Mark Bittman's 'How to Make Jam,' passed along by Joanne

Source

How to Make Jam--This is a basic guide to making low-sugar refrigerator jam from any fruit. It can be frozen too. This is about as easy as it gets. 

• 1 lb fruit (e.g., raspberries)
• 1/4 cup sugar
• seasonings to taste
• 2 tbsp juice of your choice
• vinegar (optional)--Joanne says a splash of balsamic is delicious!

Put 1 lb fruit (pitted & chopped if necessary) in medium saucepan over medium heat. After ~1 min, add 1/4 cup sugar (or more, or less, depending on your taste), seasonings to taste (e.g., cinnamon, nutmeg, coriander, etc), and 2 tbsp juice (and the splash of vinegar if using). Adjust heat till mix bubbles steadily, using higher heat if the mix looks too soupy, lower heat if it seems dry. Cook, stirring occasionally, till mix is thick--10 to 30 min. Cool completely & refrigerate; it will thicken more as it cools. It will keep at least a week in the fridge. Remove any whole seasonings (cinnamon sticks, hunks of ginger, stalks of lemon grass, etc) before serving. Makes about 1&1/2 cups.  (recipe source)

For other ideas on how to make this, see Bittman's original NYT article, "How to Make Jam," by clicking here. 

Red Hill Farm, Week #13, by Angela

Hello, RED HILL FARM members! Welcome to Week #13. This is a Full Share and Bi-Weekly Tuesday Pickup Week.

Molly will be in the share room this week. Like last week, make time for lots of picking in the U-Pick--woohoo!

I apologize for the weedy farm; oh how it bugs me so. Our tractor has been out of commission for over two weeks due to a faulty starter that has been repaired, repaired, repaired, and--God willing--will ultimately be replaced by tomorrow morning. That said, I may be on the tractor during most of the pickup time on Tuesday to get the ground ready to finally transplant our broccoli. During the pickup hours, I will only be in the fields on the parking-lot side of our driveway, nowhere near the U-Pick; however, I ask for your safety that you please do not approach the tractor. I also ask for your patience if I am turning around in the driveway; please do not drive around the tractor in the grass (due to the numerous header hoses and the faucets that may be damaged). Thank you so much.  :-)

Refractory tractor (source)

The sun is shining and the weather has been superb--what better time to enjoy the fresh produce? This week you may anticipate (in addition to the abundant U-Pick items):

• greens mix
• heirloom tomatoes
• Red Maria potatoes
• red onions
• eggplant/peppers
• garlic
• melons--melons are coming in slowly, so if you took one last week, please do not take one this week. Thanks!

Deborah Madison's Romesco Sauce, reposted by Melinda

Deborah Madison's Romesco sauce (source)

This recipe is both vegetarian and vegan, yet hearty enough to accompany meat or other animal-protein mains. It's a Catalan variation on tomato sauce.

Deborah Madison's Romesco Sauce

• 1/2 cup & 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 slice hearty country bread
• 1/2 cup almonds, hazelnuts, or a mix, toasted (if using hazelnuts, peel them)
• 3 cloves garlic
• 1-&-1/2 tsp New Mexican or other ground red chile powder
• 4 Roma [or other meaty tomatoes] tomatoes--they can be used fresh, grilled, or pan-roasted [each option will slightly affect the flavor of the sauce]
• 1 tbsp chopped parsley
• 1 tsp fresh thyme leaves, or a few pinches dried
• sea salt
• 1 tsp sweet or smoked paprika
• 2 sweet red peppers [bell or Italian long], roasted, peeled & seeded [Melinda would roast and seed, but not peel]
• 1/4 cup sherry vinegar

Warm 2 tbsp olive oil in small skillet. Add bread, turning it immediately so both sides are moistened with oil, then fry till golden and crisp. Grind toasted bread w/ toasted nuts in food processor till fairly fine. Add the garlic, chile powder, tomatoes, parsley, thyme, scant tsp of salt, paprika, and roasted peppers, and process till smooth. With processor running, gradually pour in vinegar & remaining 1/2 cup of oil. Adjust salt & spices to taste.  (source)

