F&F Notes for Henry's Farm Market Friends

Rampant Cucumbers, Sweet Potato Greens, and Prize-Winning Pristines (summer apples)

2010-07-22T23:48:12Z

Farm Notes: Central Illinois is a tropical zone these days, complete with afternoon downpours, preceded and followed by beating sun that makes sweat roll like salty rain from the bodies of everyone working in the field. I was away in meetings most of the week, and Henry didn’t have time to tell me much about the farm work, but I know they were all engaged much of the time in the Sisyphean task of weeding. Zoe had six blisters on one hand to prove it when we toured the Univ. of Chicago last Saturday. (I have a feeling she was the only person adept and experienced in manual labor in our tour group of 50 or so.) The recent rains will start a whole new round of weeds. But there’s always a silver lining: the rain also ensures that the fall crops germinate and grow, which makes us all very happy.

Another silver lining of mid-summer are the evenings, which offer up head-swivelling skies where each minute reveals another shade of rose or lavender, another configuration of clouds, another blast of biblical rays piercing them, another other-worldly glow until finally Venus peeks thru the black silhouettes of trees, fireflies rise up from ditches, evening birds eat insects on the wing, the earth curves, curls in, and lays itself to rest.

Food Notes: Look for Lettuce (YES!), Prize-Winning Pristine Apples, Sweet Potato Greens, and Rampant Cucumbers!

This just in from our niece Halley:

This past week at the County Fair we entered five of our Pristine Apples in the open class. After carefully choosing the most beautifully blushed apples, we polished them with a towel and arranged them artistically in a simple tray. The next day, after the judges had gone through the building, we discovered a blue ribbon proclaiming our Pristine apples to be the best!

And no wonder. Biting into a Pristine produces a satisfying crunch and an explosion of exquisite mid-summer flavor. The skin is relatively thin, so this is an ideal eating apple. (And they keep well in the refrigerator.) We also like this apple for juicing and cider because it is so sweet.

Our next apple, Williams’ Pride, is slightly later and so was not ready for the fair. Nevertheless, this is truly a blue-ribbon apple. Slightly tarter than the Pristine, Williams’ pride is every bit as crisp and delicious. The brilliantly red skin makes an eye-catching applesauce as well.

The Nutting Bumpus apple has skin almost as unusual as its name. Bold stripes of green and red crisscross the apple in a random pattern of brushstrokes. It is a fabulous cooking apple that is slightly less crisp than Pristine or Williams’ pride. The final apple coming to market this week is Red Free. Only a couple of boxes are ripe but many more will be ready next week. This apple is tart and crunchy with green skin and a generous red blush. Read more in Teresa’s Fruit and Herb Notes below.

Back on Henry's Farm, at the end of May, in between the nearly constant rains, Henry managed to sneak some lettuce seeds into the ground. From those seeds came sprouts, then leaves. After the field hands thinned the rows, the remaining plants formed baby heads, and those very heads, now full grown, will be harvested tomorrow, then washed, chilled, packed, and iced down so that by the time they reach Evanston they will be as crisp as an October day, yessirree. Henry says look for a fair amount this week and next, but be prepared for a long dry period after that . . . corresponding to the wet month of June when no seeds could be planted. No planting; no reaping. That’s how it goes.

The dearth of lettuce will continue for some time after these next few weeks because, even though it dried up in July and we planted, almost none of the July-planted lettuce germinated because of the heat. Lettuce seeds can’t tolerate soil over 80 degrees or so. And the rain made the soil even darker than usual, so it soaked up more heat, reaching 100 degrees or more in the middle of the day, which burned the life right out of the delicate little lettuce seeds. Only those that Henry planted in the parts of the field that got the most shade came up, and not very many. The moral of the story? Buy lettuce now or forever hold your peace!

Meanwhile, loving the heat and the rain, are the Cucumbers. Henry says they are “running rampant.” As in: Tons of. As in: All kinds: Japanese, European Hothouse, Persian Babies, Poona Kheera, and old-fashioned regular ones. As in: On Special. As in: Buy more; save more. As in: We are eating them every day, for every meal, and you can too! Our mother (and Henry’s chief tomato-sorter – he actually constructed a new tomato-sorting station suitable for her 5-foot frame) has been making her famous vinegar-and-oil cucumber salad every day. It makes for a perfect light supper with a little crusty Italian bread and butter.

Shiso. And in your salads (whether cucumber, green, potato, tomato or bean) this week, try a little of the sprightly Japanese herb Shiso. It is also doing particularly well in this weather, and Henry will bring a lot of bunches. Just smell it or take a little taste and it will wake you up. It is rich in minerals and vitamins, and also has anti-inflammatory properties. Traditionally, the Japanese used it to wrap raw fish to inhibit bacterial growth and they still use it in sashimi and sushi. (They also use it as a pizza topping in place of basil . . . and I heard that Pepsi Japan released a shiso-flavored Pepsi recently.) The easiest thing to do with shiso is just tear the big serrated leaves into small pieces and toss into any salad or use as a garnish on cold soups (see below).&n bsp;

I had never tried shiso on sandwiches until a few weeks ago one of our long-time friends and early morning Evanston Market setter-uppers, Marjorie, fed me a piece of bread with creamy cheese and a shiso leaf. It was remarkable combination, creamy and spicy, mellow and pungent all at the same time. So try a shiso leaf on your favorite sandwiches too.

Sweet Potato Greens - In this hot ‘n humid season, rampancy rules, especially in the sweet potato patch. We won’t harvest the tubers until autumn, but meanwhile there’s an abundance of delicious, nutritious leaves to enjoy. Often overlooked as a food here in the U.S., they are eaten all over Asia and Africa. They are particularly high in vitamin A, protein, and lutein, the latter of which may protect against age-related macular degeneration. There is also some evidence that eating sweet potato leaves lowers cholesterol.

The tender tips of the vines that Henry will be bringing up for you can be cooked as you would spinach or chard. – usually 5-7 minutes – and often with onion, garlic and/or hot pepper. Or try an Asian recipe by stir-frying them or cooking them in a coconut milk sauce.

Basic Sweet Potato Greens
vegetable oil for sauteeing
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 onion, diced
1/2 chile pepper of choice, seeded and minced
1/s pound sweet potato greens, thoroughly rinsed, stems removed
1 - 2 teaspoons soy sauce

Heat a skillet over medium heat and add enough oil to coat surface of pan. Add garlic, onion and chile, and allow to soften, about three-five minutes, making sure that vegetables don't burn.

Add greens, and with tongs, toss and coat well with aromatics. Allow to cook for at least five minutes, until greens wilt and soften. Add soy sauce just before serving.

If you prefer a milder dish, blanch the greens first by pouring boiling water over then. Let stand for 2 minutes, strain off hot water & rinse immediately with cold water (to prevent over-cooking). This leaches and neutralizes the white latex-like substance in the stem as well as some of the alkaloids associated with most dark green veggies, with minimum loss of nutrients.

Sweet Potato Greens in Coconut Cream

Blanch 2-3 bunches of sweet potato tips (see above), rinse with cold water and set aside.

For 3 cups of blanched sweet potato tips:

2 scallions, finely sliced

1 clove garlic, crushed or minced

1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger root

2 teaspoon grated fresh turmeric root (or substitute with flat tsp dried turmeric powder)

1 fresh chilli finely sliced

2" lemon grass stalk finely sliced

Soy sauce

1 cup coconut cream

1 cup water

Salt and pepper to taste

• Heat sauce pan. Cover bottom with a little vegetable oil then add scallions, garlic and spices (ginger, turmeric, chilli, lemongrass), stir fry for a few minutes until the aromas rise

• Add a dash of soy sauce and stir through spices. Add coconut cream and water. Bring to boil

• Add blanched sweet potato tips, stir and bring back to the boil. Simmer on low heat for 2 minutes. Serve!

Simple stir-fried sweet potato leaves
One bunch of sweet potato leaves
1-2 hot dried red chilies
1-2 cloves of garlic
Salt, soy sauce, pepper to taste

Fill a pot with water and put it on the stove over high heat. The pot should be large enough to hold the leaves, and there should be enough water to cover the leaves.

Mince 1-2 cloves of garlic. Chop the chilies fine, and combine with the garlic.

When the water comes to a boil, turn off the heat and carefully add the sweet potato leaves. After 2 minutes, remove and rinse with cold water. Chop the leaves.

In a large skillet or wok, heat some vegetable oil over high heat. When it is hot, add the garlic and chilies. Cook for 30 seconds, stirring often. Add the greens, then stir-fry the mixture until the greens are tender, about 2 or 3 minutes. Add salt, pepper, soy sauce, or other flavorings to taste.

Back to the rampant cucumbers . . .

Henry’s wife Hiroko makes a terrific Thai Salad with them, which Henry says is “kinda addictive.” The raw zucchini has the same texture as papaya, which you might find in this salad in a Thai restaurant.

Thai Salad with Cucumbers, Tomatoes and/or Zucchini

2 cups grated or julienned Cucumbers (matchstick sized pieces)

1 cup grated or julienned zucchini (may also mix in any other grated root vegetables such as the carrots or daikon)

1 cup chopped tomatoes (optional)

2 tsp chopped garlic

2-3 hot peppers, coarsely chopped (optional)

1 Tb sugar

2 Tb nam pla (fermented fish sauce)

juice of 1 lemon

½ cup dried shrimp (optional)

4 Tb Crushed peanuts

Put the cut vegetables in a large bowl.

Put the lemon juice, nam pla fish sauce, garlic, chili, sugar, and shrimp in a small bowl. Stir well, and then dump on top of the vegetables. Toss well, and scatter the crushed peanuts on top before serving.

And here’s Joel’s very refreshing simple cucumber salad, which he said is basically “a little of this and a little of that . . .”

Peel 2 cucumbers, any variety. Quarter them lengthwise and slice each quartered length into bite-size pieces. Place pieces in large bowl.

Salt, and pepper the cucumber to taste, but more heavily than you might think. Mix. Add a healthy sprinkle of hot red pepper flakes, to taste. Mix.

Add 1 TB of high quality white wine vinegar, or rice vinegar. Mix.

Add ½ tsp of sugar. Mix. The sugar should add a faint sweetness, but shouldn't overpower the mixture. If ½ tsp is not enough (or too much), adjust.

Add 1 to 2 TB of high quality olive oil. Mix thoroughly. Serve chilled.

Silky Cucumber Soup

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 small onion or 2 large shallots, diced
1 tablespoon lemon juice
4 cups peeled, seeded and thinly sliced cucumbers
1 1/2 cups vegetable broth or chicken broth
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
Pinch of cayenne pepper
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley and/or dill, plus more for garnish
1/2 cup low-fat plain yogurt

Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add garlic and onion; cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, 1 to 4 minutes. Add lemon juice and cook for 1 minute. Add 3 3/4 cups cucumber slices, broth, salt, pepper and cayenne; bring to a simmer. Reduce heat and cook at a gentle simmer until the cucumbers are soft, 6 to 8 minutes.
Transfer the soup to a blender. Add parsley/dill; blend on low speed until smooth. Pour into a serving bowl and stir in yogurt. Chop the remaining 1/4 cup cucumber slices. Serve the soup warm or refrigerate and serve chilled. Just before serving, garnish with the chopped cucumber and more chopped parsley, if desired.

Cold Cucumber Buttermilk Soup

5 regular cucumbers
1/2 cup chopped parsley
6 scallions or 3 negi (large Japanese scallions), chopped
2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1 quart buttermilk
1 pint yogurt
Salt and freshly ground pepper

Peel cucumbers and cut them in half, scraping out seeds. Sprinkle the cucumbers with salt and let them stand 30 minutes. Drain excess water.

Chop the cucumbers coarsely and put the pieces in the blender along with scallions, dill, lemon juice, buttermilk, and yogurt. Blend at high speed. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Chill well before serving.

Teresa’s Fruit and Herb News

An Abundance of Summer Apples!

Some of our market customers last week were lamenting that we had apples already and that having apples is a sign of fall and winter coming, and that they did not want to think about summer ending.

Au contraire! Apples are not all about fall -- Summer apples are a summer fruit – and a darn good one! If you wait until fall to eat apples, you will miss all of the wonderful summer varieties --some of which are only available for a week or two, maybe three if you are lucky. So, don’t wait!

This is the prime week for the Pristines, which are hands down one of the best eating apples, no matter what the season. Pristine is so crisp and juicy that when you bite into it, it pops! And the flavor…. sweet with just the right amount of zing….delicious! We will be having Special Sales if you buy more than one box of Pristine, so don’t miss out this week!

And don’t miss these other great apple varieties:

Williams’ Pride-These are another deliciously crunchy apple, but with a little more tartness (although they are sweeter than last week) and a delicious cider-y flavor. The skin is dark red and beautiful. If you like a tart apple, they are great for eating, and they make a gorgeous red colored applesauce.

Nutting Bumpus-This apple was introduced by James Nutting (1839-1893). Some say that he named the apple after the James Fennimore Cooper hero, Natty Bumpo, but no one really knows. Nutting Bumpus has red stripes on a yellow background and is juicy with a mild sub-acid flavor. Great for fresh eating or cooking.

Chehalis- Chehalis is a favorite of the Japanese beetles, and for good reason. It’s green skin is very tender and it’s white flesh is very juicy and sweet-tart. It is considered a larger, “improved” golden delicious. It’s another apple that just “pops” when you bite into it. Wonderful eating apple.

Redfree- Redfree is red on the sunny side of the fruit and green or yellow on the other side. It’s a smallish, crunchy apple that is fairly tart. Great for eating, sauce or baking.

Peaches - Peach growing has been a challenge this year because of the dastardly Japanese beetles, and also because of the heat. I’m not exactly sure how many marketable ones we will be able to harvest tomorrow…hopefully a lot….but come early if you missed them last week. They might not look perfect, but they taste unbelievable.

Other News

I’m going to cut the newsletter short tonight, because I am running out of time, but be sure to stop by and see and smell Jill’s new goat milk soaps. Her daughter, Halley, will be helping me at the market this week, and can tell you all about the goats (or you can see them and read all about them on the website she put together: www.redbarnfarmsoaps.com Check out the two photos of the barn built by our great-grandfather – one photo from 1912 and one from 2010 . . . and stay tuned for news of the centennial barn party, coming up in 2012!)

We will also have our herb teas and all of our fresh-cut herbs and flowers, including lots of orange, yellow, and bicolor red and yellow sunflowers. This is my last year for sunflowers since I am slowly phasing out my fresh flower business. (I will still have dried flowers in the fall and some fresh flowers until the seed runs out.)

It’s going to be a terribly hot day tomorrow, so we need to get to bed now and wake up at the crack of dawn to harvest as much as we

can in the relative cool of the first few hours of daylight. See you Saturday!

