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.

Farmers' Market Report - Summer Bounty

In the farmers’ market this week, all the summer time favorites are finally available: fresh, local sweet corn, heirloom field tomatoes, cucumbers, blueberries, and peaches. In additional, the farmers graciously grow lots of staples and fillers so that we can prepare a full meal (though some would argue that corn and tomatoes is a complete meal) with just locally grown foods.

When I worked under Lydia Shire, at the now defunct Biba, she taught me how to appreciate color on the palate. She would garnish a fish or meat dish with something white (potatoes), green (watercress) and red (beets). Each garnish was bright and vivid, and with a back-drop of rosy lamb or florescent wild salmon, the colors on the plate just popped.

I think of her every summer as I compose one of my favorite dishes: Roast Salmon with Creamed Corn (yellow), Roasted Tomatoes (red) and Basil Coulis (green).

Creamed Corn utilizes just the kernels; the cobs can be saved for a stock or other recipe. . I’ve seen many neat tricks for removing the kernels, including this one on Simply Recipes. I usually just lay the cob on its side and use the full blade of the knife to slice down and back. Wasn’t it Newton’s law of physics: for every action there’s an equal and opposite reaction…. If the cob is on its side, then the kernels, don’t fall as far, and therefore don’t bounce as far away on the counter. Once I have the corn prepped, I can proceed with the recipe.

Given my inclination for a completely locavore meal, I think a steak from Austin Brothers Valley Farm would be better than farm raised salmon. Local striped bass would be lovely too, but no one at the market is selling fish.

To complete the meal, I would prepare a blueberry bread pudding: bread from hi-rise (sold at the farmers market and eggs also from Austin Farm. Though no one is selling milk, I know I can get fresh local dairy at the Harvest Co-op – avoiding the mega chain of Whole Foods and supporting the local supermarket.

Beef Tenderloin with Summer’s Trilogy
1 whole filet, weighing about 5#, trussed
salt and pepper to taste
1 tablespoon plain oil
3 ears of corn, kernels cut off
1 tbs. butter
1 large fresh red onion, diced
5 cloves garlic, diced
1/2 cup cream
1/2 tsp. curry powder
4 roma tomatoes, cut in half
1 tbs. olive oil
1 slice smoked bacon
1 tsp. fresh thyme
1 bunch basil
2 lemons, juiced
plain oil
salt and pepper to taste.

Season filet with salt and pepper.

Heat a large sauté pan, or grill over high heat. Add oil to pan. Sear filet on one side, sear until golden brown on the other. Finish roasting in 350 oven for about 10-20 minutes, or until desired doneness.

Meanwhile….

Toss tomatoes with olive oil, thyme, 2 tbs. diced onion and 1 tbs. garlic. Roast in 500F oven, until tomatoes begin to brown and blister. Meanwhile, render bacon in a skillet. When crispy, coarsely chop and mix with tomatoes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Melt butter in a skillet. Add corn, 1 tbs. chopped shallots and 1 tsp. garlic. Cook until garlic and corn begin to brown. Add curry powder and cook for 1 minute more. Add cream, and cook for 5 minutes, or until cream is reduced by 1/2. Season to taste with salt, pepper and lemon juice.

In a blender, puree basil with 2 tbs. chopped onion, lemon juice and 1/4 cup of olive oil. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

After tenderloin is finished raosting, let rest for 10 mintues. Slice. Garnish with corn, tomatoes, basil coulis (and fresh summer zucchini too!)

Farmers' Market Report, Part 2: The Beet Goes On

Beets get a bad rap, though I’m not sure where it comes from. Perhaps it’s a hold-over from the days when the only variety available were canned, leaving them mushy, salty and bland. To me, they are a perfect balance of firm, refreshing texture with a sweet, earthy flavor. Best of all, they are nutritious, so I feel downright virtuous when I consume a bowlful like candy.

Last week, beets appeared at the market. They were shamefully small, and I couldn’t imagine there’d be much left after peeling. As much as I love beets, it seemed the farmers were rushing the process. This week, however, they were decidedly larger. With the greens still attached I know they are freshly harvested -- beets that have been in storage have the tops cut off as they wither in a few days.

Like tomatoes, beets come in a variety of colors, shapes and sizes – candy striped with white rings, golden, pink and red. They range in sweetness, the red sometimes cloying by comparison to the lighter colors.

