Big Juicy Shallots, Currants, Blueberries

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Date: June 25th 2010

HENRY'S FARM NOTES

Hot, hot, hot . . . the pop and stink of tar bubbles crackling along the road . . . then rain, rain, rain, steam, mud, and sweat. That just about covers it for news of the farm this week.

Actually, as we were pulling the shallots, carrots, garlic, and radishes from the mucky ground this afternoon and evening, the whole experience of the week distilled itself into the word “rank” -- Shakespeare’s use of the word, when poor, depressed Hamlet sees the world as “an unweeded garden,/ That grows to seed; things rank and gross in nature/ Possess it merely.”

Specifically, “rank” came to mind when I saw the result of all the moisture and heat on some of the long carrots we were pulling. The water table is so high right now that when the carrots reach it – 7 or 8 or 9 inches down -- their tips get water-logged and just melt away in rot. But don’t worry, those particular carrots are not coming up to market. They got collected as “for-us-es” and I just got done making a carrot cake with 4 cups of them (sans rotten tips). All the harvesters will get to eat the cake tomorrow, and I hope it helps to keep them going through what promises to be an extremely long sun-up to sun-down harvest day.

The carrots are rotting, and other root crops, even the melons, are in danger of rotting because of the enormous amount of rain we’ve had. This past Wednesday was the first day in weeks that it got dry enough to hoe. But just as Zoe and Kazami started hoeing, the sky darkened and a wind whipped the tree branches wildly. Kazami told me it went from 90-some degrees one second to about 70 degrees the next as the front came in. Zoe wrote these few sentences describing it to her Facebook friends:

"Hop to it!" Kazami says as we frantically hoe the rest of the watermelon sprouts in the upper field and glance from time to time at the sky as it blackens. The wind picks up quickly and tries to steal away my sombrero, only to blow it fiercely against my face a second later . "I can't see!" I laugh to Kazami as we meet up in our row and quickly run to escape the splattering rain...What a beautiful storm! :)

This morning was fresh and cool, green and new. As Zoe says, a beautiful storm and a beautiful aftermath.

FIRSTS and LASTS this week:

Last of the Shallots, Broccoli, Sugar Snap and Snow Peas. We had a lot of excellent broccoli left over after the market last week (now in our freezers), so if you want broccoli, buy it now.

NEW this week!

Zucchini

Japanese Cucumbers

Green Beans

Malabar Spinach

Potatoes (if we have time to dig them)

Garlic Bulbs (Red Russian, German Extra Hardy, New York White)

Henry will not have any dried shallots to offer you the rest of the season, so if you love shallots (and who doesn’t), get your bunches of fresh shallots – red and yellow – this week. Because of the rains, these are the biggest shallots I’ve ever seen. Also because of the rain, Henry says they will rot before they dry down, so we are pulling them all and selling them bunched as fresh shallots. Buy a bunch of bunches this week, and then carmelize them or braise them in wine until they are silky, and refrigerate or freeze for later use. See recipes below.

This Saturday, don't miss the fabulous Certified Organic meats and eggs from our neighbors Larry and Marilyn Wettstein, who will be at the Evanston Market, June 26th 7:00am - noon.

They will have: Beef, pork, lamb, chicken and eggs, including plenty of steaks, chops, and chicken.

Stock up for your July 4th cook-outs!

Cell phone for Marilyn on Sat. (309) 251-1334

HENRY'S FOOD NOTES: SHALLOTS are often thought to be just another variety of onion, and although they are in the great big Allium family, they are a species of their own: Allium oschaninii also known as the French gray challot or griselle.

Shallots probably originated in Asia, traveling from there to India and the eastern Mediterranean and then to Western Europe. The name "shallot" comes from Ashkelon, a city in Palestine where the ancient Greeks thought shallots originated.

Recent studies show that shallots have more flavenoids and phenols than other members of the onion family. Chefs love shallots because of their firm texture and sweet, aromatic flavor. They are great raw or cooked, and reach their silky apotheosis when carmelized or braised in wine or sliced thinly and deep-fried to make a crispy topping – yum!