True Scallions, Special Basils, Apples, Peaches, and the County Fair

2010-07-16T00:40:03Z

It’s been many years since I went to a fair, but today I spent the day at the Iroquois County Fair with sister Jill and her family, reveling in phrases you hear nowhere else, such as “power-house doe” (for a female goat who looks capable of having many kids easily) and “excess conditioning” (meaning too fat).

We left before the evening’s entertainment, a Demolition Derby, which my youngest niece referred to as a Dalmation Derby—the latter something I would have been tempted to stay for. Back home at Jill and Will’s place we had corn and cucumbers fresh from the garden, and big thick hamburgers made from our Dad’s grassfed beef spiked with fresh oregano from Jill’s garden. Then we watched the sinking sun, a mass of incandescent gas (in the words of the science songs of our childhood), turn its massive horizontal searchlight on the new tassels at the tops of each corn plant, seeming to set the fields ablaze.

Earlier in the day, I spoke with Henry briefly. He sounded hot and tired, although he didn’t complain. He said there will be a lot more of the high summer vegetables at the market on Saturday, including many more tomatoes and squashes, as well as eggplants, peppers, beans, and okra. There will be very few, if any, heads of lettuce again this week, because of the constant rains in June that prevented him from doing his usual successive plantings of lettuce. But don’t worry, the amazing wall of lettuce will return sooner or later. In the meantime, try a cabbage salad – since this will be the last week for the crisp, sweet cabbages. Pick up a few, as they will keep well in your refrigerator for weeks.

Food Notes: True Scallions (Negi), and Specialty Basils (Persian, Thai, Lemon, Opal)

Henry’s Japanese “negi” – a type of true scallion – are especially nice this year. Don’t be put off by their large size – they are tender and sweet, and milder than the pencil-thin green onions you get in the store. At first glance, many people mistake the scallions for leeks because of their size. But at second glance you’ll see that they have the round, hollow leaf like an onion, not the flat leaf of a leek. Unlike green onions, which are simply young bulb onions, true scallions never form a bulb. They just grow in diameter and length, keeping their straight sides, and their less pungent taste.

Raw, thinly sliced scallions lend a spark of flavor to green salads, potato salads, and relish plates. Cooking renders the scallions sweet and mild. They are good sautéed with vegetables or added to soups. And they are a quick and easy addition to any outdoor grilling you are doing. Simply brush them with oil and put on the grill, turning frequently, until lightly charred. Serve alongside just about anything.

SCALLION TEMPURA

In a bowl, whisk together 1 1/4 cups water and 1 cup flour until smooth. Season with salt and, if desired, freshly ground black pepper. Cut 4 trimmed scallions into 2-inch lengths.

In a skillet over medium heat, heat about 1/2 inch of oil until hot but not smoking. Dip the scallion into the batter, allowing any excess to drip off, and fry in the hot oil, turning as necessary, until crisp and golden, 2 to 3 minutes. Drain on paper towels and salt generously.

Teriyaki Chicken with Negi

1 1/2 lb chicken thighs
1 negi (scallions)
1/2 cup teriyaki sauce
2 tbsp sake
2 tbsp corn starch
2 tbsp water

Wash and cut negi or leek into small pieces. Cut chicken thighs into small chunks. Heat some oil in a frying pan. Fry chicken on medium heat for a couple of minutes. Turn the chicken over and add negi to the pan. Pour sake over the ingredients. Cover the frying pan with a lid and cook for 5 minutes on low heat. Pour teriyaki sauce over the chicken and negi and bring to boil. Add mixture of cornstarch and water in the pan to thicken the sauce. Stir quickly and turn off the heat.

Scallion Patties

4 scallions, shredded finely

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

4 large eggs, lightly beaten

1 pinch salt

2 tablespoons sesame oil

Dipping Sauce

1 cup water
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon cornstarch, mixed with
1 tablespoon water

Stir-fry the scallions in the 1 tablespoon oil until softened. Cool.
Meanwhile place the first 4 sauce ingredients in a saucepan and bring to the boil. Add the cornstarch mix to this, and stir until it thickens. Set aside.
Place the scallion, eggs and pinch of salt in a bowl and mix. Heat half the sesame oil in a large frypan over medium high heat. Using half the mix, form 4 patties in the pan. Cook until golden, turn over cook until golden and cooked through. Keep these warm whilst you repeat with the remaining sesame oil and scallion/egg mix. Divide between 4 plates, and serve with the sauce spooned over.

Specialty Basils: Opal, Thai, Persian, Lemon

Henry says that this may be one of the last weeks for significant amounts of his specialty basils, so be sure and give one or more of them a try. You can turn a dish from ordinary to exotic, just by sprinking one of these basils over it – whether it is grilled eggplant, a pasta, or a herbed vinaigrette for a tomato, potato, or green bean salad.

Each of the basils have a complex mix of aromas and tastes, but in general, I’d say the Opal and Thai have warm notes of cinnamon and clove, while the Persian is a little lemony and a little anise-y, and the lemon is very, very lemony.You can make pestos with any of them in the same way you do for the Italian basil, and you can freeze them for later use.

Bruschetta with Zucchini Purée and Opal or Lemon Basil

This bruschetta variation features a savory zucchini purée, plus beautiful opal basil. Toast the bread on an outdoor grill or under the broiler. Recipe by Arthur Boehm, adapted from Cucina Rustica, by Viana La Place and Evan Kleiman.

1/4 cup, extra-virgin olive oil, plus additional for the bread
1/2 small onion, chopped (or use one scallion)
2 medium zucchini, washed, ends trimmed and coarsely sliced
3 large garlic cloves, 2 of them minced
2 tablespoons, chopped Italian (flat-leaf) parsley
10 Opal or Lemon basil leaves, torn into pieces
6 thick slices, rustic bread
Drops of fresh lemon juice

1. In a medium skillet, heat the 1/4 cup of oil over medium heat. Add the onion, and sauté until translucent, about 3 minutes, stirring as needed. Add zucchini, minced garlic and parsley. Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover the pan and cook, stirring frequently, until zucchini falls apart completely, about 15 minutes. As the zucchini softens, mash it with the back of the spoon. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Remove from the stove, mix in basil and reserve.

2. Grill or toast the bread under the broiler. Using the heel of your hand, lightly crush the remaining garlic clove. Rub one side of each bread slice with garlic, and drizzle with olive oil. Spread the zucchini purée on the bread, sprinkle with lemon juice and serve.

Zephyr Zucchini with Opal Basil, Pine Nuts, and Parmigiano-Reggiano

From the Deborah Madison collection

1	lb. or more Zephyr or other zucchini, each 6 to 8 inches long
Salt and pepper to taste
¼	cup pine nuts
Extra-virgin olive oil to taste
10	large opal basil leaves, torn into pieces
Freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

Slice the squash lengthwise in half, then steam or simmer in salted water until tender.
Meanwhile, toast the pine nuts in a dry skillet over medium heat until golden.
When the squash is done, arrange it on a platter, cut side facing up. Drizzle olive oil over it and season with salt and pepper. Grate a veil of cheese over the squash, add the pine nuts and basil, and serve.

Basil Lemonade

4 cups of water

1/2 cup of fresh-squeezed lemon juice

1/2 cup of any variety of basil

6 tablespoons of sugar

4 cups of ice

A few extra sprigs of opal basil for garnish

Combine water and juice in a jug. In a mortar and pestle, mash basil with sugar until you see a paste form. Strain paste through a sieve into jug of juice and water, and discard the leaves. Serve in chilled glasses with ice and toss in a purple basil sprig.

Teresa’s Fruit and Herb News

Season of Sweetness and Hope

“Even if I knew that tomorrow the world would go to pieces, I would still plant my apple tree.” -- Martin Luther

I think Martin Luther was probably making a statement about faith, but there is definitely something about a tree full of apples that helps dispel despair. It’s a sign of plenty, of sweetness, and of hope. We are having a very nice and very EARLY (a full 2 weeks earlier than usual!) beginning to apple season, that season of sweetness and hope, with 4 kinds of apples this week.

Pristine - This is always our first apple of the season and it is one of my favorites. It is sweet with just the right amount of zing, but the texture is what really makes it stand out. Some people compare it to Honeycrisp because it has that amazing juicy crunch, but without the dense flesh of some crunchy apples. Best for eating fresh, but I’ve also made applesauce and baked with them. Come try a sample and see for yourself!

Williams’ Pride - These are another deliciously crunchy apple, but with a little more tartness, and complex red wine overtones. The skin is dark burgundy red, and sometimes colors the flesh under the skin a lovely pink. This variety is just starting, so we don’t have too many this week. They are great for eating, and also make a gorgeous red colored applesauce.

Nutting Bumpus - This apple was introduced by James Nutting (1839-1893). Some say that he named the apple after the James Fennimore Cooper hero, Natty Bumpo, but no one really knows. Nutting Bumpus has red stripes on a yellow background and is juicy with a mild sub-acid flavor. Great for fresh eating or cooking.

Chehalis - Chehalis is a favorite of the Japanese beetles, and for good reason. Its green skin is very tender and the white flesh beneath is very juicy and sweet. It is considered a larger, “improved” golden delicious. It is very early this year and we are picking a few this week to make sure the beetles don’t get all of them.

Peaches Beginning Too!

“Do I dare to eat a peach?” T.S.Eliot

If apples symbolize plenty, sweetness, and hope, then peaches represent pure frivolity and excess! They often come at the hottest part of the summer and biting into a warm peach out in the field has more than a little feeling of sinful over-indulgence and eroticism.

We are doing our best to keep the beetles from devouring all of our peaches, but every day we have to throw a dozen or so beetle-damaged peaches over the fence to the goats. It’s funny to watch the goats eat them because they make loud smacking and crunching noises ending with them spitting out the pit! We will have the beginning of the peach crop at the market this week, so come early if you want to be sure to get some.

Blueberries

The blueberries are still holding their own and we will have about a tray or so of each of the three varieties. Come early if you want to taste Chandler though, because they go quickly.

2 New Teas This Week!

Country Anise-I’ve had this tea every year for several years now. It is mainly anise hyssop leaves with a little bit of sweet red clover. It makes a naturally sweet tea that is good hot or iced. It tastes great anytime, but is especially good for sore throats and coughs.

Blue Shiso-I introduced this tea two summers ago and then last year had a germination failure with my shiso, so I wasn’t able to make any, to the disappointment of many customers. I make this tea with Britton shiso, a beautiful herb with large heart shaped leaves that are dark grren on top and majenta on the underside. I also put in lemon grass, lemon verbena, and a little bit of ginger. When you add the hot water it turns a gorgeous blue-green, thus the name. It has a fruity taste with a hint of root beer!

Herb of the Week: WINTER SAVORY

While most Americans are unfamiliar with savory (either summer or winter), it was well known in the past and has a most colorful history. The ancient Egyptians used it as an aphrodisiac and the Romans picked up on that connection and used it as an ingredient in love potions. The Romans then brought savory with them to England, where the English mixed it with beeswax and made a back massage potion for “unromantic” women. The French mixed it with wine as a love potion for either sex. The English then brought the herb to America where all association with romance ended abruptly when it was used in tea to cure diarrhea! The sad part is that that last application is the one that holds water today.

Winter savory is a robustly flavored herb that has a taste somewhere between thyme, oregano, and sage. Beans are the classic partner for savory-any kind of beans-from tender green beans to dry beans of all sorts. It is also good with potatoes and meats such as roasts and stews. The peppery flavor is also wonderful in homemade vinegar and oil dressings for salads and marinades for chicken.

Green Beans with Savory and Tomatoes from The Good Herb by Judith Benn Hurley

1 pound green beans, topped and tailed

2 teaspoons olive oil

2 cloves garlic, mashed through a press

2 medium Italian plum tomatoes, chopped

1 tablespoon minced fresh savory

Steam the beans over boiling water, covered, until bright green and just tender, about 7 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat a large sauté pan over medium-high heat. Pour in the oil. Add the garlic and tomatoes and sauté until fragrant and saucy, about 5 minutes.

Add the beans and savory to the tomatoes, tossing well. Serve as a side dish, with polenta or an herb and cheese omelet. The beans are also tasty when slightly chilled and served as a side to risotto, with a glass of Chianti.

Savory Potato Gratin from the Herbal Kitchen by Jerry Traunfeld

2 pounds Yukon Gold or russet potatoes

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt

1/4 cup finely chopped shallots

1/4 cup chopped winter savory

1 cup (3 ounces) shredded Gruyere

3/4 cup whole milk

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Peel and rinse the potatoes and slice them about 1/16 inch thick, as if for potato chips. It’s easiest to do this on a mandoline, but if you don’t have one, use the slicing blade of a food processor. It’s possible to cut them thinly and evenly with a chef’s knife, but quite challenging.

Smear the butter on the bottom and sides of a 10 inch round shallow baking dish or glass pie plate. Arrange about one third of the potato slices in concentric circles over the bottom of the dish. Sprinkle the 1/2 teaspoon salt, 2 tablespoons of the shallots, one third of the savory, and one third of the cheese. Repeat the process with another third of the potatoes, and the same toppings, then finish with a layer of the potatoes and sprinkle with the remaining teaspoon salt, the savory, and cheese. Pour the milk over the top.

Bake the gratin for 40-45 minutes, or until deeply browned all over. Serve in wedges from the baking dish, or let the gratin cool slightly and slide it onto a platter.

See you at the Evanston Market on Saturday!

Hot Berries, Cool Daikon, Peeled Shallots

2010-07-08T21:21:29Z

Rain, rain, beautiful rain . . . softening seeds, slaking the thirsty earth. Big rain clouds gathered and then moved in from the west each of the past two late afternoons/evenings. The timing was nearly perfect, because, after a month of wet weather that prevented us from planting, we had a dry week, during which Henry planted and planted and planted (and weeded, and weeded, and weeded . . . somehow also finding time to mulch, stake, trellis, and harvest -- including harvesting out all the garlic, onions, and shallots). Then, after that dry week, and after last Saturday's market, Henry went straight back into the fields to plant sorghum-sudangrass. (Learn why this is Henry’s favorite hot-weather cover crop here.) He needed to do this Saturday (even though he’d been up since 1 a.m.) because the weatherman was calling for rain Sunday or Monday. Since it hadn't yet rained on Sunday, Henry and the family spent the Fourth planting even more seeds your late summer squash, beans, corn, okra, and cucumbers, and for fall and winter squash and pumpkin. But Sunday came and went and it stayed dry. Ditto for Monday. We were starting to seriously worry about all those seeds languishing in the dry, dry ground, doing precisely nothing.

