Eating with the Forecast

Hoje: calor calor calor

[Today: hot and humid]

It was far too humid to truly enjoy eating today, so instead, I decided to take part in drinking my lunch, local vinho, wine made by Italian ancestors in Maravilha. I do not believe I mentioned this earlier, but Maravilha in Portuguese means ´Wonderful´, and the vinho undoubtably portrays it to a T. There is most certainly a distinction to their wine as well. It is stronger in acidity, quite dry, has a quick finish, and has a sharp piercing note of grape and garam marsala combined.

Wine is not packaged in a glass bottle, but rather in a plastic bottle resembling that of a soda bottle in the United States. Rarely it is even labeled, and when it is, the wine is only labeled at red, light red, rose, and white.

Among other drinks I have come to enjoy are fresh fruit juices made daily. Yesterday for dessert, I had coconut! It was unbelievably fresh with a rounded fatty milk flavor. Eu gosto!!!

Often it is too hot to eat, so calories are consumed in large volumes by beverage. I love it! There is such an abundance of fruit to enjoy that your options feel limitless. I wonder what other fruits I will enjoy today....

A few days ago, I tried gioba. It´s a yellow skinned fruit with salmon pink flesh and seeds which resemble that of fenugreek, both in texture and appearance. Floral notes of rose with a texture similar to that of pears fill your senses. I think this would be best eaten seedless, for the seeds were not the most pleasant. It was a bit harsh to my mouth, and I did my best to dispose of them. However, there were so many. Later on in the day, I discovered my family had a paste in the fridge, geladeria, made of the same gioba fruit. The flavor was hightened with concentration and no seeds were present. Thus, this fruit requires a small amount of work in order for it to live up to its´full potential in taste [paste and ice cream is more enjoyable]. The lower picture is gioba, while the upper is an unripe persimmon.

Community Eating

Life in Brazil has shown to be hard, so they raise and grow most of their food. Even the tiniest of properties will have a small piece of land designated for food. Its amazing! The picture you see above is a cow my Brazilian family butchered. They love their meat, especially their beef. Everyday for dinner, we eat a grand meal with some kind of protein, usually containing beef. Along with this are black beans, rice with [green, young] corn, and lettuce. After we eat our lunch, everyone takes a siesta to recover from the meal. However, not I. During siesta, I use this time to write and practice my Portuguese.

When everyone wakes up from their seista, they typically partake in a communal event of drinking yerba mate, a green tea, called chimarráo. The picture below depicts the drinking vessel, special to chimarráo, with a long straw to drink from. The straws have a flattened mesh like sieve to prevent the tea from entering your mouth. Other things may be added for an enhanced flavor [chamomile, fresh bay leaves, etc.]. The means of drinking chimarráo is quite a social event, for there is only one vessel to go around. You pour hot water over the tea on the opposing side from the tea and continue to drink the tea until you finish. Then, you fill it again with water and pass it the next person going around the room. Thus, there is only one vessel per household. I love chimarráo not only for the social engagement, but for the taste too!

Another way to enjoy social eating is by having a churrasco, or BBQ. Below is a picture of beef over an open fire, which is located in the ´garage ´. I say ´garage ´ with question because it´s not the same kind of garage you or I would imagine [if from USA]. In Brazil, the garage is a place to socialize and sit down to enjoy churrasco and chimarráo, not a place for vehicles. Once the food is ready for consumption, the man of the house portions the carna into small portions and puts it on a plate with farinha de mendioca, a starchy potato like flour. Then, one person walks around the room to pass the meat with toothpicks.

These types of social events are exactly what I am in search of with every culture, because food is such an important part of our lives. Food is meant to be enjoyed and experienced with others, not to be abused. Perhaps we can return to our own cultural roots.

I wonder what I will encounter next???

The three frontiers

Today I returned to Maravilha where I rested from my travels to the place where three countries, Brazil, Argentina, and Paraguay, meet. From Maravilha, we drove to Argentina, stayed in Wanda and explored the area of Itiapu and Iguaçu Falls.

The last picture is near one of the larger falls close to the top; the beauty was spectucular and overwhelming. Just below this section of the falls, there is a walk way to the middle where you get misted. Immediately, you want to throw your hands up in the air, close your eyes and feel the power of nature. Unfortunately, I was only able to get one perspective of the falls, that being the Brazilian side. Brazilians say it´s more beautiful than the Argentinian side, while people from Argentina say their side is better. I guess I will have to go back and decide for myself when the weather is more cooperative.