Carmelized Shallots (for Potatoes, Kale, Meat . . . anything really)

· 3 tablespoons unsalted butter

· 3 tablespoons sugar

· 1 pound shallots, peeled

· 2 sprigs fresh thyme

· 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

· 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

· 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

In skillet over moderate heat, melt butter. Add sugar and stir until dissolved. Add shallots and thyme and cook, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until beginning to brown, about 15 minutes.

Stir in oil, breaking up any clumps of sugar, reduce heat to moderately low, and set lid ajar. Simmer, partially covered, until shallots are deep golden brown and falling apart, 1 to 1 1/2 hours. If liquid completely evaporates before shallots reach desired consistency, add 1 tablespoon water as needed.

Discard thyme sprigs and stir in salt and pepper. Keep warm, covered. (Shallots can be made up to 1 week ahead and refrigerated. Gently reheat in microwave before serving.)

Carrots with Shallots, Sage, and Thyme

· 3 pounds carrots, peeled

· 1 cup chicken stock or reduced-sodium chicken broth

· 1/2 pound shallots, thinly sliced

· 1/2 stick unsalted butter

· 1/4 cup chopped sage

· 1 tablespoon finely chopped thyme

· 1/4 teaspoon grated nutmeg

Cut carrots into 3-by 1/2-inch sticks.

Bring stock to a boil with 3/4 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper in a 12-inch heavy skillet. Add carrots and simmer, covered, until just tender, about 15 minutes. Remove lid and boil until most of liquid has evaporated, about 5 minutes. Transfer carrots to a bowl and wipe out skillet.

Cook shallots in butter with 1/2 teaspoon each of salt and pepper in skillet over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until golden- brown, about 6 minutes. Add sage, thyme, and nutmeg and cook, stirring, until very fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from heat and return carrots to skillet, tossing to coat. Season with salt and pepper.

Wine-Glazed Shallots

· 1 1/2 cups dry red wine

· 1/4 cup red-wine vinegar

· 1/3 cup sugar

· 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt or 1/4 teaspoon table salt

· 1 fresh thyme sprig

· 1 Turkish or 1/2 California bay leaf

· 1/2 lb small shallots, peeled and trimmed

Bring wine, vinegar, sugar, salt, thyme, and bay leaf to a boil in a 1- to 1 1/2-quart heavy saucepan, stirring until sugar is dissolved, then add whole shallots and cover surface of liquid with a round of parchment or wax paper. Simmer shallots vigorously until tender, about 40 minutes, then transfer from cooking liquid to a bowl with a slotted spoon and discard thyme sprig and bay leaf. If liquid isn't syrupy, boil until reduced to about 1/3 cup. Pour over shallots and cool.

Sweet Shallot Vinaigrette

· 1/2 cup minced shallots

· 1 tablespoon brown sugar

· 1/2 cup white wine vinegar

· 1 cup canola oil

· Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

In a medium saucepan over medium heat, cook the shallots and sugar, stirring constantly, until the shallots start to soften and brown, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat and combine the caramelized shallots, vinegar, and oil in a blender and mix until well blended. Season with salt and pepper. Chill for at least an hour before using. Use immediately or keep for up to 2 weeks.

Teresa’s Fruit and Herb News

Blueberry and Beetle Seasons in Full Swing

The Beetle Battle 2010 has begun! The Japanese beetles are already out in full force and wreaking havoc with your raspberries, currants, and blueberries. Every day is busy, not only with the usual work of the farm such as picking, planting, weeding, and mulching, but also with "beetle patrol" (knocking the little buggers into buckets of soapy water) a few times every day, as well as with the spraying of Surround (kaolin clay powder) on our apple and pear trees (which we have to do repeatedly since it has been raining practically every day). And today we installed huge row covers over the entire blueberry patch to try and save at least the Chandlers—everyone’s favorite. Sometimes I wonder what we did to keep busy in the years before the Japanese Beetles arrived!

The good news is that with our constant vigilance, we managed to get a decent harvest this week and we will be bringing up lots of blueberries, red raspberries, tart cherries, both red and white currants, and a few gooseberries. I have been experimenting with my simple Currant Crunch recipe this week by adding different fruits to the currants. I tried it yesterday with tart cherries and today with blueberries. Both were fantastic warm out of the oven with vanilla ice cream.