But then on Tuesday around 6 p.m. the dark clouds blew in -- battleship gray on the bottom and rising up thousands of feet to whitest white at the top. And the rain came beating down, dumping one and a third inches on our fields in little more than an hour. The thirsty soil was happy, the swelling seeds were happy, and we too couldn’t help but smile and be happy along with them – grateful for life-giving rain.

EXTRAS:

At the end of this email, don’t miss exciting news from Henry and Hiroko’s daughter Zoe

And also the opportunity to participate in a new Certified Organic 100% Grassfed Beef CSA.

This week at the Market, look for:

· peeled shallots (put them in your refrigerator, and use them within a few weeks)

· Lots more summer veggies: cucumbers, summer squashes, tomatoes, the first of the cherry tomatoes, and the first of the peppers – green, jalapeno, Czech black, and Hungarian Horvath.

Don’t look for:

· head lettuce. Henry was unable to plant any lettuce all of May (too wet). A few heads will start being ready in a few weeks, but after a few more weeks, will disappear again because of the wet July (again, no ability to do what are usually consecutive weekly plantings). We will have a limited number of bags of mesclun salad mix, and also some nice amaranth for use as a cooking green (like an earthy spinach).

FOOD NOTES: DAIKON

What you should really try this week is daikon radish. It is a large, mild radish that is high in nutrition (like all of the Brassica family), and low in calories. It is excellent either raw or cooked, and can be boiled, grilled, sautéed, or put into soups or combined with roaster root vegetables. When cooked, it is mild and sweet. Try it!

Carrot and Daikon Salad

Light vinegared salads can be made with most any vegetable. In Shizuo Tsuji’s Japanese Cooking: A Simple Art, the author pairs carrot and daikon radish in a refreshing dish with a sweet and sour dressing called amazu. Salt shreds of deep orange carrot and white daikon radish to release their liquid, then knead the vegetables to create icicle-like shards of daikon. The dressing is made from mild rice vinegar, sugar, and water heated and then cooled. Toss it with the crunchy vegetables and refrigerate the dish for at least 30 minutes (it’s even more flavorful if left overnight). Traditionally, the salad is served in small plates but add this mixture to a bowl of salad greens and you have an appealing variation.

1	large carrot, cut into 2-inch-by- 1/2-inch matchsticks
1	medium (1 pound) daikon radish, cut into 2-inch-by- 1/2-inch matchsticks
1	teaspoon salt
1/4	cup unseasoned rice vinegar
1 1/2	tablespoons sugar
1/4	cup water

1. In a large bowl combine the carrot and daikon radish matchsticks. Add the salt and toss lightly. After several minutes, mix and lightly knead the vegetables with your hands. Working over a colander set in a bowl, gather up the vegetables in your hands and squeeze out the liquid. Rinse and dry the bowl. Place the vegetables in it.

2. In a glass bowl, mix the vinegar, sugar, and water. Heat in a microwave for 1 minute or until the sugar dissolves. Alternatively, heat the mixture in a small saucepan. Cool to room temperature.

3. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon of the vinegar mixture onto the vegetables. Mix with your hand and then squeeze the liquid from the vegetables. Discard the liquid.

4. Add the remaining dressing to the vegetables. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or for up to two days.

Pan-Fried Daikon

1. Slice the daikon crosswise into ½ inch medallions.

2. Heat a large frying pan to medium and add a little bit of sesame oil, just enough to cover the surface.

3. Just before the oil starts to smoke, arrange the daikon slices in a single layer on the surface of the pan. Fry until they start to smoke slightly. The cooked surface should have dark brown marks, but not black.

4. Flip'em and wait for them to smoke slightly again.

5. Remove from pan, and arrange on a paper towel to soak up a little oil. Arrange on a plate and sprinkle with a little salt.

Japanese-Style Potato Salad with Daikon and Cucumber

Dressing

· 1 cup mayonnaise

· 1/2 cup white wine vinegar

· 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice

· 1 tablespoon honey

· 1 teaspoon dry mustard

· 1/4 teaspoon ground white pepper

· 1/4 cup finely chopped white onion

Salad

· 3 pounds potatoes, sliced into 1/2-inch-thick rounds

· 1 2-inch-long piece daikon, peeled, halved lengthwise, cut crosswise into 1/8-inch-thick slices

· 1 large carrot, peeled, cut into 1/8-inch-thick rounds

· 8 large escarole or lettuce leaves, torn into 1-inch pieces

· 1 cup very thinly sliced red onion

· 1 cup very thinly sliced white onion

· 1 cup thinly sliced peeled Japanese cucumber or half-rounds of peeled English hothouse cucumber

· 1/2 cup diced red, yellow or green bell pepper

For dressing:
Whisk first 6 ingredients in small bowl. Mix in onion. Season with salt.

For salad:
Steam potatoes until tender, about 12 minutes. Transfer potatoes to large bowl; mash coarsely. Steam daikon and carrot until tender, about 5 minutes. Transfer to medium bowl. Mix 1 1/2 cups dressing into mashed potatoes. Cool to barely lukewarm.

Gently mix daikon, carrot, and remaining vegetables into potatoes. Season with salt and pepper.

Teresa’s Fruit and Herb News

Hot, Hot, Hot!!

The past two days I’ve felt like I’m back in the Philippines during the rainy season (I lived there as an exchange student my senior year of high school), what with the hot muggy weather and a shower just like clockwork in the afternoon. We were getting pretty dry so the showers were welcome, but the heat makes work hard, especially in or near the blueberry row covers which radiate heat like a giant oven. We picked the last of the red currants there this afternoon and after only an hour or so, were drenched with sweat down through every layer of clothing.

The blueberry row covers suffered in the winds we had earlier in the week too and now instead of the smooth, flowing “Christo-like “ installations that we initially had, we have sad rows of tattered and torn white cloths patched together with clothes pins. Our neighbors probably think we’re crazy!

Fruit this week

We will have lots of blueberries this week again, but this is probably the last big week for them. Even though we will have some for 2 or 3 more weeks, there will be less and less. We will also have the last of the red currants, so don’t put off making that summer pudding or currant crunch. And we will have very small amounts of raspberries. The Japanese beetles really reduced our summer raspberry harvest this year, but hopefully the fall crop will be better.

No cilantro for your salsa? Try Mint!

It’s that time of year already when market-goers are running from one stand to the next frantically searching for cilantro….and NOT finding it. Why? Because cilantro is a cool weather crop. It needs cool weather to germinate well and even if some does germinate, the hot weather tends to make it bolt fast. The heat is telling the cilantro it better hurry up and flower and produce progeny because it’s going to die soon.

And I’m telling you it’s time to expand your horizons. This mint salsa is fabulous! Everyone seems reluctant to try it, but everyone who has tried it has come back to tell me how much they love it. Use my regular mint, Wrigley’s spearmint, or my mojito mint.

Mint Salsa

2-3 cloves garlic

1/2 jalapeno or Serrano peppers

1/2 c. fresh mint leaves, gently packed

1 Tablespoon chopped fresh basil

2 pounds tomatoes

1 teaspoon sugar

1 teaspoon cumin

1/2 teaspoon salt

juice of one lemon

3 Tablespoons olive oil

Process first four ingredients in food processor until finely chopped. Add rest of ingredients and process until tomatoes are in small chunks. Serve with chips or over pasta with black olives. Great on hamburgers too.

Herb of the Week: TARRAGON

Tarragon is an herb that I’ve had to get to know over the past ten years. My mother didn’t use tarragon and I wasn’t used to the taste of anise with anything but licorice (which I loved!). So, ever since I started growing tarragon 10 years ago, I have experimented with it. We love it on baked fish with a little marjoram, onion, and lemon. It’s classic on chicken. Delicious thrown in a salad with your favorite lettuces. And, perfect for this time of year when the squashes, eggplants, and peppers are just starting, it is wonderful on grilled veggies. Try this recipe:

Grilled Vegetables with Tarragon from The Good Herb, by Judith Benn Hurley

4 small to medium zucchini (about 1 lb), cut into 1/3 inch slices

4 small to medium yellow summer squash (about 1 lb), cut into 1/3 inch slices

1 large eggplant, cut crosswise into 1/3 inch slices

2 red bell peppers, cored, seeded, and quartered

4 scallions, cleaned but roots left on

1/4 cup olive oil

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1/4 cup fresh tarragon leaves

pinch of sea salt

Combine the zucchini, squash, eggplant, peppers, and scallions in a large bowl.

In a small bowl, whisk together the oil, vinegar, mustard, tarragon, and salt. Pour the dressing over the vegetables and toss well. Let the vegetables marinate for at least an hour, or as long as overnight.

Prepare the grill or preheat the broiler.

Using tongs, lift the vegetables out of the marinade, knocking off the tarragon leaves so they won’t burn. Grill the vegetables 4 inches from the heat, turning once, until cooked through, about 10-15 minutes. Remove the individual vegetables as they finish cooking and set them back in the marinade. Serve warm as a light entrée, or as an appetizer or side dish.

Tarragon gives dimension to the earthy flavor of mushrooms in this recipe:

Fresh Mushroom Spread with Tarragon

1 teaspoon olive oil

12 ounces fresh button mushrooms, very finely minced

1 clove garlic, mashed through a press

1/4 cup minced onion

4 sundried tomatoes, minced

1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

1 teaspoon minced fresh tarragon

Preheat a large sauté pan over medium-high heat, then pour in the oil. When it’s hot, add the mushrooms, garlic, onion, tomatoes, and vinegar and sauté until all the liquid has evaporated, about 5 minutes. Quickly swirl in the tarragon and remove the pan from the heat. Serve warm or slightly chilled on crusty bread as an appetizer or snack, or make a sandwich on a baguette with melted mozzarella.

And now, as promised:

EXTRAS

Henry and Hiroko’s daughter Zoe learned that she will be spending her senior year of high school in Tokyo. This means she is leaving us in mid-August! So before then, she is visiting universities, and is very interested in the writing/journalism programs at Univ of Chicago or Northwestern. If any of you have advice concerning these programs, or (especially!) insights into how to find scholarship money, please get in touch with Zoe at aozorarocks at hotmail.com. Thanks!

And finally, since I have heard a number of you ask about 100% grass-fed beef over the years (and since my Dad raises only enough to feed our family), I wanted to let you know that there is a brand new CSA offering shares of Certified organic AND 100% grassfed beef from a wonderful local farm.

Trail’s End Organic Farm is owned and operated by Greg and Janet Morse and is located in the Crow Creek valley 4 miles west of Putnam, IL. The farm has been in the Morse family for 89 years. The land has been certified organic for 18 years, and chemical-free for twenty-one. For more information, look for Trail’s End Organic Farm on Facebook where you can see the daily events i n the life of an organic farm, and also visit Local Harvest where you can read customer reviews. For detailed CSA information contact Janet Morse at 815-437-2606 or at trailsend56@yahoo.com

See you at the Market!

Cabbages (Savoy and Red); Berries (Red, White and Blue); Anise Hyssop Too

2010-07-02T00:44:27Z

Sweet relief finally came this week. The thunderstorms huffed and puffed and crashed and banged and blew away all that heat and humidity. In its place we got perfect blue skies and perfect temperatures, and, miracle of miracles, a whole week with no rain!

The clear sky and dry soil enabled Henry and his helpers to catch up with the long-delayed planting and cultivating. Henry says he has never planted winter squash and pumpkins so late, so join us in hoping for a hot summer, a long warm fall, and a late frost.

Unfortunately, the rankness that I brought to your attention last week has gotten ranker. Although Henry and Co. harvested all of the onions, shallots, and garlic from the formerly mucky soil this week, the warmth and wetness they were living in for many weeks prior to harvest may have done irreparable damage, with rankness penetrating the inner layers of some of the alliums. This means that all the work that brought the alliums from seed to bulbs that are now laying in a single layer on the hayrack to dry—all the work from ordering the seed, to preparing the hoophouse earth, to planting all the different kinds of alliums from seed, to digging them up from the hoophouse and transplanting them one wispy plant at a time to the field, to watering and weeding them to finally harvesting them – all this, perhaps, for nothing.

“That’s the way it goes sometimes,” says Henry, and he turns to the next task.

FIRSTS and LASTS this week:

· Last of the Kohlrabi (and probably some other things Henry can’t remember)

· First of the Japanese Eggplants, and the regular salad cucumbers. And look for a lot more beans (Red swan, Yellow wax, Italian flat, French Filet, and more) and a lot more tomatoes and Japanese cucumbers and squash . . . summer is here!

FOOD NOTES: CABBAGE -- Savoy and Red

Henry has been known to do a passable imitation of W.C. Fields shaking his head at someone not quite hitting on all cylinders and muttering, “I’ve seen better heads on cabbages.”

We won’t make any specific comparisons, but the big beautiful heads you’ll see on Henry’s cabbages this week are something to behold, particularly the softly crinkled, almost bubbly, Savoy and the Red Cabbage with its dusky purple leaves with a delicate reddish bloom. (I will try and get a few photos up for you at http://foodandfarm.blogspot.com/ )

Cabbage was praised by Cato the Elder, who declared, "It is the cabbage that surpasses all other vegetables." And it is indeed an excellent source of vitamin C and a good source of riboflavin. It also contains significant amounts of glutamine which has anti-inflammatory properties.

Some call the Savoy Cabbage the queen of cabbages. In Italy it is known as Cavolo Verza and used in many soups and bean dishes. It is tender and sweet enough to be eaten raw in salads (see recipes below, or make a simple oil/vinegar/salt dressing), but is also excellent sauteed or used for stuffed cabbage dishes.
Even if you think you don’t like cabbage, give Henry’s sweet beauties a try. As with any fresh veggie, the simplest preparations are the best, so make your favorite sautéed cabbage, or cole slaw, or even a “hot” cole slaw. All are quick and simple and great for Fourth of July picnics.

Savoy Cabbage salad recipe, with capers and parsley

(adapted from “Italian Two Easy” Rose Gray, Ruth Rogers)

1 head of savoy cabage

1 head of radicchio

6 tablespoons of salt packed capers

1 handful of finely chopped flat leaf parsley

1 tablespoon of wine vinegar

3 tablespoons of really darn good olive oil.

Cut the cabbage in half through the core. Remove the core from each side. Slice finely across the cabbage halves. Do the same for the radicchio. In a small bowl whisk together the vinegar and olive oil.

Rinse the capers under cold running water, then soak them in a couple of changes of cold water for 10 minutes, to remove some of the salt.

In a large bowl mix together the cabbage, radicchio, capers and parsley. Pour a little of the dressing over the salad. Toss. Add more dressing as needed, but don’t overdo it.

