P i c k l i s t
TOMATOES - BROCCOLI - FENNEL - SCALLIONS - CUCUMBERS -
SUMMER SQUASH - THAI BASIL - NAPA CABBAGE - BLUEBERRIES
EDGEWATER update: Bloobs kicked in hard this week. Honestly, I'm so grateful that they did. We were all deep in the post strawberry season feels. For a couple of days after strawberry season, we all feel a little unmoored. It’s a shift in routines, a shift in roles, a longing for our favorite fruit. It’s also a moment to quite literally pick our heads up, look around the farm, and take in all that has occurred over the past 5 weeks while we were bent over, butts up to the wind, picking strawbs. As it turns out, a ton happened. The corn is now shoulder high, but then again, so too are the weeds. Typical juxtaposition of being pleased with growth and at the same time being humbled by it.
Many of us took out our hoes and attempted combat on the lambsquarter, crab grass, etc... Moving through fields was for sure a challenge, but we persevered for a bit until blueberries started ripening. At that point we shrugged our shoulders, waved our little white flags, and said here you go weeds… we got bigger bluer fish to fry.
And now, for the foreseeable future all afternoons into evenings will be spent in the blueberry fields, where the crew will fill up pint after pint as the sun sets while hopefully guzzling down buckets of water. It’s hot out there yall.
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:
Charred Broccoli Salad with Cheddar, Almonds, and Dates
Serves 6 to 8
This is my version of a salad that Carla Lalli made famous at Bon Appétit. The charring of the broccoli gives it a more complex flavor and interesting texture. You can char the broccoli on a grill, in a hot pizza oven, or in a hot cast-iron pan.
2 broccoli crowns
Extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons cider vinegar
1/4 cup toasted almonds, coarsely chopped
6 medjool dates, pitted and chopped
4 ounces sharp cheddar or other hard cheese, crumbled or diced
1 tablespoon maple syrup
2 scallions, chopped
With a vegetable peeler, peel the bottom of the stems of the broccoli to reveal the lighter green inner core. Using a paring knife, separate the heads into long florets and then divide the head into spears. Place in a large bowl. Drizzle with some olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Toss to coat.
On a hot grill, in a hot oven, or in a smoking hot cast-iron pan, arrange the broccoli spears with any flat sides facing down. You want to deeply char the flowers and the edges. Turn once or twice to promote even browning. It should take 4 or 5 minutes
Return the charred broccoli to the bowl. While still warm, toss with the cider vinegar and let cool to room temperature. Once cool, chop the broccoli into bite-sized pieces and return to the bowl. Add the almonds, dates, and cheddar, and toss. Add the maple syrup and 3 or 4 more tablespoons of olive oil and toss. Adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper. Serve garnished with chopped scallions.
Thai Basil Fish Cakes with Cucumber Relish
Serves 4 to 6
For the cucumber relish:
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup white vinegar
1 cup thinly sliced cucumber
1 or 2 shallots, thinly sliced
Some fresh hot chili, seeded and finely chopped
2 or 3 sprigs cilantro, coarsely chopped
For the fish cakes:
12 ounces skinless red snapper or other white fish fillets, cut into cubes
3 ice cubes
3 tablespoons Thai red curry paste
1 large egg
2 tablespoons fish sauce
2 teaspoon sugar
4 makrut (kaffir) lime leaves, finely chopped, or the finely grated zest of 1 lime
5 green beans, thinly sliced
1/2 cup Thai basil leaves
Vegetable oil, for frying
In a small pan, combine the water, sugar, and white vinegar. Bring to simmer to dissolve the sugar. Remove from the heat and transfer to a bowl. Cool to room temperature. Add the sliced cucumber, shallots, chili, and cilantro.
Chill the metal blade of a food processor and the fish in the freezer for 20 to 30 minutes before making the fish cakes. Place the ice cubes in the processor and pulse to grind. Add the fish, curry paste, egg, fish sauce, and sugar, and process for about 2 minutes to form a smooth paste, scraping down the sides of the bowl from once or twice. Transfer to a bowl and stir in the lime leaves, green beans, and Thai basil. Mix well.
Heat a thin film of oil in a cast-iron or nonstick frying pan over medium-high heat. Fry two tablespoonfuls of the mixture shaped into patties, about 4 minutes per side. Serve with the cucumber relish.
Thai Cucumber Salad
Serves 4
1 Thai chili, seeded and chopped
3 small cloves garlic, crushed
1/4 lime, very thinly sliced
1 tablespoon palm or light brown sugar
1 tablespoon tiny, dried shrimp, rinsed (optional)
2 ounces long or green beans (or garlic scapes), cut into 2-inch pieces
1 or 2 cucumbers, cut into 1-inch bite-size pieces
2 tablespoons Thai fish sauce
Juice of 1 lime
6 cherry tomatoes, cut in half
2 tablespoons roasted peanuts, chopped
With a mortar and pestle or a mini chopper, make a paste from the chili, garlic, sliced lime, and sugar. Add the dried shrimp, if using, and work it into the paste. In a large bowl, combine the beans, cucumbers, fish sauce, lime juice, and the paste. Using a potato masher or the back of a large spoon, lightly bruise the vegetables while tossing with the dressing. Add the tomatoes and bruise them, as well. Let sit 10 minutes or more at room temperature. Toss in the peanuts and serve.