P i c k l i s t
STRAWBERRIES - RHUBARB - GARLIC SCAPES - CUCUMBER - LETTUCE - BASIL -
ROSEMARY - CHERRY TOMATOES - SCALLIONS - ANNUAL PACKS
EDGEWATER update:
Strawbs still strawbing and all the garlic scapes have been picked. This moment is so fleeting- it's the best time of year when the sun hardly sets, the field smells like jam and we are just swimming in garlic scapes. It’s a time to celebrate. One way to honor the season happens to coincide with my fave way to store scapes. Treat them like flowers! Bunch your garlic scapes lovingly in a bouquet and place in a vase, flat sides down sitting in about an inch of water. Bud sides up, twisting and turning toward the sun. It’s just the prettiest thing and it really captures this moment.
In other Edgewater news, the basil greenhouse is cranking. And we are just beginning to see signs of life from the ginger crop we planted under the basil plugs. This interplanting of basil and ginger might just be the coolest thing we’ve figured out at Edgewater and I’m all about it.
Oh, this just in: PICK YOUR OWN STRAWBERRIES OPENS TODAY!
Well, hot damn, I just received the call from Ray, and the berries are ready for the people.
~Here is what you need to know~
DIRECTIONS: head to 99 River Road/ Plainfield, NH and follow the signs to the field
HOURS: mornings only (for now) 8am-noon
FIXED PRICES: CASH AND CHECK ONLY
The picking is weather & crop permitting So, check facebook & instagram or our website before you come thru :)
and I’ll end on this note: It is not Summer without fresh picking/ stained red fingers/ a belly full of berries/ late night strawberry jamming/ etc.
So, get in on everything strawberry this season, and we’ll see ya in the field!
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:
Braised Garlic Scapes
Serves 4
I first had a version of this dish in one of my favorite trattorias in Rome, Trecca.
The same preparation works perfectly with green beans, too.
2 or 3 large handfuls of garlic scapes
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 small onion, finely chopped
1 small (2-inch) sprig fresh rosemary
1 clove garlic, minced
Pinch hot chili flakes
1 anchovy (optional)
1 cup tomato passata, tomato purée, crushed tomatoes, canned tomatoes, or other
tomato product
1 heaping tablespoon tomato paste
1/2 to 1 cup water, depending on which tomato product you use
1 bay leaf
Pinch sugar (optional)
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Cut the remove the bulbs of the garlic scapes and cut the curlicue stems into 2-inch- long pieces. You want about 1 1/2 to 2 cups. Rinse, drain, and set aside. In a medium saucepan heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion and rosemary and sauté for a couple of minutes until the onion is soft. Add the garlic, chili flakes, and anchovy, if using, mashing the anchovy with the back of spoon or spatula and sautéing until the garlic is fragrant. Don’t let it burn. If you are sensitive to the resinous flavor of rosemary, remove it now; if you love it, leave it in. Add the tomato passata, tomato paste, 1/2 to 3/4 cup of water, bay leaf, pinch of sugar, if using, and the prepared garlic scapes. They should be almost covered by liquid. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to a simmer, cover loosely, and let braise for about 20 minutes, until the scapes are soft. Taste and adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper. Serve hot, warm, or at room temperature.
Garlic Scape Pesto
Makes 3/4 cup
As a more subtle substitute for garlic, garlic scapes work well in pesto. I like to blanch both the basil and the garlic scape to preserve their green color—placed in a small jar and topped with olive oil it will last a week without turning brown. Use the pesto on pasta, ricotta, fresh tomatoes, or anything you like.
6-10 large garlic scapes
1 large bunch basil
Salt
1/4 cup pine nuts
Freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/3 cup grated Pecorino Romano
Remove the bud from the garlic scapes and cut the curlicue stems into 2-inch pieces. Remove the leaves from the basil stems. Set both aside in separate containers. Place a medium bowl of ice water near the stove. Bring a medium pot of generously salted water to a boil. Add the garlic scapes and after a minute add the basil leaves. As soon as the water comes back to a boil, use a wire strainer or spider to lift everything out of the pot, drain well, and place into the ice water. Drain the scapes and basil very well and place in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a metal blade. Add the pine nuts, a pinch of salt, and some freshly ground black pepper. Pulse to finely chop the mixture, scraping down the sides to get an even paste. Once the paste is achieved, keep the machine running and slowly pour the oil through the feed tube to form an emulsion. Scrape down the sides from time to time. Add the cheese, pulse to blend, taste, and adjust the seasoning. Use a hunk of fresh bread to wipe out the bowl so nothing is wasted.