Market Notes for August 23
Let’s start with a quiz. What fearsome creature left claw marks like this on Henry’s potatoes?
Bears? Coyotes? Racoons? Mountain Lions, perhaps?
Nope. Just our goofy dog Churro, a Black-Mouthed Cur (a real breed, not a Shakespearean insult) whose instincts led him to dig up a whole section of Henry’s potato patch while hunting for voles. But considering the damage voles can do (below), it’s not a bad trade-off.
What does all this vole-damage and Churro-damage mean for you? Lots of HALF-PRICE Potato Seconds this week!
Other Food & Farm Notes
This is a great week to stock up on Edamame. Henry will be harvesting the last of his first planting for you tomorrow. Then there’s a second planting, and that’ll be it for the year. They are super tasty and nutritious, and a great snack any time.
If you’ve been waiting for OKRA, your wait is over! You’ll have your choice of pints or quarts. And of course, you’ll be happier — and save some money — when you get the quarts!
In Other Not-to-Miss Vegetable News:
ARUGULA is back — but not much, so come early to get some! Although it was super hot and dry when Henry planted it, he put drip-tape on it to get it to germinate. Then the next week it got more water when he irrigated the bed next to it. And that’s why you’ll see some on Saturday!
MELONS! We are nearing the end of the melon season, but Henry will be bringing up muskmelons and watermelons, mainly the larger varieties, including the Golden Producer, whose seeds you can save and then return to Henry the following week — being sure to follow his seed-saving directions!
RED BEETS: Last week for these until the first of the fall plantings is ready about a month from now.
CUCUMBERS are going downhill fast, so get them while you can!
Last chance for Elderberries - We thought last week was the final week, but we’ll get a few more this week, and these are THE LAST of the season!
SPECIAL PRICES on BASIL and SHISO when you get more than one bunch!
Now is the time to make Basil pesto, and to spice up your life with Shiso, which is not just for sushi anymore!
Henry's bringing up both the green and red Japanese Shiso, as well as Korean Shiso. They are all versatile, delicious, and nutrition (see “What to do with Shiso” below), but Henry highly recommends making the refreshing Red Shiso drink, which is not only a lovely, easy to make summer drink, but cured his leg cramps: Aka Shiso Drink 赤紫蘇ジュース
RED SHISO DRINK -- delicious and will cure whatever ails you!
Ingredients
Leaves from one bunch of Red Shiso
4 cups water
1 cup sugar (adjust to your taste)
½ cup apple cider vinegar (adjust to your taste)
Dilute with cold water or sparkling water
To Make Aka Shiso Syrup
Rinse the Shiso Leaves
Put the water in a pot and bring to a boil. Add the leaves and simmer for 5 minutes on medium heat. The cooking liquid will turn purple while the leaves turn green.
Turn off the heat and remove the shiso leaves, keeping the cooking liquid in the pot. You can squeeze the leaves to get all the goodness out of them.
Turn the heat back on, add sugar, and stir until dissolved. Add apple cider vinegar. Turn off the heat and let cool. Pour the cooled syrup into a jar and keep in the fridge or freezer.
Whenever you want to make a drink, mix syrup and water or sparkling water to your taste.
Wondering what to do with SHISO?
(other than sushi or tempura)
Shiso seems like a specialty herb, but it’s really not that exotic. It’s in the mint family, and is versatile, with flavors that complement all sorts of things. A few ideas are below, but get creative and add shiso to whatever you are making.
Shiso Pesto: I usually throw a handful of shiso leaves into whatever herb pesto I’m making to add a little more depth. You can also make a pure shiso pesto and use on pasta, sandwiches, crackers, and in veggie dips.
Potatoes: Chop finely. Mix with olive oil, salt and pepper. Rub over raw potato cubes or slices. Bake in the oven.
Shiso Steak: Chop shiso finely. Mix with a little sesame oil, soy sauce, and honey. Slather over your steak after grilling.
Grilled Shiso Chicken: Get chicken legs or thighs. Salt them, then wrap in shiso leaves and grill.
Shiso Salad Dressing: Just add finely chopped shiso to your favorite Green Goddess (or other) salad dressing.
Shiso Garlic Soy Sauce: a flavorful all-purpose condiment for any savory dish!
A few of the many health benefits of Shiso
Antioxidants and vitamins: Shiso contains high levels of antioxidants and many vitamins, including C, A, and K. You can steep the leaves in hot water to make a flavorful tea that helps to strengthen your immune system.
Flavonoids: Red shiso is particularly high in flavonoids, which have goth anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. They have been shown to help prevent certain cancers, improve cognitive function, and promote healthy blood vessels.