Being American in Brazil

Another day has come and gone, while I think back to what happened in only one day. It was such a hectic, fun, overwhelming, and interesting day. Why not start from the beginning? I met a new friend Daniella from the salon and visited her high school, but this was no ordinary day. It was their last day of class before summer vacation. There was a talent show to wrap up the year and they were all so excited a native English speaker from America was there to share it with. All the students were curious while Daniella and Daniel introduced me to each class. Then, at the beginning of the show in the gymnasium, the administrator of the school had everyone give me a warm welcome where I then stood up and said in my best Portuguese Bom dia, good morning.

It has been a real pleasure getting to know the people of Maravilha, who are so kind and friendly. I don´t think I have ever given so many hugs and kisses in three hours, let alone in one day. Every time a boy was google-eyed, Daniella would tell me, ´Very much teenagers´, and then laugh. After my visit, I went back to Elzira´s home to eat lunch, marrow, rice, black beans, lettuce, mandioca, and chuchu. With no time to waste, we then went back into the city to go to another school, only this one was private. Headway is its name. However, school was canceled to go to the movies. Instead, five of the teenagers took me out to ice cream. They love, absolutely love to eat sweet things, no question about that. In fact, Paula told me they, the kids, prefer to eat American like foods, fried and sweet. Once my new friends found out I cook, they immediately took me to the grocery store to buy ingredients for cookies. [I believe they think I only cook sweet things].

This was such a long, tiring day, so I´ll keep it short.

After the walking around the neighborhood, they brought me to Paula´s house to try new foods, see her home and dog, meet her family and then take pictures. What strikes me as funny is that they all think I´m 18, maybe 19! Wow, never has anyone thought so young of me. Perhaps it´s because my bust is not as big in comparison.

Once we took note of the time, we quickly scampered off to my massage appointment. It was just what I needed, alone time and relaxation.

Then back to Elzira´s home where her friend waited. He´s a pastor who is going to America to preach, so he wants to know if he could practice conversing in English. Tomorrow I will meet his wife for lunch, and afterwards, start planning a trip to Iguacu Falls. How exciting!!!

To finish off my evening, we ate fresh beef liver from the slaughter with onions! I cleansed my palate with fresh pomegranate from the tree only but 30 feet away from the house. Yummy.

...and today, going to the swimming pool with Paula.
[I also helped portion the remaining fresh beef cuts, got my yellow fever shot, and had fresh papaya.]

Tchau

Arriving in Brazil

I have only just arrived in Brazil, and I´m having quite the experience. After visiting in Chicago, I felt fatigue and needed rest, so I found myself asleep on every flight to Maravilha. It took four flights and an hour car ride to get where I am today. It´s beautiful and warm, not sunny though. Today it rained off and on the entire day, but that did not discourage me from exploring. My host Elzira showed me around her living quarters, talk about amazing. They grow and raise most of their own provisions. There are mandarins, pomegranates [but are different than the large red variety you see in America; they are smaller, have soft, pink seeds, and dry the skins to cure stomach aches], figs, peaches, chayote [chuchu in Portuguese], lettuce [various sorts], arugula, oranges, limes, cinnamon, mint, corn, beans, and tapioca, amongst several other things, which can be picked and eaten right here on their property. In addition, there are goats, horses, cows, chickens, goose, dogs, and bees [for honey]. There is a lake in the back yard with rolling hills and farms to gaze at while I attempt to take in Brazil. Breath by breath, I think of Brazil and how lucky I am to experience such a rich culture. These next two months are going to fly by, and I cannot wait to learn and explore what this beautiful country has to offer.

Earlier today, I met a young girl named Daniella at a salon. She invited me to her high school where she learns English. We spoke and decided that I will be her special guest for tomorrow at the school. Ahhh, I´m just so excited. It will be quite the experience.

....
Tchau

Eating Local

Everyone has a different definition and meaning of what eating local means, so what does it mean to you? Does it mean eating strictly from Minnesota, the Midwest, or within a particular radius of, oh, let's say 100 miles? I guarantee the restaurants and foods you see with the label 'Local' all have their own idea of what it means as well. It seems everyday I hear this particular word being thrown around in the food biz and am frankly tired of hearing it abused. At what percentage of total foods sold at a restaurant gives the right to make clams of being 'Local'? There isn't one. The next time you see the term 'Local', I want you to think about this and ask about the ingredients origin. You have a right to know, especially if you are paying with the impression that the food is local.