For a yummy vegan "app" for this sauce try this:

Kale, Potato, & Romesco (source)

Kale and Potato Mash with Romesco Sauce--Start by making the above Romesco sauce.  For the "Mash" part of it (this also is a Deb Madison recipe):

• about a pound of Russet (baking) potatoes, peeled
• 8 oz. yellow-fleshed potatoes [we have some from RHF], scrubbed
• sea salt
• 10-12 oz kale, any variety, stemmed & leaves chopped
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• fresh-ground black pepper
• chopped parsley for garnish (optional)

Cut potatoes into similar-size chunks. Put them in a saucepan & cover with cold water. Bring to boil on high heat, add a generous pinch of salt, then reduce heat to medium or medium-low (barely bubbling); cook uncovered till potatoes are firm-tender when pierced w/ a knife. Add kale & cook for ~8 min, till potatoes are tender enough to mash & kale has wilted. Drain, reserving 1/3rd cup of the cooking water; transfer potatoes & kale to a mixing bowl. Add reserved water & oil & mash to a chunky texture. Taste for salt & season w/ pepper. Serve with sauce spooned atop the potato/kale mix, or alongside. Sprinkle w/ parsley (if using) before serving.  (Recipe is reproduced in the Washington Post [click here] and is from Madison's new cookbook, Vegetable Literacy [click here to see the book on Amazon].

Romesco sauce is also delicious with seafood, for example a lightly sauteed fish filet, or with shellfish. It also makes a good dip!

Ruh roh! Things getting difficult for small farms...., reposted by Melinda

This is actually a repost by Brian Snyder, of PASA (Pennsylvania Association for Sustainable Agriculture), of a post by two local farmers, Michael Tabor and Nick Maravell. It concerns the considerable negative impact the regulations of FSMA (Food Safety Modernization Act) will have on small family farms, CSAs,  farmers' markets, and so forth.

The issues concern "dirt." We all know that most produce grows in fields of dirt. The farmers wash the produce before selling it, and the consumer washes it again at home before using. Our bodies *need* a certain amount of "dirt" to maintain a healthy balance of intestinal bacteria.

But Big Agriculture wants to sanitize produce and other foods, disinfecting it, irradiating it, and bagging or wrapping it in airtight plastic. If you follow the news, you know that harmful bacterial infections develop *not* in the naturally grown and washed foods that small farmers sell, but in those supposedly sanitized, sealed bags of veggies that you find at supermarkets, chain stores like Trader Joe's, and so forth. Here's a story about the recent cyclospora outbreak found in sealed packages of produce that sickened more than 500 people: http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/health/2013/08/12/farm-stops-salad-production-over-cyclospora-stomach-bug-outbreak/.

Credit: Nati Harnik/AP Photo (source)

Here's a similar story of salads served at Olive Garden sickening 100s of people: http://dfw.cbslocal.com/2013/08/11/mom-son-from-midlothian-claim-cyclospora-infection-file-lawsuit/.

To read Brian Snyder's repost of the brilliant discussion by two farmers about these issues, please see Brian's blog, "Write to Farm": http://writetofarm.com/2013/08/15/strawberries-raspberries-and-bagged-salads/. It's a very good read indeed.

Tomato & Tomatillo Gazpacho, by Melinda

Tomato/Tomatillo Gazpacho, from Gourmet (source)

If you're willing to go pick your own tomatillos in the Upick field, you can have this quite delicious, super-easy soup! Celebrate both of these warm-weather crops while you can!  Btw, to prepare tomatillos, remove the papery husks and wash the tomatillos to get the slightly sticky coating they sport off the skin. Tomatillos can be eaten green, yellow, or purple! (For more on tomatillos, click here.) As well, because tomatillos have a husk, it's PERFECTLY OK to pick them up off the ground. That's often where the best ones are found, both the biggest and the ripest.

Tomato and Tomatillo Gazpacho--a chilled soup, though I happen to like it warmed too. Serves 6 as a starter course.

