P I C K L I S T
CARMEN PEPPER - CHERRY TOMATOES - MELON - LUNCH BOX PEPPERS - SERANO PEPPERS - SHISHITO PEPPERS - JIMMY NARDELLO PEPPERS - EGGPLANT - THAI BASIL - CAULIFLOWER
Edgewater update: Goodness gracious, I am gonna have to keep this little note to yall to a minimum as we just wrapped up CSA harvest prep and it is now 6:30pm, and I only have a matter of time before Grannie Annie (queen of the zinnia patch) tells me the kids are fed and bathed and it is time to take these cherubs to their own home. (Thanks Anne!) Whoooosh! Everyday is a real marathon. First on the list of things to report is a sweet little gentle reminder that Fall CSA is just around the corner, sign ups are rolling in, and I am already planning the first pick up playlist. For those who have Fall CSAed with us in the past, you know you come for both veg AND vibes. Join the club!
Second, please delight in the sheer glow of this week’s harvest. Tonite, we kept on trying to wrap up the pick, but then the sun rays would catch on the Chinese eggplant and the orange carmens and suddenly my bushel would be half way filled with these radiant orbs. The chill in the air is making us all gravitate towards brights. Reaping the glowiest of crops is just one of the efforts we are taking to hold onto summer as long as possible. I mean, it did after all just become watermelon season.
We continue to not pick corn. Our planting is just desperate for rain. As a result the ears are pretty dry and not worth the picking. For a week now, our farmstand has been buying corn from Alex Maclennan over in Windsor VT. I believe he irrigates his corn regularly, so therefore his crop is sufficient, in fact it's beautiful and the ears are perfect and sweet. This is the first year where the drought was so bad that even the corn won’t grow. George, a LOOOONNNNG time veteran of Edgewater field crew commented that he hasn’t seen a drought this bad since 1947. This memory of 1947 is noteworthy for two reasons:
Hello climate change (it is never just a nice summer, it's always very very wet or very very dry, farming is inevitably getting harder)
George remembers 1947. Which is really outing the age of our oldest employee. I know, I know, age is just a number but George Cilley deserves a trophy. This guy is a total badass and continues to insist on doing tractor work at NINETY SOME-ODD years old. The only rule he must comply, is to leave before dark. Hero status.
FARMY FOODIE PRO-TIPS:
The following recipes were crafted specifically for this week’s CSA by our friend and hyper local chef (he lives just up the road), Mitchell Davis. if you are curious about alllll the recipes he has to offer, see his substack:
Stir-Fried Eggplant with Thai Basil
Makes 4 servings
2 Japanese or Chinese eggplants
1 tablespoon Shaoxing or other Chinese cooking wine or dry sherry or gin
1 tablespoon Thai or Vietnamese fish sauce
1 teaspoon maple syrup or 1/2 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon light soy sauce
1 teaspoon dark soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
Salt
Freshly ground white pepper
4 tablespoons peanut or vegetable oil
3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
4 scallions, sliced into 1 1/2-inch pieces, separating the white and green parts
1 bunch Thai basil, leaves only
3 tablespoons vegetable or chicken stock or water
Begin by preparing the eggplant. Remove the stem end and cut the eggplants crosswise into 2-inch chunks. Split each chunk lengthwise in half through the center and then in quarters or eighths, depending on how thick the eggplants are, to make wedges. In a small bowl, combine the Chinese cooking wine, fish sauce, maple syrup, light and dark soy sauces, toasted sesame oil, a pinch of salt, and a grind or two of white pepper. Mix well and set
aside.
Heat about 1 1/2 tablespoons of the oil in a large frying pan or wok over medium-high heat. Add half the eggplant and cook, turning frequently, until nicely browned on all sides and soft, about 5 minutes. Remove the cooked eggplant to a plate and repeat with another 1 ½ tablespoons of oil and the remaining eggplant. Once browned and soft, combine with the first batch of eggplant and set aside.
Return the pan to the heat. Add the remaining tablespoon of oil along with the sliced garlic, the white part of the scallions and the Thai basil. Sauté for 30 seconds, just until the garlic is fragrant and the basil is wilted. Add the eggplant back to the pan. Stir the sauce and pour it into the pan, cooking until it is all absorbed by the eggplant and/or evaporated. Add the greens of the scallions and pour the broth around the perimeter of the pan to deglaze it. Once almost dry again, it’s ready to serve.
PIPERADE
Makes about 3 cups
This traditional French Basque sauté of peppers makes a delicious accompaniment to scrambled eggs, broiled fish, or even cottage cheese. It can be served warm, at room temperature, even slightly chilled.
About 1 pound assorted peppers, such as bell, Carmen, Jimmy Nardello, shishito, lunchbox, poblano, serrano, jalapeño, or others, depending what you’ve got available and your spice preference
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 large white onion, chopped
1 large clove garlic, minced
2 oil-packed anchovies or 1 tablespoon anchovy paste or 1 tablespoon capers, rinsed and minced
1/3 cup dry white wine
1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes, split in half, or 3 Roma or plum tomatoes, chopped
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Handful chopped fresh herbs, such as oregano, thyme, majoram, parsley, or basil (optional)
Prepare the assorted peppers by removing the stem ends, splitting in half, deseeding, and cutting them into equal bit-sized chunks. Set aside.
In a large saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium-heat. Add the onion, and cook until translucent and soft. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Add the anchovy and smash with the back of a spoon into the bottom of the pan to dissolve while it cooks. The fishy aroma will start strong and then dissipate. Add the peppers and cook until they wilt, about 5 minutes. Add the white wine and let simmer until almost completely evaporated. Add the tomatoes along
with a generous pinch of salt and a few grinds of black pepper, and cook until the tomatoes burst, giving off their liquid, another 10 minutes or so. Simmer to reduce any liquid that forms to create a nice, chunky sauce. Stir in the fresh herbs, if using, and it’s ready to serve.