Roasting beets intensifies the flavors and the sweetness. It also makes peeling easier. Before roasting, be sure to scrub the beets well to remove all the dirt. Toss them in some olive oil, wrap in foil, and bake in a 350 oven for an hour or so. Lately, my favorite preparation has been roasted with bacon and onions. While the beets are roasting, I sauté bacon and onions together until the bacon is crisp and the onions are caramelized. When the beets are cooked, I peel and slice them and toss them in the bacon-onion mix. Seasoned with a little lemon juice or mint, they are the perfect accompaniment to salmon (Crusted with pistachios and horseradish) or a pasta carbonara with peas or asparagus. Pureed with a little olive oil or chicken stock, it makes a delightful sauce for just about anything.

Beets with goat cheese are a classic combination. The tart, creaminess of the cheese balances with the sweet, firm texture of the beets. Though, I don’t eat nuts, walnuts add both texture and flavor that some say is the perfect compliment.

Of course, beets stain exceptionally well – hands, cutting boards and clothing. The best remedy is to wash with a paste of cold water and baking soda. Not only does it remove the red from your hands, it leaves them soft as well.

Beets and Goat Cheese Napolean with Buttered Walnuts

Beets
1 lb. red beets
2 tbs. olive oil
1 red onion, finely diced
1 tbs. red wine vinegar
1-2 tbs. fresh chopped thyme
4 oz. creamy goat cheese
salt and pepper to taste

1. Put beets in a pot and cover in cold water. Season water with salt. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to a simmer. Continue cooking for 30 minutes, or until skins easily peel off.

2. When beets are cooked, cool under cold running water. Peel beets. Slice. Toss beets with red onions, vinegar, olive oil and thyme.

3. Put beets on a plate, and dollop goat cheese on top. Garnish with mesclun and buttered walnuts

Balsamic Mesclun
1 pound mesclun
3 tbs. balsamic vinegar
1 tsp. shallots
1 tsp. thyme
1 tsp. mustard
½ cup + extra virgin olive oil
pinch sugar
salt and pepper to taste

Put balsamic, shallots, thyme and mustard in a blender. Puree. With the motor running, slowly drizzle in the oil. Season to taste with salt, pepper and sugar

Buttered Walnuts
1 cup walnuts
2 or more tbs. butter
salt and pepper

Melt butter in skillet. Toss in walnuts and toast until lightly browned and fragrant. Season with salt and pepper.

Farmers Market - Part 1: Zucchini and Squash Blooms

Zucchini and other summer squashes proliferate in the garden at an astonishing rate. This plays out in the supermarket when the price plummets from $2/pound to $.49/pound during peak season. Grocers practically give it away, and home gardeners usually do.

For me, this is good news since most markets (farmers’ or traditional brick and mortar) don’t sell squash blossoms – the flower that precedes the vegetable. And with their prolific growth rate, I may actually get enough flowers to serve a meal to more than one guest. The few times I’ve seen them in the markets they can cost $1/each.

I’ve seen squash blossoms in Native American, Mexican and Italian Cuisines. This suggests to me that they are not a faddish new vegetable… they have been enjoyed for centuries. In Oaxaca, Mexico, Squash blossoms are a frequent filling for Quesadillas or a garnish for tortilla soup.

Harvesting squash blossoms requires careful timing. You want them before they bloom, though sometimes it’s tough to distinguish between a bloom that opened and closed, and one that has yet to open. You can see here that the tip of the flower on the left is slightly curled. This is a sure sign that the flower already opened. Once you harvest the squash blossom, gingerly pull open a petal and snip out the stamen – which can be especially bitter and ruin a perfectly good meal. I had tried to take a picture for you – when the blossom was fully open, stamen poking out, but in the 10 minutes it took me to run inside and grab my camera, the flower had already started to close up. Sometimes, the bloom grows out of the zucchini, and sometimes it just grows out of the stem. If can get it off the vegetable, then you are in for a treat.

In the Italian style, squash blossoms are stuffed with mozzarella and prosciutto. They can be battered and fried and served with a light tomato sauce. In the Mexican style, I stuff them with black beans, goat cheese and mint. I spice the batter with a little cumin and chili and serve them with a tomato salsa.

In the farmers market this week, globe zucchini flank the tables. Their bulbous shape makes them ideal for stuffing. My favorite is a traditional Eastern European flavored beef filling – mixed with rice, onions and tomatoes, seasoned with cinnamon, lemon zest, pine nuts and raisins.

