While Seth and I are in Tahoe this week, grateful to be enjoying the lake and family time, I can’t help but to read the weather at home and to think of the crew and the farm. I am imagining the return of the fog after the intense heat wave of last week, the cool relief for the plants, animals, and humans. I am hoping that the next heat wave this weekend is more mild.
We took shelter from the heat last week in the shade tunnels, clearing out the beautiful and enormous kale to make space for the next plantings of spinach, basil, and napa cabbage. All the winter squash, melons, and watermelons are in the ground, growing rapidly. We will plant the next round of brassicas and direct seeded crops this week, as well as the last flowers. The weeds are rapidly growing too and we are doing our best to manage them to allow the crops to flourish.
This Week’s Pick List:
Eggs
Cortland Yellow and Monastrell Red Onions (We recommend storing the red onions in the fridge even though they are cured. They are starting to fade.)
Alto Leeks (Young and tender!)
Bora King and Cheong Du Radish
Pink Beauty Radishes
Hakurei Turnips
Dark Star, Yellowfin, and Cocozelle Summer Squash
Evergreen Hardy Scallions
Rainbow Lacinato and Old Growth Palm Kale
Champion Collards
Parsley, Basil, Cilantro, and Dill
Regiment Spinach
Head Lettuce
Albion Strawberries
Single Herb Tea (We are offering our remaining dried herbs in bulk now!)
Saltonstall Olive Oil (Please bring your own jars!)
Revolution Bread
Herb Fritters, from www.ottolenghi.co.uk
40g dill, finely chopped
40g basil leaves, finely chopped
40g cilantro leaves,
finely chopped
1½ tsp ground cumin
50g fresh breadcrumbs (about 2 slices, crusts left on if soft)
3 tbsp barberries (or currants)
25g walnut halves, lightly toasted and roughly chopped
8 large eggs, beaten
60ml sunflower oil, for frying
salt
These can be snacked on as they are, at room temperature, or else served with a green tahini sauce and some extra herbs. These fritters are a bit of a fridge raid, using up whatever herbs you have around. As long as you keep the total net weight the same and use a mixture of herbs, this will still work wonderfully. The batter will keep, uncooked, for 1 day in the fridge. Alternatively, pile the fritters into pitta bread with condiments: a combination of yoghurt, chilli sauce, pickled vegetables and tahini works well. You’d just need one fritter per person, rather than two
Place all the ingredients, apart from the oil, in a large bowl with ½ teaspoon of salt. Mix well to combine and set aside.
Put 2 tablespoons of oil into a large non-stick pan and place on a medium high heat. Once hot, add ladles of batter to the pan.
Do 4 fritters at a time, if you can – you want each of them to be about 12cm wide – otherwise just do 2 or 3 at a time.
Fry for 1–2 minutes on each side, until crisp and golden-brown. Transfer to a kitchen paper-lined plate and set aside while you continue with the remaining batter and oil.
Serve either warm or at room temperature