P I C K L I S T
LEMONGRASS - RED KURI WINTER SQUASH - LEEKS - PLUM TOMATOES - CORN - COLLARD GREENS - WATERMELON - SWEET CARMEN PEPPERS - HABANADA PEPPERS - CAYENNE PEPPER
Since last week, everything has changed. The equinox brought the real start of Fall and today it seems the trees are truly catching up. Hot coffee is brought to the fields every morning in part for drinking but mostly to warm-up hands in between harvests. But what I am really here to report on today is all the badassery that is being produced through our farmstand kitchen. Made on site, utilizing all crops from the fields- and a couple of bought in staples- the farmstand crew lead by Laura Richardson has been pumping out all the eats to get us through both the daily veg pick (hello ginger cookies!), late afternoon lunches (tabouli! German potato salad! Carrot hummus!) and future winter meals (soups! Casseroles! Spreads! etc!).
The freezers found in the farmstand are currently stocked with all these goods for sale. Right now is the time to head over and load up on the most delicious frozen meals and treats for your own later eating. Our Farmstand closes for the season on Sunday, October 9th, so we all have 11 days to clean out our pantries and freezers, and make room for all your just bought Edgewater treats. You can thank me for this major meal heads up in February when you are jonesing for reminders of Summer :)
Pro-tips
(JENNY’S NOTE: yes this is a repeat lemongrass write up from previous CSA seasons, but it's pretty useful to read up on if you are a newbie CSAer and this is your first experience with lemongrass. If anyone is curious what I will be doing with my lemongrass this week, I intend to add it to a massive batch of bone broth and chop the rest into 2 inch pieces to freeze for later broth/tea/curry/etc…)
As its name suggests, lemongrass is a grass with botanical origins that stretch across South and Southeast Asia, from India and Sri Lanka to Indonesia and the Philippines… Used whole, chopped, or pummeled into a paste, lemongrass adds a light but complex flavor and aroma—simultaneously lemony (hence the name), gingery, and floral—to sauces, soups, and meats.
In some parts of the world, lemongrass is also treasured for its health benefits. When brewed into a tea, the plant is considered an immunity-boosting treatment for a wide variety of ailments including gastrointestinal distress, fever, and asthma.
How can you use it? In South and Southeast Asian cooking, lemongrass commonly conspires with ingredients like garlic, galangal (and/or ginger), cilantro, Thai basil, shallots, lime leaves, and coconut milk to create bold, complex flavors.
To prepare lemongrass, start by peeling the stiff outer leaves away from the stalk to reveal the slightly softer underlayers. Slice the grass in two spots, about half an inch from the root and approximately three inches up, where the whitish color begins to turn green.
The pale lower section of the lemongrass is the meatiest bit. Even so, it must be sliced thin and then finely chopped, pounded into a paste with a mortar and pestle, grated with a box grater, or tossed in a food processor so that it isn’t too tough to chew. This is frequently how lemongrass is used in Cambodian cooking, Yun says, especially in the preparation of the spice paste kroeung.
Lemongrass is often finely chopped or pounded in order to break down the tough stalks.
But while only the lower bulb of the lemongrass stem is edible, every portion of the stalk has a role to play in the kitchen. The fibrous upper section of the stalk is full of tons of lemony, gingery goodness. To release the flavorful oils, both Yun and Payumo like to bash or flatten the lemongrass stalk with a cleaver or the side of a large knife. Payumo will also sometimes bend the stalk back and forth a few times instead of smashing it to release the oils.
Fresh lemongrass stalks work best in dishes like soups and slow-roasted meats that simmer for long periods of time. In Filipino cuisine it’s commonly stuffed inside whole pigs or chickens and then roasted, Payumo says. Extensive simmering or roasting is also the best use for dry lemongrass, which rehydrates as it cooks. Like with bay leaves, remove the lemongrass stalks from the dish before serving.
How should you store it? If you store it right, lemongrass will pretty much last forever. Wrapped loosely in a towel, the stalks will stay fresh and flavorful for a few weeks in the fridge. Otherwise, they’ll do just fine in the freezer, either uncut or pre-prepped. Try portioning minced, pounded, or grated grass into an empty ice tray for no-fuss future use. Dried and powdered lemongrass should be kept in sealed containers and out of the light.
Now go smash, slice, and pound away. You may not be getting to South or Southeast Asia this year, but with your new lemongrass skills, at least your culinary skills will permit you to imagine.
A good corn soup is creamy and naturally sweet; an even better corn soup is spicy, refreshing and addictive. In this recipe, it’s the combination of shallots, garlic, ginger, chiles and coconut milk, rather than heavy cream or butter, that makes the soup at once cooling and rich. It’s a dinner in a bowl (and a vegan one at that), but it would surely welcome a side of steamed rice or salad of leafy greens. To serve, add garnishes that are any combination of spicy (extra fresh chile or store-bought chile oil), crunchy (toasted coconut, chopped peanuts or cashews, fried shallots) or fresh (torn cilantro, chopped scallions), and it’ll be even more dynamic.
4-5 ears yellow or bicolor corn (or 5 cups frozen corn kernels)
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 shallots (or leeks!), thinly sliced into rings
3 stalks lemongrass cut into 2 inch long pieces
3 garlic cloves, minced
1(1-inch) piece ginger, peeled and minced
1 serrano chile (or other chile), minced
2 small red potatoes (6 to 8 ounces total), cut into ½-inch cubes
2 ½cups vegetable broth (or 2½ cups of hot water whisked with 1½ teaspoons jarred bouillon)
1(15-ounce) can full-fat coconut milk
1 tablespoon lime juice (from ½ lime)
Kosher salt, to season
Torn cilantro leaves, toasted coconut flakes, chopped roasted peanuts, crispy fried shallots, lime wedges and more sliced Serrano chiles, to serve (optional)
Step 1
Cut the corn kernels off the cobs and transfer to a bowl. Using the back of a butter knife, scrape the cobs so that all of the milky juices collect in the bowl and the cobs look completely dry, like wrung-out sponges. Set aside. (If using frozen kernels, skip this step.)
Step 2
In a large stockpot over medium heat, heat olive oil. Add shallots (or leeks), garlic, lemongrass, ginger and chile, and sauté, stirring occasionally, until soft and fragrant, 3 to 5 minutes. Add corn kernels and juices to the pot, and sauté until the corn is softer and brighter, about 3 minutes more.
Step 3
Add potato pieces, and stir to coat, 1 to 2 minutes.
Step 4
Now, pour in the vegetable broth and coconut milk. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, cover, and cook for 8 to 10 minutes, until the potatoes are tender all the way through. Remove the lemongrass stalks.
Step 5
Use an immersion blender to roughly purée the soup, so that it’s creamy with some kernels of corn, chunks of potato, and chile flecks remaining. (Alternatively, ladle about half of the soup into a blender, blend until smooth, and return to the pot.) Season with lime juice and salt, and mix to combine. Ladle soup into bowls and garnish with toppings of your choice.