Super Simple Sweet and Sour Cabbage Salad

· 3 cups Shredded Cabbage

· 2 tablespoons Oil

· Salt and pepper to taste

· 1 1/2 tablespoon Vinegar

· 1 1/2 tablespoon Sugar

Heat oil in pan; add salt. Then add cabbage and cook for 2 minutes. Mix together vinegar and sugar. Add to pan; cook, tossing well for 2 or 3 minutes. Serve hot or cold.

Asian Coleslaw

Dressing:

· 1/3 cup reduced sodium soy sauce

· 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil

· 2 tablespoons rice vinegar

· juice from one small lemon

· 2 teaspoons of fresh grated ginger root

· 2 cloves of garlic minced

· 3 tablespoons of vegetable oil

· 1 tablespoon of brown sugar

· 1 tablespoon of honey

· 1 tablespoon fish sauce

· 1 tablespoon of wasabi paste or chili

Veggies:

· 1 medium cabbage (4-6 cups shredded)

· 1 cup shredded carrot

· 1 medium onion

· 3/4 cups of roasted salted cashews

1. Mix all the dressing ingredients in a big bowl.

2. Add the shredded carrots to the bowl on top of the dressing without mixing.

3. Cut the onion into medium dice and add to the bowl.

4. Cut the cabbage in half or quarters and then slice into thin ribbons. Add to the bowl of the other veggies without mixing.

5. Add the cashews on top. Toss just before serving.

Sweet and Simple Cabbage Salad

· 6 cups shredded cabbage

· 1 cup shredded carrot

· 1/2 cup chopped onion

· 1/2 cup sugar

· 1/2 cup white wine vinegar

· 2 tablespoons olive oil

· 1 teaspoon dry mustard

· 1/2 teaspoon celery seeds (optional)

· 1/2 teaspoon salt

Combine first 3 ingredients in a large bowl; toss well. Combine sugar and remaining ingredients in a small bowl, stirring with a whisk. Pour vinegar mixture over cabbage mixture, tossing gently to combine. Cover; chill 1 hour.

Hot Cole Slaw

The "cole" in cole slaw has nothing to do with "cold;" it’s just the Dutch word for cabbage, which is actually kool (sla being the Dutch word for salad). When coleslaw became widely popular in this country during the 1860s, most recipes for it were called "cold slaw," and "cold slaw" it continued to be right through the rest of the 19th century.

So here’s a luscious, aromatic "hot slaw.” You can cook it as soft as you want, and you can add cayenne to taste.

And good news for Fourth of July picnickers: Coleslaw has to be kept cold, but this actually tastes better warm.

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

½ teaspoon black mustard seeds, optional

1 small onion, sliced

1 cube peeled fresh ginger about ½ inch on a side, minced

¼ teaspoon turmeric

½ teaspoon ground coriander

½ head cabbage, shredded

½ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon cayenne, or more to taste

½ cup mayonnaise

Put the oil in a large pan and over high heat add the black mustard seeds. Fry until the seeds begin to pop. If not using black mustard, heat until there is a light haze over the pan.

Add the onion and ginger and stir until softened, about 3 minutes. Sprinkle in the turmeric and coriander, stir a few times and add the cabbage and salt. Cover the pan and reduce the heat to low.

Cook about 15 minutes, removing the lid and stirring the contents of the pan from time to time. When the cabbage is wilted to your taste, remove from the heat and stir in the cayenne and mayonnaise.

Teresa’s Fruit and Herb News

Red, White, and Blue…..the Summer Fruits Go Marching On!

Red Raspberries, Red Currants, Red Montmorency Cherries, White Currants, and Blue Blueberries.

And the Blue, Blue Japanese Beetles BLUES…

Growing fruit organically takes not only hard work and perseverance, but also creativity and “trial and error.” Our experiment covering the blueberries to protect them from the ravages of the Japanese beetles may be paying off. First we covered the long rows of berry bushes with bird netting, and then draped that with giant cloth row covers. An observer might think that Christo had come by to do one of his art installations, but the draping and covering is our latest attempt to keep the darn beetles off the berries, and it mostly is. But the wind rips the row covers, and the heat builds up under them . . . so we’re not entirely sure if they are doing more harm than good.

Even though the raspberry and currant leaves are so beetle-eaten that they resemble fine green lace, the plants valiantly keep producing berries. We have to throw many of the berries away, making the ones that get to the market all the more precious. Some of the cherry leaves are so lacey that the leaves actually turn brown, curl up and fall off. And some cherries have been entirely eaten so that only the naked pits dangle forlornly from the tree.

Yet, somehow, we manage to get fruit out of the field and up to you . . . so come and get it. This is the week ro enjoy delicious (and patriotic) red, white, and blue berries.

Freezing Fruit for Winter

Summer fruits are easy and fast to prepare for freezing, so if you want to eat locally through all or part of the winter, simply freeze a box or two of fruit each week.

Raspberries--Just lay the fruit out on a cookie sheet and pop it into the freezer. When the berries are frozen, pour them into a ziplock freezer bag. Now they are ready to dole out a handful at a time for cereal, yogurt, or smoothies.

Cherries--Pitting cherries is not hard, but it does take a little bit of time. I just take a knife and make a slit down one side all the way to the seed. Then I dig the seed out with my thumb. After a few cherries, you will get fast at it. You can just put the pitted cherries straight into a freezer bag or, if you know what recipe you will be using them in, you can go ahead and mix in the ingredients and then freeze them so they are ready to go when you thaw them out.

Currants--Using a fork held upside down, strip the berries off of their stem. Rinse them to remove any little bits of stem and dirt. Then dry on a dish towel and pour them into a freezer bag and freeze.

Blueberries--These are the easiest of all. Just give them a rinse, dry on a towel, and pop them into a freezer bag and freeze.

Deborah Madison has written many wonderful books, including her brand new one, Seasonal Fruit Desserts. But the recipe below, which is a wonderful one to take advantag of the summer berry abundance, is from her previous book, Local Flavors. She says, “You can serve this compote with cream, ice cream, or over biscuits, making a warm fruit shortcake.”

Deborah Madison’s Warm Berry Compote from Local Flavors

3 pints mixed berries: raspberries, strawberries, red currants (and white ones too),

blueberries, gooseberries, etc.

1/2 cup sugar or maple syrup

Raspberries and other cane-grown berries needn’t be rinsed. Strawberries, which grow close to the ground, should be, and blueberries and currants can be. Halve larger strawberries and pluck red currants from their stems.
Put the fruit in a wide noncorrosive skillet or pot over medium-high heat. Sprinkle with sugar. Cook until the berries are warm, softened, and starting to lose their juice, 1 to 2 minutes, then remove from the heat and pour them into a bowl. As they sit, their juices will come out and the flavors will open.

Cherry Cobbler with Rich Shortcake Topping

The almond extract makes this recipe divine! Serve warm with ice cream

1 3/4 pounds fresh tart cherries, stemmed and pitted

2/3-3/4 cup sugar

1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch

1 1/2 teaspoons almond extract

1 cup flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

4 tablespoons butter, cut into 1/4 inch pieces

2 tablespoons vegetable shortening, chilled

7 tablespoons milk

1 tablespoon sugar

In food processor, mix flour, and baking powder. Scatter butter pieces over flour mixture, tossing to coat butter with a little flour. Cut butter into flour with five 1-second pulses. Add shortening; continue cutting in until flour is pale yellow and resembles coarse cornmeal, with butter bits no larger than small peas, about 4 more 1-second pulses. Turn mixture into a medium bowl.

Pour 6 tablespoons milk into flour mixture. Toss with fork until mixture forms large clumps, adding remaining 1 tablespoon milk if dough does not clump. Turn mixture onto a work surface; lightly knead until mixture just comes together. Place dough on a sheet of plastic wrap and press into either a square or a disk, depending on pan shape. Refrigerate while preparing fruit.

Combine pitted cherries with the next 3 ingredients. Put fruit mixture into an 8 inch square or 9 inch round baking pan.

Roll dough into a 10-inch square or circle. Lay dough over prepared fruit; tuck excess in between pan side and fruit. Brush dough with remaining tablespoon of milk; sprinkle with sugar. Cut 4 air vents in top of dough. Bake on a cookie sheet until golden brown, 45 to 55 minutes. Let cool slightly before serving. Delicious with ice cream!

Herb of the Week: ANISE HYSSOP

A few weeks ago, you might remember, my niece, Celeste, who was at the market with her Mom (my sister, Jill). It was cold that week, and it rained, and as a result, we had a lot of leftover herbs to pack up and bring home. Celeste asked for a bunch of anise hyssop, which I gave her. She proceeded to hold it like a bouquet and bite pieces right off the top of it, like a little kid goat eating grass. She was grazing on anise hyssop! It was almost totally gone by the time we were ready to drive home. You might try it that way, or you might steep it to make a nice tea, served either hot or cold. This tea is licorice-y and sweet. (It also soothes coughs and sore throats.)

Anise Hyssop Tea

1 cup anise hyssop leaves and flowers

lemon or orange rind

1 quart water

Bring water to a boil, add leaves and steep for 10 minutes. Strain. Add lemon or orange rind. Sweeten if desired. Serve hot or iced.

Lemony anise hyssop tea bread

2 c Flour
1 tb Baking powder
1/2 ts Salt
1/2 c Butter; at room temperature
1/2 c Sugar
1 Lemon; grated rind only
1/3 c Anise hyssop flowers and/or leaves -(or more) finely chopped
2 Eggs; beaten
1/2 c Lemon juice
1/2 c Chopped walnuts

Grease and flour the bread or loaf pan. Preheat oven to 350 F. Sift together flour baking powder and salt. In another bowl cream butter with sugar until fluffy. Then add lemon rind chopped flowers/leaves and eggs and beat mixture just until thoroughly combined. Stir in lemon juice. Gradually mix in dry ingredients and nuts mixing until blended. Spoon into prepared pan and bake 50 to 55 minutes. Cool on rack.

Thanks, and Happy FOURTH from Henry's Farm

Big Juicy Shallots, Currants, Blueberries

2010-06-25T00:18:14Z

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

Green Scapes, White Currants, Summer Solstice

2010-06-17T19:27:53Z

What do the solstice and the armistice have in common? The -stice, of course . . . meaning a space, or pause, or stop.

As we approach the Summer Solstice -- when the sun stops its gradual northerly motion, seems to stand still on June 21, and then turns to begin its southerly motion -- the fields and what we harvest from them begin to turn as well. After months of lush leafy greens -- the spring salad greens, pea shoots, arugula, lettuces, cilantro and dill, -- as well as the early radishes, kohlrabi, snow peas, sugar snap peas, and broccoli . . . we turn to the true fruits of summer. Those botanical fruits (from a blossom) include the summer squashes, cucumbers, peppers, beans and more. If you come early, you may see the first of the greenhouse cucumbers this week, and perhaps even the first zucchini from the field.

Even if you don’t get those firsts, be sure to get in on the “lasts” – Teresa’s last strawberries, and Henry’s last garlic scapes of the season – see below, and visit the Food & Farm Notes blog for photos and more recipes.

Two Terra Announcements:

1. I’m starting to write for “Zester Daily”--mostly on good food and inspiring farm topics. But I started out with this op-ed–prompted by one too many pseudo-scientific, pseudo-humanitarian, pro-GMO pieces in the Times. It comes with a chance to win a FREE copy of my book and garden tools too, so check it out!

2. Come join me, and a stellar line-up of local food folks (Faith’s Farm, Theo Organic Chocolate, Growing Home, Purple Asparagus) this coming Tuesday (June 22- 6:30-8:00) at the Notebaert Nature Museum in Chicago, for ChickChat’s “Food for Thought.” More information at:

http://www.meetup.com/ChickChat-Chicago-Soirees/

http://www.lthforum.com/bb/viewtopic.php?f=19&t=28820

Farm Notes: Hot and Muggy

It’s heating up . . . very soon you’ll see the first summer crops – including zucchini from the field. This will be one of our earliest squash harvests ever because we were able to plant them in those unseasonably warm, dry days of April.

Now though, because of the continuing rain (7/10 on Sunday, 7/10 on Monday, and about the same on Tuesday), Henry is behind with both weeding and planting. He still hasn’t been able to get your winter squash and pumpkins planted, for example, and because today and tomorrow are taken up with harvesting for market, we’re hoping the rain will hold off and he’ll be able to get some planting done late Saturday or early Sunday. (There’s a slight chance of rain this Friday and Saturday, but we’re hoping it gives us a miss)

As we near the Summer Solstice it’s light until almost 9 p.m. and so even after Henry drives back home from the Evanston market, he still has 3 or 4 hours that he could work in the fields if he has to . . . like our neighbors the Wettsteins said once during haying season, “God gives us 24 hours a day and sometimes we work 22 of them.”

Henry’s Food Notes: Garlic Scapes

Garlic scapes are a thing of curly beauty, but last week it seemed that most of our customers eyed them with a combination of skepticism and fear, not quite sure if it was a vegetable or a bunch of green octopus tentacles. Or maybe it was the gathering storm clouds that scared everyone off. In any case, we didn’t sell a single bunch, but hope to make up for it this week, which will be the last week for scapes.

Scapes are fun and easy to cook with. I like to chop them into ½ inch pieces and sauté in olive oil, then pour a beaten egg mixture over them, similar to a frittata. Cook until set, and then serve with a liberal garnish of fresh herbs (from Teresa). Add a glass of white wine for a perfect summer appetizer.

Garlic Scape Pesto
1 cup garlic scapes (about 8 or 9 scapes), top flower part removed, cut into ¼-inch slices
1/3 cup walnuts
¾ cup olive oil
¼-1/2 cup grated parmigiano
½ teaspoon salt
black pepper to taste

Place scapes and walnuts in the bowl of a food processor and whiz until well combined and somewhat smooth. Slowly drizzle in oil and process. With a rubber spatula, scoop pesto out of bowl and into a mixing bowl. Add parmigiano to taste; add salt and pepper.

For ½ pound short pasta such as penne, add about 2 tablespoons of pesto to cooked pasta and stir until pasta is well coated.

And try this: White Bean and Garlic Scape Dip from NY Times

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/18/dining/183arex.html?_r=2&ref=dining

Teresa’s Fruit & Herb Notes – White Currants lead the Summer Fruit Explosion

Teresa is too busy to write this week – waking up at dawn to spray the tree fruits with the kaolin clay mixture that keeps normal pests (not Japanese beetles) away, and getting to bed late after weeding, mulching, picking and all the other farm chores. The Japanese beetle invasion is once again upon us, and they have already devastated the plums and grapes. Teresa will bring pie cherries up this week if she can get to them before the beetles do.

But she says not to fear, this is the week of the summer fruit explosion, and if you get to her stand early enough, you’ll see gorgeous blueberries, gooseberries (3 kinds), currants (red, black, and white), raspberries (black and red), the last of the strawberries, and maybe those cherries.

