Reaping what we sow

A milestone in every growing season - the garlic harvest! The story of this garlic crop is especially significant. The seed was carefully saved, graded and stored from our garlic crop at the Journeys End CSA up in the Poconos, ready to be transported and planted at a farm in New Jersey. In November, after it became clear that the farm in New Jersey was not going to happen, the 85 pounds of garlic seed sat in my mother's living room waiting to be planted. Even though there was no farm, there was no reason to let this seed that had been saved for years go to waste. A very generous farmer friend offered a few beds on his farm in Princeton for this homeless crop and on a crisp November day we planted our seed and helped Farmer David plant his. 

Well, even if there's no farm, at least we'll have garlic, we thought.

Planting at Z Food Farm.  

Planting at Z Food Farm.  

We never got a chance to mulch it and waited to see what would happen. Meanwhile, Roots to River Farm became a reality, took shape and grew into a business all while the garlic stayed in its home over in Princeton. We received text message updates and photos from Farmer David, wishing more than once that we had set up a camera to watch our garlic grow from afar. In between our work in Solebury we managed trips to Princeton. When the weeds came and we hoed them, when the scapes came and we picked them. Finally, the day came to pull it from the fields of Z Food Farm to take back to Bucks County to cure and be distributed to our farm community. It's amazing to think that when this garlic was planted there wasn't even an inkling of Roots to River Farm, and now, like the garlic, it has grown into a real thing.

 

taking it out of the field

taking it out of the field

truck loaded.  

truck loaded.  

hung to cure in our barn at the farm.  

hung to cure in our barn at the farm.  

a real thing! 

a real thing! 

Thanks so much to Farmer David and Z Food Farm for the space and support. Garlic success!! 

 

Ok, enough storytelling - here's the share: 

head lettuce

salad greens

kale

collards

dandelion greens

swiss chard

kohlrabi

fennel

beets

carrots

beans

summer squash

cucumber

cabbage

eggplant

pepper

cippolini onions

tropea onions

scallions

tomatoes!!  

herbs- basil, dill, cilantro, papalo, shiso, tarragon, oregano, thyme, lavender, savory...

Recipes

String Beans with Savory

Try the same crisp-tender preparation with asparagus, sugar snap peas, or broccoli florets. Garnish with lemon slices.

    Cooking Light     OCTOBER 2008

  • Yield: 8 servings (serving size: 1 cup)

Ingredients

  • 2 pounds beans, trimmed
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
  • 1/4 teaspoon fresh savory
  • 3/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Preparation

         

1. Cook beans in boiling water 5 minutes or until crisp-tender. Drain and rinse with cold water; drain.

2. Melt butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Cook 1 minute or until lightly browned. Add beans, juice, and savory to pan, tossing to coat. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

 

Baba Ganoush

Eight servings

I like my Baba Ganoush super-smoky, and leave the eggplants on the stovetop for a good ten minutes, but for most people, that’s probably too much. Five or so minutes, until the skin gets a bit charred, is probably right for most “normal” folks. If you have smoked salt, you can use that to give it another hit of smoked flavor, too.

Sometimes I add a pinch of ground cumin. If you do, please just add just a bit. Baba Ganoush shouldn’t taste predominantly of cumin, which can quickly overwhelm.

  • 3 medium-sized eggplants
  • 1/2 cup (130g) tahini (sesame paste)
  • 1 1/4 teaspoons coarse salt
  • 3 tablespoons freshly-squeezed lemon juice
  • 3 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed
  • 1/8 teaspoon chile powder
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • a half bunch picked flat-leaf parsley or cilantro leaves

1. Preheat the oven to 375F (190C).

2. Prick each eggplant a few times, then char the outside of the eggplants by placing them directly on the flame of a gas burner and as the skin chars, turn them until the eggplants are uniformly-charred on the outside. (If you don’t have a gas stove, you can char them under the broiler. If not, skip to the next step.)

3. Place the eggplants on a baking sheet and roast in the oven for 20 to 30 minutes, until they’re completely soft; you should be able to easily poke a paring knife into them and meet no resistance.

4. Remove from oven and let cool.

5. Split the eggplant and scrape out the pulp. Puree the pulp in a blender or food processor with the other ingredients until smooth.

6. Taste, and season with additional salt and lemon juice, if necessary. Serve drizzle with olive oil, perhaps some herbs and with crackers, sliced baguette, or toasted pita chips for dipping.

Storage: Baba Ganoush can be made and refrigerated for up to five days prior to serving.

http://www.davidlebovitz.com/2008/07/baba-ganosh/ 

Cucumber, Dill and Onion Salad

1/4 cup white-wine vinegar

2 teaspoons sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

2  cucumbers, peeled and cut in half lengthwise, sliced into half moons

1/2 red onion, thinly sliced

2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill                      

           
                                                                                       
         

Directions

         

           

  1.            

    Step 1

               

    In the bottom of a large bowl, whisk together the vinegar, sugar, and salt. Toss in the cucumbers, red onions, and fresh dill. Cover and chill for at least 15 minutes.

    http://www.marthastewart.com/349160/cucumber-red-onion-and-dill-salad

 

 

 

 

Malaika SpencerComment