• 1/2 lb fresh tomatillos, husked, washed, and quartered
• 1 & 1/2 lbs tomatoes, chopped & divided into 3/4 lb piles
• 1/2 cup white onion, chopped & divided into 1/4 cup amounts
• 1 fresh serrano chile, coarsely chopped, including seeds [serranos are VERY hot chile peppers; if you don't like very hot food, substitute a milder pepper, and/or remove the seeds, wearing plastic gloves if you do]
• 1 clove garlic, quartered
• 2 tbsp red-wine vinegar
• 1 cup water
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 cup chopped cilantro

Puree the tomatillos, half the tomatoes, half the onion, chile, garlic, vinegar, & 1 & 1/4 tsp salt [or to taste] in a blender till smooth. Force through a medium-mesh sieve into a bowl, discarding solids. [Personally, I wouldn't do that sieving--I think you lose too many nutrients from the discarded bits of skins & seeds.] Stir in remaining tomatoes and onions, water, oil, & cilantro. Chill until cold, at least 1 hour and up to 4 hours before serving. (This is from Gourmet, 9/2009, click here.)

A Farmer's Day, by Angela

'Twas a Monday morning indeed, with weeds to our knees digging potatoes in a little sprinkle that turned into glorious afternoon sunshine. I smell a bit of tractor after pleading with the green machine to start (a plea it refused) and am soaked head to toe thanks to my body's own swamp-cooling system. I am a farmer--these are the events of my day that, though mundane, make for a good day.

Broccoli will be leaving the nursery of the greenhouse to live in the farm fields this week. The plants look hardy and well, with good promise for a healthy share of heads this fall. It's funny how the florets do remind so many (myself included) of miniature trees, as if we were giant people able to eat oak trees as a side dish.

Broccoli forest (source, art by Carl Warner)

I thought about this size dimension again while looking over the newly sprouted rows of salad mix, thinking they look like forests from an airplane's perspective. Oh, to be a bug or a bird for a day would surely explode my brain in wonder.

Red Hill Farm Week #11, by Angela

This is a Full Share and Bi-Weekly Tuesday pickup week.

Brendan is the farmer in the shareroom this week. Joanne will be available at the farm for children and adults alike on Tuesday from 1-5 pm, and this Friday from 1 to 3, then again for the Salsa Contest from 5:30 to 7:00 pm. Please see below! ALL MEMBERS ARE WELCOME TO THE SALSA CONTEST, WHETHER THIS FRIDAY IS YOUR PICKUP DAY OR NOT!!! Please do join us!

Poster by Joanne Rosenbaum

Also note, we'd love your help digging potatoes on Saturday, August 24th from 10 am to noon. More details to come; this is a family-friendly event.... The more hands, the merrier! And an excellent educational opportunity for your children, too.

For your menu-planning this week, you may anticipate:

• heirloom tomatoes
• lettuce
• garlic
• Torpedo onions
• peppers/eggplant
• summer squash
• German Butterball potatoes

German Butterball Potatoes (source)

Cheers!

Summer Squash Carpaccio Salad

This is based on "Zucchini Carpaccio" in Light and Easy, an occasional publication from Conde Nast featuring the best recipes from their food magazines.

Zucchini Carpaccio, Light & Easy

Summer Squash Carpaccio--lovely salad or appetizer. Use a mandoline (cheap but very worthwhile investment--got mine at Bed, Bath, & Beyond) or the paper-thin cutting blade on a food processor for slicing squash.

• 4 medium summer squash, total of 1 & 1/4lbs
• 4 tbsp olive oil
• 1 & 1/2 tbsp fresh lemon juice, or to taste
• 1/2 tsp salt, or to taste
• 1/3 to 1/2 cup grated parmesan [I prefer the sharper taste of Pecorino]
• 1/4 to 1/3 cup fresh mint leaves

Cut squash crosswise into slices as thin as possible [see note above]. Spread them out on a large platter (or two large plates), covering the platter completely. Drizzle squash evenly with oil & lemon juice, then sprinkle evenly w/ salt & cheese. Use scissors to snip thin shreds of mint leaves over the salad.  

