Changing seasons, Changing minds

As we begin to wrap up planting and seeding for the season, we begin to take stock. Soon, we'll run out of chances to seed another bed or plant something else if germination isn't good or the pests are bad. It's when we start to not care that the tomatoes are falling from their trellises or that the eggplant paths are weedy, those crops that we obsessed over for months are almost finished their seasonal journey and we turn our attention to the fall. The fall crops become our main focus as we weed and thin and seed our last beds of greens. We watch carefully to see how the pest pressure is on the brassicas and irrigate the storage crops regularly. We strategize about storage, hoping for yields that will take us through the fall and winter months. It's amazing how fast the seasons go and how our anxieties and strategies change so quickly with them. 

Scenes from the farm: 3 bees in a squash blossom, irrigating the winter beets and carrots, hunched over in the pepper fields, padron pepper close-up (see today's recipe)

In the share:

head lettuce

arugula

asian greens

onions

potatoes

carrots

beets

sweet peppers

hot peppers

shishito peppers

padron peppers

eggplant

fairytale eggplant

watermelon!

heirloom tomatoes

red tomatoes

plum tomatoes

basil

parsley

summer squash

cucumbers

Roasted Pepper Sauce

Sarah L. Voisin/The Washington Post

SEP 4, 2013

At Woodberry Kitchen in Baltimore, chef-owner Spike Gjerde and his preservation team make this sauce using padron, espelette or fish peppers, but the recipe also works well with widely available fresh poblanos. If you don't want it spicy try it with shishitos or sweet peppers. 

The sauce can be used to dress roasted vegetables and grilled meats, or in tacos. 

Make Ahead: The garlic needs to be confited for 1 1/2 hours. The sauce can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 4 weeks or frozen for up to 8 months.

SERVINGS: 1.5 CUPS 

INGREDIENTS

  • 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons canola oil (may substitute another vegetable oil)

  • 6 cloves garlic

  • 2 large yellow onions, cut into halves then thinly sliced

  • 1 pound padron peppers

  • 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar

  • 1 tablespoon kosher salt, or more to taste

  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, or more to taste

DIRECTIONS

Line a small plate with a few layers of paper towels.

Warm 1 cup of the oil in a small saucepan over low heat. Add the garlic and slow-cook until they are golden and soft, about 1 1/2 hours. Transfer the cloves to the lined plate to drain. Discard the cooking oil.

Meanwhile, heat a large saute pan over medium-low heat. Add 1 tablespoon of the oil and the onions; toss to coat. Cook for about 50 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onions are soft and caramelized.

Position an oven rack 4 to 6 inches from the broiling element; preheat to broil. Have a small baking dish at hand.

Toss together the padrons and the remaining tablespoon of oil in the baking dish until the peppers are well coated. Broil until they are well blistered, about 12 minutes.

Combine the confited garlic, caramelized onions and roasted padrons in a food processor, along with the vinegar, salt and pepper. Pulse to form a smooth puree, then use a spatula to push the puree through a fine-mesh strainer into a storage container. Discard the solids left in the strainer.

Taste and adjust the seasonings as needed. Serve right away or cool, cover and refrigerate or freeze.

Malaika SpencerComment