Within this last summer, and in particular over these last few days, I have been speaking with local farmers, friends and Chefs like Scott Pampuch from Corner Table about their definitions of 'Local'. Overall, each seemed to have a similar definition. However, each practices 'local' to different degrees. Just because a restaurant claims to be 'local' does not imply all ingredients are grown, raised or produced within a particular 100 mile radius. Perhaps, only 80, 40 or even 15 % is within that abstract radius. Every restaurant should provide such information, and perhaps we, the customers, should be asking for information concerning each food with the origin listed. Is this too much to ask? Frankly, I would feel more comfortable in my purchases and would possibly eat out a bit more often if given more information.

There are endless reasons to eat local, two of which relate to cost and nutrition. Eating local is not too expensive; stop complaining about food prices. We, as a nation spend 12.4 % of our money on food and only 7% of that on food prepared at home [http://www.visualeconomics.com/how-the-average-us-consumer-spends-their-paycheck/]. In comparison, the worlds average income spent on food is 35.68% [according to the USDA from March 2010]. Perhaps we should spend less on entertainment, alcohol, and technology [I mean, come on. Do we really need to be connected to the internet 24 hours/7 days a week?]. It all boils down to what's important to each individual. Your health should be just that. In fact, you would only be doing your body justice by consuming whole, seasonal foods, which provide proper nutrition. Eating local and seasonally forces a varied diet providing higher nutritional value. The research on nutritional value related to the seasons is quite extensive and supports my point that there is more dietary value when eating locally and seasonally [Carbonaro M, Mattera M, Nicoli S, Bergamo P, Cappelloni M. Modulation of antioxidant compounds in organic vs conventional fruit (peach, Prunus persica L., and pear, Pyrus communis L.). J Agric Food Chem. 2002 Sep 11;50(19):5458-62.]. Unfortunately, I do not have the time to delve into the subject a little bit more; however, I will be sure to continue within the next week. To be brief, it is important to understand what eating 'local' means, so speak up and ask questions.

.....let us not forget that it's also tastier

Pictures!!!

Alright, here are some pictures to hold you over until I get back to writing/posting more recipes....enjoy

1 of 2 wagons of winter squash

'Nature Hike'

The spotted acorn

Digging for sweet potatoes, so much work

Romanescu

EmRo picking wild hops

Milkweed

Sweet Pots

What a wicked looking moth; just look at that eye

Rainbow carrots

What a cock

Season Finale

leaves beginning to turn, 1 week ago

The last of the Pase Tomatoes, who knew their

fishy scent could be so potent

Well, the season is wrapping up with little left to harvest. Today was our fellow friend and co-worker Brandon, Basil Killer Wiarda's last day on Riverbend. Ah, he will be missed. The following week another worker, John, will be seeing the last of the farm as well. From then on, there will be three, perhaps four. There is not much to do on the farm besides prep for next year and clean up. Yesterday four of us farmhands plus Greg picked up the squash in the fields, only to find a third of the fruit expected. Apparently, the squash blossoms didn't pollinate, which directly affected the yield of fruit. Not good in this case. Nevertheless, we still managed to fill two wagons full of winter squash. We hauled it from the fields back to the greenhouse where we dusted off the vegetable washer and put it to use for the first time this season. I wonder why we were never told of this earlier in the year...huh. Anyway, we ran through half the harvested squash into the washer. It was quite the job with three nozzles spraying water every which way. Everyone was soaked within the first 10/15 minutes. Tomorrow we will be finish cleaning and curing the squash for storage. Some squash like Blue Hubbard and Blue Kabocha will develop a better, sweeter flavor once stored for months on end. I will have to do a little more research as to why that it is, but for now, I will trust farmer Greg.

Until next time.....

Eat your veggies!

Apologies

Well, as you all know, I have not posted anything new for quite some time. Unfortunately, I am one of those people where I cannot say no when a person asks for help, so I have been quite busy with various events. Let's begin with the Garlic Festival in Hutchinson, then Tour de Farm at Riverbend, and then Picnic Operetta, and catering, and and and working on the farm. I had my longest day yet, 15 plus hours; It was exactly one week to the date. However, now that the season hit it's peak, everything remains to be downhill from here. Slowly, I see the plants die off, harvesting less and less every time. It's sad really. However, Autumn is my favorite time of year for both the weather and food. Now is the season for canning those remaining veggies and move into the hearty goods like squash and brussels sprouts, yummmmmmy! In the past month of my spare time, I have been on a canning streak. Oh, there's heaps left to do, but I have made a decent amount thus far. Those items include: pickled okra, carrots, beets, and kohlrabi; canned tomatoes, peppers, and.....Maybe that's all?