The Glory of the Day, by Angela

"Oh what a day!  Glorious!
Gather 'round
There's nothing better
Than a friend
Oh what a day!  Glorious!
The smell of rain
Has hitched a ride
Upon the wind
I've got good friends
To the left of me
And good friends
To my right
Got the open sky above me
And the earth beneath my feet
Got a feeling in my heart
That's singin'
All in life is sweet
Oh what a day!"

~MaMuse, Glorious, http://www.mamuse.org

Ma Muse Album, The Integration of the Awkward
Art by Mara Friedman (source)

MaMuse is a duo of wonderful female musicians that I had the pleasure of enjoying in person during my time in Chico, California. The song listed above has been murmuring through my head incessantly during this week, with the return of the summer rains and time again mingling in the share room. Such a simple reminder of appreciation and gratitude to claim the days for the beauty within them, as we peak out in our heirloom tomato harvests and welcome the arrival of the blackberries.

It has been rather a fall-like week on the farm as our temperatures have dropped, and the yearly task of clearing off fence vines is in full swing. Hurry up and wait continues to be the mantra of this season, as we ebb and flow with the weather once again. It's never boring here, and as predictably as plants want to grow, we are experiencing new perspectives every week with what is possible in this quantity of rain and the vigor of the plants.

Crazy Bed Head Raspberries!

Take our raspberries, for instance (see photo above). I thought the trellising system would hold these power-packed canes, but it appears that they really do desire to continue their "crazy-bed-head-flying-all-over-the-place" look, with just a minimal amount contained within the wires. Oh well, I'll continue working on that delicious dilemma.

Wicked Good! by Melinda

Brown Butter Tomatoes (source)

I seem to be hung up on this decadent combo of tomatoes and butter. The source of this wonderful and easy recipe is "Food 52," the crowd-sourced recipe and food blog we follow on this blog (click here). Amanda, one of the principals in the endeavor, notes that the tomatoes must be sliced 1/3rd-inch thick, not 1/4 or 1/2!!!!  This serves 4 as an appetizer or two as a light meal. By the way, this will not work by substituting oil for butter--browned oil is completely unhealthy, carcinogenic!

Brown Butter Tomatoes

• 2 large or 3 small, ripe, beefsteak-type tomatoes (our heirlooms would be great!)
• 6 tbsp unsalted butter
• Flaky sea salt, like Maldon
• coarsely ground black pepper
• baguette or other country bread, for mopping up the butter (try some of Jerry Sheehan's bread!)

Core the tomatoes & slice them 1/3rd-inch thick. Divide slices among 4 plates [or 2], overlapping them just a little. Put butter in small, heavy-bottomed saucepan & set on medium-low heat. Let the butter melt completely; it will begin bubbling. Let the butter simmer away, cooking off its water, until it begins to smell nutty and brown. Swirl the pan every 30 seconds or so. When the butter turns the color of a hazelnut, remove it from the heat. Use a soup spoon to ladle it over the tomatoes. They'll sizzle! You want to dress the tomatoes with the butter generously! Season the tomatoes with salt & pepper, then rush the plates to the table so everyone can taste them while the butter is still hot! Mop up the butter and tomato juices with good bread. Toast to summer!  (recipe source)

Beer-Cheese Tomato Soup, by Melinda

Beer Cheese Tomato Soup (source)

Beer Cheese Tomato Soup--both the cheese & the soup sound incredible! Makes 4-6 servings.

Basic Beer Cheese

• 4 oz block sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
• 1/8 cup onion
• 1 clove garlic, peeled
• 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce [w/o anchovies, if you're a veg]
• 1 tbsp hot sauce (or to taste)
• 1/4 cup beer

Tomato Soup

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1/4 cup chopped onion
• 3 cloves garlic, peeled & minced
• 4 lbs tomatoes, cored & chopped
• 2 tbsp dried basil [or 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil]
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1/4 cup crushed red pepper
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper

In small food processor, add the cheese, 1/8 cup onion, 1 clove garlic, Worcestershire, & hot sauce. Pulse till ingredients are blended. Pour in the beer & continue to pulse till it reaches a spreadable consistency. Set aside. [If you intend to make this on its own, w/o the soup, put it in a crock & refrigerate.]

