Tag Archives: recipe

Farm Lunch: June 18th

In a previous occupation, I was employed at a fairly prestigious donut shop based out of Somerville. One of the shop’s signature donuts is a raised donut covered in a brown butter glaze, which is then tossed in toasted hazelnuts. The result being one of the most edifying eating experiences available to mortals. With that said, I feel responsible for carrying on the brown butter tradition wherever I go. On this occasion, the tradition manifested itself in Strawberry Brown Butter Bars.

Now before one dismisses brown butter as overly complicated hipster necromancy, checkout this link that nicely demonstrates the process of browning butter. It is fairly straightforward; as long as you keep an eye on the butter so it doesn’t burn, keep in mind that it is brown butter, not blackened butter. The end result can add deep toffee and nutty qualities to baked goods and other dishes.

For the most part, I did not alter the original recipe very much. Instead of cherries, I used our amazing strawberries and for the crust, I threw in some sage from our raised beds while I was browning the butter. Overall, I was pleased with how the recipe turned out. I expected the strawberries to be on the juicy side, but I could not resist using them. Albeit, the end result wasn’t the prettiest, it sure was tasty.

The finished product hot from the oven.

Pouring the brown butter batter over the berries.

Farm Lunch: June 14th

Being a farm apprentice has numerous perks, one such perk is having daily access to fresh organic vegetables.  On this occasion, I capitalized on my proximity to produce and made some arugula pesto.

As far as recipes go, pesto is fairly straightforward and flexible in terms of interchanging ingredients. While the traditional pesto calls for basil, pine nuts, garlic, olive oil, salt, and Parmesan cheese, you can substitute many of the ingredients in favor of ones you find more palatable. For instance, I used arugula, raw almonds, some spring garlic, and some garlic powder from Organic Green Kitchen in place of the basil, pine nuts, and regular garlic. However, pesto can be made with any leafy green that packs a punch, like kale, mustard greens, and even radish greens. As for the cheese and nut options, try using any number of hard cheese or nut variety.

I used the recipe provided here as a guide for creating my pesto. Being without a food processor, I made do with a blender to turn the raw almond slivers into a course meal, but the same result can be achieved by using a rolling pin and a large sandwich bag to crush the nuts. As for the garlic amount specified in the recipe, I found it truly wanting and ended up using three or four medium sized bulbs and stalks. Obviously, tweak your own recipe to taste and to the amount you are making.

In the end, I combined my pesto with tri-colored radiatori, the fins of which hold the pesto nicely, and topped it all with some rough cut radish for an added crunch.

Green Grows The Berry

Strawberries are fickle and ephemeral. In one day, strawberries can pop from a field of green on green, to one afloat with the deep red of ripe berries. In the same amount of time, these tender berries can be picked over by birds, bugs, beasts, and berry mad farmers.

If the anxiety of waiting for the berries to ripen is overwhelming, then try this preemptive recipe to alleviate the tension.

Pickled Green Berries

Ingredients

  • 1 pint of green strawberries, washed and hulled
  • 1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
  • 2 bay leaves
  • ½ teaspoon celery seed
  • ½ teaspoon caraway seeds
  • 1 teaspoon yellow mustard seeds
  • pinch of red pepper flakes (if you want add a little heat)
  • ½ cup apple cider vinegar
  • ½ cup white vinegar
  • ½ cup water
  • 2 tablespoons honey or sugar
  • 1 ½ teaspoon coarse sea salt or pickling salt

Instructions

  1. Clean and dry a jar big enough to hold all the strawberries. Fill the jar with the washed and hulled green strawberries, packing them tightly together. Add the black peppercorns, bay leaves, celery seeds, caraway seeds, yellow mustard seeds and red pepper flakes (if using) over the top of the strawberries. Set the jar aside while you prepare the brine.
  2. In a saucepan over low heat add the vinegars, water, honey and sea salt. Gently simmer until the honey and salt has dissolved. Set the mixture aside until it has cooled completely. Pour the mixture over the green strawberries (if it doesn’t completely cover the strawberries you will need to make more brine). Cover the jar and give it a few gentle shakes to move all the spices around a bit. Refrigerate the green strawberries for at least a few days before using.
  3. NOTE: Normally you would add the brine while it was still hot, but for this recipe you want it to cool down so the strawberries don’t become mushy and chewy.

Sources

Shared Appetite 

Smithsonian Magazine

Radish Against The Daikon Light

Looking for a way to use the radish other than mixed in with salad greens ? Try putting the spicy Brassicaceae to use in a salsa. Like other members of its family,  mustard, horseradish, and wasabi, radishes make use of  allyl isothiocyanates, an organosulfur compound that gives it a noticeable spicy kick.

Radish Salsa

  • 2 cups chopped radish
  • 1/2 cucumber, peeled and diced
  • 1/2 small red onion, chopped
  • 1 scallion or spring onion
  • 1 teaspoon minced garlic or spring garlic
  • 1 tablespoon minced jalapeno or your favorite hot pepper to desired taste
  • 2 tablespoons lime juice
  • 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
  • Salt and pepper to taste

After processing the ingredients as instructed, place them into a medium bowl and mix thoroughly.

Taste the salsa and adjust the flavor as desired.

For the unmodified recipe click here.