I've also had my fun baking breads. Yesterday was Challah, another was Cinnamon Walnut, and tomorrow will be.....Who's to know? All I know is it's soup season, and what goes better with a warm bowl of soup than freshly baked breads?

Anyway, enjoy the recipes to follow from weeks past:

Sweet Corn Relish

Here’s an alternative way to eat corn, especially if you have heaps of it lying around and don’t know what to do with it. This recipe can easily be multiplied if you have more corn on hand. You can either enjoy this immediately after preparation or jar it and save it for a cold rainy autumn day.

6 ears of corn

1 Tbsp. oil

1 ½ cup red onion

1 1/2 green bell pepper

1/2 cup vinegar

¼ cup sugar

1 tsp. kosher salt

1 tsp. mustard

½ tsp. cumin

¼ tsp. celery salt

½ tsp. hot pepper, big bomb variety recommended

Heat a pan with oil and add the onions when hot. Once translucent, add corn and bell pepper. Cook until soft and add remaining ingredients. Adjust seasons as desired.

Process the relish: Sterilize 3 1-pint jars and keep hot. Pour the hot corn relish into the hot jars, leaving 1/4 inch headspace. Remove any air bubbles, securely cap each jar, and process using the boiling-water canning method (see Related Links) for 15 minutes. Cool jars, check for proper seals, and store in a cool, dark place for up to 1 year.

Borscht

4-5 beets, boiled, being sure to save the beet juice leftover

1 stalk celery, diced

3 Tbsp. olive oil

1/2 cup onion, small dice

1 tsp. caraway seed

1 cup cabbage shredded

4 potatoes, cubed and boiled

Salt and pepper

In a sauté pan, heat oil in a pan, add the onions and caraway seeds. Once the onions are translucent, add the celery and cook for another 3 minutes. When tender, pulse in a food processor with the cooked beats adding the beet water until desired consistency is reached. Salt and pepper or add oil for a varied flavor. Pour in a serving dish, bowl or cup. Saute cabbage in oil, 3 minutes and add in conjunction with the cubed, cooked potato. Season to taste.

Panzanella Salad

For a slight variation, replace the tomato with musk mellon. It's unbelievable!

1 Tbsp. olive oil

1/3 small French bread, baguette or ciabatta, cut into 1-inch cubes

1/3 teaspoon koshersalt

1 large ripe tomato

¼ red onion

1/8 cup basil leaves, coarsely chopped

½ cup fresh mozzarella balls

Vinaigrette

2 cloves

¼ teaspoon Dijon mustard

1 Tbsp. champagne vinegar

¼ cup olive oil

¼ teaspoon kosher salt

1/8 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper

Heat oil in a large sauté pan. Toss in the bread and salt cooking over low to medium heat until nicely browned, about 8-10 minutes. Add more oil if necessary.

Whisk the vinaigrette ingredients together and drizzle over chopped tomatoes, onion, basil and cheese in a large bowl. Add the bread cubes once finished and season with salt and pepper to taste. It’s best to wait for 30 minutes for the flavors to marry.

Curried Eggplant

Earlier last week, we were fortunate to have Alma, one of the best restaurants in Minnesota, come to the farm to prepare us lunch. Brian, the Sous Chef, brought his crew to prepare for us an extravagant dinner. It was his main course, which inspired me to create such a dish. Never would I have thought to add cucumber in a cooked meal, until now that is.

4 cups eggplant, medium dice

2 medium cucumbers, matchstick length

1 cup yellow onion, medium dice

1 red pepper, small dice

1 Hungarian hot pepper, optional, small dice

3 Tbsp. curry powder

2 pinches sugar

Salt and pepper to taste

2 cups brown rice

¼ cup wild rice

1 cup toasted walnuts, chopped

2 Tbsp. butter

½ cup milk

First things first, cook your brown rice and wild rice in separate pots. While that is cooking, heat a sauté pan and add the butter. Once hot, add the onions and cook until translucent. Add the peppers and eggplant, cooking until soft. Stir in the curry, sugar, cucumbers, salt and pepper. Once everything is mixed well, add the milk and keep on low heat, simmer until the rice is finished cooking. When the rice is soft, combine both varieties of rice and add the walnuts. Either combine the curry eggplant mixture with the rice or serve separately.

