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• Parsley or cilantro
• Gravenstein apples
• Basil (the whole plant – keep the roots on and stick then in a jar of water on your counter for use all week)
• Kale
• Broccoli
• Cucumbers
• Zucchini
• Tomatoes
• Onions (huge Ailsa Craig – use fresh, not for storage)
• Garlic
• Fresh beans – wax and green!
• Hot peppers
• Green peppers
• Kohlrabi – enjoy this giant
• Tomatillos
• Cabbage

This was a very productive week. We harvested onions and cleared flower beds and managed to plant all the cleared beds. We put in more cabbage, broccoli and cauliflower for fall. We reseeded the beets and carrots (this is probably the third time we have tried in 4 weeks (so frustrating and so costly!). I have the sprouting broccoli and overwintering cauliflower seeded and almost ready to transplant. We put in an extra 70 summer squash plants “just in case”. I am debating the extra cucumbers that I have wanted to put in. There is no space, and honestly can you eat more cucumbers? But I have them as reserve and we’ll see if I feel the need in 1-2 more weeks.

We hope to start work on the famous new greenhouse but that project remains in the wings. There is so much to weed, seed and harvest it is almost impossible to think about starting another project. We will need space for the fall crops like spinach and lettuce and radicchio and don’t forget daikon radish! We will need those greenhouses up and running.

We started making cheese again. The shiny new pasteurizer works great, now the farmer needs to find time to milk and prep the cheese. Our pigs will go to the butcher soon so that will free up some time for Juvencio as they need daily tending, they are always hungry.

There are tons of blackberries so you can pick some when you come out to the farm. They are in their full glory right now. We planted Padron peppers again this year and have them for $3/box. They make a great appetizer for those summer meals, just follow the directions below for the best peppers around.

Blistered Padrón Peppers

BON APPÉTIT MARCH 2013 TRASIERRA, SEVILLE, SPAIN

Yield

Makes 6 to 8 servings

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 pound Padrón or shishito peppers
• Flaky sea salt (such as Maldon)

Preparation

1. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large skillet over high heat until just smoking. Add half of the peppers; cook, tossing occasionally, until skins are blistered and flesh is softened, about 4 minutes. Transfer to a bowl, sprinkle with salt, and toss to coat. Repeat with remaining peppers, remaining 1 tablespoon oil, and more salt.

 

Don’t forget to sign up to help with the harvest. We have passed the half way mark, there are 13 weeks left of the regular season, 27 harvests to go, don’t miss your opportunity to share the work. Growing vegetables is hard work and the harvest is the best part. You get to dirty your hands and meet new people. We start at 7 and go until the harvest is done, usually 4 hours at this time of year.

 

Up coming events include:

• Helvetia Culture Fest – August 14 1-5 (postcard info in the barn on the sign-in table)
• Harvest Festival – October 9 (2-6 p.m.) save the date and invite your friends!

 

 

Cucumber Salsa Salad

By MARTHA ROSE SHULMAN

This salad, which resembles gazpacho, is a lovely, light way to begin a Mexican meal. Serve it atop lettuce leaves as a salad, or serve over rice. Alternately, use it as a sauce with fish, chicken or fajitas.

1 long European cucumber, very finely diced

Salt to taste

1 small red onion, finely minced

5 medium-size ripe tomatoes, finely chopped

2 jalapeño or serrano peppers, seeded if desired and finely chopped

1/4 to 1/2 cup chopped cilantro (to taste), plus several sprigs for garnish

1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar

3 tablespoons fresh lime juice

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Leaf lettuce or Boston lettuce for serving (optional)

1 avocado, sliced, for garnish

1. Place the finely diced cucumber in a colander, and sprinkle with salt. Toss and allow to sit for 15 minutes. Rinse the cucumber thoroughly with cold water, and drain again on paper towels.
2. Meanwhile, place the onion in a bowl and cover with cold water. Let sit for five minutes, then drain, rinse with cold water and drain on paper towels.
3. Combine the tomatoes, chiles, cilantro, vinegar, lime juice and olive oil in a bowl. Add the cucumber and onion, and season to taste with salt. Taste and adjust seasoning.
4. Serve the salad on lettuce leaves, garnished with slices of avocado and cilantro sprigs, or spoon over steamed rice.

