p i c k l i s t
LETTUCE - SPINACH - LEEKS - CILANTRO - RADISHES - POTATOES -
HEIRLOOM TOMATOES - BRUSSEL SPROUTS - CARROTS - ONIONS
Oh my goodness yall, WHAT A WEEK. Now that’s been addressed, let me tell you what happens when 2 people and one dog are out of work due to injuries- the WHOLE FARM RALLIES and SUPPORTS! I am out of commission for the next few days due to a knee injury, Pooh (my father in law/farm owner/greenhouse guru/tractor driver/manhattan maker/etc…) is out of commission due to shoulder surgery, and our dog (resident varmint hunter/seat warmer) just got her toe nail removed. We are a ragged bunch.
BUT THIS is what makes our farm a family farm. These moments of support really strengthen my appreciation and love of this life I chose. Am I bummed that I missed out on the most glorious days in history for harvesting vegetables in the Northeast in November? Hard yes.* BUT I am so grateful to our family and field crew that shifted their schedules and priorities to pick the spinach, bag the potatoes, feed the kids, bathe the kids, play with the kids, bunch the cilantro, pick the heirloom tomatoes, pack the boxes, etc…
So cheers to this family farm for coming through without even thinking twice about picking up my slack, Pooh’s slack, the dog’s slack.
Also noteworthy, something like this tends to happen towards the end of every season. One or more of us on the farm has some quiet injury that sneaks up, commands our attention and insists we slow down. We’ve learned to listen when our bodies are speaking (sometimes shouting). And If you need me or Pooh or Sugar the dog for the next few days, you can find us on a couch somewhere either in direct sunlight or close-to it, deep diving into all the questions we meant to ask the internet all summer long, painting nails, reading books, taking naps, and being ok with being still.
*The sunshine and warmth right now is unbelievable. It’s like the last big warm hug before we all go into winter hibernation.
HOT TIPS:
SEASONAL GREENS SOUP
from another staple cookbook in my kitchen, The First Forty Days
...By simmering and liquifying lots of greens at once, you can consume a gardenful of greens in one brightly colored and very easily digestible bowl. Quinoa boosts the soup by adding texture, protein, and a pop of contrasting color.
JENNYS NOTE: This soup is better than you can even imagine. Earthy and heartwarming, and every bite feels like you’re giving your body a gift of nourishment (some of you may find those words a little much but I can not be stopped- the soup is just that simple, and just that good).
3 leeks, white parts only, cut crosswise into thin slices
½ cup peeled and roughly chopped onion
3 medium parsnips (i use carrots!) peeled and roughly chopped
3 tablespoons olive or coconut oil
2 qts vegetable broth
½ teaspoon sea salt
1 cup quinoa
5 cups loosely packed spinach
2 tablespoons soy sauce, tamari, or bragg liquid aminos to taste
2 tablespoons nutritional yeast (optional)
In a large pot over medium-high heat, saute the leeks, onions, and parsnips (or carrots) in the oil until lightly browned. Add the broth, reduce the heat to medium, cover, and let it simmer for about 30 minutes, or until the parsnips (carrots) are soft.
Meanwhile, in a small pot, bring 2 cups water and the salt to a gentle boil. Add the quinoa, reduce the heat, and simmer, covered, for 15 minutes, or until the quinoa is fluffy and tender and has unfurled (opened) slightly.
When the soup has finished cooking, remove it from the heat to cool down a bit. Working in batches, transfer the warm soup to a blender, along with the fresh spinach and blend until everything is incorporated into a vibrant green puree (or use a hand blender).
Return to the pot, stir in the quinoa, and season with soy sauce and nutritional yeast, if using.
Warm up the soup over low heat before serving. Store leftovers in the fridge for upto 5 days, or freeze!
JENBOB’S Roasted potatoes:
A quick trick to make your roasted potatoes even better.
Begin by chopping into the size you like, and parboil for 5 minutes.
Once the potatoes are slightly softer to the fork poke, drain water
Toss potatoes in olive oil, season with salt and whatever else you like
lay potatoes in single layer on to greased pan and roast until golden and crispy, as for temperature- it's your call. If you have time, do a slower roast at 350, BUT if you need a quicker bite, run your oven at 425 and check it every 15-20 minutes for burning.
Tortilla espanolla (bonappetit.com)
JENNY’S NOTE: I just remembered this bomb dish that we ate all the time when Ray, Hobbes and I Winter tripped to Spain a few years back when (Hobbes was 2!). Since then, I’ve made this dish a few times for the fam with a mostly successful flip relate- but the base is potatoes, eggs, salt, olive oil- therefore this recipe is an automatic hit. Eat on a bed of salad greens! Garnish with cilantro or/and the kimchi you may or may not have made last week! So. Good.
Here’s your chance to master one of Spain’s classic tapas: tortilla española. The key is to leave the eggs slightly undercooked; that’s what gives this a custardy (not bouncy) texture.
Ingredients
8 SERVINGS
1 tablespoon, plus 2 cups olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, thinly sliced
Kosher salt
2 medium waxy potatoes (about ¾ lb.), peeled, cut into ¾” pieces
8 large eggs
Preparation
Step 1
Heat 1 Tbsp. oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion, season with salt, and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and dark brown, 35–40 minutes. Let cool slightly.
Step 2
Meanwhile, heat potatoes and remaining 2 cups oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat until oil around potatoes begins to bubble; reduce heat to medium and cook until potatoes are tender but have not taken on any color, 10–12 minutes. Drain potatoes, reserving oil. Season potatoes with salt and let cool slightly.
Step 3
Combine eggs, onion, potatoes, and ¼ cup reserved potato cooking oil in a large bowl and gently beat with a fork.
Step 4
Heat 3 Tbsp. reserved potato cooking oil in a 10” nonstick skillet over medium heat (reserve remaining oil for another use). Add egg mixture and cook, lifting at edge and tilting skillet to let uncooked egg run underneath, until bottom and edge of tortilla are set but center is still wet.
Step 5
Set a large plate on top of skillet. Swiftly invert tortilla onto plate, (THIS IS THE FLIP!!) then slide back into skillet, cooked side up. Cook until center is just set, about 2 minutes longer. Cut into wedges.
POTATO LEEK SOUP:
CLEARLY THIS IS THE WEEK TO MAKE POTATO LEEK SOUP, POTATO LEEK GALETTE, ETC… Give it a google, let me know how it goes. I mean it!