Fried Squash Blossoms with Tomato Salsa

20 squash blossoms, stamen gently removed
¼ lb. goat cheese
½ cup cooked black beans, seasoned with dried cumin and oregano
1 tbs. fresh mint, chopped
1 cup flour
1 egg
1/2 tsp. baking powder
salt, pepper and cumin to taste
oil for frying

1. Mix the filling by combining cheese, black beans and mint. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

2. Gingerly stuff each squash blossom with about 1 tablespoon of filling.

3. Make a batter by combining flour, baking powder, salt and cumin. Make a well and add egg and 1 cup water. Whisk to combine.

4. Heat a large pot with oil. Gently dip each blossom in batter and fry in oil until golden brown on all sides. Serve with salsa.

Salsa
2 tomatoes, diced
1 red pepper, diced
¼ red onion, diced
2-3 tbs. cilantro, diced
1 jalapeno or chipotle, diced
1 lime, juiced
2 scallions, cut into rounds
salt and pepper to taste

1. Mix everything together.

Stuffed Zucchini
2 globe zucchinis
1 tablespoon olive oil
½ onion diced
2 garlic cloves chopped
1 pound ground beef
2 tomatoes, diced
¼ cup red wine
2 tablespoons raisins
1 tablespoon pine nuts
1 cup cooked rice
Zest of 1 lemon
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 tablespoon fresh mint, chopped
Pinch cayenne
Salt and pepper to taste

1. Cut Zucchinis in half, through the stem. Scoop out the seeds and place in a roasting pan, cut side up.
2. Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add oil. Add onions and garlic and cook until soft and aromatic, about 5 minutes. Add beef, breaking it up with a wooden spoon. Season generously with salt and pepper. Let cook, without stirring for 10 minutes, or until meat starts to brown on the bottom.
3. Add tomatoes, red wine, pine nuts and raisins and continue cooking until most of the liquid is absorb. Remove from heat. Stir in rice, cinnamon, cayenne, lemon zest and mint. Adjust seasoning with salt pepper and lemon juice
4. Fill each zucchini with ¼ of the filling mix. Bake at 400 for 20 minutes, or until zucchini is tender.

Farmer's Markets - Chevy Chase DC

This week’s market report comes from the Chevy Chase Farmer’s Market in Washington, DC.

This farmer’s market was founded just 4 years ago in the side yard of an elementary school. The look and feel is far different than the more urban markets in Boston, Cambridge and even Dupont Circle in downtown DC. The school and the market are in the middle of a shaded, residential neighborhood at the northern point of the city. Only 3 farmers sell produce. To round out the offerings, there’s a meat stand, bakery, cheese stand and a woman selling fresh pasta. The market has a decidedly mellow feel to it… as the neighbors meander from one stall to the next. And because the market is so small they only allow organic farmers that sell their own products (Shockingly, some farmers sell produce from other farms and call it their own).

My friend Brett was one of the original farmers at this market. This week, his crops capture the essence of the shoulder season – the last of the spring greens and a glimmer of the summer harvest. The tomatoes he planted in the fields the first week of April are yielding its first ripe fruit. Corn that started in the greenhouse in March, and transplanted to the fields in May, now is so sweet and crisp you can eat it raw. Four kinds of basil sit next to parsley and squash blossoms. The last of the spring greens and fennel fill out the table. In Boston, the tomatoes we’re seeing at the market are still from the greenhouses. If Brett, 450 miles south of Boston, is just starting to harvest, we can expect to wait another 4 weeks in New England.

Haroon, is still selling spring crops – bushy heads of lettuce and plump walla walla onions. Susan the orchardist has bushels of fresh white cherries and gooseberries. At $6/pound, this is less expensive than what’s being sold in the “supermarkets.” The large stone-fruits – peaches, plums and nectarines – won’t be ripe for another month. In the meantime, the raspberries are just coming into full force. This lets me know that the raspberries in my garden – are right on time with a few weeks to go until ripeness.

Central Square Farmer's Market Report - Kohlrabi and Scapes

Despite glooming gray skies of imminent rain, the farmers market was decidedly busier this week than last. Bushels of asparagus, baskets of strawberries, bunches of beets and radishes spread out as a cornucopia of colorful spring. I was also pleased to see the Jamaican farmer. His stand does not have a banner announcing the name of his farmer but he has a lively banter with the customers encouraging them to buy from him – usually a vegetable, like callaloo, only seen in ethnic, corner markets or in his native country…uncharacteristically, this week it was the recognizable rhubarb and greenhouse tomatoes.

