P i c k l i s t
2nd TOMATOES - CUCUMBERS - BLUEBERRIES - CORN - BASIL - RED CABBAGE -
HAKURAI TURNIPS - EGGPLANT - SCALLIONS -
EDGEWATER update: Last week’s blissed out arugula harvest led us to this week’s hakurai turnip pick. Which came with its own element of fun. Monday, if you recall, was a real soak. I came to work in one outfit and left in another, chilled to the bone and ready for a hot shower by dusk. But in between that, there was the hakurais. We all held our breath hoping we were not going to get caught in yet another downpour while picking those cutey-patooty-sweet-horseradishy-baby globes. Don’t get me wrong, picking in rain is nothing new- but being ill prepared picking in rain with not a rain coat in sight is a whole nother ball game. Somehow though, by the grace of August 3rd, we made it in and out of that field without one drop of rain atop our heads. Hallelu!
On another note, there came the corn pick. Ray has been out there daily, hand picking ear after ear. But a real mess stopped us all in our tracks Tuesday. Total bird mayhem. It feels like thousands of birds have descended on the corn patch- and the worm sitch isn't ideal either. If you happen to get a worm in your corn, just cut off the top, toss it to the side and pretend, like you didn't see anything… “nothing to see here” is my new corn mantra. THAT SAID, the ear remain delicious, and birds and worms can't stop me from my daily snack of raw sweet corn straight from the field, or my nightly desert of boiled corn and butter.
And for those that are unsure about the cracks in your tomatoes, it was either no tomatoes or tomato seconds, and I just couldn't fathom a full week in august without a tomato to go with your basil.
AND WHILE WE ARE ON THE SUBJECT OF BASIL, HELLLLLLO MASSIVE GREEN BUNCH! This basil was picked with great intention to unveil the ginger growing in its shade. I believe I've mentioned this once and I’ll say it again- this interplanting of ginger and basil is the coolest thing we do here. And you dear CSA fam, get to reap the benefits time after time. For those not taking this basil home and making pesto right away, treat it as a flower bouquet, and keep it in an inch or two of water with stems down. Bonus points for beautifying your kitchen counter with this fragrant green bunch.
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:
Skillet Corn and Vegetable Pudding
I first shared this recipe back in 2024. But when corn is in season it is such a good use of vegetables—garlic scapes, fennel, cabbage, zucchini, summer squash, bell peppers, turnips, kohlrabi, kale, you name it—that I thought it was time to share it again. We’ve been eating it all week. Pan-fry leftovers in butter or olive oil until crisp and serve with poached eggs for breakfast the next morning.
Makes one 10-inch pudding, enough for 6 to 8 people.
(But the recipe can be easily cut in half and baked in an 8-inch skillet, for 4)
2 tablespoons unsalted butter or extra-virgin olive oil
1 large onion, white or red, diced (about 1 ¼ cups)
1 small red or green pepper, sweet or spicy, diced (about 3/4 cup)
2 to 3 cups seasonal vegetables, such as kale, zucchini, yellow squash, Swiss chard leaves and/or stems, kolrhabi, green tomatoes, garlic scapes, turnips, celeriac, mushrooms, or butternut squash, cleaned, peeled, if appropriate, and cut into small dice
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon sugar
Handful of chopped fresh herbs, such as basil, shiso, thyme, parsley, marjoram, and/or sage
1 teaspoon sweet or smoked paprika
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Kernels from 2 or 3 large fresh ears corn (about 3 cups)
1/2 cup fine cornmeal
3 large eggs
1 1/4 cups milk or buttermilk
1/2 cup heavy cream, yogurt, or additional milk
Pinch freshly grated nutmeg
1 cup finely shredded hard, sharp cheese, such as cheddar, Gruyère, Comté,
Gouda, pecorino, or similar
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Melt the butter in a 9-inch cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion, pepper, and other vegetables, and salt, and sauté, stirring frequently, until the onions are soft and they are beginning to brown, about 10 minutes. Add the sugar, sage, salt, paprika, and cayenne, and cook another 3 or 4 minutes to bring out the flavor of the spices. Add the corn kernels.
Continue cooking, stirring frequently, until no water remains in the skillet, another 8 minutes or so, longer if using zucchini or mushrooms, which have a lot of water in them. Stir in the cornmeal and remove from heat. In a small bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, cream or more milk, and nutmeg, then pour this into the corn mixture. Using a rubber spatula, stir well to combine.
Sprinkle with the grated cheese, and bake until set, about 30 minutes. Turn on the broiler and broil only until the melted cheese is lightly browned, a minute or two more. Serve warm.
Cardamom Jam Bars
These simple, delicious bars can be made with just about any jam you’ve got (you just need a cup). Or you can use any seasonal berry—blueberries, raspberries, black raspberries, or strawberries—to make a quick jam for a seasonal treat.
For the jam
1 1/4 cups fresh berries, such as blueberries, raspberries, black raspberries, or strawberries
1/2 cup sugar
Juice of 1/2 lemon
For the bars
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 large egg yolk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract or paste
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons ground cardamom
Zest of 1 lemon
2 to 3 tablespoons chopped nuts, such as almonds, pistachios, or walnuts
If making a quick jam, in a small saucepan, combine the berries, sugar, and lemon juice. Bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Once the fruit gives off its juice, lower the heat to a good simmer, and cook, stirring often, until the jam thickens, 7 or 8 minutes.
You don’t want it too thick, as it will continue to thicken as it cools. When the bubbles start to calm down and there’s evidence of thickening, but the jam is still liquid, take if off the heat and let cool. Otherwise, you’ll need 1 cup of jam.
Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 9-inch square baking pan, line with parchment with a decent overhang on the sides, then grease the parchment.
In a large mixing bowl, cream together the butter, sugar, and salt using a wooden spoon or rubber spatula. (You can use the paddle attachment of a stand mixer if you prefer.)
Add the egg yolk and vanilla and mix to blend. Add all the flour at once and stir to combine. The mixture will remain somewhat dry and crumbly, but you don’t want to see any evidence of plain flour. And the cardamom and continue mixing until evenly distributed. Take off about a cup of this mixture and set aside.
Press the remaining dough into the pan. Spread it out so the bottom of the pan is evenly coated and then press with your fingertips to form an even, compacted layer. Be sure to get the dough into the corners. Flatten the edge along the sides of the pan with a spatula or other straight object so there’s not really any crust coming up the sides. Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes, until lightly browned and set. Remove and cool for 15 minutes.
Spread the jam in an even layer over the bottom crust. Top with an even sprinkling of lemon zest. (You can zest the lemon with a Microplane right onto the jam.) Scatter the chopped nuts on top and then crumble the reserved cup of dough evenly on the surface. Bake for another 35 minutes, rotating the pan once or twice during baking. Undiluted here is evidence of the jam bubbling and the crumble top has browned.
Remove from the oven and let cool completely on a wire rack, about 2 hours or even overnight. Run a knife along the edge and then let the whole thing out of the pan using the parchment overhang for leverage to get it out without breaking. Place on a cutting board, carefully peel back the parchment from the sides, and slice into squares or bars.
I usually get about 36 one-inch squares.