In addition, look for all of her fabulous fresh-cut herbs, including 9 kinds of mint (for tea, iced drinks-alcoholic and non-, and for salads and meats) and very lovely bunches of feathery dill.

Also don’t miss the dried herb teas, and the soaps from our little sister Jill’s Red Barn Farm.

See the Food and Farm Blog for some lovely white currant photos and recipes.

WHITE CURRANTS (with pink and golden undertones)

Red grabs our eyes, but the pearly white currants are lovely in everything from salads to desserts. They are a good source of vitamins B and C, and are rich in iron, copper and manganese. Did I mention they are tartly delicious, and used throughout Europe in salads, savory dishes, and desserts.

Here are a few currant ideas and recipes:

· Saute in butter and mint and spoon over salmon
· Make a sauce and use over ice cream or pound cake.
· Put into egg salad with a little curry powder
· Add to your favorite pancake or muffin recipe
· Drop some into a glass of white or sparkling wine

Soft fruit sorbet

1lb raspberries
1lb redcurrants
½ cup sugar

1. Crush (in a big sealed plastic bag with a rolling pin) and sieve the fruit, then stir in the icing sugar.
2. Pour into an ice cream machine or make granita style by freezing, stirring after an hour, freezing again, stirring etc until it gets the consistency you want.

Currant rice pudding

Wash and pick over currants for stems. Then, using any rice pudding recipe, add the currants after fifteen minutes (so the skin hasn’t formed but the milk is warm and the rice is swelling). This gives lovely swirls of fruity flavour through the rice.

Summer Fruits Cobbler with Cornmeal and Buttermilk Topping

Super-simple and delicious!

For the filling:

5 cups fruit – e.g. strawberries, currants, cherries

2 tablespoons kirsch or brandy

3 tablespoons sugar

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

1 tablespoon sifted all purpose flour

For the topping:

¼ cup whole wheat flour

1 cup all-purpose flour

¼ cup cornmeal

2 teaspoons baking powder

½ teaspoon baking soda

¼ cup sugar

Rounded ¼ teaspoon salt

6 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into ½-inch pieces

⅔ cup buttermilk

1. Preheat the oven to 375 F. Butter a 2-quart baking dish. Place the cherries in the dish and add the kirsch, sugar, lemon juice, and flour. Carefully mix together with a rubber spatula or a large spoon until the sugar and flour have dissolved into the liquids.

2. Sift together the flours, cornmeal, baking powder, baking soda, sugar, and salt. Place in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade and pulse a few times. Add the butter and pulse to cut in the butter, until the mixture looks like coarse cornmeal. Turn on the food processor and pour in the buttermilk with the machine running. As soon as the dough comes together, stop the machine.

3. Spoon the topping over the cherries by the heaped tablespoon, or use a ¼ cup measure. The cherries should be covered but may peek out here and there. Place the baking dish on a baking sheet. Place in the oven and bake 35 to 40 minutes, until the top is nicely browned and the cherries are bubbling. Remove from the heat and allow to cool to warm before serving. Serve warm (heat in a low oven for 15 minutes if necessary before serving), with whipped cream, crème fraiche, or vanilla ice cream on the side.

CURRANT FLAN (RIBISEL KUCHEN )

This is from the oral tradition (an Austrian grandmother), so you’ll have to do your best with the amounts.

Prepare a pastry with two ounces sugar, four ounces butter and six ounces flour, a few drops of lemon juice and line a buttered and floured rectangular flan tin with this. Bake 'blind'.
When baked, but still hot, cover thickly with red-currants, sprinkle with a little sugar.
Whisk two egg whites until stiff, whisk in two ounces caster sugar, fold in another two ounces sugar. Pile whipped egg white over redcurrants.
Bake in cool oven until meringue top has set .Cut into slices when cool ( will be a bit runny when warm). Serve with cream.

Berry Fruit Meringue - Meringata di Frutti di Bosco

Berries and cream make this tasty summer meringue pie. It looks beautiful, and if you have some experience with a pastry bag, is easy to do.

· 4 egg whites

· 2/3 cup granulated sugar

· 2 1/2 cups powdered sugar, of the kind without vanilla added

· 1 cup whipping cream

· 1/2 pound fresh raspberries

· 1/4 pound strawberries, hulled

· 1/4 pound black currants

Combine the granulated sugar and a cup and a quarter of the powdered sugar. Add half the mixture to the egg whites, and beat them to very firm peaks with an electric mixer. When the sugar/whites mixture is firm and shiny, slowly beat in the remaining mixed sugars.

While you are doing this, heat your oven to 212 F (100 C). Also, take a cookie pan and line it with oven parchment.

Fill a pastry bag with a smooth nozzle with the meringue mixture, and use it to make two 8-inch (20 cm) diameter disks, and one 1-inch wide ring that is 8 inches in diameter; dot the ring with dots of meringue (if you switch to a star-shaped nozzle you will obtain a pretty decorative effect). Cook the meringue in the oven, leaving the door partially open, for three hours.

While the meringue is cooking, see to the filling: Blend half the raspberries. Beat the cream with the remaining sugar, and when it is soft and fluffy incorporate the blended berries.

Put one of the disks on a serving dish and spread a third of the cream over it, dotting it with the fruit, especially around the edges. Set the second ring over the first, spread another third of the cream over it, and dot it with more of the fruit. Put the ring atop the disks, put the remaining fruit in the center, and use a pastry bag to add the ring the fruit with the remaining cream.

Chill the meringue in the refrigerator until serves.

Thanks and bon appetit from all of us at Henry's Farm.

New Currants, Teas, Soaps; Lots of Lettuces and Chicories, No Nincompoops

2010-06-11T01:40:59Z

You don’t get weather much better than what we’ve had the past few days, and I hope you’ve taken a few moments to glance up into the infinite blue sky and the white clouds skating across it, or to relax your eyes on the dancing green of trees and grass, or perhaps to repeat a few phrases from the quietly ecstatic e.e. cummings poem:

i thank You God for most this amazing
day:for the leaping greenly spirits of trees
and a blue true dream of sky;and for everything
which is natural which is infinite which is yes

The experiment with last week’s abbreviated Food & Farm Notes (with links to the Food & Farm Notes blog), had an equal number of people loving it and hating it -- some quite seriously and vehemently. So I am going to keep the former format (the old-fashioned letter form), while gradually making my way into the brave new world of blogs and feeds and i-Phones.

For the moment, your choices are to click over to the blog right now for some photos and short bits that I'll get up there sometime on Friday-- I hope! -- probably on garlic scapes (Henry’s), red currants (Teresa’s), and apples and goats (Jill’s and Halley’s) . . . or don’t click, and just read on for the full experience.

[For those of you new to these Notes and wondering who the heck Henry, Teresa, Jill and Halley are . . . Halley is Jill’s oldest daughter, and Jill, Teresa, Henry and me (Terra) are four Illinois farm siblings (2 more siblings are out west). I write the Food & Farm Notes for Henry, and often his daughter Zoe contributes; Teresa writes her Fruit & Herb Notes, and Halley, who just graduated from 8^th grade, is writing intermittent Notes from her family’s Red Barn Farm—all of which are in this weekly email . . . so Read On!]

Food & Farm Notes from Henry’s Farm

· At the market this week:

o NEW: Baby Fennel, Cabbage (Yum!), Basil (Lots!), Knob Onions (red, white, and yellow), purple and multi-colored carrots, and other new items that Henry can’t remember right now

o Japanese Hand Weeding Tools (think Father’s Day) – just $25

o The Seasons on Henry’s Farm and Solstices and Equinoxes – look for Terra at the book table from 5 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. I’ll leave some signed books there after that, which you can buy from my sister Jill or her girls.

Farm Notes: We were expecting rain early in the week, but only got about half an inch, which was fine as we don’t need rain right now, and Henry could use a dry week or so to liberate the seedlings from all the weeds. When the soil is dry, he and the family and apprentices break out all the implements you can use in dry soil: tractor, rototiller, and hoes of all descriptions. During or after a rain, the only weeding implements you can use are your hands, which are marvelous implements, but not nearly as efficient as steel in the various clever ways we have put it together to get rid of weeds. Speaking of which . . . if you have had your eye on one of those Japanese weeding tools, in effect hand-hoes, that Henry brings to market now and then, this is the week to get one over at the book table. They are beautiful and useful . . . and would make a great gift for yo urself or a gardener in your life, or for Father’s Day, which is coming up in just over a week.

Food Notes – Hip Hip Hooray for Chic-Chic-Chic-o-ries! (and Lettuces and Scapes)

This week, Henry will have lots of beautiful greens from the chicory family: Radicchio (Treviso, Verona, and Italico di Rosso) (all Cichorium intybus) -- and Escarole and Endive (Cichorium endivia).

Curly endive, or frisée (var crispum) has narrow, green, curly outer leaves. It is sometimes called chicory in the U.S. and is called chicorée frisée in French.

Escarole, or broad-leaved endive (var latifolia) has broad, pale green leaves and is less bitter than the other varieties. Varieties include broad-leaved endive, Bavarian endive, Batavian endive, grumolo, scarola, and scarole. (The cream colored Belgian endive is grown underground or indoors in the absence of sunlight to prevent the leaves from turning green and opening up. We don’t have time for such silliness, so our endive is open and a lovely shade of green.)
· Italico di Rosso Radicchio is a variety Henry is trying for the first time this year. It is stemmy and upright, with long stalks, red and green, that open out to a spoon leaf at the end.

The chicory plant is one of the earliest cited in recorded literature. Horace wrote: "Me pascunt olivae, me cichorea, me malvae" ("As for me, olives, endives, and mallows provide sustenance").

And as for me, they provide deep sustenance . . . something about the bitter edge speaks of nutrients that my body knows it needs. Indeed the chicories are rich in many vitamins and minerals, especially in folate and vitamins A and K. The bitter characteristic is appreciated in many cuisines, especially in Italy (Liguria and Puglia), Greece, and Turkey because it adds depth to the overall flavor of a salad or a dish.

But if you want to harness the bite, try cooking the greens, and add salt, fat, and spice – chiles or bacon or sausage or cheese all go well with chicories. Or try these techniques:

Adding sweetness, such as sugar or honey, during cooking.
Counterbalancing the bitterness by sautéing greens in oil with lots of garlic and/or onions.
Long, slow braising, especially with meats, to really mellow the chicories.
Grilling or roasting, and then slathering with olive oil, balsamic, and/or cheese

Before we get to the recipes, Henry wants me to assure all of you who were at the market last week that none of you are nincompoops—because last week he brought up 40 crates of lettuce, and you bought the complete contents of 39 of them. To thank you for your amazing feat, and challenge you to greater heights, he is bringing up even more lettuce up this week, and will again have it on sale – 2 big beautiful heads – your choice from over 40 varieties – for only $5!

This makes me think we need a new subsection to the Food & Farm Notes:

Word Notes: Nincompoop

Most dictionaries play is safe and list it as “origin unknown.” The first edition of the Oxford English Dictionary concluded that the word was simply a fanciful formation. But the most recent OED links the word, with some caution, to Nicodemus, the Pharisee who questioned Jesus. This derivation gets support in the French word nicodème, meaning a simpleton or fool. Or at least the first part of the word does . . . but what about that poop? Some point to the Dutch phrase nicht om poep, meaning “the female relative of a fool. ” And there was once an English verb poop, which indeed meant to fool or cheat, and it did come from Dutch poep (which in the original Dutch meant a shit or a fart). Dr. Johnson ignored all of the above in his Dictionary, writing that nincompoop was from Latin non compos, as in the medical and legal phrase non compos mentis. Given that there's no consensus, here’s my definition:

Nincompoop: a silly-sounding word for a silly sort of person--the sort that doesn’t buy at least 2 heads of lettuce and a couple of chicories this week.

Sauteed Escarole

Anchovy and red pepper flakes balance the bitterness of the escarole.

4 lb escarole (about 4 heads), cored and coarsely chopped
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil plus additional for drizzling
5 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1/2 teaspoon dried hot red pepper flakes
1 (2-oz) can anchovy fillets in olive oil, drained, patted dry, and chopped

Wash escarole well. Cook in a 7- to 8-quart heavy pot of boiling salted water until tender, about 10 minutes, then drain in a colander.

Heat oil in same pot over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking, then sauté garlic and red pepper flakes, stirring, until garlic is golden, about 1 minute. Add anchovies, then reduce heat to moderate and cook, stirring, until dissolved, about 1 minute. Add escarole, stirring to coat with oil, then increase heat to moderately high and cook, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until escarole is tender and most of liquid is evaporated, 8 to 10 minutes. Season lightly with salt. Spoon onto a platter and drizzle with oil to taste.

Grilled Radicchio with Scamorza Cheese

4 (9-inch) heads Treviso radicchio
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 cup coarsely grated smoked Scamorza cheese or smoked mozzarella (3 oz)
2 1/2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

Prepare grill. Remove any loose outer leaves from radicchio and trim bases, leaving heads intact. Quarter each head lengthwise. Brush radicchio lightly with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Grill on a rack over moderately hot coals (coals are ready when you can hold your hand 5 inches above rack 3 to 4 seconds), covered, turning every 10 minutes, until outer leaves are browned and hearts are tender, 25 to 30 minutes total. Sprinkle cheese over cut sides of radicchio and grill, uncovered, until cheese begins to melt, about 2 minutes. Transfer radicchio to a platter and drizzle with vinegar.

Roasted Balsamic Radicchio

2 large heads of radicchio (about 1 pound total), halved through core end, each half cut into 3 wedges with some core still attached
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme

Balsamic vinegar (for drizzling)

Preheat oven to 450°F. Rinse radicchio wedges in cold water; gently shake off excess water (do not dry completely). Place radicchio in large bowl. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with thyme, salt, and pepper; toss to coat.

Arrange radicchio wedges, 1 cut side up, on rimmed baking sheet. Roast until wilted, about 12 minutes. Turn over and roast until tender, about 8 minutes longer. Arrange radicchio on platter, drizzle with balsamic vinegar, and serve.

Radicchio, Carrot, Cabbage Slaw

2 small heads radicchio, cut in half, then sliced thinly
1 small head cabbage, quartered and thinly sliced
2/3 cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons sugar
3/4 cup roughly grated carrots
1/3 cup white wine vinegar
Salt and pepper

In a large mixing bowl, toss all the ingredients together.

Endive and Chicory Salad with Grainy Mustard Vinaigrette

1/2 garlic clove
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon coarse-grain mustard
1 tablespoon red-wine vinegar
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 head endive, torn into small pieces
1 head escarole, torn into small pieces

Mince garlic with a large heavy knife, then mash to a paste with salt using flat side of knife. Whisk together garlic paste, mustard, vinegar, and pepper, then add oil in a slow stream, whisking until emulsified. Just before serving, toss greens with vinaigrette.