Until next time, happy cooking!

Potato Basil Salad

Being basil is the theme of this week, I thought to try a potato vinaigrette salad. It’s quick, easy and tasty. You can mix it up any way you choose by adding different vinegars or herbs.

4 cups potatoes, boiled, cooled and diced

1 T. toasted mustard seeds

1/8 cup minced fresh basil

1/8 cup olive oil

1 T. champagne vinegar

Salt and pepper to taste

Add all ingredients in one bowl and mix well. Set aside for 1-2 hours in the refrigerator for flavors to combine and imbue with the potatoes.

Zucchini Fritters

I wanted to do something different, so I decided it would be nice to cook Greek cuisine for this week. To garnish and add texture, I prepared a cucumber tzatiki sauce and together, the flavors merry well. If you have orange blossom flower water, add it to your fritters to lighten the taste and cut through the fat from the oil. It is not necessary, but is quite lovely. One can find the flower water at Holyland deli, a specialty grocer or greek deli.

Serves 4-6

2 cups zucchini, grated

2 green onions, sliced thinly

¼ cup fresh basil chopped

½ cup flour

1 carrot, grated

salt and pepper

1 egg

1 tsp. orange blossom water

2 Tbsp. oil

Add the zucchini, onions, basil and carrot in a bowl while preparing a cast iron skillet or frying pan adding oil to the pan.

In a separate bowl, beat the egg slightly with a fork and add the orange water. Together add the egg mix to the zucchini mix with the flour and 1 tsp. salt. When the oil is hot, spoon the mixture onto the pan being careful not to make the fritters too thick. If too thick, they will not cook thoroughly, so flatten out uniformly. You may have to prepare them in batches, as I cooked three at a time, the circumference of a softball. Cook on each side for about 3-4 minutes and let rest on a towel. Salt and pepper to taste.

Results are IN

So, I'm sure you are all dying to know which bread won the taste test. It took several individuals to make such a decision. Everyone from the farm found both recipes to be lacking in one quality the other possessed, so it was declared to be undecided. However, amongst others at Noemia's Barbeque, it was decided that the Beet Zucchini bread was the clear winner. I must apologize for the late results. But wait no more, here is the recipe...

Beet Zucchini Bread

2 cups whole-wheat flour

1 cup all purpose flour

1 Tbsp. ground ginger

1 ½ tsp. cinnamon

1 tsp. baking soda

¼ tsp. clove ground

¼ tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. salt

2/3 cup minced candied/crystallized ginger

3 eggs

1 cup canola oil

1 cup sugar

2 tsp. vanilla extract

1 ½ cup beets grated

1 cup zucchini grated

Zest of one orange

Add toasted walnuts for an additional crunch

Preheat the oven to 350.

Prepare two loaf pans by buttering and laying down parchment paper.

Combine in a large bowl the all purpose flour, whole-wheat flour, ground ginger, cinnamon, clove, crystallized ginger, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.

In a second bowl, whisk the eggs. Combine the oil, sugar, extract, beets, zucchini, beets and orange zest.

Add the two bowls together and mix with a wooden spoon. Pour into the prepared pans, ¾ full and sprinkle additional salt and sugar; bake for 55-65 minutes.

The Zucchini Bread Battle

As some of you know, I write recipes for Riverbend's CSA newsletter. Well, yesterday I heard some mention of beets for next week! Really, I thought, beets!!! I just adore beets with their bold colors and versatility. Immediately, I new I'd include my Cold Beet Soup, to further expound on a later day; however, I continued and thought of something absolutely brilliant. What about Beet Zucchini bread? How lovely really. Last week all I could think about food wise was zucchini bread, which is why I thought to combine the two flavors and make perfection. But that's not all. Anyone who knows me, can tell you I am incapable of following recipes. Every time I try to prepare according to the instructions, I go on to disagree and proceed with what I think seems to be most logical. I will admit, I have made mistakes a time or two, yet for the most part, my adjustments do work well.

Anyway, I began to look up a zucchini recipe and started to think more and more about variations of zucchini bread. Take for instance my two ideas,

Gingered Beet and Zucchini Bread

Apple, Walnut and Zucchini Bread

Here's where the inner dispute takes place. Now that I've baked off both types, I find myself unable to proclaim the best after an intensive taste test. I guess my lucky guinea pigs on the farm, co-workers, will have to help me decide. Using your virtual taste buds, tell my which you think sounds more appealing and enticing.