In a soup pot, heat olive oil over medium-high heat, & add onion & garlic. Cook for 2-3 min, till onions soften. Add tomatoes, reduce heat, & simmer, stirring often, for 15 min. Once the tomatoes start to break down in the cooking, remove pot from heat. Use an immersion blender, or transfer in batches to a blender. Puree till smooth.  Stir in the basil, sugar, & red pepper. Add salt & black pepper to taste. Return to heat & simmer 2-3 min. Stir in beer cheese. Serve warm.  (source)

Red Hill Farm Week #10, by Angela

This is a Full Share and Bi-Weekly Friday pickup week.

Sunny on Monday, but our rain is back in the forecast for the rest of this week.  Man, seriously getting a good dose of regular rain showers this year.

Our Salsa Contest is coming up on August 16th!  Check it out (see poster) and start your own test batches for the event with all the wonderful tomatoes on the horizon.

Poster by Joanne Rosenbaum!

Unfortunately, we will not be putting on the Farm-to-Table event this year. Instead, all of our end-of-season efforts are going into the Harvest Festival--FUN for ALL!  This family event will be Saturday, October 19th, from 4 to 7 pm--details to come later.

This week, in the barn, you may anticipate:

• heirloom tomatoes
• garlic
• sweet white onions
• blue potatoes
• eggplant *or* green peppers (limited quantities of each at each pickup for a choice)
• and some surprises!

Don't forget to do your U-Picking, the best way to maximize your farm membership.

Blue Potato Recipes, by Melinda

Blue Potatoes really stand out!  (source)

Blue potatoes (ours are called "All Blue," as both the skin and flesh are bluish purple) are an excellent multi-purpose potato. They're great bakers, but also are fine and tasty when mashed, steamed, microwaved, roasted, or made into chips! As you see in the above photo, they also look pretty--e.g., in potato salads--in combination with other color potatoes (some folks make 4th of July red, white, and blue potato salad!). In fact, in most of these recipes you can change out blue potatoes for other colors and types.

Fork-Crushed Blue Potatoes--serves 4, unless you're a mashed-potato freak!

(source)

• 1 lb blue or purple potatoes, washed
• 4 shallots, minced
• 2 tbsp fresh-squeezed lemon juice
• 3 to 6 tbsp olive oil (to taste) [non-vegans could use butter]
• Fleur de sel to taste [you could use regular salt]
• white pepper [or black] to taste
• 2 tbsp chopped parsley

In large pot, cook potatoes w/ skins on till tender, ~15 minutes (blue potatoes are a smallish variety). Remove potatoes from pot & peel them while still warm. Put potatoes in large bowl &, using a fork, gently smash them, maintaining a fairly chunky consistency. Fold in minced shallots, lemon juice, olive oil, salt, & pepper. Sprinkle w/ parsley & eat!  (recipe source)

Blue Potato Salad w/ Lemon Basil Vinaigrette

(source)

• 1 3/4 lbs blue potatoes (or mix of blue & white)
• 1 small bell pepper, diced (a lavender one is nice if you can find it)
• 1/4 large onion, chopped fine
• juice of one lemon
• 1 tsp apple-cider vinegar
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 tsp sugar
• ~15 fresh basil leaves [& extra for garnish, as in photo above]
• salt & pepper to taste

I cook the potatoes using a method taught by my mom. Place the whole potatoes in a poet, cover w/ water, cover the pot with a lid, and bring to a boil. Once they boil, turn off the heat. Leave the lid on & let them sit in the hot water till potatoes are softened. For this recipe, that's ~15-20 min. Drain the potatoes & let them cool [peel or not, your preference]. Chop into bite-sized pieces & add bell pepper & onion. In a small bowl, whisk together the lemon juice, vinegar, olive oil, & sugar. Chop the basil & stir into dressing. Pour dressing over potatoes & toss to coat. Salt & pepper to taste. Eat while warm, or refrigerate for 15 min. before serving. Either way, serve soon after making, as the potatoes' color lightens the longer they sit.  Serves 6.   (recipe source)

Double Blue Rosemary Potato Mash--I adapted this from a recipe calling for Yukon Gold potatoes, b/c I think it would be much prettier with Blue potatoes.