Yield: Serves six.

Advance preparation: You can assemble the salad a few hours ahead, but don’t add the cilantro until close to serving time.

 

 

DILLED TUNA-CUCUMBER SALAD
1 6 1/8-ounce can water-packed white tuna, drained
1/2 cucumber, peeled, seeded, diced
2 small green onions, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
2 tablespoons nonfat yogurt
2 tablespoons reduced-calorie mayonnaise
1/2 tablespoon Dijon mustard
Combine all ingredients in small bowl. Mix well. Season generously with pepper. Serve salad chilled.

 

 

Basil Pesto

Basil leaves (removed from tough stems, washed and dried gently)

Gallic cloves minced

Pine nuts

Olive oil

Parmesan cheese

 

This recipe doesn’t have exact measures but I usually start with the cheese in the food processor and grind it fine.  Then I remove it and all basil leaves and garlic to the bowl.  Grind fine then add 1-4 tablespoons of pine nuts and then while motor is running add a stream of olive oil and the parmesan.  I like the consistency to be pasty not too dry.  I then add this to 1 pound of cooked pasta al dente.  Mix well and serve with additional cheese on top.

 

GREEN MOLE WITH PORK
2 pounds boneless center cut pork loin in one piece, rolled and tied together with the ribs and backbone
1/2 teaspoon black peppercorns, bruised
1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
9 garlic cloves
8 whole cloves, or 1/4 teaspoon ground
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
3 jalapeño chiles, tops removed
6 large tomatillos, husks removed
1 small onion, cut into chunks
2 sprigs fresh thyme
2 sprigs fresh marjoram
1 cup (8 ounces) masa, either fresh or reconstituted by mixing 6 tablespoons masa harina to a smooth paste with 1 cup of water (see Tips, below)
1 medium bunch Italian parsley
Eight 6-inch sprigs fresh epazote or 1/4 cup dried, crumbled (see Tips, below)
3 large or 5 medium-size fresh hoja santa leaves or 6 dried leaves (see Tips, below)
2 cups cooked Great Northern or other white beans
Choose a deep saucepan or Dutch oven large enough to hold the meat comfortably. Place the tied pork loin and bones in it along with the peppercorns, salt, and 4 of the garlic cloves. Add enough cold water to cover by 1 inch (at least 7 cups). Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook, partly covered, for 1 hour, or until a meat thermometer inserted into the center reads 120° F. (Do not worry about the low temperature. The meat will cook more thoroughly in reheating.) Remove the meat and bones from the cooking stock and set aside. Strain the stock; you should have about 6 cups.

Grind the cloves and cumin together in an electric coffee or spice grinder, or with a mortar and pestle. Place the ground spices in a blender with the chiles, tomatillos, onion, thyme, marjoram, the remaining 5 garlic cloves, and 1/2 cup of the strained stock. Process until smoothly puréed (about 2 minutes on high).

Return the remaining strained stock to the pan; bring back to a boil, and adjust the heat to maintain a gentle simmer. Add the puréed mixture to the hot stock and cook, uncovered, for 3 minutes.

Thin the masa by mixing with 1 cup water. Whisk the thinned masa into the stock mixture; whisking constantly, let the sauce return to the simmer.

Cook, uncovered, over low heat for 10 minutes, whisking occasionally. If lumps form, pass the mixture through a medium-mesh sieve (pushing with a spoon to force through the lumpy bits) and return to the heat. The mixture should thicken to the consistency of whipping cream; if necessary, increase the heat slightly to reduce and thicken it.

Untie the cooked pork and carve into serving pieces. Carve the bones into separate rib sections.

Place the parsely, epazote, and hoja santa in a blender or food processor. If using a blender, add a few tablespoons water to facilitate blending. Process to a smooth purée.

Add the cooked beans to the masa-thickened sauce and let return to a simmer. Return the carved meat and bones to the pot along with the puréed herbs. Taste and add more salt if desired. Cook until just heated through, 4 to 5 minutes. Give each person a piece or two of rib bone along with the meat and sauce. Serve immediately.

