P I C K L I S T
TOMATOES! - FENNEL - SAVOY CABBAGE - BELL PEPPER - GOLDEN BEETS - GREEN BEANS -
TULSI - LEMON BALM - BLUEBERRIES! - CUKES - PSYCHEDELIC GOLDEN ZUCCHINI
Yall, we are reaching peak season (or are getting very close). Summer crops are coming in hot right now, and the fields are booming with fruit, veg, and weeds. Corn, eggplant, sweet peppers, and watermelons are on the horizon, but for now the colors of the heirloom tomatoes and the flavor picked out of the blueberry field is bonkers good. As far as field tasks go, we are totally stretched. Tomatoes need stringing and staking, weeds need to be annihilated, Greenhouses need to be gutted, cleaned and planted, etc… But it remains damn near impossible to walk away from the blueberries. The field is still loaded with fruit and it is hard to have anything but blueberry tunnel vision with plants that look that good.
You should come check it out, and see for yourself THIS Saturday!
Pop-up PYO Blueberry party for CSAers. This is not a gleaning, as we are right in the middle of the season and the picking is AWESOME. We are still working out the details of how much we can have yall pick, what row, etc but for now, heads up, you’re invited.
WHO: Open to the entire Edgewater Farm C.S.A. community
WHERE: if you are coming from the North End of River Road, go past the Greenhouses and McNamara Dairy- turn left at the Cemetery. (if you turn right, you will be swimming in the Connecticut River)
THE ADDRESS for all your googling: 355 River Road/ Plainfield, NH
WHEN: This Saturday!!!, JULY 30th from 3-5pm rain or shine though we will cancel in case of thunder and lightning
HOW: You pick! Bring your own picking cups! PRO-TIP:, if you have a used yogurt container and a shoelace, poke holes in the yogurt container, string the shoe laces through and make yourself a picking necklace- it’s fashion forward and an extremely efficient way to pick- very hip, all the kids are doing it.
WHY: Because the picking is the best we’ve seen in years- branches are dripping with fruit, and sharing is caring.
Pro-tips:
SOUR CREAM SLAW WITH FENNEL
From my second favorite cook book, START SIMPLE by Lukas Volger
1 small savoy or napa cabbage (though i think your kale shredded could work here instead!)
1 medium fennel bulb, cored and very thinly sliced, fronds reserved
¼ cup sour cream
1 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon or more herbs de provence (thyme!!! Oregano, rosemary, etc)
½ teaspoon salt, or to taste
¼ teaspoon sugar
Pinch red pepper flakes
In a serving bowl combine the cabbage (kale) and fennel.
In a small bowl, stir together the sour cream, olive oil, lemon juice, herbes de provence (thyme etc!), sugar, and red pepper flakes. Taste and season with salt. Add most of the dressing to the cabbage (kale) and fennel and taste, adding more if needed (you may have some dressing left over). Coarsely chop about 3 tablespoons of the fennel fronds and stir them in. You can eat this slaw immediately, but the flavors will meld a bit after and hour or so at room temperature.
A crisp salad of pole beans, fennel, and parmesan cheese
From my tried and true old standby eating bible, TENDER by Nigel Slater
Green beans
Medium fennel bulb
Small, salad leaves (chop up your savoy!) 4 double handfuls…
White bread- 2 thick slices
Oil for frying the bread
For the dressing:
Tarragon vinegar- a tablespoon
Dijon mustard- a teaspoon
An egg yolk
Olive oil- a scant ½ cup
Grated parmesan cheese- 3 tablespoons, plus a block of parm for shaving
Lemon juice- 2 teaspoons
Trim the beans and boil them in lightly salted water or steam them, until tender. Drain them under cold running water. Cut the fennel bulb in half and shred finely. Make the dressing by whisking the vinegar, mustard, and egg yolk together with a little salt and black pepper, then beating in the oil followed by the grated cheese. It should be thick and creamy. Squeeze in the lemon juice, stir, then set a side for a few minutes.
Put the “salad” leaves in a large bowl with the cooked beans and the fennel. Cut the bread into small squares and fry in shallow oil until golden on all sides. Drain the croutons on paper towels. Toss the leaves and beans lightly with the dressing. Pile the salad into two plates and shave pieces of parmesan over with a vegetable peeler. I usually do at least 8 per salad, depending on my dexterity with the peeler. Tip the hot croutons over the salad and eat straight away while all is fresh and crunchy.
On your herbs this week:
This week’s herbs, tulsi and lemon balm, would love to be made into sun tea.
To make sun tea:
grab a glass jar (I use the biggest mason jar i can find)
fill with herbs, and water
put in direct sunlight for a day.
Remove from sunlight, strain herbs and cool it down in the fridge. Add a sweetener if you like, or drink straight up.
Experience total refresh
Also noteworthy, both these herbs -Tulsi and Lemon balm- are used medicinally to bring calm to the body and mind. Which, for me and perhaps all of you, is extremely welcome as we enter high Summer, peak harvest, and Leo Season. Good to have a little calm to relax the brain and body during the Summer hustle. Also FYI, all the farmers are doing it- stopped in at our friends this week at Hurricane Flats Farm and saw their jar of herbs, brewing in the sunshine as well.