• 6 tbsp unsalted butter, plus more for the baking dish
• 2 cloves garlic, peeled & smashed [not minced, just smashed into largish pieces]
• 1 tbsp finely chopped rosemary leaves [or substitute other chopped herbs if you don't care for rosemary]
• freshly cracked black pepper
• 6 Blue potatoes, peeled & cut in chunks
• kosher salt
• 1 1/4 cups crumbled blue cheese (recommended: Shropshire blue)

Butter a 6 to 8 cup shallow baking dish. In small saucepan, heat butter, garlic, rosemary, and pepper, to taste, till butter is melted. Allow to sit over very low heat to infuse flavors & keep hot while cooking potatoes. In large pot, add potatoes, cover w/ water and add a heavy pinch of salt. Bring to a boil on medium heat, then reduce heat & simmer till potatoes are fork-tender, ~15 min. Immediately drain the potatoes & put back into hot pot over very low heat to dry thoroughly. Next, pass them through a food mill over a bowl. If you don't have a food mill, use a potato masher or a ricer.** Preheat the oven broiler [set to "broil"]. Remove smashed garlic from warm butter and whisk about 1 cup of the blue cheese into the butter. By hand, mix this cheese/butter sauce into the potatoes & season w/ a little salt & pepper to taste. Spread into prepared baking dish & top w/ remaining blue cheese. Broil till cheese is golden & melting, ~3 min. Remove from oven & serve. (recipe source)
**Whatever you do, don't ever try to whip potatoes in a food processor or blender--they get gluey.

Today, August 1st, is Lammas, the "First Harvest," by Melinda

In older Europe and North America, temperatures were colder on average than they are today, and August 1st was the traditional day for harvesting "first fruits," including grains.  Lammas (according to a lunar calendar) marked the end of summer, though it may not feel like that nowadays! It may have originated in an earlier Celtic holiday called Lughnasadh, an agriculture-based fertility rite commemorating the seasonal passing of the god of light, Lugh (equivalent to Dionysos in ancient Greece or Apollo in Rome). Lammas celebrated the first harvest, as it was vital to a community to put away enough food, as the day-lengths shortened, to tide them over the winter.

First Harvest Fruits (source)

By mediaeval times, Lammas had been incorporated into the calendar of Christian church holidays. It also has affiliations with the Jewish harvest holiday, Sukkot, though the dates of Sukkot vary from year to year in the Jewish calendar.

In the Christian church, Lammas is translated as "Loaf Mass"; it was celebrated with loaves of bread made from the first harvested grains. These special loaves of bread were taken to the local church and placed on the altar for blessing and as thanks for a good harvest. Indeed, Lughnasadh or Lammas is celebrated even today in some churches interested in Celtic spirituality, like All Saints Brookline, an Episcopal church near Boston (click here for their excellent history of the holiday). Indeed, as they note, in Ireland, Lammas was the traditional day for harvesting the first potatoes, so consider our Blue potatoes a tribute to Lammas!

Celtic Lammas emblem, All Saints Brookline

Popularly, Lammas was a time for feasting and games, with artists, Morris dancers, and town fairs. It also was celebrated by the creation of "corn dollies" ("corn" was the word used for what today would be wheat, barley, or rye). They were based on the popular belief that the spirit of the grain could shelter in the corn dolly over the winter, and then be plowed back into the ground in the spring to ensure another good harvest.

Corn Dollies of various sorts
(British tea towel I own)

The final Lammas tradition was making barley beer, as in the British folksong "John Barleycorn," about the suffering and death of the grain as it was processed, only to be revivified in a new form in the Lammas ale. For a version of "John Barleycorn Must Die" by the group Steeleye Span, click here.

Lammas Ale, Vancouver (source)