Until next time, happy eating!

Gratin Dauphinois, Kale and Farro

It is a French classic with an Italian flare. I was inspired to prepare this gratin style dish when Nate, another worker from Riverbend, cooked a wild rice, sausage gratin. It was absolutely brilliant. The problem I find with traditional Gratin Dauphinois is the richness. My version has broth instead of cream with added veggies and grain. Traditionally, the dish is made with potatoes, onions, cream and butter. Being I like to mix things up and put a spin on things, I decided to add an Italian grain called farro. Farro is a pure form of wheat with the husk still intact and displays a firm, chewy texture giving versatility in cooking. In the end, the final product came out elegant with a beautifully browned topping. Serve it with a salad to bring freshness to your palate.

1 pound potatoes, Cranberry Red preferred
1 cup farro, or whole grain like brown basmati or wild rice
1 bunch kale, lacinato preferred
1 tbsp. garlic
¼ pound fontina Val D’Aosta cheese (can be purchased at Surdyk’s, or simply choose another variety of fontina), cut into several small, thin squares
1 small onion, diced
1 ½ cup milk
1 ½ cup broth
1 tbsp. butter
Salt and pepper
Parmesan cheese to garnish

Preheat the oven to 375 ° F

In a sauce pan, add about 2 ½ cups salted water and one cup farro. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer the grain with the closed lid for 15-30 minutes until tender. Drain off water if any remains and set aside.

Prepare the veggies as such: wash and thinly slice the potatoes with the skins on to 1/8 inch rounds (may use a mandolin if one is available). Cut out the rib of the kale and dice; the remaining leafy bits should be shredded as well, but kept separate. Add salt and pepper to taste.

In a cast iron 12-14 inch pan, heat butter and sauté onions, garlic, and kale ribs. Once the kale ribs are tender, add the kale leaves. Then, layer the cooked farro on top the kale/onion mixture. Fan out the potatoes on top in a layered fashion and proceed to add the cheese, laid out randomly. Sprinkle salt and pepper once more. Once everything is assembled, add the milk and broth to the pan, bring to boil and put in oven for 25-30 minutes.

Pictures From the Farm

Purplette Onions

The Lingering Butterfly

[Followed Nate around the farm while transplanting and weeding the beets and carrots.]

Swallows

Purple Viking Potatoes

Garlic, Garlic and More Garlic

Cranberry Red Potatoes

Varieties

Before working on the farm, I had no idea how many varieties a specific vegetable had. For instance, Belstar, Castle Dome and Packman are broccoli types, and is interesting, but understandably so why it is not sold for their specific varietal. Green Lettuce is actually a mix of Tennis Ball, Black Seeded Simpson and Nancy while Red Lettuce could mean you're eating Roxy or Rouge d'Hiver, and lastly a mix of Red/Green could be Grandpa Admires or even Red Sail. Interesting. If you plan on having your own garden, here are my suggested varietals to buy:

Roxy: green near the roots and turns to deep red toward the outer filly leaves, sweeter than most varieties of lettuce, no dressing required, number one personal choice

Castle Dome Broccoli: One head with several, skinny shoots and florets, mildly sweet with a great crunch

Tennis Ball: leafy green lettuce, soft in texture, would highlight a dressing beautifully

Lacinato Kale: skinny, long leaves, flat ribbed on one side

Black Seeded Simpson, I just needed to comment on how much I detest this one in particular. Don't purchase this seed and stay away. It's worthwhile mentioning...

There are more, but I'll have to wait further into the season to determine other favorites. Please do keep these in mind and let me know what you prefer....

Potato Pizza

As I was packing boxes from today's harvest in the rain, I overheard Greg mention something about chard. Ooo la la, chard! I could not help but interrupt and ask if it was one of the new veggies for the CSA boxes. To my delight, it was. Immediately, I thought gratin. Oh wait, what about pizza. Yes...PIZZA. But not just any sort of pizza. How about chard with a cracked egg and swiss? Greg must have known my mind was on food, as always, and proceeded to list off the CSA box items,

new potatoes (pink, delicate flavor), chard, mizuna, lettuce, onions, red mustard, broccoli...

There must be one or two more items, but for the moment, it escapes me. Anyway, to go along with my pizza idea, I began to think of ways to incorporate the other veggies. That's when it struck me. Potato pizza crust prepared two ways, one with the chard and egg; the other with kohlrabi, broccoli, and bacon.