And finally (in Henry’s part of these Notes), a note about last week’s bagged spinach and mesclun . . .

We’re not sure why, but there seemed to be something about the bags we used last week that may have caused the greens to go bad much faster than usual . . . Henry has a number of theories, but he is going back to the regular bags this week, and assumes that will fix things. But if you were unable to enjoy your greens last week because of this issue, let us know and we’ll make it right. Thanks.

Teresa’s Fruit and Herb News

First of the Red Currants and Raspberries, AND we still have Strawberries!

We had two frosts during blossom season this spring and they did more damage than I first thought, so I’m not at all sure how many strawberries we will have this week. If you are in dire need, come early! The raspberries are just starting (yes, they are early this year) so there won’t be many of those either . . . in case you need another reason to come early.

In my opinion, red currants are the most beautiful of all the fruits that I grow. (If you have a Land Connection calendar, you’ve been enjoying their beauty since June 1.) They glow ruby red as if lit from within. In the shade of the branches, the long strigs sway in and out of view, half hidden by the dark green, maple-shaped leaves.

Red currants are tart, so they are perfect for sweetened desserts or in combination with sweeter fruits such as raspberries and strawberries. They are very high in vitamin C--one source says 30 times higher than oranges by weight! If you don’t have time to make one of the desserts below, just add currants to a smoothie or to your favorite muffin or scone recipe. Some people, like my daughter, Marina, even like them plain. Try it, maybe you will too!

In most of Europe, variations on Red Currant Tarts are as ubiquitous as apple pie is here in the States.

Red Currant Tart

Crust:

2 cups flour

1/2 cup cold butter

1/2 cup sieved powdered sugar

1 egg yolk

a pinch of salt

filling/topping:

1 pound red currants

2 eggs

4-5 tbsp brown sugar

1/2 cup heavy cream

Crust: Sieve the powdered sugar, mix all ingredients, and knead together. The dough will not want to stick together, but keep working it until it does. Form a ball, cover it, and let it rest in the fridge for about half an hour. Then roll it out about half a centimeter thick (dust board with flour as needed) and press into ~5 inch buttered flan tins or Crème brûlée forms. Repeatedly poke a few holes across the bottom, line with parchment paper and add pie weights (I used rice, dry beans work, too) and prebake them in the oven at about 175°C (350°F) for about 10 minutes. Take the crusts out, remove the baking weights and let them cool down.

Filling: Remove red currants from the stems, wash them and pat dry with a kitchen towel. Arrange berries on the dough. Combine eggs with cream and sugar, beat until you have a homogeneous mixture and pour over the currants (about two thirds the height of the redcurrants, because the mixture will rise a bit).

Bake at 180°C (355°F) in the oven for 20 minutes or until lightly browned, remove and let chill. Dust with powdered sugar, if desired. Best eaten still a little warm or on the next day…

A couple of years ago, one very kind and generous customer bought raspberries and red currants from me and the next week he presented me with ice cream made from those berries! It was heavenly! Try this granita using the same combination.

Red currant and raspberry granita

Servings: Makes about 1 pint granita

Adapted from "Is There a Nutmeg in the House?" by Elizabeth David.

1/4 pound red currants, about 1 scant cup

1/2 pound raspberries, about 2 cups

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

1/2 cup sugar

1. In a blender, puree the currants with the raspberries. Press them through a stainless steel or nylon sieve, or put through a food mill. Put them in a medium bowl, and add the lemon juice.

2. In a medium saucepan, bring one-half cup of water and the sugar to a boil. Boil until the mixture is a light syrup consistency, 4 minutes (for a more dense sorbet, boil until the syrup is thick, 7 minutes). Cool for a few minutes.

3. Stir the currant and raspberry mixture into the sugar syrup. Place the granita in a large glass baking dish, cover loosely with foil and allow to freeze, 2 to 2 1/2 hours.

4. Ten minutes before serving, transfer the granita to the refrigerator to soften. Serve.

Herb of the Week: OREGANO

Oregano is one of those herbs that has a very different taste when it is fresh compared to when it is dry. The fresh herb is surprisingly peppery and is wonderful in salad dressing or added to a simple tomato salad. It is also great in meat dishes, breads, and of course, in pasta sauces.

Lemon Oregano Chicken

1 chicken, cut up, skin on

1/2 cup coarsely chopped fresh oregano

6-8 cloves garlic, chopped

3 lemons

3-4 large potatoes, cut into 1-2 inch pieces

Olive oil

Put chicken and potato pieces in a large glass baking dish. Add oregano, garlic, and the juice of 2 lemons. Slice up the third lemon and add the pieces. Drizzle enough olive oil over the top to lightly coat everything. Mix so that everything is coated with the lemon juice and the oil. Bake at 375 degrees for about 1 hour or until the chicken is done.

Easy Tomato Oregano Salad

Peel, seed, and chop a large ripe tomato. Take a block of feta cheese and crumble a little onto the tomato. Add one or two finely minced cloves of garlic. Add a drizzle of olive oil, cracked black pepper and freshly chopped oregano. Coarsely mash. Let sit 10 minutes to let flavors meld, then eat with some nice Italian bread.

Herb Teas are finally Here!!

We have had a few rainy days in the past couple of weeks, which means the jobs like weeding, planting, and mulching, get put on hold and my interns and I get to sit around the table and make tea. I mix up the various herbs and put the mixtures in bowls, then the interns spoon the mixtures into the individual little tea bags. I iron each little teabag shut, stick the labels on the plastic bags, and then package the tea bags inside the plastic bags. We will have Chamomile (both bulk and in tea bags), Sunny Lemon, Lemon Medley, Mint, and Peter Rabbit’s Tea. More varieties coming as the season progresses!

We are trying to reduce packaging to cut down on the amount of plastic that we contribute to the environment. Since most of our customers would buy two bags anyway, we have doubled the number of teabags per bag. Now you will be getting 8 teabags in a bag instead of 4. Prices remain the same per teabag (50 cents/teabag when you buy one bag of 8, 37.5 cents/teabag when you buy two bags of 8).

The Last Week for Plant Starts! Best prices of the season!

If you have a sunny porch, deck, or yard, it’s not too late, but it soon will be! This is the last week I’ll be bringing up plants. For those of you with no yard, you are in luck because I still have a lot of container-suitable tomatoes, peppers, eggplants, and herbs for you to choose from. Growing in containers is not hard and it is so satisfying to pick and eat your own veggies! Ask us and we will help you find the variety right for you and give you advice on growing them.

I also have several heirloom and hybrid tomatoes left including several types of plum and paste tomatoes, a few hot and sweet peppers, and lots of Italian eggplants. Oh, and herbs including a few basils, lemon thyme, tarragon, lavender, and several others.

Farm and Goat-Milk Soap NOTES from RED BARN FARM

By Halley Cummings

On our small island amid the rolling waves of corn and soybeans, everything is gearing up for summer. As the days grow longer, so does the list of chores. This week, preparing for the big apple harvest later this summer (the first apple varieties, Pristine and William's Pride, will be ripe by the end of July) involved countless hours mowing the waist-high grass and using it to mulch around the base of each tree. We have also been applying Kaolin powder, a floury mixture made of clay that repels pests. (Terra will post some pictures on the Food & Farm blog.)

As for the goats, the kids born in early spring are increasingly playful, hopping on and off the old wire spools stacked in the pasture in a dance of perpetual joy. A little over two weeks ago, Clara Belle had her kids--one boy and two girls, Elsa and Espresso. Espresso had some trouble learning to nurse so we put her and her mother on the milking stand so we could help her. She successfully learned how to nurse, but now she refuses to drink anywhere but on the milking stand! (To meet some of our other goats and learn about their personalities, visit our website. You can also order soap there and we'll send it to you or as a gift to a friend.)

We milk three goats every day and get about one gallon of milk. We could get more, but the kids still like to drink a little and a gallon is enough for us to drink and to make cheese and soap.

Look for these soaps on Saturday, as well as several seasonal gift bags, perfect for late spring and summer birthday gifts . . . and Father’s Day, too – Silk and Milk might be the perfect one (in addition to, or instead of, a tie)!

Eggs-tra Cleansing (with eggshells!)
Sour Cream
Silk and Milk Soap (for Dad’s Day!)
Rosemary Mist
Luxurious Lavender (aromatherapy!)
Rosehip
Milk-and-Honey Facial
Café Au Lait
Strawberry Scrub
Honey Oatmeal
Yogurt Parfait
Snow's Simple Soap

And finally (from Terra), Halley has recently begun creating beautiful websites . . . see the one for Red Barn Farm here, and one for Teresa’s Aronia here. And of course there's Henry's site here and the Henry's Farm Facebook page here.

You will see all of us, plus a couple of Halley’s sisters, up at the Evanston market this Saturday, and we look forward to seeing you!

Late-Breaking Harvest Day NEWS

2010-06-04T15:35:22Z

1. THIS IS THE WEEK FOR LETTUCE! Henry says it's the biggest lettuce day of the year (until fall anyway). He will have over 40 varieties, and they will be on sale from the opening bell: 2 for $5. Henry does not want to hear anyone (I believe the word he used was 'nincompoop') say, "But I can't eat 2 lettuces . . . " First of all, these lettuces will stay fresh for weeks in your refigerator. Second, if you're going to eat in season, that means at certain times (the coming weeks) you're going to eat a lot of certain things (lettuce). So have a different salad each evening, and branch out into braised lettuce, and delicious lettuce soups. If you don't stock up this week, you'll get no sympathy from Henry next month when you complain he has no lettuce. Com e visit the Amazing Wall of lettuce and indulge all your lettuce fantasies.

2. THIS WAS NOT PEAK WEEK FOR STRAWBERRIES -- Last Week Was. Teresa was chagrinned to find many fewer strawberries than expected, and she wants to let you know that last week was actually the peak week, and she's bringing up less this week. If you have to have some of these amazingly delicious berries, come early.

3. We are thrilled to see The Seasons on Henry’s Farm get a glowing review in the NY Times (will appear in print in this Sunday’s Book Review section) – and that Zoe got the closing quote! (I told her she will for sure get into journalism school now, with her writing appearing in the NY Times already! btw, if anyone has connections with Medill Journalism School at Northwestern, talk to Zoe at the Market on Saturday. She'll be there with her best friend Rhea, both of whom have been harvesting since dawn today.) Thanks to every one of you for your support and friendship that has gotten us this far -- and feel free to spread the word!

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/06/books/review/Gardening-t.html?pagewanted=2&nl=books&emc=booksupdateema4

Gardening Books

By DOMINIQUE BROWNING

. . .

For a more serious yet equally engaging look at the farmer’s life, pick up THE SEASONS ON HENRY’S FARM: A Year of Food and Life on a Sustainable Farm (Surrey/Agate, $25), by Terra Brockman. This is by far the most informative and earnest of the back-to-the-land memoirs; anyone thinking about farming as a way of life should read it. “The Seasons on Henry’s Farm” isn’t full of peril. It doesn’t warn away or beckon hither. It’s a sober, cleareyed assessment of what needs to get done, when, how and why. By describing a year’s worth of chores on her brother’s farm in central Illinois, Brockman give us an excellent idea of how demanding and profoundly rewarding farming can be.

She cleverly opens the book in November, with the annual planting of some 40,000 cloves of garlic under the hunter’s moon. Her prose is brisk, yet richly detailed. The chapter on the ice storm that felled a beloved oak, which gave Henry a way to propagate mushrooms, is a marvel of concise wisdom, and so is one called “Drakes Mount,” for anyone who ever wondered exactly how birds do it. By the time spring arrived, I was eyeing my suitcase and seriously contemplating a stint as an intern.

Brockman gives new meaning to the term “earth mother.” She brooks no nonsense or misplaced sentimentality about life on a farm. She can be eloquent even on the life of swine, watching piglets suckling while “the mother sow’s grunts and moans turned erotic.” And then, in the next line, there’s a reference to “the hogs we’ll butcher” that same day. When Henry decides to charge customers for biodegradable plastic bags (and Brockman adroitly explains why even those aren’t good), some of his customers are furious. She’s wryly funny about how heresy quickly becomes practicality.

Brockman is an avid reader: Shakespeare, William Carlos Williams, Marcel Proust and Gabriel García Márquez stride across Henry’s fields. And their eloquence rubs off: her descriptions of winter’s quiet make you want to try experiencing those grueling summer days on the farm, simply to deserve that rich relaxation when the crops are all in.

Brockman’s family is also an important part of the narrative. Her sister Teresa grows fruits and herbs and raises goats, hens and bees on her own farm five miles away. Henry’s wife and three children do their part to help; his aging parents pitch in whenever they can. Even the dogs are skillful, dedicated workers. The children are such graceful writers that they, too, contribute to the book. “I remember how once Grandpa told me never to look forward at how much there is left to do,” Brockman’s niece Zoe writes about a particularly taxing session weeding lettuces, “just look back at how much you’ve accomplished.” A valuable lesson for anyone who finds herself knee-deep in tomatoes — or goat manure — this summer.

Edible Weeds, Peak Strawberries, Zoe on Weeding, Terra on James Beard

2010-06-04T01:55:19Z

We’ve had some spectacular electrical storms this week -- the kind where you stand at the window slack-jawed with awe, as continual lightning creates a pulsing Pleistocene world. As you turn back to your warm, dry bed, you are newly appreciative of shelter – and newly sympathetic to poor King Lear upon the heath, who had none, but who still knows a good metaphor when he sees one: this tempest in my mind/Doth from my senses take all feeling else,/Save what beats there, filial ingratitude.

‘Round these parts, we have filial gratitude (mostly) – as you’ll see in the Farm Notes that Henry and Hiroko’s daughter Zoe writes this week (yes, she’s back! by popular demand!) – all about the planting and weeding marathon this past Sunday.

You know, when I first started these notes (over 10 years ago!) blogs didn’t exist, and many people were not that comfortable with the internet. But times have changed, so I’m going to try something new this week . . . putting out a brief email with highlights, and then giving you links to the details – which you can find, with photos, on our Food and Farm Notes Blog. (go ahead and bookmark this if you like http://foodandfarm.blogspot.com/)

We’ll do it this way for a few weeks as a trial . . . please let us know which you prefer, the previous version with one long email, or this shorter email with links to the full (illustrated) story, and an easier way to refer back at previous Notes to find recipes, etc.

Here goes . . . click away!

* Teresa’s Fruit & Herb Notes

Teresa announces the peak of the strawberry season, and the many virtues of sage.

If you need a reason to buy organic strawberries, or to convince someone else to do so, read about the incredibly dangerous methyl iodide California is poised to approve for use on strawberries.

