Moving our arms around
This summer I went swimming
This summer I might have drowned
But I held my breath and I kicked my feet
and I moved my arms around
I moved my arms around
-Loudon Wainright III
It feels a bit like we're drowning in our summer crops these days. But we're kicking our feet and moving our arms around! September is on it's way. Whew.
We are of course having a few late summer setbacks. Our cukes and summer squash are all but gone because of disease and squash bugs. Our basil has gotten downy mildew which will render it unpickable very soon and we're waiting on our fall crops to hurry up and weed themselves.
Farmer Malaika just got back from family wedding up in St. John's Canada where it was rainy and bitter cold. She was reminded that even though the climate down here in Bucks County makes the season longer and a bit more hectic it sure is much more pleasant to have sun and heat longer than so many other places in the world. It's always good to get a little perspective.
The summer sun creates so many beautiful and delicious things!
eye candy.
who's YOUR farmer??
sigh. we all need more rainbows in our lives.
Sharetime!
swiss chard
beets
carrots
eggplant
peppers
onions
scallions
garlic
beans
cherry tomatoes
heirloom tomatoes
paste tomatoes
melon
herbs
Cooking time!
Mushrooms Solebury
(Based upon a popular recipe by Anna Thomas called “Mushrooms
Berkeley”)
Serves 5 as a main course, 7-9 as a side dish
Takes at least an hour to prepare.
Ingredients:
3 tablespoons brown mustard
3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
4 tablespoons brown sugar
1 cup red wine
(Note
that ‘cooking’ wines have added salt. This recipe is already high in salt, so
try to choose low-sodium ingredients.)
2 tablespoons low-salt soy sauce, or wheat-free tamari
lots of freshly ground black
pepper
11/2 pounds firm white mushrooms
1 onion
1-2 red bell peppers, or green bell peppers
2 tablespoons olive oil (or butter, or half of each)
Whisk together the mus
tard, Worcestershire, and brown sugar. Whisk in the wine and soy sauce. Grind in black pepper to taste. Set aside.
Optional: 11/2 ounces dried shiitake mushrooms
3/4 cup boiling water Cover the dried mushrooms with boiling water; allow to
soften about 10 minutes.
Remove the shiitakes from their soaking liquid, and cut them into bite-sized strips, removing any hard stem ends. Reserve the soaking liquid.
Cut the fresh mushrooms into 1/4″ slices (or, if they’re small, in halves). Dice the onion into 1/4″ squares, and the red or green peppers into 1/2″ squares.
In a large, heavy saucepan, heat the olive oil and/or butter. Add the onion, and cook over medium heat several minutes, until the onion is translucent. Add the white mushrooms and bell peppers; sauté until the mushrooms release their liquid and that liquid cooks off. When the vegetables start to brown. (Optional: add the shiitake mushrooms.) Sauté for a couple of minutes more, then add the sauce (and the mushroom soaking liquid, if you soaked dried mushrooms).
Lower heat, and simmer slowly for 30-45 minutes, until the sauce has thickened and reduced. The peppers will have turned a very dark color. Don’t worry, you will find them delicious! Serve over rice or noodles. If you’re not vegetarian, this makes a wonderful side dish to serve with beef.