P I C K L I S T
CHERRY TOMATOES - LETTUCE - BASIL - BEETS - SUMMER SQUASH - BROCCOLI - FENNEL - CUCUMBERS - PERENNIAL PLANT OF CHOICE (pictured here, annise hyssop)
EDGEWATER update: Waking up on Tuesday morning made the past few days feel like a dream. Was there even a heat wave last week? Did we in fact harvest three plantings of broccoli in fear of it bolting and turning soft and mushy due to high temps? How about the fourth of July? Did we parade prep like crazy, go so hard on the streets of Plainfield, and then recoup by the river? Who knows, I'm suddenly blinded by a layer of fleece on my upper half and wool socks at my feet. Oh New England… everything they say about you is true. You don’t like the weather? Wait a minute.
As I work up the courage to go outside, get rained on, and harvest all the Tuesday things for Wednesday's CSA day, I am reminded that I am in fact a fairweather farmer. ooops.
Strawberry season came to a close this week. All in all, it was a pretty weak harvest compared to past seasons. Many things could be said about the why of it all. But we are already looking into the future, and weeding next year’s crop that is planted on new ground in hopes of a better run. All that said, the flavor was great and our field crew busted their buns daily picking the sweetest berries in a field lacking heavy set fruit.
Moving right along though, we are suddenly rich in raspberries, black caps, and blueberries are on the horizon.
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:
Chilled Green Garden Soup
Makes 6 to 8 servings
Use whatever herbs you like to flavor this refreshing chilled green soup. Garnish with diced fresh tomato, plain yogurt, and chopped herbs.
2 zucchini or summer squash
2 large cucumbers
1 bunch scallions, garlic chives, or a small handful of garlic scapes
3/4 cup plain yogurt or unflavored, unsweetened almond milk
Handful of fresh basil leaves
4 or 5 ice cubes
Juice of 1 lemon or lime
Dash Tabasco
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Into a powerful blender, cut the zucchini or summer squash into chunks. If the cucumbers have thick skin, half peel them. If the seeds are large, scrape them out. Then cut into chunks and add to the blender along with the scallions, yogurt, basil, ice cubes, lemon or lime juice, and Tabasco. Add a generous pinch of salt and some freshly ground black pepper. Pulse to get a good blend going, then let the machine run on high until you have a smooth, bright green soup. You can adjust the consistency with water or vegetable stock and adjust the taste to your liking with additional salt, pepper, Tabasco, or more citrus juice. Serve in chilled bowls garnished with plain yogurt, diced tomato, and chopped herbs.
Chopped Broccoli Salad
Makes 6 to 8 servings
Though I’m really not a fan of raw broccoli, I crave this salad.
1 large head broccoli or a couple of broccoli crowns
½ medium red onion, finely chopped
3 scallions, chopped
1 bunch parsley or cilantro, minced
½ cup pumpkin or sunflower seeds, toasted, or cashews or walnuts, toasted and chopped
½ cup dried cranberries, blueberries, or cherries, chopped, or fresh pomegranate seeds
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
Juice of 1 lemon
½ cup plain Greek yogurt, full fat preferred, or mayonnaise
1 tablespoon maple syrup
1 teaspoon toasted, ground cumin
½ teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon ground black pepper
With a sharp vegetable peeler, peel the tough outer layer of the broccoli stems. Cut off the peeled stems, dice finely, and place in a large mixing bowl. Cut off any florets on long stems and chop the stems and the florets. Repeat until all of the broccoli is chopped finely and in the bowl.
Add the red onion, scallions, parsley, seeds or nuts, dried cranberries or other fruit, olive oil, lemon juice, yogurt, honey or maple syrup, cumin, salt, and black pepper. The salad will keep at least a week in the fridge, getting better after a couple of days.