Pick List:
LEMONGRASS - GINGER - GARLIC - SPINACH - PINK or YELLOW TOMATO -
PEPPERS - BROCCOLI - CAULIFLOWER - BUTTERCUP SQUASH - LEEKS - ONION -
CILANTRO - APPLES - EGGS - HALLOWEENY PUMPKIN!!
KITCHEN LIST: HORSERADISH & RYE BREAD
Yall. This is my very favorite week- the ginger week. This is the week that we dig up a bushel of this root from the greenhouse (that we pretend is Hawaii all season long) and begin the annual ginger CSA dispersal. Ginger is remarkable, and growing this beloved root ranks high on my list of crops we grow. Normally we stick to growing it in the ground of a greenhouse but this year we experimented with growing it outside. We still have yet to dig that patch up and see the results, but I am eager to find out how the planting fared compared to the stuff grown in the tunnel. Also this week, we threw in lemongrass- another love of mine and another reminder of how awesome it is to be apart of a diversified farm that experiments and messes around with unusual (for New England) crops. A lot of our crop inspiration comes from our good friends in Rhode Island at Wishing Stone Farm. For more about Ginger see Tips, Tricks, & Recipes…
TIPS - TRICKS - RECIPES
FRESH Ginger… This stuff is amazing. Brew it with hot water for tea. Add to soups and stir-fries. It is very important to keep it refrigerated and if not used by day 3, throw it in a zip-lock and put it in the freezer. Use it at your own leisure, when you are ready to use, take it out and grate it into your meal.
Pumpkin and tomato laksa by NIGEL SLATER
(this is actually my favorite winter/fall recipe… confusing to throw in this week because of the still mild weather but worthy of the newsletter as it brings together so much of this week’s harvest and it is incredibly delicious, perfect for cold nights but still great mild nights).
1 ½ c. unpeeled weight winter squash
3 hot peppers
4 cloves garlic
a lump of ginger the size of your thumb
2 plump stalks of lemon grass
6 lime leaves
a little vegetable oil
2 c. chicken or vegetable stock
1 ½ c. coconut milk
3 CHOPPED tomatoes
2 tbsp nam pla (thai fish sauce)
the juice of a lime ½ c.
dried noodles
a large handful mint leaves
5 or 6 cilantro roots a large handful cilantro leaves
Cut the pumpkin into large chunks and place in the top of a steamer. Or, steam it in a colander over a pan of boiling water. The pumpkin should be tender in 12-15 minutes. Remove from the heat.
To make the spice paste, chop the chillies, removing the seeds first if you wish. Peel the garlic and the ginger and chop roughly; put into the bowl of a food processor. Discard the outer leaves of the lemon grass then roughly chop the inner heart leaves, shred the lime leaves and add them to the chillies. Scrub the coriander roots and cut them off, putting them with the chillies, along with half the coriander leaves and stems. Blitz them to a pulp, adding a little oil if the mixture needs it to go round.
Place a fairly deep pan over a moderate heat, add half the spice paste (keep the other half in the fridge for tomorrow) and fry it, moving it round the pan so it does not scorch. Do this for a minute or two then pour in the stock and coconut milk and bring to the boil.
Cut the tomatoes in half, and add them with the nam pla and the lime juice. They will take seven to 10 minutes to cook. Add the chunks of pumpkin and continue cooking for a minute or two. Place a swirl of noodles in each of the four bowls, pour over the laksa and add the mint and remaining coriander leaves.
fire cider:
This week I want to introduce you to this amazing tonic that has the strength to give you that extra boost for your immune system when the weather turns and all the gunk you’ve ignored all Summer comes to hit you at once (does this happen to anyone else?) Also, my kid-o just started at a daycare, so our little family is all about giving our immune system a little extra love. Your CSA share this week has some of the necessary ingredients to start your own batch. The following is a write up of Fire Cider taken from mountainroseherbs.com:
“Fire Cider is a traditional remedy with deep roots in folk medicine. The tasty combination of vinegar infused with powerful anti-microbial, decongestant, and spicy circulatory movers makes this recipe especially pleasant and easy to incorporate into your daily diet to help boost natural immune system processes, stimulate digestion, and get you nice and warmed up on cold days. Because this is a folk preparation, the ingredients can change from year to year depending on when you make it and what’s growing around you. The standard base ingredients are apple cider vinegar, garlic, onion, ginger, horseradish, and hot peppers, but there are plenty of other herbs that can be thrown in for added kick. Fire Cider can be taken straight by the spoonful, added to organic veggie juice (throw in some olives and pickles and think non-alcoholic, health boosting bloody mary!), splashed in fried rice, or drizzled on a salad with good olive oil. You can also save the strained pulp and mix it with shredded veggies like carrots, cabbage, broccoli, and fresh herbs to make delicious and aromatic stir-fries and spring rolls! I like to take 1 tbsp each morning to help warm me up and rev the immune system, or 3 tbsp if I feel the sniffles coming on (me too).”
½ cup fresh grated organic ginger root ½ cup fresh grated organic horseradish root
1 medium organic onion, chopped
10 cloves of organic garlic, crushed or chopped
2 cayenne peppers, chopped
Zest and juice from 1 lemon
Several sprigs of fresh organic rosemary
1 tbsp organic turmeric powder
¼ tsp organic cayenne powder organic apple cider vinegar
local honey to taste
Directions
Prepare all of your roots, fruits, and herbs and place them in a quart sized jar. If you’ve never grated fresh horseradish, be prepared for a powerful sinus opening experience! Use a piece of natural parchment paper under the lid to keep the vinegar from touching the metal, or a plastic lid if you have one. Shake well! Store in a dark, cool place for one month and remember to shake daily.
After one month, use cheesecloth to strain out the pulp, pouring the vinegar into a clean jar. Be sure to squeeze as much of the liquid goodness as you can from the pulp while straining. Next, comes the honey! Add ¼ cup of honey and stir until incorporated. Taste your cider and add another ¼ cup until you reach the desired sweetness.
Jenny’s fire cider note:
You can use the processed horseradish in your fire cider but make sure to keep it in a cool place so it does not ferment (its got a little maple syrup in it and the sugars could cause it to go south- i wonder if you might keep it brewing in the fridge to be safe. My Batch is still sitting out on our counter after 2 weeks and i believe the vinegar is helping it to maintain a good balance- but don’t blame me if it ends up turning into a science fair project gone bad. Also, feel free to email me if you want to talk fire cider or other uses of all these veggies. jenny@edgewaterfarm.com