July
Oh July, more so than any other month (well, except for maybe August) it is a test of endurance and fortitude of our bodies and our minds. July feels like the middle of the marathon. We are in the thick of harvest season (well, luckily tomatoes are a week or two away), weed season and fall planting season. Our spring crops are fading away into the heat and the summer bonanza of peppers, eggplant and tomatoes is almost upon us. We are feeling fairly good about the harvest season so far and our crew has been amazing. We are staying hydrated and ready to face the rest of summer. It’s gonna be a hot one.
Scenes from the farm: the squash patch looking great, scallion mountain, Shay with so many cukes, Katarina on the tractor, lettuce curves looking good.
In the share:
salad mix
head lettuce
specialty greens
swiss chard
beets
cucumbers
summer squash
green cabbage
napa cabbage
kohlrabi
radishes
hakurei turnips
spring onions
kale
fennel
shishito peppers
Recipe of the week:
Grilled Spring Onions with Pistachio Butter
Ingredients
1 cup rice vinegar 1/4 cup sugar 1 bay leaf Kosher salt 1 cardamom pod 1 teaspoon black peppercorns 1 teaspoon coriander seeds 1 1/2 cups whole pitted prunes 1 1/4 cups unsalted pistachios 1 garlic clove, finely grated 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest 6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling 25 young spring onions or large scallions, trimmed 1 cup Greek yogurt 1/2 teaspoon Urfa or Aleppo pepper (see Note) Mint leaves, for garnish
How to Make It
Step 1
In a small saucepan, combine the vinegar, sugar, bay leaf, 1/2 teaspoon of salt and 3/4 cup of water. Wrap the cardamom, peppercorns and coriander seeds in a cheesecloth bundle and add to the saucepan. Simmer the brine over moderate heat for 10 minutes. Put the prunes in a heatproof bowl, pour the brine over them and let stand for 2 hours.
Step 2
Drain the prunes, reserving the brine. Discard the spice bundle and bay leaf. Simmer the brine until it coats the back of a spoon, 10 minutes, then pour over the prunes in the bowl.
Step 3
Preheat the oven to 300°. Spread the pistachios on a baking sheet and bake until lightly browned, 12 to 15 minutes. Transfer to a food processor and let cool. Add the garlic and lemon zest and process until finely chopped, 1 minute. Add 2 tablespoons of the olive oil and 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons of water and process until a smooth paste forms; season with salt.
Step 4
Light a grill. In a large bowl, toss the spring onions with the remaining 1/4 cup of olive oil and season with salt. Grill the onions over moderately high heat until tender and lightly charred, 6 to 8 minutes.
Step
Step 5
Quarter 8 of the prunes. (Save the rest for another use.) Spread the yogurt and pistachio butter on a platter. Top with the grilled onions and season with the Urfa pepper. Garnish with the prunes, mint leaves and a drizzle of olive oil; serve immediately.
Notes
An Aleppo pepper (pronounced Uh-LEPPO) is a dried ground pepper from Syria and Turkey. It's mildly spicy, tart and fruity. An Urfa pepper (pronounced ER-fah) is a smoky, coarsely ground Turkish chile.