What I cherish most about the farmers markets is that often I find vegetables simply not available at regular supermarkets. Farmers continually experiment with what grows best in their soil and microclimate. They balance this with growing the more marketable greens, tomatoes and berries. All this experimentation challenges the locavore to try new vegetables and experiment with new recipes.

At Hutchinson Farm green garlic and garlic scapes, both derivates of young garlic, spring from the table. Green Garlic is round like a scallion, but long and fibrous like leeks. The young bulb has not yet developed the papery skin that would divide it into cloves (and add a protective layer for long storage). The scape is a long, squiggly shoot from the garlic bulb with a tip that looks like it’s ready to flower. Both have mild flavors and can be eaten raw or sautéed like regular garlic.

I was especially excited to see Kohlrabi. I have seen this brassica – a member of the cabbage family – at Whole Foods before, but had never tried it until I visited Costa Rica this past winter. At a yoga retreat in the mountains outside of San Jose, they simply roasted it with olive oil and garlic. I loved the simultaneously soft and firm texture, the mild sweetness that’s refreshingly moist. The flavor is subtle which makes its appeal perhaps limited, but the texture adds a nice balance to a (raw) coleslaw or (cooked) roasted root medley. The kohlrabi in my garden looks healthy but still has at least 4 weeks before harvest.

By coincidence, at Oleana Restaurant that night, they had a special of fried oysters on a bed of cucumber-kohlrabi salad. If I had to guess the recipe, it would go something like this.

24 Wellfleet Oysters from Pat Woodbury, shucked

Deep Fry Dredge:
½ cup fine corn meal
½ cup flour
½ tsp. zaatar (or mix of dried thyme, sesame and sumac)
2 tsp. salt
½ tsp. fresh black pepper

Oil for Deep-Frying

Kohlrabi-Cucumber Salad
1 kohlrabi, peeled and julienned
1 english cucumber, peeled, seeded and julienned
1 tbs. freshly grated horseradish
1 cup plain Greek Yogurt
1 tbs. fresh mint
1 tbs. fresh parsley
Salt, pepper and lemon juice to taste

1. Prepare salad by combining all ingredients together. Season to taste with salt, pepper and lemon juice.
   
2. Pour plain oil in a deep cast iron skillet until it reaches 2 inches deep. Heat over medium high heat.
   
3. Meanwhile, combine dry ingredients for the dredge.
   
4. When oil is hot, toss oysters in the dredge. Shake off excess and gently drop into oil. Cook for about 3 minutes, turn over, and continue cooking until crispy all over.
   
5. Drain oysters on a paper towel and serve immediately with Kohlrabi salad.

A special thanks to David for supplying the pictures of this week's farmers' market.

The Central Square Farmers' Market

A visit to the Central Square farmers' market shows that my garden is right on cue with local farmers. The lettuces are winding down, and there really is not much else. After many years of going to this market, I’ve come to recognize the usual vendors. Many were missing this week, (most notably Steve Parker who I’ve known for years because he sells to local restaurants) probably because they don’t have much to sell yet.

The farmers that were there primarily offered seedlings and lettuces. Seedlings are perfect for those who have not yet had a chance to plant vegetables in their own gardens. The tomato plants are vibrant and full, the herbs billowy and aromatic, and lettuces sprouting a few leaves. Wait… lettuces??? After all this heat, I was surprised to see farms even suggesting that we should start growing the cool weather plant. I questioned this… the gal from Kimball farm says they plant new lettuce seeds every 5 – 10 days. This makes sense: The standard method of harvesting lettuces, “cut-and-come-again,” does not work in this heat, necessitates successive planting if you want a steady supply throughout the summer.

One farm was selling hot-house tomatoes, but I’m still not buying. Though this betters the California hothouse because they could ripen on the vine longer, I’ll hold out for the drippingly juicy field tomatoes.

The Herb Lyceum at Gilson Farms specializes in herbs. Herbs grow easily in pots as well as in beds, and have a great cost/benefit ratio. Garden fresh herbs are better than store bought because the aromas are more pungent. Better still, you can harvest just what you need for a single meal – unlike the predetermined pack sizes at the supermarket. Better flavor, less waste - another point in the no-waste column.

Gilson Farms also owns two restaurants, including the local Cambridge favorite: Garden at the Cellar. This gastro-pub features locally inspired, European-styled cuisine. The perennial favorite is the creamy tomato soup with grilled cheese. The three-course tasting menu highlights local farmers.