Week #28

  • • Lettuce
  • • Shallots
  • • Broccoli or cauliflower
  • • Kale or chard
  • • Daikon radish
  • • Bok choi
  • • Winter squash
  • • Sweet peppers
  • • Hot peppers
  • • Tomatoes
  • • Parsley
  • • Small decorative pumpkin

Today is the big day, the 14th annual Harvest Festival. Juve, Diego and Jacob and I will do a speedy harvest so that we can finish the prep for the big party. We will start at 2:00 pm and entertain until 6:00 p.m. This is going to be the most lovely day, with weather forecast for the upper 60s. The schedule is as follows:

2:30 – Helvetia Alp Horns

3:00 – “the great walnut pick-up contest”

3:30 – farm tour

4:00 – Baile Folklorico “Mexico en la Piel”

5:00 – Blue grass music

We have a potluck planned with ;“carne adobado” made with our Chimayo chilies, Cream of Chanterelle, leek and shallot soup and Spanish style cabbage salad plus your amazing dish prepared to share. The pizza oven is packed with wood and ready to be fired up. I will make the dough and sauce after the harvest is tucked in. Ana is preparing her pupusa extravaganza. hope that you all can join us later today to celebrate the fall.

Our last harvest of the 2013 season is next week. DO NOT FORGET YOUR VEGGIES NEXT WEEK. It is time to sign-up for the Thanksgiving share. This is a huge share to be used anytime even if you are traveling away for the Thanksgiving holiday. Pick-up date is November 24th or 25th. It is also the time to tell us if you will continue for the 2014 season. To reserve your spot please leave us your $100 non-refundable deposit. We will open to new members December 1st. Please spread the word as your friends make the best new members. Email us to get on the waitlist.

This is a short note so that attention can be focused on my soup, carne adobado and pizza sauce prep. See you later today!

Green Tomatoes and Roasted Squash (serves 8-10)

3# kabocha, Delicata or acorn squash 6-8 cloves of garlic

2# green tomatoes 2 tablespoons olive oil

1 ½ # red onions salt

1 ¼# red skinned potatoes

 

Trim squash and cut meat into ¾ inch cubes. Cut tomatoes into 1 inch chunks. Cut oinions into thin wedges. Scrub potatoes and cut inot ¾ inch chunks. Peel garlic cloves. Toss with olive oil and spread onto baking sheets. Roast at 400 degrees for 1 ¼ – 1 ½ hours or until tender. Serve with couscous.

Radish Top Soup

 

Don’t through out your radish greens. Believe it or not, those fuzzy leaves can be transformed into a smooth green soup, with a hint of watercress flavor.

 

6 tablespoons butter

1 cup chopped onions or white part of leek

8 cups loosely packed radish leaves

2 cups diced potatoes

6 cups liquid (water, chicken stock or combo)

salt

½ cup heavy cream (optional)

freshly ground pepper

 

Melt 4 T butter in a large saucepan, add onions or leeks and cook until golden, approximately 5 minutes. Stir in radish tops cover pan and cook over low heat until wilted, 8-10 minutes. Meanwhile cook potatoes until soft in liquid along with 1 teaspoon of salt. Combine with the radish tops and cook covered, for 5 minutes to mingle flavors. Puree finely in a food processor of food mill. Ad the cream if desired and enrich with 2 T of butter. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve hot. (serves 4-6).

SLICED RADISHES AND WATERCRESS ON BUTTERED FICELLE

1/4 cup unsalted butter, room temperature

18 thin diagonal slices ficelle or other narrow baguette

Fleur de sel (fine French sea salt)

1 small bunch watercress, trimmed

4 watermelon radishes or other large radishes, very thinly sliced

Edible flowers or daikon radish sprouts* (optional)

Spread some butter over bread slices. Sprinkle with fleur de sel. Top each bread slice with 2 watercress sprigs. Spread 1 side of each radish slice with butter. Place 2 radish slices atop watercress, buttered side down, overlapping slightly if necessary to fit. Top with flowers or sprouts, if desired. (Can be made 1 hour ahead. Cover; let stand at room temperature.)

Pork Meatball and Daikon Sandwich

yield: Makes 4 sandwiches

Ingredients

Hot Chili Mayo:

• 2/3 cup mayonnaise

• 2 green onions, finely chopped

• 1 tablespoon hot chili sauce (such as sriracha)*

 

Meatballs:

• 1 pound ground pork

• 1/4 cup finely chopped fresh basil

• 4 garlic cloves, minced

• 3 green onions, finely chopped

• 1 tablespoon fish sauce (such as nam pla or nuoc nam)*

• 1 tablespoon hot chili sauce (such as sriracha)

• 1 tablespoon sugar

• 2 teaspoons cornstarch

• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

• 1 teaspoon coarse kosher salt

 

Sandwiches:

• 2 cups coarsely grated carrots

• 2 cups coarsely grated peeled daikon (Japanese white radish)**

• 1/4 cup unseasoned rice vinegar

• 1/4 cup sugar

• 1 teaspoon coarse kosher salt

• 1 tablespoon Asian sesame oil

• 4 10-inch-long individual baguettes or four 10-inch-long pieces French-bread baguette (cut from 2 baguettes)

• Thinly sliced jalapeño chiles

• 16 large fresh cilantro sprigs

preparation

Hot Chili Mayo:

Stir all ingredients in small bowl. Season with salt. do ahead Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and chill.

 

Meatballs:

Line rimmed baking sheet with plastic wrap. Gently mix all ingredients in large bowl. Using moistened hands and scant tablespoonful for each, roll meat mixture into 1-inch meatballs. Arrange on baking sheet. DO AHEAD Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and chill.

