Kelsey made a beautiful and delicious tincture of anise hyssop, thyme, and tulsi for the crew. She created it to support our lungs through smoke season, which we were fortunate to have very little of this year. And yet I have been taking it every day, listening to my body saying “this is the medicine you need”. I picture the three plants dancing together, all under the thoughtful care of Kelsey. I imagine that it is helping clear out the smoke of the last several years, as well as the stress and pain of the drought. While we are not out of the drought yet, it is still a huge relief to have full ponds and saturated soil. The drainage was still trickling yesterday. And we are dreaming of more rain soon, we hope!
We are sowing our first seeds of the new season this week: eggplant and peppers that will be planted in the tunnels at the beginning of April. As we sow the plants, we are also thinking about them in all their stages: the first cotyledons that appear, then the true leaves, the transplants that go in the soil, the growing plant, the flower, and the mature fruit. At the earliest we will receive the fruit in June!
This Week’s Pick List:
Eggs
Takrima Leeks
Matador Shallots, Cipollini, Cortland Yellow, and Monastrell Red Onions
Tetsukabota, Gil’s Golden Acorn, Candystick and Zeppelin Delicata, Spaghetti Winter Squash
Pie Pita Pumpkins
Yellow Finn, Red, and Harvest Moon Potatoes
Yaya Carrots
Rhonda Beets
Mars Celeriac
Hablange Parsnips
Purple Top Turnips
Bora King Purple Daikon and Watermelon Radish
Kossack Kohlrabi
Ruby King Red, Primo and Murdoc Green Cabbage (Lots!!!!)
Calypso Celery
Mei Qing Choi
Dazzling Blue Kale
Ruby Red Chard
Parade Scallions
Esmee Arugula
Salanova Lettuce Mix
Various chicories!
Tea Blends and Ground and Whole Chiles (Please bring your own containers!)
Saltonstall Olive Oil (Please bring your own jars!)
Revolution Bread (Friday only!)
Sambal Potatoes with Aioli, from food52.com
1 whole garlic head, plus 3 garlic cloves, divided
8 tablespoons neutral oil (such as canola or vegetable), divided, plus more as needed
1 2/3 pounds baby potatoes, halved or cut into thirds (about 1-inch chunks)
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 medium shallot, peeled and roughly chopped
2 to 4 long red chiles, roughly chopped (you can rehydrate the dried chiles from the barn and then use them, removing the top and seeds)
1 (1-inch) pieces (10 grams) peeled ginger, sliced
1 (14.5-ounce) can chopped tomatoes
1/2 cup mayonnaise, preferably Kewpie
1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice, plus more to taste
3 tablespoons finely sliced chives or the green tops of scallions
Heat the oven to 400°F with the convection setting if you have one; or heat the oven to 425°F without the convection. Halve the head of garlic horizontally so you cut through all of the cloves.
Pour 4 tablespoons of oil in a big baking dish (such as a 9x13-inch) and add the potatoes. Season with salt and black pepper and toss to combine. Nestle the two garlic head halves, cut side up, among the potatoes, then drizzle the garlic with a little oil. Bake for 40 to 50 minutes, tossing the potatoes halfway through, until crisp and golden. (The garlic may be ready sooner than the potatoes. Check in after 35 minutes and remove it from the oven whenever the cloves look soft and caramelized.)
Meanwhile, blend the shallot, red chiles, ginger, and 2 of the reserved, peeled cloves of garlic in a small food processor until a coarse paste forms. (If you don’t have a food processor, you can finely chop the ingredients.)
Heat the remaining 4 tablespoons of oil in a frying pan over medium-low heat. Fry the spice paste for 5 to 7 minutes, until softened and translucent, stirring occasionally so the ingredients don’t catch.
Add the tomatoes and their juices, bring to a boil, and then simmer on low for about 25 minutes until the sauce has thickened, stirring every so often. Season with a pinch of salt.
While the potatoes and sambal are cooking, make the aioli. Place the mayonnaise in a bowl, mince the remaining reserved garlic clove, and add it to the bowl with the lemon juice. Stir together and season with more lemon juice if needed.
Once the potatoes are crispy and fork-tender, remove them from the oven. The garlic cloves should be soft and caramelized (discard any that have hardened or overcooked). Once cool enough to touch, squeeze out the cloves, removing and discarding the skin. Toss the roasted cloves with the potatoes.
To serve, spread the sambal on the base of a serving platter. Top with the garlicky potatoes. Spoon the mayonnaise over the potatoes and garnish with the chives. Serve immediately.