Currant Crunch with Tart Cherries or Blueberries

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a bread pan.

Combine: 
 3/4 c. old fashioned or quick cooking rolled oats
 1/3 c. packed dark brown sugar
 1/4 c. flour
 1/4 tsp. salt

Add:
 4 Tbl. Cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces.

 Using a pastry blender or 2 knives, cut the butter into the dry ingredients until the mixture is crumbly but holds together when pressed. Spread half over the bottom of a bread pan and press gently with your hand packing the mixture slightly.

 Cover with:
 1 box of red or white currants, stripped off the strigs, about 1 cup

1/2 box blueberries or tart cherries, about 1/2 cup

Sprinkle with:
 2-3 tablespoons sugar

Top evenly with the remaining crumb mixture. Bake at 350 degrees until the fruit is tender and the crunch is firm and well-browned, 30-40 min. Let cool for 20-30 min. Cut into squares and serve warm with ice cream.

Other Easy Ideas for Using Currants:

These beautiful golden, tartly flavored jewels taste great in green salads especially with spicy greens like arugula and mustard greens and drizzled with a raspberry or orange juice vinaigrette.
Throw them in your favorite muffin, pancake, or scone recipe.
Make a smoothie with yogurt, currants, raspberries, and a spoonful of orange juice concentrate.
Add them to apples or pears in a crisp or cobbler.
Dip them in a little powdered sugar and eat them right off the strig!
Try the raspberries and currants together on top of ice cream or vanilla yogurt.

Herb of the Week: NEPITELLA

I had never heard of nepitella until several years ago when an Italian gentleman from Evanston asked if I grew it. I got seeds the following year and in the meantime nepitella has gained quite a following among Evanstonians. It is actually a mint, but a very different mint than our traditional one. As the Italian gentleman told me, it is traditionally used with mushrooms. In fact, he said that whenever you buy mushrooms at a market in Tuscany, you will find a sprig of nepitella in the bag with the mushrooms. It is also delicious with all of the summer fruits including tomatoes, eggplant, zucchini, and peppers, and seafood, especially shrimp and crab. Try one of these simple recipes.

Scampi with Garlic, Chiles and Nepitella

2 lb Jumbo shrimp (12 pieces)

1/2 c Dry white wine

4 tb Virgin olive oil

4 tb Extra virgin olive oil

4 Cloves garlic, thinly sliced

1/4 c Fresh nepitella leaves

4 Hot red jalapenos, seeded

1/4 c Fresh fennel fronds, chopped

Split shrimp in half lengthwise.

In a 12 inch to 14 inch saute pan, heat oil until smoking. Add shrimp, garlic and chilies and cook until shrimp have turned red on one side but garlic is still light brown. Add wine and extra virgin olive oil and turn shrimp over to cook 1 or more minutes. Add nepitella and fennel and toss through. Pour in warm serving bowl and serve. Yield: 4 servings Recipe by: MOLTO MARIO

Nepitella and Mushroom Spaghetti

One pound of spaghetti
Extra-virgin olive oil (a quarter of a cup should do it)
Your favorite mushrooms, sliced. (About 12-16 oz.)
Nepitella (About 1 tablespoon of chopped up fresh. A little less if using dried.)
A pinch of red crushed pepper
Garlic (one clove, sliced)
Butter (About a 1/2 tablespoon for taste.)
Parmesan cheese (about 1/4 cup.)
Salt (to taste)

Boil water in a large pot. When water boils, add spaghetti. While water is boiling, cook mushrooms in about 2 tablespoons of the olive oil. Sprinkle with nepitella and salt. Half-way through cooking, add the red pepper to the mushrooms. Cook mushrooms until well done. During the last five minutes, add the garlic (be careful not to burn). Drain the spaghetti and put it back in the empty pot. Add the mushroom mixture and stir. Add about 2 tablespoons of the olive oil and the butter. Sprinkle on the parmesano cheese. Add salt to taste and serve.

I took a bunch of photos today, but haven't had time to put them up on the blog, but feel free to take a look at Teresa's gorgeous white currants and gooseberries from last week, along with a recipe for Fool.

Thanks, and happy eating from Henry's Farm

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