* Terra’s Food Notes and Recipes

Everything you've ever wanted to know about delicious, nutritious native plants -- the wild green, golden giant, and hopi red dye amaranth you’ll see at the market, plus a few recipe suggestions.

The reader’s digest condensed Food Notes are:

· Wild greens – amaranth, lamb’s quarters, and purslane

· tons of lettuce of every color and frill factor

· big bunches of sweet and tender beet greens* (2 for $3, while they last)

· great green garlic, and some bunches of garlic scapes

· more carrots

· bigger bunches of kale

· and (new this week) lovely Broccoli, Tatsoi, Japanese Turnips and, we hope, a small amount of Snow Peas and Sugar Snap Peas.

* The story on the beet greens is that Henry planted beets all around the greenhouse tomatoes to make good use of the valuable real estate. Now the tomatoes are about 4 feet tall, and it’s hard to trellis them while a carpet of beets is underfoot. So the plan was to harvest them out and give you bunches of beets on Saturday, but on Thursday evening, when Henry started pulling them, he saw that the mice beat him to the beets, having found the sweetness irresistable. So Henry gave unto the mice the rest of that which was the mice’s. And what you get is a special sale on Beet Greens – 2 for $3 . . . as long as they last. Here’s a s auteed beet greens with garlic and olive oil recipe from the NY Times. You can use green garlic instead of the garlic cloves, and be sure to use the red stems as well as the green leaves – all are sweet and tender, delicious and nutritious.

Zoe’s Essay about Weeding

You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, you’ll sweat, you’ll groan . . . but mostly, you’ll love it.

My long-promised report on the James Beard Awards

There’s a rumor that The Seasons on Henry’s Farm will be reviewed in the New York Times Book Review this Sunday . . . stay tuned!

Oh, and don’t forget to stop by our neighbors the Wettstein’s stand at the other side of the market this Saturday. They’ll have certified organic beef, pork, lamb, eggs, and plenty of chicken--whole, cut-up, breast, wings, drums, thighs, backs, gizzards, and livers. Marilyn says:The pastures are green, and the oats are looking good. The corn is just breaking through the ground. We baled some hay between the rain drops this week. After the last two days of heavy rains, it is too we t to plant any soybeans. So we are coming to see you in Evanston.Marilyn’s cell phone for Sat (309) 251-1334

Happy Eating, and thanks from all of us at Henry’s Farm

Terra

Stormy Weather, Sculpit (aka Stridolo), Strawberries, and Free Tomato Plant from Teresa . . .

2010-05-28T00:06:42Z

Lena Horne must have been busy giving encore performances of her sultry “Stormy Weather” earlier this week -- to the accompaniment of real crashing thunder and blinding lightning. On Monday night, I walked up the lane lit by continual flashes from the southwest that got closer and closer. As I walked back, I saw the cats lounging along the edge of the lane, enjoying the light show and the suddenly cooler air. Reaction to thunderstorms, I thought, is another difference between sensitive dogs and cool cats. But as soon as the first fat drops started falling, they retreated indoors and we all went to sleep to rhythmic waves of rain blowing against the house. Around 4 a.m. a new storm had come through and hovered over us while the light slashed the sky and slammed it back together righ t above our heads as the house shook and more rain fell.

A few hours later, when I went over to the fields to help Henry, Hiroko, Matt, Andy, and Charlie with the first CSA harvest, I was surprised to see that the ground there was almost dry. Later I talked to Dad about the difference between the amount of rain that fell at my place and on Henry’s fields less than a mile away, which led Dad to quote his Dad: “It’s gotta stop somewhere.” He then told the story of his Dad going out to work the back 40, and returning home soon after. Grandma heard the tractor and yelled out, “What are you doing back so soon?” and Grandpa said, “Can’t you see? I’m soaking wet!” Just another example of a summer cloudburst that “stopped somewhere” between the field and the house less than a quarter mi le away.

Since some of you, dear readers, don’t get all the way down to our sister Teresa’s Fruit and Herb Notes found at the end of this letter, I’m going to put her Notes first this time and save Henry’s for the end.

But here’s a sneak preview of what you’ll see at Henry’s stand: lots more lettuce, plus chois, plus more roots -- carrots, kohlrabi (actually an enlarged stem), and probably Japanese turnips. And along with all those old favorites, is a new one: a rustic Italian green called sculpit or stridolo that has its very own festival in the town of Galeata in Emilia-Romagna. . . read more below.

Teresa’s Fruit and Herb News

Back from Yale, and Strawberries are Here!!!

As many of you know, we went to Yale last weekend for my eldest daughter’s graduation. It was an exhilarating weekend, filled to the brim with obscure Yale traditions, exciting celebrity appearances, and fabulous refreshments—fried ravioli, coconut chicken, raspberry-brie tarts…but there was one thing that was not fabulous at all: the strawberry shortcake.

No offense to the hardworking Yale cafeteria workers, but that shortcake was so far from delicious it must’ve had a passport. A proper shortcake biscuit is delightfully flaky and not so sweet as to overwhelm the berries; this one was doughy and saccharine and stuck in your throat. The strawberries were white inside and utterly flavorless. And what madness was this? No juice to soak into the biscuit and mix with the melting ice cream?! Pure blasphemy.

To avoid creating the shortcake version of an Invasion of the Body Snatchers pod-person, I’ll provide you with my mother’s strawberry shortcake recipe below.

But first, the back-story on these berries, which have had a challenging spring: In April when we removed their winter mulch blanket, they were shocked with 85 degree heat and a mini-drought. Between then and now we have had cool, wet weather that included four frosts (we had to cover them with giant row-covers), although they were conveniently followed by bright sun in the morning and did minimal damage. Then, just two weeks after the last frost (remember that cold, windy market?) we had mid-90 degree weather that has fast-forwarded the ripening schedule. Now we have boxes and boxes of red-ripe, sun-sweetened, ORGANIC strawberries ready to pick tomorrow and bring up to Evanston on Saturday. [According to the Environmental Working Group, strawberries are the 2^nd most toxic fruit (after peaches) you can buy, wi th 13 pesticides on a single sample.]

Our berries have no pesticides, and plenty of flavor. The first berry to ripen is Earliglow, a smallish, very sweet, flavorful berry and most market-goers’ favorite. We will also have some Honeyoye and maybe some Darselect and Glooscap as well. Eat them straight out of the box, or make . . .

Mom’s Old Fashioned Strawberry Shortcake

· 1 quart fresh strawberries, rinsed and hulled

· 1 cup sugar

· vanilla ice cream

· 2 cups flour

· 1 tablespoon baking powder

· 1/4 teaspoon salt

· 3 tablespoons sugar

· 1/3 cup shortening

· 1 cup milk

Slice strawberries; sprinkle with sugar and let stand to let juice out. Heat oven to 450°. Grease an 8-inch round layer-cake pan. In a mixing bowl, combine flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar. Cut in shortening with pastry blender or 2 forks until crumbly. Stir in milk until just blended. Pat dough into prepared pan; bake 15 minutes or until golden brown. Split horizontally and fill with berries; top with small scoops of ice cream when served. Top with more berries and berry juice. Alternatively, you can make individual small shortcakes. Bake them until they are golden, split each one and serve with strawberries and ice cream just like the larger one. Serves 6.

Don’t Wait any Longer to Plant your Tomatoes!!

I’ve talked with so many people who bought my plants last spring and then planted gardens for the first time last summer. It is a joy to hear how well their plants did and the creative things they made with them—rich, fiery salsas made with their own Martino’s Roma tomatoes and Conchos jalapeño peppers; creamy baba ganoush from their Long Purple Italian eggplants; inventive pestos blended from basil, cilantro, parsley, and more.

It’s great to hear how much satisfaction and accomplishment they get feel from actually getting to grow their own food. Now they know how we feel!

With this past week’s little heat wave, everyone should be in full planting mode. Just in case you need a little more incentive than that, I am offering a Free Tomato Plant with each four tomatoes that you buy at the regular price. I’ll have an entire tray full of some of the most flavorful and interesting varieties of heirloom and hybrid tomatoes for you to choose from. Pick out a traditional hybrid like Italian Goliath, Jetstar, or Red Alert; or experiment with something more unusual like the purple-and-chartreuse-striped Violet Jasper, the meaty and flavorful Striped Roman, the citrusy Purple Calabash. Or compromise with something in between, like the luscious Pink Brandywine! Whether you’re a fan of salsas, spa ghettis, salads, sandwiches, or just chomping down on one whole (maybe with a dash of salt—mmm…), we have a variety for every tomato need. And with the current economy, it’s a great way to save a little dough while still treating yourself.

Remember, all of our plants are grown without chemical fertilizers or pesticides and we make our own soil mix using our own black soil and homemade compost. And, we have the largest variety of tomatoes, eggplants, peppers, herbs, and other vegetables or anyone at the Evanston market. Come choose your new favorite!

Herb of the week: MINT

Many of you have noticed that my mint offerings have increased greatly in the past year:

Spearmint (what most people just call “mint”)-This is the mint that I have been selling for nine years now. It is very versatile and can be used for many dishes including vegetables, meats, sauces and pestos, salads, teas, and mixed drinks (yes, mint mojitos!), as well as desserts. It is my most popular mint.

Peppermint-This mint is used mainly for teas and other drinks, and desserts. It has a very cooling minty menthol flavor. Try it iced!

Marilyn’s Famous Chocolate Mint- I got this mint from our friends, the Wettsteins. Marilyn makes delicious iced tea for her family and helpers on their farm and it is always a hit. It is the best chocolate mint that I have ever tasted—just like the mint in those York peppermint patties.

Ginger Mint-This is one of two mints that John Swenson (Evanston market-goer and famous plant breeder and seed saver…. come buy his Speckled Roman tomato plant from me!) gave me. It is technically a peppermint variety, but it has tones of warm spiciness. It goes very well with fruit.

Wrigley’s Spearmint- This is the other mint that John gave me. This plant has beautiful, large, crinkled leaves. When I eat this mint, it really does conjure up those days when our grandmother used to dole out the half pieces of Wrigley’s gum to us grandchildren. Very sweet.

Cuban Mojito Mint- In the middle of the summer, probably a good half of my mint is sold to people who are making mint mojitos, so I thought it was time to grow some authentic mojito mint. This mint is another very pretty large-leaved spearmint that actually tastes similar to my regular spearmint (mint) but perhaps a little sweeter.

Missouri Mint-My intern, Keegan, gave me this mint last year. His family uses it in spaghetti sauce like basil. I think its taste is more fruity than basil-like and it’s great with sweet vegetables like carrots, beets, and peas, or with citrus fruits or apples. But, you might want to try it like Keegan’s family….let me know what you think!

Wild Mint-My wild mint had a hard winter and only a few small patches remained this spring. I will try to scavenge a few bunches for those of you who love it!

Mint Chermoula-a wonderful Moroccan sauce used as a marinade for fish or chicken. Also wonderful with vegetables, especially sweet ones like beets and carrots, or with potatoes or pasta.

Zest and juice of 1 lemon
1/2 cup each finely chopped parsley, fresh cilantro, and mint (125 ml each)
2 cloves finely chopped garlic
1/2 cup olive oil (125 ml)
1 tsp each paprika and ground cumin (5 ml each)
salt to taste

Mix all ingredients. Makes about 1 1/2 cups (375 ml).

Citrus mint cooler
1 cup minty simple syrup

2 cups fresh lemon juice (or the juice of about 12 lemons)

1 bottle (33.8 ounce) club soda (try one with a lime or lemon twist for more citrus flavor)

Mix all of the ingredients in a pitcher, and add some lemon and orange slices and some fresh mint leaves. Beautiful and refreshing!

Minty simple syrup
This sweet concoction is made from sugar, water, and mint leaves. You can store it in the fridge for about two weeks, so make up a batch using the following recipe

1/2 cups packed fresh mint leaves

1 cup organic sugar or honey (or 1/4 cup agave nectar)

1 cup water

2 drops peppermint essential oil (optional)

1 drop spearmint essential oil (optional)

Chop the mint leaves. Boil the first 3 ingredients and stir until the sugar is dissolved. Boil gently for another 2 minutes. Strain your syrup, but squish all the yumminess out of the mint leaves as you do. Add the essential oil if desired.

Back to Henry’s Farm Notes

The rain has been a good thing, and you’ll see the results in the big heads of lettuces and sweet juicy spinach this week. But we also see the results of the rains and warm weather in the grasses and weeds, which are hardier and faster-growing than our domesticated vegetables.

As I was helping to harvest CSA radishes on Tuesday, I couldn’t help but worry about the thin strands of tiny onion sprouts from the onion seeds that Henry planted along with the radish seeds. (Radishes are fast growing and get harvested out in about 3 weeks, opening the row for the slower growing onions) The hair-like onion seedlings were struggling toward the light through a canopy of fat-leaved grasses about 5 times their size . . . meaning it’s time for serious weeding.

But tomorrow we won’t be weeding; we’ll be harvesting for you . . . and in addition to all the wonderful sorrel, chives, spinach, radishes and rhubarb you’ve had the past few weeks, you’ll see many more varieties of lettuces and chois, plus more carrots and the first of the kohlrabi and Japanese turnips . . . and sculpit.

Last year we introduced you to the Italian herb agretti, and this year we’re bringing you the relatively unheard of (outside of Italy) sculpit, from s’ciopet (battling botanists classify it as either Silene cucubalus, S. vulgaris or S. inflate – but it’s know commonly as bladder campion). And from what we would consider a weed, the Italians have created the classic Veronese "Risotto con gli s'ciopet" (recipe below)

Found on the edge of crop fields and in forests and mountain pastures, sculpit is harvested early in the season, before the flowers appear. Some say sculpit tastes like a blend of arugula, chicory and tarragon . . . but it’s milder than that would suggest, with a flavor all its own. In addition to the being used in risotto and pasta, the leaves are used in soups and salads, vegetables and main courses.

And in Galeata, a village in Emilia-Romanga, they have a festa each year to celebrate the lowly sculpit. The town's streets come alive with stalls, while in Piazza Gramsci there’s a food stand where local chefs demonstrate dishes using sculpit, especially pasta and ravioli.

Below is a fairly vague recipe I found on the Emilia-Romanga website for Tagliatelle agli Stridoli, and then a fairly involved recipe for the classic Veronese risotto. Give them a whirl if you like, but I’m going to go for simplicity, and just add some sculpit to my next salad or soup, and throw some into scrambled eggs or a quiche.

http://www.emiliaromagnaturismo.it/english/gastronomy/receipt.asp?Numrec=185

Tagliatelle with Sculpit

Ingredients: 2 sausages, 2 slices of pancetta, 4 ripe tomatoes, 300 g. of sculpit, 400 g of tagliatelle pasta, extra virgin olive oil.

