Garlic.
Garlic harvest is the real mark of the change of seasons. It is true harvest time. Unfortunately this garlic harvest is marked with the sad discovery of more maggots. The plague of spring maggots returned to attack our garlic and most likely onions but we’re not looking at them yet. I took no pictures of our bounty because our garlic harvest was meager at best, probably around 1000 heads of the 5,250 seeds we planted survived. Such is farming. Although loosing such a precious and delicious crop brings with it certain sadness. Every day we learn how completely not in control we are and every day we get a little better at accepting it. These lessons make us better and all the more determined to do it right the next year, whatever ‘right’ may be. We’ll have enough garlic to share among us in the CSA but no more than that. My dreams of saving my own seed will have to wait for another season. But there’s no time to dwell, it’s harvest season, so now we move on to the next crop!
Here’s what’s in the share!
Head lettuce
Salad mix
Kale
Swiss chard
Arugula
Radicchio
Beets
Carrots
Onions
Eggplant
Peppers
Beans
Kohlrabi
Collard greens
Summer squash
Cucumbers
Cabbage
TOMATOES!
Crazy bolted Dr. Suess escarole.
Meg, the champion volunteer helping foliar feed tomatoes.
Honey bees love cilantro flowers! Can't wait to harvest the coriander.
Mowing down the buckwheat for fall planting. Here we go.
Baked Beet Greens Recipe
Yield: Serves 2
Total Time: 45 min
See post for additional recipe details.
Ingredients:
- About 1 large bunch of beets greens
- olive oil
- kosher or sea salt
- fresh cracked black pepper
Directions:
- Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Line one or two baking sheet pans with parchment paper.
- Wash beet greens and blot with towels to remove excess water. Remove inner rib of beet stems if they are thick and tough. Smaller, more tender beet greens can be baked with the inner rib intact.
- Add all the beet greens in a large bowl. Start by tossing or spraying about 1 tablespoon of olive oil at a time, making sure the beet greens are lightly coated with oil. But do not over oil the leaves or they will become too greasy when baked.
- Lay the beet greens in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet. Sprinkle salt and pepper over beet greens to taste. Season on both sides of the beet leaves.
- Bake the beet greens for about 15 minutes, turn the beet greens and continue baking for 10 minutes or until the greens are crisp.
Read more at http://whiteonricecouple.com/recipes/baked-beet-greens/#LUPkfDsIjOU6B9Wj.99
Eggplant, Heirloom Tomato, and Buffalo Mozzarella Stacks
Serves four.
by Melissa Pellegrino from Fine Cooking
Issue 106
Fresh mozzarella is great at soaking up flavors; in this recipe it’s enlivened by olive oil infused with thyme, marjoram, and lemon. One of the best things about this quick dish is that it works as a light lunch or as an appetizer.
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 tsp. chopped fresh thyme
1 tsp. chopped fresh marjoram
1 tsp. finely grated lemon zest
Pinch crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
12 (1/4-inch-thick) slices heirloom tomatoes (from 3 to 4 medium) 8 (1/4-inch-thick) slices eggplant (from 1 medium eggplant)
2 balls buffalo mozzarella (5 to 7 oz. each), cut into 8 slices
Prepare a medium-high gas or charcoal grill fire. In a medium bowl, mix the olive oil, thyme, marjoram, lemon zest, red pepper flakes (if using), 1/4 tsp. salt, and 1/8 tsp. pepper.
Brush the tomato and eggplant slices with 1 Tbs. of the herb oil. Season with 1/4 tsp. salt and a few grinds of pepper. Marinate the mozzarella in the remaining oil.
Grill the eggplant, flipping once, until nicely browned and tender, 2 to 3 minutes.
To serve, put a tomato slice on four plates. Top each with a slice of eggplant, then a slice of mozzarella. Repeat, ending with a tomato slice. Drizzle with any remaining oil and serve.
Serving Suggestions
Keep it fast and fresh: Serve with an Arugula Salad with Pesto Vinaigrette.
Spring Onion Pesto
How To Make
Ingredients:
1 Cup olive oil.
1 Bunch spring onions
4 Garlic cloves or more to taste.
1/2 Cup Pistachios.
1/4 Cup fresh basil leaves.
3 oz any type Italian cheese: Pecorino Romano, Parmesano/Reggiano, Asiago etc.
1 Tsp. sugar.
A pinch of oregano
Salt and pepper to taste.
Red pepper flakes to taste are optional.
Method:
1. In a food processor puree the spring onions/scallions to a desired consistency. No oil is needed in this step as there is enough water in the onions to allow the pureeing to take place. Start by pulsing the onions down to manageable texture then add some olive oil about 1/4 cup and go to blend.
2. After you have desired consistency add your garlic and pulse a few times then go to blend.
3. Now add your fresh basil leaves and add some olive oil 2 to 4 ounces and pulse them down then go to blend.
4. After all these ingredients are blended add the remaining olive oil and pulse then go to blend.
5. Now add your pistachio nuts and pulse and then go to blend. You want this pesto to be on the thick side and the nuts should be on the chunky side and the pesto a bit on the rustic end of things. (see video)
6. Add salt and pepper to taste and pulse that in. I put the salt and pepper in the pesto after it was out of the processor. The choice is yours.
7. Now add your cheese and pulse it into the pests. I put the cheese in after the pesto came out of the processor. The choice is yours.
8. Now add your oregano and pulse it into the pesto. I put the oregano into the pesto after it was out of the processor. The choice is yours.
9. When it comes time to cook something with this pesto I add some sugar to the amount of pesto I am going to use to cut any bitterness from the spring onions. This is an optional step. (see video) Some people might enjoy the slight bitter cut of the onions in this dish.
10. Eat and enjoy!