmish, although we can't guarantee that we won't put you to work just a bit.

This week’s bounty was unusually diverse and included lots of tomatoes, zucchini, carrots, sweet onions, lettuces and cucumbers. And it manifested itself into:

Grilled Flank Steak with Chimichurri, Slow Roasted Tomatoes and Grilled Onions

Grilled Zucchini wrapped around Fresh Ricotta, and topped with sweet tomatoes and basil

Slow Roasted Beets with Sherry Vinegar
Green Salad with Sliced Almonds, Olive Oil and Sherry Vinegar

French Lentils with Carrots and Onions

Thank you, Dina and Rena for sharing your culinary talent and gracious hospitality!