Chef Zarela Martinez shares her tips with Epicurious:
• This recipe, which can also be served over chicken or fish, is an example of the sophisticated sauce-making techniques for which Oaxaca is famous. Herbs, spices, and aromatics are puréed and mixed with stock; the sauce is then reduced and thickened with masa, a ground corn dough that performs a similar function to the roux in French cooking. Freshly puréed herbs are mixed in at the last minute for a sprightly, green flavor.
• Masa is a dough made from dried corn that has been treated with an alkali substance such as slaked lime and water and then ground. Fresh masa can be found at some Mexican grocery stores and at tortilla factories. For this recipe, be sure to avoid the masa preparada para tamales, which is mixed with lard and flavorings. Masa harina (dehydrated powdered masa, available at many grocery stores), is mixed with water to produce masa. Masa comes in fine and course grinds; either can be used in this recipe. Regular corn meal cannot be substituted for masa.
• Hoja santa, also called hierba santa or root-beer plant, has a distinctive anise- and sassafraslike flavor that’s hard to duplicate. Epazote has a slightly bitter, pungent, somewhat medicinal flavor that mellows in cooking. Martinez recommends using these herbs fresh for authenticity; look in farmers’ markets or buy whole plants from www.itsaboutthyme.com. Both herbs are available dried from www.kitchenmarket.com.
• Either dried or canned beans can be used in this recipe. If using dried beans, boil them until they are almost cooked through but not falling apart.

 

 

ROASTED TOMATILLO SALSA

If you’re pressed for time, you may want to try a jarred
brand of tomatillo salsa instead of making it from scratch.
We can’t attest to the quality of all of them, but we do
love Rick Bayless’s, which has a fine, robust flavor. (Look
for it in specialty foods stores and in some supermarkets.)

Active time: 15 min   Start to finish: 15 min.

1 1/2 lb fresh tomatillos or 3 (11-oz) cans tomatillos
5 fresh serrano chiles
3 garlic cloves, unpeeled
1/2 cup fresh cilantro
1 large onion, coarsely chopped
2 teaspoons coarse salt

 

Place tomatillos (after husking them), garlic and chiles in a pan in the broiler, 2 – 3 inches from broiler.  Broil until tomatillos soft (approximately 7 minutes.  Remove and peal garlic, destem the chiles and place all ingredients in blender.

Makes about 3 cups.

Gourmet
Kohlrabi Slaw

Salad:
1 1/4 lbs kohlrabi, peeled and coarsely shredded
2 lge carrots, peeled and coarsely shredded
1/2 sweet red pepper, seeded and diced
1/2 c. chopped scallions, including green

Dressing:
2 T oil, pref olive oil
2 T vinegar (I used white wine vinegar)
2 t or more fresh snipped dill
1 t sugar (I used 1/4 t)
1/2 t ea. cumin and mustard powder
1/4 t crumbled tarragon
1/4 t ea. salt and pepper
1/3 c plain yoghurt

Toss salad ingredients in a bowl. In a separate bowl, blend oil and vinegar, then blend in other ingredients. Pour over salad, toss, cover and refrigerate for about 2 hrs before serving.
Serves 6

 

 

GREEN CABBAGE STUFFED WITH VEGETABLES AND FRESH HERBS

Printed from COOKS.COM

1 c. chopped mushrooms
2 tbsp. chopped fresh parsley
1/2 c. diced red bell peppers
1/2 c. diced asparagus or broccoli
1/4 c. diced onions
6 tbsp. Pesto
Dash of freshly ground black pepper
1/4 c. extra virgin olive oil
1 c. chopped cooked red potatoes
1 c. cooked lima or fava beans
1/2 c. pine nuts
1/2 head or 10 green cabbage leaves, steamed 3 to 4 minutes
2 c. prepared tomato sauce
3/4 to 1 c. grated Mozzarella cheese (optional)

In a large saucepan, saute the mushrooms, parsley, peppers, asparagus, onions, Pesto, and pepper in the oil over medium heat for 5 to 7 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from the heat and stir in the potatoes, beans, and pine nuts. Place 1 or 2 tablespoons of the mixture on each cabbage leaf where the thick stem is. Fold the right side of the leaf over it, then the left, and roll up.

Place the stuffed leaves in a greased baking dish and pour the tomato sauce over them. Top with the cheese, cover with aluminum foil, and bake in a preheated 375 degree oven for 30 to 40 minutes. Yield: 2 servings.