p i c k l i s t
TOMATOES! - CORN! - CHERRY TOMATOES - JALAPENO PEPPERS - SWEET CARMEN PEPPERS -
MELON - SHISO - THAI BASIL - FUNFETTI ZUCCHINI - CLASSIC ZUCCHINI - FENNEL - ARUGULA - ZINNIAS
I imagine when you read this your body will be in total peace and relaxation with the 10 degree drop in temps that is supposed to come our way Wednesday. But from here- Tuesday- it remains bloody hot. The air is thick, and the sun is just demolishing us all. It would be one thing if our work schedule for the day revolved around a swimming hole and the act of jumping in it, but that is not the case. This heat wave is relentless and we are feeling it.
Every morning we rise to beat the heat, but as soon as that sun peeps through, forget about it. All of us: plants, people just go to wilt mode. Very little complaints are heard from the field crew, but it’s not necessary, you can see how the day is going by the drench of the shirt. The sweat is also an indicator of where people have been. For example, If it looks like someone just walked out of a swimming pool in all their clothes, then you know they’ve been picking tomatoes in a greenhouse. If it looks like someone just got sprayed by an elephant truck, then I would guess that farmer just came from the blueberry fields.
It’s a lot of work to remain upright, but if we all leave the crops to take a little beach holiday, then they will ripen into rot. So we work 6 days of the week, and from the fields you can hear friends reminding friends to take gas.*
As far as crops go, some of them like our tomatoes are thriving. Others, like our brassicas- broccoli in particular- are struggling. What is usually a blueish green veg currently has a yellowish tint to it indicating stress. Downy mildew and other airborne diseases are making their way north, and this thick heat is really providing a great habitat for that stuff to thrive and travel. Farming is no breeze right now. But I’m trusting the weather apps, and come tomorrow morning, the breeze will come.
One more thing while I got a soap box- I hate when farmers complain about the weather- and I admittedly do it way more often than not. But damn, it sure would be nice to experience for once farming in perfect conditions. Gonna have to ask the elders, Anne and Pooh about farming pre extreme climate change- I promise to report back next week.
In other news that feels very important, the watermelons are coming! Every other day we go through the melons (cantaloupes and honeydew) crossing our fingers that the next row over is ready. We’ve wasted a couple of watermelons to foolish impatience (not quite ripe). But this past Saturday, on August 6th (also Jamaica’s independence day!!) we picked two from the field that were ripe and ready. It all feels like a spiritual experience when you find the first ripe watermelon of the season. Therefore it is mandatory to stop all harvest, put down all bushel baskets, take a slice and rejoice in the best fruit there ever was.
*take gas: field crew code for drink water
Pro-tips:
CLAIRE’S FIRST IMPRESSION: salad and poppers
Starting a new section this week called Claire’s first impressions in which I ask the most bomb chef I know to look at this list and tell us all what to make. Without hesitation she said salad, then paused and said, “but let me tell you what I’m gonna do with the jalapenos…”
Slice in half
Fill with goat cheese
Roast or grill
Devour as per usual
And as for me, i plan to pickle….
1) slice your peppers into rounds. There’s no law against using whole jalapeños, but smaller pieces will soak up the brine faster.
2) Bring 1 cup distilled white vinegar, 2 Tbsp. kosher salt, 2 tsp. sugar, up to 2 Tbsp. spices (e.g., peppercorns, coriander seeds, and/or mustard seeds), chopped fresh herbs (like cilantro), and 2 cups water to a boil in a saucepan You’ll want enough liquid to cover the peppers, so feel free to scale this ratio up or down as needed.
3)Transfer sliced peppers to clean glass jars and pour over the brine, leaving ½ inch of headspace between the liquid line and the rim. Screw on the lids and let the jars cool before transferring to the fridge. Your pickled jalapeños will be best after 48 hours and last up to two months refrigerated.
makes 12 Servings
DIPPING SAUCE
1/2 cup fresh lime juice
3 tablespoons fish sauce (such as nam pla or nuoc nam)
3 tablespoons sugar
2 fresh red Thai chiles or 1 red jalapeño or Fresno chile, thinly sliced
SUMMER ROLLS
4 ounces bean thread noodles (cellophane or transparent noodles)
12 8'-9' rice paper rounds
Tofu or other cooked protein cut into strips
1 cup fresh Thai basil leaves
1 cup fresh shiso leaves plus 1 tablespoon chopped
1 cup fresh mint leaves
1 cup cucumber, cut into matchstick-size pieces
1 cup sweet carmen pepper cut into matchstick-size pieces
12 small arugula leaves
Preparation
DIPPING SAUCE
Step 1
Mix all ingredients in a medium bowl. DO AHEAD Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and chill.
SUMMER ROLLS
Step 2
Put noodles in a large bowl. Pour enough hot water over to cover; let stand until softened, about 10 minutes. Drain. Transfer to a large bowl of ice water to cool; drain and set aside.
Step 3
Fill a pie plate with warm water. Working with 1 rice paper round at a time, soak rice paper in water, turning occasionally, until just pliable but not limp, about 30 seconds. Transfer to a work surface. Arrange 3 tofu strips across the center of round. Top with some leaves of each herb, then cucumber, and pepper. Arrange a small handful of noodles over. Place 1 arugula leaf over, torn or folded to fit. Fold bottom of rice paper over filling, then fold in ends and roll like a burrito into a tight cylinder. Transfer roll, seam side down, to a platter. Repeat to make 11 more rolls. DO AHEAD Can be made 1 hour ahead. Cover with a damp kitchen towel and refrigerate.
Step 4
To serve, cut rolls in half on diagonal. Add chopped shiso to dipping sauce.
And now with all leftover greens, lets make SALAD
The following crops are begging to be made into a salad:
Shiso - Thai basil - arugula - fennel (thinly slice!) - zucchini (shave thin using a peeler!)