P i c k l i s t
STRAWBERRIES - RHUBARB - SPINACH - BOK CHOY - GARLIC SCAPES -
CUCUMBERS - ROMAINE LETTUCE - CILANTRO - ANNUAL PACKS
HERE WE GO HARVEST SEASON. Good grief yall, it’s been a real minute since we met over fresh veg. It feels so good and grounding to be back to the harvest of it all. This winter was a beast and I am grateful it’s finally Summer. So let’s all take in a collective deep breath in and out and name what brings us all here today:
STRAAAAWWBERRRIES.
The thing about strawberries is their ability to meet us where we are. You take that first bite of the season and you are immediately right where you need to be. Nothing else is as important as tasting that first fruit. All the hustle of whatever happened prior strips away. We’re all just out here eating strawberries and enjoying the sunshine, hallelu.
The kick off to CSA is met with community, fresh foods and first tastes. The farmstand becomes the town's watering hole to meet up, give high fives, share fave swim spots, recipes, hot goss, eat a cookie, and pick up your week’s fruit and veg. It is an act of delight to just be here. I hope you feel the same.
The lead up to this week’s harvest was honestly a dream. The planting conditions in May were ideal- rain fell an appropriate amount to keep the ground ready for planting at all times. The sun shone in between the rains to bring out the best in all of us- people and plants. Our field crew has been planting on repeat and this week they began the summer long haul task of keeping weeds at bay. There is still plenty to plant as we rely on succession seedings to get us through November.
Lastly, before we get into recipes and pro-tips, here is a link to join this CSA club. If someone you know wants in, there is room for everyone here.
There is so much more of farm biz to address here, but we’ll just go ahead and save it for next time…until then, enjoy and eat up :)
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, check out his substack:
Stir-Fried Bok Choy with Fermented Black Beans
Makes 4 to 6 servings
1 tablespoon Chinese fermented black beans
4 or 5 small bok choy
1/4 cup water
1 tablespoon cornstarch
2 tablespoons peanut or vegetable oil
1 large clove garlic, minced
1-inch piece ginger, minced
1 tablespoon Shaoxing wine
2 teaspoons soy sauce
2 teaspoons oyster sauce
Salt and freshly ground white pepper
Rinse the fermented black beans under cold running water and set aside to drain in a small strainer. Trim any dried ends off the bok choy and cut the stalks and leaves into 1 1/2-inch to 2- inch pieces. Rinse in cold water to remove any dirt or sand and drain. In a small bowl, combine the water and cornstarch and stir to dissolve. Set aside.
Heat a large, 12- to 14-inch pan or wok over high heat. Add the peanut oil, then the garlic and ginger. Let them sizzle (without burning) for 20 seconds, then add the rinsed black beans and continue cooking another 15 seconds or so until they are fragrant. Add the bok choy and sauté, tossing with the hot oil and aromatics, until it begins to soften, 2 or 3 minutes. Add the Shaoxing wine, soy sauce, and oyster sauce, and continue tossing the bok choy. It will wilt and give off its liquid. Add a pinch of salt and some freshly ground white pepper. Stir the cornstarch mixture again, and drizzle into the pan to thicken the liquid enough to glaze the bok choy. Serve immediately.
Strawberry Rhubarb Sour Cream Pie
Makes one 9-inch pie, 8 to 10 servings
For the Graham cracker crust:
8 ounces (about 14) Graham crackers, broken into pieces
1/3 cup light brown sugar
1/3 cup pecan halves
2 tablespoons whole-wheat or all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled
For the strawberry rhubarb filling:
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch
1/3 cup water
2 1/2 cups thinly sliced rhubarb
2 1/2 cups halved or quartered fresh strawberries
Zest of 1/2 lemon
For the sour cream topping:
1 1/4 cups sour cream or full-fat Greek yogurt
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup half and half, heavy cream, or milk
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
Preheat the oven to 350°F.
To prepare the crust, in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the metal chopping blade, combine the Graham crackers, brown sugar, pecans, flour, cinnamon, and salt. Pulse to grind to fine crumbs. Transfer this mixture of a mixing bowl. Drizzle in the melted butter while stirring with a fork to combine. The mixture should resemble wet sand. Transfer to a deep-dish, 9-inch pie plate and press along the bottom and up the sides to form a crust. Be sure to thin out the edge around the bottom, where the sides begin to rise, using your finger tips to press the crust into the crevice. Carefully and gently place in the preheated oven—a jolt or bang will cause the crust to collapse—and bake for 15 minutes, until lightly browned. Remove to a wire rack to cool completely. Keep the oven on 350°F.
To prepare the filling, in a heavy-bottom saucepan, combine the sugar and cornstarch. With a rubber spatula, stir in the water to form a smooth paste. Add the rhubarb, strawberries, and lemon zest, and stir to coat with the sugar and starch. Set the pan over medium heat and bring to a simmer, stirring frequently. The fruit will give off liquid. As it begins to heat up, the cornstarch will thicken. You want to heat it slowly enough for the fruit to soften by the time the mixture has thickened. Let simmer for a minute or two. Remove from the heat, transfer to a wide bowl or tray to cool. Spoon the cooled filling into the cooled crust and, using an offset spatula, spread it into an even layer.
To prepare the topping, in a small bowl, beat together the sour cream, sugar, half and half, flour, eggs, and vanilla, until combined. Pour this mixture over the filling, being careful to keep it on top of the strawberry rhubarb mixture. Using a clean offset spatula, spread the topping to the edges of the crust, covering the filling completely. Place in the hot oven and bake for 35 minutes until the topping is set and lightly browned. Remove from the oven and cool on a wire rack to room temperature. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours and preferably overnight before serving.