Vegetable List
Bunch 'o' Beets
Baby Windsor Broccoli
Sherman Cucumbers
French Filet Green Beans
Curly Parsley
Husk Cherries
Lacinato Kale
Ailsa Craig Onions
El Jefe Hot Peppers
Tomatillos
Slicing Tomatoes
Sungolds
Juliet Grape Tomatoes
Notes from the Farm
This is the last week for our beloved summer members. Thanks so much for being a part of our food community for the last 8 weeks.
I love the idea of a food community. We are so fortunate to live in this time in history. Historically food communities existed, but it was out of necessity, or a very real lack of options. Culinary identity was one of the unconscious building blocks of self.
But now look at us... I've built whole friend groups around specific food politics... I've crafted parts of my identity with worldly cuisines... food politics are reaching the level of fashion accessory... everything is different. And theres something wonderful about the change... our individual food community is a choice. We have the choice to eat whatever and however we want... we can encamp ourselves as vegans, locavores, haute cuisine aficionados or some sort of personal Venn diagram of overlapping food identities... the world is our Asian Eggplant!
So, amongst all the culinary clatter, thank you for finding us and, for whatever reason, joining our food community. We're glad to have you all at the table... and hopefully we'll see you again.
Vegetable of the Week
Tomatillos: Tomatillos are a wonderfully tangy (not hot) relative of the tomato... its a moderately distant relation, but they are similar in many ways. In Mexico they are called green tomatoes and used to make green salsa.
I remember trying to explain tomatillos to a Mexican friend of mine, in Mexico, and her just telling me I was crazy... it was a heated exchange that ended in a trip to the market where I showed her tomatillos and she stopped, took a breath and explained to me that in Mexico tomatillos are green tomatoes... to that, I asked what you'd call a proper green tomato and she told me not to be stupid... who would eat a green tomato?
Anyway... tomatillos are wonderful roasted or fresh. Roasting brings out the sweetness. We often roast tomatillos in the oven until they have just a bit of black on them and then blend them up with some roasted onion, a roasted hot pepper, salt and a half teaspoon of honey for a great salsa. For a tangier salsa, blend them fresh with some cilantro and lime. Tomatillos are also great roasted in a pan with other veggies and used as a side dish.
Remember to take off the paper husk... its not that tasty.
Recipes
Tomato Jam
This sounds a bit crazy, but its great. Its great on bread for a snack or really as a side for anything.
2 1/4 pounds (1 kg) ripe tomatoes (about 5 large)
2 1/4 cups (450 g) sugar
2 or 3 grinds of black pepper
Big pinch of salt
1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
Bring a large saucepan of water to a boil. Using a paring knife, cut out the stem end of each tomato, then slice a shallow X in the bottom.
Plunge the tomatoes into the boiling water until their skins loosen, about 30 seconds. Remove them with a slotted spoon and let cool. When cool enough to handle, slip off their skins. Discard the water, but save the saucepan for cooking the jam.
Halve the tomatoes at their equator and gently squeeze out the seeds and juice. Cut the tomatoes into 1/2-inch (1.5-cm) pieces.
Return the tomatoes to the saucepan and stir in the sugar, pepper, and salt. Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently to ensure that the mixture is cooking evenly, until most of the liquid has cooked off. If foam occasionally rises to the top, skim it off with a large spoon. Remove from the heat and stir in the lemon juice.
Ladle the jam into clean jars. Cover tightly, let cool, and refrigerate.
Storage:
The jam will keep for at least 6 months in the refrigerator.
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