WILD HARE WEEKLY SUMMER#12/18

This week, we'll have some fresh Onions and Tomatillos to mix in with all the summer crops we've been picking as of late.  Mark has been doing all kinds of cooking with Tomatillos over the past year thanks to our Electric Pressure Cooker, so we figured we’d carve out a row at the farm and plant enough to share.  If you’ve never had a tomatillo before, they’re kind of like a firm unripe green tomato that is slightly sticky to the touch and grows inside of a papery husk.  They’re pleasantly tart and they make incredible salsas.  There are all kinds of peppers just on the brink of readiness right beside them, so take heart in knowing that there is still plenty of Summer on the way.  

On Wednesday, I will turn 37 years old.  When I was a kid, my birthday (though always warm and special) marked the beginning of the end of Summer.  Today, as a grown-up lady farmer type, I am all too aware of just how much summer lies ahead in our fields, and I celebrate this time of year with gusto--with my loved ones, and because the season demands it, a great big juicy Bloody Mary.  (2018 will get some bonus points, because this year's celery crop will be ready at the same time as the tomatoes and hot peppers for the aforementioned beverage.)  I'm also a really big fan of making a great big birthday wish every year, and thankfully, last year's wish eventually came true in the form of farm ownership.  Mark and I have been thinking back to where we were a year ago, scrambling to try and get fall crops planted after abrupt changes to our equipment lineup, stumbling, hoping and worrying over whether we would ever get to see to their actual harvest.  They were difficult times, and while they're part of our story, they’re more like footnotes or asides on days like this.  I take a whole lot of pride in seeing the solid work that the crew has already put into our Fall, Winter and even Spring crops already, and seeing Mark out cultivating in the Rutabagas today was a real gift.  Their day will come soon—but not yet!

Take Care,
Katie

IN THE FARMSHARES THIS WEEK:

Lettuce, Cucumbers, Zucchini & Summer Squash, Salad Onions, Tomatoes and/or Tomatillos, Santa Rosa Plums, Gravenstein Apples & (fingers crossed) Jalapeno Peppers.
 

SEASONAL RECIPES & TIPS:

15 DELICIOUS WAYS TO USE TOMATILLOS ANY TIME OF DAY - THE KITCHN
GRAVENSTEIN APPLES:  THE END OF SUMMER IN A FRUIT - NPR

PRESSURE COOKER GREEN CHILE PORK CARNITAS
Pressure Cooking Today

• 2-3 lbs pork shoulder, cut into 6-8 pieces
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 large jalapeño, seeded and stem removed
• 1 green bell pepper, seeded and stem removed
• 1 poblano pepper, seeded and stem removed
• 1 lb tomatillos, husks removed and quartered
• 3 cloves garlic, peeled
• 1 onion, quartered
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1 teaspoon oregano
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 2 bay leaves

CONTINUE TO RECIPE

QUICK FRESH TOMATILLO SALSA
Martha Rose Shulman

• 1 pound tomatillos, husked and rinsed
• 2 to 4 jalapeño or serrano chiles, seeded for a milder salsa, coarsely chopped
• ¼ cup chopped onion, soaked for 5 minutes in cold water, drained and rinsed
• ¼ to ½ cup coarsely chopped cilantro (to taste)
•  Salt to taste (about 1/2 teaspoon)
• ¼ to ½ cup water, as needed

CONTINUE TO RECIPE

SPICY GREENS & PLUM SALAD
Ted Allen

• 1/4 c. extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 tbsp. red wine vinegar
• salt
• Freshly ground pepper
• 3/4 lb. spicy greens (such as baby mustard, arugula, and watercress)
• 8 plums

CONTINUE TO RECIPE
 

CUCUMBER-TOMATILLO GAZPACHO
Bon Appetit

• 1 pound English hothouse cucumbers (about 1), halved, seeds removed
• 1 pound tomatillos, husks removed, rinsed
• ½ medium onion, thinly sliced, rinsed under cold water
• ½ poblano chile, seeds removed
• 1 garlic clove
• ¼ cup olive oil
• ¼ cup unseasoned rice vinegar
• 1 tablespoon chopped parsley
• 1 tablespoon chopped cilantro, plus leaves for serving
• Kosher salt, freshly ground pepper

CONTINUE TO RECIPE