You must try this recipe for yourself and discover the harmony of flavors for you will not leave disappointed and hungry. Seconds or thirds is a must.

Potato Pizza Crust

Makes one large pizza or two mediums

1 cup mashed potatoes

2 tsp. yeast

1 cup water

1 Tbsp wheat germ

1 tsp. salt

½ tsp. sugar

3 cloves roasted garlic

2 cups whole-wheat flour

¾-1 ½ cup all purpose flour

In a small bowl or cup combine water (warm to the touch), sugar and yeast. After fifteen minutes, combine in a stand mixer with the remaining ingredients being sure to start with ¾ cup all-purpose flour. If the dough is too sticky, then adjust by adding more of the all-purpose flour.

Once kneaded for 5 minutes in the machine, place the dough in an oiled bowl and cover with a towel for a minimum of one hour (a warm environment is preferred). Preheat oven at 450 in the mean time.

After one hour, mold to a baking sheet in a flat circle or square.

Add desired toppings. (see below)

Swiss Chard topping

(one medium sized pizza)

1 Tbsp. olive oil

1 ½ c. thinly sliced chard

2 cloves of roasted garlic

2 ounces of swiss cheese grated

2 eggs

Salt and pepper

Top the pizza dough as follows: garlic spread as even as possible, chard, 2 eggs cracked (on top the bed of chard diagonal from one another), swiss cheese, salt and pepper.

Kohlrabi Bacon Mash topping

2 kohlrabi, softball sized trimmed, peeled and diced

5 strips of bacon, thickly sliced

1 tbsp. butter

2 tbsp. milk

¾ cup broccoli, thinly sliced with stems

2 cloves garlic

2 ounces swiss cheese, grated

salt and pepper

Boil the kohlrabi and mash with butter and milk once it has cooked thoroughly. Add the roasted garlic and season with salt and pepper. Cook the bacon frying pan and reserve bacon fat. Once cooked and sizzling, put to the side.

Top the pizza as follows: kohlrabi mash, bacon, drizzle bacon fat, add broccoli and lastly the cheese.

Lower the oven to 425 and bake for 15-20 minutes, being careful not to burn the crust.

New Green Veggies!

Today, and like every other Tuesday of the week, we (Nate and John) harvested for the CSA shares. There were some familiar sorts including French Breakfast radishes, several varieties of lettuce and Dan Moe's strawberries. Importantly, these items are nothing to turn your gaze from. The most simple foods in life can taste so perfect it makes you teary eyed. Well, that actually happened to me again today, and it has been happening for the last five weeks. I have been eating the most amazing foods from Greg's farm, that it has me considering a taste of tarragon, something I have been avoiding for the last five years. Now, that says a lot. Before this morning, I would have never considered broccoli as a sweet vegetable. However, I was proven wrong when I consumed broccoli from the farm. It was ever so sweet. My mind was thinking, dreaming of what to prepare for dinner if work didn't go late. I wrote up three recipes for the newsletter, yet I thought to make a Thai Peanut Soba Noodle Salad. This way I could incorporate other veggies from the box. Other produce in the box included rapini, chinese cabbage, and snow peas. All which were included in my dinner. However, all will have to wait until tomorrow when I'm not falling asleep while writing. Long days on the farm of full sun and hot, humid weather can be taxing, so it's best to sleep well and for a minimum of 7 hours to recover. Thus, I must retire to my room and rest. Tomorrow thirty 2nd grader's will be touring our farm, so extra energy will be needed.

Peas

Today was our first day on the farm to harvest peas; what a pain it was. Apparently last years seed was stunted for we should have harvested 80 pounds no problem. Instead, we finished with 43 pounds! Thinking about this further, I have decided the price of organic peas are more than a fair price at the market. Peas are labor intensive when harvesting and provide little yield (at least this year for Riverbend). Not only did the peas take ages to harvest, but the weather was well into the 90's making it a bit uncomfortable, to say the least. Perhaps the second harvest of the sugar snaps will provide higher yield.

The pea recipe below is a favorite of mine, which I had at my last cooking class at the University of Minnesota. Remember to shell the peas before preparing.