 

Sandwiches:

Toss first 5 ingredients in medium bowl. Let stand at room temperature 1 hour, tossing occasionally.

Preheat oven to 300°F. Heat sesame oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add half of meatballs. Sauté until brown and cooked through, turning meatballs often and lowering heat if browning too quickly, about 15 minutes. Transfer meatballs to another rimmed baking sheet. Place in oven. Repeat with remaining meatballs.

Cut each baguette or baguette piece horizontally in half. Pull out enough bread from each bread half to leave 1/2-inch-thick shell. Spread hot chili mayo over each bread shell. Arrange jalapeños, then cilantro, in bottom halves. Fill each with 1/4 of meatballs. Drain pickled vegetables; place atop meatballs. Press on baguette tops.

*Available in the Asian foods section of many supermarkets and at Asian markets.

**Available at some supermarkets and at Asian markets.

 

 

Vietnamese Summer Rolls with Daikon

yield:Makes 36 pieces

ingredients

Dipping Sauce

• 1/2 cup fresh lime juice

• 1/4 cup sugar

• 3 tablespoons fermented fish sauce (nam pla)*

• 1 tablespoon unseasoned rice vinegar

• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro

• 2 garlic cloves

• 1 teaspoon minced jalapeño chili with seeds

 

Rice-Paper Rolls

• 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil

• 6 ounces fresh shiitake mushrooms, stemmed, caps thinly sliced

• 4 ounces dried thin Chinese rice sticks (maifun)*

• 12 8- to- 9-inch round rice-paper sheets*

 

 

• 1 cup fresh mint leaves

• 1 cup fresh cilantro leaves

• 1 cup small fresh basil leaves

• 1 cup finely shredded iceberg lettuce or green cabbage

• 1 cup mung bean sprouts or daikon (Japanese white radish) sprouts

• 1 cup matchstick-size strips seeded English hothouse cucumber

• 1 cup matchstick-size strips peeled carrot or jicama

• 8 ounces cooked peeled deveined medium shrimp, cut lengthwise in half

preparation

For dipping sauce:

Whisk all ingredients in medium bowl until sugar dissolves. Let stand at least 30 minutes. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover; chill.)

 

For rice-paper rolls:

Heat oil in medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms and sauté until soft, about 5 minutes. Cool.

Place rice sticks in large bowl; add enough hot water to cover. Let stand until softened, about 30 minutes. Drain. Cut into 6-inch lengths; set aside. Fill same bowl with warm water. Add 1 rice-paper sheet and turn until beginning to soften, about 30 seconds (sheet will still be stiff in a few spots). Remove from water; drain on kitchen towel. Repeat with 5 more rice-paper sheets, arranging in single layer.

Divide half of mint, cilantro, and basil among softened rice-paper sheets, arranging in line across lower third of each sheet and leaving 1-inch border on each end. Top with half of rice sticks, shaping into compact log. Top with half of lettuce, sprouts, cucumber, carrot, shrimp, and mushrooms. Fold bottom of each rice sheet over filling, then fold in ends and roll into tight cylinder. Place rolls, seam side down, on platter. Repeat soaking with remaining rice-paper sheets, then top with remaining filling to form 6 more rolls. (Can be made 6 hours ahead. Cover with damp paper towel and plastic wrap; chill.) Cut each roll diagonally into thirds. Arrange on platter and serve with sauce.

 

 

Beijing Radish Salad

This can be made with watermelon radishes or other types…

1 bunch watermelon radishes or one medium daikon radish

2 tablespoons rice or balsamic vinegar (or a combination)

1 tablespoon soy sauce

1 teaspoon sugar

2 teaspoons sesame oil

2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

Wash and julienne radishes. They can be peeled or not as you like. I often use a mandoline to do the julienne-ing, or you can grate them. Mix together the rest of the ingredients and dress the radishes with the dressing.

DAIKON RADISH REMOULADE

1 lb.

3 tbsp.

4 tbsp.

1 tsp.

1/4 cup daikon radish (available at specialty produce markets and many supermarkets), peeled

Dijon-style mustard

olive oil

wine vinegar

minced fresh parsley leaves

Cut the daikon into 2-inch-long fine julienne strips or grate it coarse. Rinse a large bowl with hot water, dry it, and in it whisk the mustard with 3 tablespoons hot water. Add the oil in a slow stream, whisking until the dressing is emulsified, and whisk in the vinegar and salt and pepper to taste. Add the daikon strips and the parsley and toss the mixture well. Serves 6.

Gourmet, April 1991

GINGERED VEGETABLE STIR-FRY

3 tbsp.

2 tbsp.

1 tsp.

1 tsp.

1 tsp.

1/4 lb.

2 tbsp.

1/2 lb.

1/2 lb.

1/2 lb.

2 lg. cloves

2 tsp. chicken broth

Chinese rice wine or medium-dry Sherry

sugar

cornstarch

salt

fresh shiitake mushrooms, stems discarded

vegetable oil

carrots (about 3 medium), cut into julienne strips

daikon (an Asian radish), cut into julienne strips (about 2 cups)

Napa cabbage, sliced thin (about 4 cups)

garlic, minced

minced peeled fresh ginger root

In a bowl stir together broth, rice wine or Sherry, sugar, cornstarch, and salt until combined will. Cut mushroom caps into 1/8-inch-thick slices.

Heat a wok over high heat until hot. Add oil and heat until it just begins to smoke. Stir-fry carrots 3 minutes. Add daikon and stir-fry vegetables 2 minutes. Add mushrooms, cabbage, garlic, and ginger root and stir-fry 2 minutes, or until carrots are crisp-tender. Stir broth mixture and add to vegetables. Stir-fry vegetables 1 minute. Serves 6.

Gourmet, February 1997

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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