Preparation: Cook the sausages in a pan with a little oil and the diced pancetta; cook until golden brown, then add fresh tomatoes and sculpit. Cook the pasta in boiling salted water, drain it, and place the pasta in the pan with the sauce, frying it for a few seconds

Risotto Veronese
2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
2 celery stems, and a few leaves
1 onion
1/2 bunch Italian parsley
2-3 new carrots, coarsely chopped
1 kohlrabi or Japanese turnip - it adds a nice touch of sweetness
1.5 liters of water
10 peppercorns
1 or 2 bunches of sculpit leaves
coarse sea salt to taste

Heat the olive oil in a pan and cook the celery, carrots, kohlrabi, onion, and parsley for 2-3 minutes before adding the water. Add the peppercorns, bring to a boil, cover and then simmer for about 15 minutes. Then add the sculpit and simmer another 15 minutes.

For the rice:
1 onion

2 Tb olive oil or butter
3 cups of risotto rice (Vialone nano)
100 ml Soave or other dry white wine
one bunch of sculpit leaves, finely chopped
2 handfuls of Grana Padano/Parmigiano Reggiano (or half/half with Pecorino Romano for an intenser flavor)
a knob of well chilled butter
a drizzle of olive oil and freshly ground black pepper
sea salt

Chop the onion and cook in the olive oil or butter. Add a little salt and when the onion turns glassy add the rice. When the rice is translucent slowly add the wine. Just before turning off the heat, add the finely chopped sculpit leaves, stir well for one minute and turn off the heat.
Stir in the Grana Padano/Parmigiano and the butter. Let the risotto rest for one minute.
Decorate the plate with 2-3 sculpit leaves, drizzle with olive oil, and add some chips of Grana/Parmigiano. Grind some pepper and ...enjoy with more Soave Classico.

And finally . . . don’t forget that radishes are great cooked. (We knew this long before the NY Times brought it to your attention a week or two ago.) Simply slice and add them to a soup, or into a stir-fry.

Braised Komatsuna with Green Garlic and Radishes

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

1 bunch radishes, sliced thinly (or use Japanese turnips, thinly sliced)
1 head and stem green garlic, finely chopped
2 bunches komatsuna, leaves and stems coarsely chopped
1/3 cup water

Cook garlic and radishes in oil over moderate heat, stirring, until softened, about 1 minute. Add greens and water and simmer, partially covered, stirring occasionally, until tender, 5 to 6 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

Happy Eating, and Thanks from all of us at Henry’s Farm

Cilantro, Tarragon, Arugula, Spinach . . .

2010-05-20T23:50:40Z

Farm Notes: Rainy Week, but Summer Coming

Soft rain hitting soft earth. Colors deepen. Animals glisten. Nostrils open. Your senses, and the earth, drink it all in.

Henry’s not quite sure how much rain we’ve had this week because he hasn’t had a moment to go over and look at the rain gauge. All he can say is that he knows it’s been building up in that gauge all week–starting over the weekend, adding more at the beginning of the week, then again this afternoon and evening, and expecting more all day tomorrow during the harvest.

But not to worry: Saturday is supposed to be beautiful, and Henry’s bringing up beautiful produce that’s been drinking in all that rain. In addition to all the lovely green garlic, green onions, chives, and rhubarb he brought last week, you’ll see lots of arugula, lots of spring spinach, and, for the first week this season: carrots from the greenhouse, plus chard, dill, and beautiful, feathery cilantro. You may not see cilantro this gorgeous all season, so be sure and pick up some big bunches. (See cilantro pesto, cilantro curry, and other cilantro recipes below.)

We don’t often get to hear from Henry in his own words (although I’ll have copies of his latest essays (Solstices and Equinoxes), as well as copies of The Seasons on Henry’s Farm, at the Evanston Market this Sat.) -- so tonight I’ll give you a few paragraphs Henry wrote for his CSA members a few days ago:

My definition of Good Food is food that tastes good, is good for us (full of vitamins, minerals and beneficial phytochemicals that help prevent and combat cancer, lower cholesterol, lower blood pressure, prevent diabetes, etc. and lacking in any toxic residues from pesticides and herbicides or nitrates from synthetic fertilizers) and is raised in a way that is good for the environment.

The interesting thing is that all three of these “goods” are interlinked—you can’t have any one without the other two. Produce that tastes good does so because it is full of compounds that are good for us. Produce is full of these health-beneficial compounds because it is raised in a healthy environment, i.e. in rich, healthy, living soil with clean water and clean air. In other words, to raise vegetables that taste so good you want to weep, I have to raise vegetables that are full of the nutrients and phytochemicals that our bodies require to stay healthy. To do that, I need to raise them in a healthy soil. To do that, I can’t use synthetic fertilizers or pesticides and herbicides that poison the microbial, fungal, invertebrate and vertebrate life in the soil. In short, I have to protect my environment. To do that, I have to manage my entire farm in a manner that is as close to environm entally sustainable as I can manage, which means protecting at least my little piece of the global environment.

So, by buying my produce, you not only get to eat some of the best-tasting and healthiest (and freshest) food around, but you also help protect the environment and preserve the planet.

Eating well is its own reward . . . what could be better than that?

[EXTRA: Henry is bringing up those wonderful Japanese hand tools this week. He only had a few last spring, but has more now, so come and get them! Henry wants to remind you that they are weeding tools, not chopping, hacking, or digging tools – ask for a demonstration.]

Food Notes: Cilantro

Calling all cilantro lovers -- we love you – and this is your week! (Cilantro haters, it’s not your fault -- http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/14/dining/14curious.html -- so we love you, too.)

For some reason, most of us associate cilantro with high summer. Maybe because it’s in guacamole, pico de gallo, salsa, and other summery things. But cilantro is a cool-weather crop. After a few hot days it bolts and is done for. And those hot days are coming next week, so if you want some of the best cilantro of the season, get it this Saturday.

Cilantro Pesto
Makes about 2 cups (lasts for weeks in the fridge, or freeze in ice cube trays and pop the cubes into ziplock bags to use whenever you feel the urge, or need something wonderful on your crackers/pasta/pizza/quesadilla)

6-8 oz. (about 4 cups packed) fresh cilantro
2/3 cup vegetable oil (olive, canola)
2/3 cup toasted nuts (pecans, pine nuts, walnuts, et al.), chopped
4 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
2/3 cup grated parmesan cheese
salt and pepper to taste

Wash the cilantro and chop roughly. Put the cilantro, oil, garlic and nuts in a blender or food processor. Blend until smooth. Scrape out into a bowl and stir in the cheese and pepper. Taste and adjust seasonings.

(Great on sandwiches, stirred into pasta, in dollops on pizza, mixed into vinaigrettes, and or over fish. Stir into cream cheese for a cracker spread or just eat it with a spoon.)

CILANTRO SALAD Try this refreshing salad with the zing of ginger, lime juice, and cilantro as an accompaniment to any Asian dish.

1/4 cup olive oil

2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

1 tablespoon grated peeled fresh ginger

4 cups mesclun or mixed greens of your choice

1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Whisk first 3 ingredients in a small bowl to blend. Season dressing to taste with salt and pepper. Combine mesclun and cilantro in a large bowl. Toss salad with enough dressing to coat. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

CILANTRO CARROTS WITH CUMIN

2 pounds carrots, each cut into 2-inch-long pieces, then halved or quartered lengthwise

6 tablespoons water

3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

3 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons ground cumin

2 garlic cloves, pressed

2 tablespoons (or more) minced fresh cilantro

Combine carrots and 6 tablespoons water in large saucepan. Season with salt. Cover and boil until carrots are crisp-tender, about 7 minutes. Drain. Transfer carrots to large shallow bowl. Mix in lemon juice, oil, cumin and garlic. Season with salt and pepper. Cool. Add cilantro.

Tilapia with Cilantro-Curry Sauce & Toasted Coconut
from Cooking Light, November 2008

1/2 teaspoon salt, divided
4 (6-ounce) fillets (flounder, snapper, or tilapia)
Cooking spray
2 tablespoons flaked sweetened coconut
1 cup cilantro sprigs
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon curry powder
3 garlic cloves, peeled
1 jalapeño pepper, halved and seeded
Lemon wedges (optional)

Preparation:
Preheat broiler. Sprinkle 1/4 tsp salt over fish. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add fish to pan; cook 4 minutes on each side or until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork.

Place the coconut on a baking sheet; broil for 2 minutes or until toasted, stirring occasionally.

Combine remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt, cilantro, and next 5 ingredients (through jalapeño) in a food processor; process until finely chopped. Spoon 2 tablespoons cilantro mixture over each fillet; sprinkle each serving with 1 1/2 teaspoons coconut. Garnish with lemon wedges, if desired.

Mint Cilantro Chicken Curry

2 cups cilantro, chopped

½ cup mint, chopped

2 jalapenos, finely chopped

1.5 cups red onion, chopped

1 tablespoon ginger, chopped

1 cup water

½ cup canola oil

1.5 tablespoons cumin seeds

1 tablespoon coriander seed

3 tablespoons garlic, crushed

1 tablespoon salt

2 cup plain yoghourt, stirred, or 3/4C whole buttermilk

3 lbs chicken thighs

3 cups basmati rice, cooked

Mix cilantro, mint, jalapenos, and ginger in a food processor with the cup of water and puree until smooth. Set aside
Heat oil in a heavy shallow pan on medium heat for 1 min. Add cumin and coriander seeds and allow them to sizzle for about 30 seconds.
Add garlic and saute for about 3 minutes or until golden brown, Stir in salt.
Turn off the heat and after 2-3 minutes stir in 1c yogurt. Add chicken thighs and stir well. Turn the heat to medium and cover and cook for about 25 minutes, stirring regularly. (If you have the time, let it cook longer, until the chicken falls off the bone.) Remove curry from the heat and cool for about 20 minutes.
Transfer chicken to a mixing bowl and take meat off the bones. The size of the chicken pieces doesn't matter but do not shred them. Discard bones and stir chicken back into curry.
Stir in mint-cilantro mixture and the other cup of yogurt, About 15 mins before serving, bring curry to a boil on medium heat. Turn down the heat to a simmer and cook uncovered for about 10 minutes. Serve over rice.

Teresa’s Fruit and Herb News

Big News - Busy Week!

After four swift years, my eldest daughter, Marina, will be graduating from Yale this week. My Mom and I are going to be going straight from the market to O’Hare to fly to New Haven for the festivities! When Marina was at home, she was my best worker; fast, efficient, and thorough--even though farm work was not something that she enjoyed much. She has always excelled at just about everything she has tried, but she’s also a self-motivated, incredibly hard worker. She is majoring in molecular biochemistry, and may spend the next couple of years working for the Peace Corps. I have always been very proud of her, not only for her accomplishments, but for the beautiful person she is.

Time to plant Tomatoes, Peppers, and Eggplants!

Those hot days you have been waiting for are finally coming! I just checked the Evanston weather and it will be 74 on Saturday, 84 on Sunday, with more warm days (and nights) following. That means it’s time to plant! Everything! (all the varieties I’m growing are here)

If you want to “grow your own,” but don’t want starts that have been doused in chemical fertilizer or possibly infected with blight, get an amazing array of organic herb and vegetable starts this week! For the past few years, I start each season by raising from seed and potting out a huge number of mouthwatering varieties of vegetables and herbs that are hard to find and easy for anyone to grow -- some suitable even if you only have a patio or windowsill.

Like they say: “Only two things that money can’t buy – that’s true love and homegrown tomatoes.”

· We still have plenty of tomatoes including over 25 kinds of heirlooms, and several varieties of hybrids, cherry tomatoes, plum/paste tomatoes, and even container-suitable tomatoes.

· BUT, we don’t have all that many peppers and eggplants, so come early for the best selection!

· There are a few of our ever-bearing strawberry baskets left. Plant these in the ground after they finish bearing in a few weeks and you will get another harvest in late summer/fall! And many more harvests in years to come since they are winter hardy.

· We still have most of our herb varieties available, but be sure to pick up some basil this week---it always runs out quickly.

· The last of the greens: lettuce mix, arugula, and Swiss chard.

· Last year the Brussels sprouts ran out the first week, so I planted a lot more this year. Get some of the last of these too.

Fresh Herbs: Herb of the Week - TARRAGON

Our tarragon grows in clumps that get bigger year by year. In the spring and early summer they shoot up with tall fern-like foliage that is a beautiful light green—the green they call “spring green”. This is the time of year to make your favorite tarragon dishes. It is so simple (and delicious!) to sprinkle finely chopped tarragon on sweet vegetables like carrots, peas, and beets. It’s also nice in a tossed salad in little sprigs.

It goes well with chicken, fish, and other seafood too. Here is a delicious oyster stew:

Tarragon Oyster Stew from The Herbal Kitchen, by Jerry Traunfeld

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 cup very thinly sliced leeks, white parts only

1 tablespoon very finely chopped fresh ginger

1/4 cup dry white wine

1/2 cup heavy cream or half-and-half

10 ounces freshly shucked extra small oysters in their liquor

1 1/2 tablespoons coarsely chopped fresh tarragon

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

3/4 teaspoon salt

Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the leeks and stir frequently until very wilted and soft, about 3 minutes. Add the ginger and wine and cook at a low boil for another minute.

Stir in the cream. When it comes to a simmer, add the oysters and their liquor and the tarragon. Poach them gently, without letting the stew simmer again, until the oysters become slightly firm and the thin flaps at their edges become wavy, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in the lemon juice and salt, and then taste it to see if it needs more. Serve right away in heated bowls with crusty bread or biscuits.

This green mayonnaise can be used on top of fish, shrimp, and chicken, or as a dip for vegetables and pita chips. It’s also great as a sandwich spread instead of plain mayo.

Green Mayonnaise

6 raw spinach leaves, washed well, patted dry

1 1/2 tablespoons fresh tarragon leaves

1 tablespoon chopped chives

1 1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh dill

1 1/2 tablespoons chopped fresh tarragon

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 egg

1/2 teaspoon dry mustard

salt to taste

½ teaspoon sugar

1 cup olive oil

1 1/2 teaspoons vinegar

Combine the spinach, herbs, lemon juice, egg, and seasonings in the container of an electric blender. Blend at high speed for 10 seconds.

Immediately reduce the speed to low and add half the olive oil in a slow stream. Stop the motor and add the vinegar. Blend at high speed and immediately add the remaining oil in a steady stream. This will keep refrigerated for a few days.

Strawberries Next Week!!

For those of you diligent enough to read this far…. a reward! I will have a few--a very few-- boxes of strawberries this week. So roll out of bed early and come to the market before you do anything else – coffee can wait, strawberries won’t!

www.henrysfarm.com

www.terrabrockman.com

http://foodandfarm.blogspot.com