Minted Pea Frittata

Ingredients

2 cloves garlic

1 small yellow onion

7 eggs

1 tablespoon mustard

2 tablespoons water

¼ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

¼ teaspoon salt

pinch freshly cracked black pepper

3 Tablespoons olive oil

2 green onions

1 cup peas (if fresh, blanched and drained)

1 small bunch mint

Garnish: Yogurt and shredded mint

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Heat oil in a large pan and cook yellow onions and garlic. Once cooked for about 3 minutes, add peas.

Meanwhile in a medium bowl, beat the eggs with 2 water.

2 Options:

a) Add the eggs and 3/4 mint to the pan, season with salt and pepper, and cook, lifting the edges with a spatula to allow the uncooked eggs to flow to the bottom. When the frittata is partly cooked (7 minutes), sprinkle on the cheese and transfer pan to the oven.

b) Alternatively, one may use a spring form pan. If using this technique, in a bowl whisk eggs with mint, mustard, salt and pepper. Butter the pan and evenly spread the pea mixture on the bottom. After, pour the egg concoction over and sprinkle on the cheese.

Bake until golden, and set, about 10 minutes (check for doneness) for method a) and for about 15 minutes for method b). Remove and allow to cool slightly.

Garnish with remaining mint and yogurt.

(option to serve on cucumber rounds sliced and garnished with pea shoots)

Serve and eat!

Scape & Arugula Pesto

I could not stop thinking about the idea of scape & arugula pesto all weekend, so I immediately got to work once I arrived home from the farm today. If you love pesto and garlic, this is the sauce for you.

It can be quite garlicky, so adjust the number of scapes accordingly to your liking. Being pesto is versatile, you can increase this recipe and freeze it for days on end. I like to use ice cube trays to freeze individual portions and thaw as needed. Some of my favorite pesto accompaniments include pasta with bell peppers, sandwiches and poached eggs with fresh mozzarella served on crumpets.

Prepares 2 cups

3-4 scapes, rough chop

1 cup toasted walnuts (400 °F, 7 minutes)

1 bunch arugula

¼ cup water

½ - 2/3 cup olive oil

½ cup parmesan cheese, grated

Salt and pepper to taste

In a food processor, add the walnuts and blend. Add the scapes and process once more. Continue with the arugula and process after each handful until all is mixed. Stream in the olive oil a little at a time. Depending on your preference, you may decide to skip the water using only olive oil. However, I find it more refreshing to use water after adding the oil to my pesto, so if you would like to try it with water, proceed to stream it in while the processor is on. Then, add the parmesan cheese, salt and pepper.

Scapes!

If you haven't tried these beauties, you better run quickly to the store and buy them. They are harvested for only a brief period. And guess what; it's this week! Scapes taste remarkably like garlic, only they are much different in appearance. Scapes are the flower stalks on members of the Allium family (garlic, onion, leeks, and chives). As they grow, they curl upwards and are best eaten at this particular stage where they exhibit tenderness. My wheels are turning and I've been dreaming up big possibilities for these gems, including pesto, grilled with romesco sauce, salad dressing, and more. The sky is the limit as you can replace garlic for scapes. For those of you with CSA's from Riverbend, you will find these in your box. Experiment and let me know your thoughts.

Getting Started

Welcome to Salt & Pepper; it is meant to highlight my experiences at Riverbend Farm, seasonal foods, and cooking. It is my preference to keep cooking simple in taste all while accenting the natural flavors present without drowning them out. Hence the name of my blog. Just to get you salivating, I will describe to you what I prepared for dinner tonight. Since it was a bit cool outside, I cooked a yellow split peas dahl with sauteed mustard greens, onion, garlic and garam masala. The mustard greens were compliments of Riverbend. Perhaps you will find this recipe in the next CSA (Community Shared Agriculture) newsletter. The first share will go out today and tomorrow with other recipes I've developed. Those included are a sweet and sour rhubarb pork noodle dish, cornmeal pancakes, and a rhubarb compote. Delicious I tell you. Greg and Mary Reynolds own Riverbend Farm and have been letting me experiment with their produce for the last couple weeks now. They are a lovely, kind couple and have a passion for food like myself. If you ever get the chance to visit the farm, please do. A couple days prior to my first day of work, there were two first grade classes who came to learn about the farm. Unfortunately, I was not able to meet the children, but I did read their thank you letters. Some of my favorite comments and pictures were...

"p.s. the p.p.s. is in english. p.p.s...."

"my favorite part was digging holes..."

There was a picture of farmer Greg sitting on a throne placed on the top of a barn with Nate and John (two other farmhands) working.

"Do you ever get tired of walking everywhere?"

Until next time....