Thursday, November 25, 2010

Thanksgiving / CSA ends

HAPPY THANKSGIVING EVERYONE!

CSA wrapped up last week. Thank you all for your support of local agriculture during this past difficult season. The 2011 Edible Old Dominion CSA will have fewer members as we switch to a debit system. Once again there will be a loyalty discount for returning members. Look forward to a CSA Post in the near future. I hope your tables are filled on this day of thanks with local and artesian delights. -FR

Saturday, November 13, 2010

Seems like rest garlic and.vitamins have done the trick again. I will be at south of the james today 8-noon

Friday, November 12, 2010

Im currently running a temperature of 101. I may not make it to the South of the James Market in the morning.

Wednesday, November 10, 2010

Soup Recipes and Such

Tis the season for Soup. As a single father and one-man farming operation, time, like sanity, is a rare commodity. Every autumn soup is my answer to providing real food and several meals in a short period of time.

It is rare that I go by a recipe, so I'm attempting to write one down ... On second though, let's call these general guidelines instead of exact recipes.

* Note: If I am saying shredded or diced, odds are I'm running it through a Cuisinart with a medium shredding disc (every minute counts)

Miso Soup

The farmers' go- to cure for all ailments is eating raw garlic until your mouth is on fire, washing it all down with red wine, and repeating, followed by sleep (works like a charm).

When that's not an option, Miso Soup is plan B. The recipe I started with probably came out of Vegetarian Times in the late 90's (?).

Here's the basics:
Olive oil (enough to coat the bottom of a large stock pot)
Ginger, shredded (as much as your sickly hands are willing to peal and can afford)
Garlic, chopped (see plan A, at least 4cloves. However much garlic you work with, divide it in half.)
Large red onion, diced
2 Carrots, shredded (or a handful of baby carrots)
1lb firm tofu, cubed (I prefer twin oaks herb)
1/2 a cabbage head,
shredded
1 bundle radishes, shredded
Egg noodles
Tamari (about 1 Tablespoon)
Red miso paste
6 cups water or vegetable broth
Fresh parsley, chopped

Heat the olive oil in the large stock pot over medium heat. Add ginger. Cook until the ginger is fragrant and has infused the oil. If you are so congested you cannot smell the ginger, then cook until just before it starts to brown. Add half the garlic and tofu. Cook, stirring frequently, until the tofu is lightly browned, but the ginger and garlic haven't burned. Add carrots, cabbage, radishes and onions. Cover. Stir often. Once the onions turn translucent add the vegetable broth. Bring soup to a solid boil. Add egg noodles. Once noodles are fully cooked, add parsley, remaining garlic, and tamari. A teaspoon of tamari should work, but I haven't measured it in years. When the color is right you will know it. You want the soup to be almost salty enough, but not quite there. The miso will take it the rest of the way. Remove from heat.

Add red miso paste, a little at a time, stirring frequently. It's important to add it in small chunks. A salty glob of goo is just a horrible thing for sick folks to have to endure. The quanity of Miso you use is totally dictated by taste. It's amazingly good for you. I've had friends survive break-up solely on this stuff. Serve hot, Serve often.

*For years cayenne pepper and or hot sauce was a regular part of this soup. Since I've been cooking for a younger palate lately, I have been skipping it. If you can handle the heat, load it on. You may not be able to feel your mouth, and the bathroom may scare you, but it is right up there with garlic as a cure-all in this farmers' opinion.

Veggie-Packed Potato Cream Soup with Aged Cheddar

Olive oil (enough to coat the bottom of a large stock pot)
4 yellow onions, 2 diced, 2 pureed
2 carrots, shredded (or a handful of baby carrots)
3 sticks celery, shredded
1/2 a head of cabbage, shredded
1 bundle radishes, shredded
3 gold potatoes, diced
6 cups water or vegetable broth
Fresh parsley, chopped
1 lb mixed small potatoes: redskins, blues, yukon golds, cranberry reds whatever is available, quartered or cubed
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
1/4 lb shredded aged cheddar

In a large stock pot, heat olive oil and add onions. Once onions are translucent, add remaining shredded vegetables and diced potatoes. Cover. Stir Often. Once vegetables have wilted, add vegetable broth and bring to a boil.

In a separate smaller stock pot filled with heavily salted water, bring quartered potatoes to a boil.

In small batches, begin to puree shredded vegetable broth using a blender or food processor. Strain cubed potatoes and add to pureed vegetable mix (do not puree potatoes). Simmer for 20 minutes. Puree 2 onions with 1 cup pureed vegetables, then blend with parsley. Add back into soup. Stir together until blended and simmer for an additional 10 minutes. Add cream and mix thoroughly. Add 1 Tablespoon of freshly ground black pepper. Serve hot garnished with shredded aged cheddar.


Friday, November 5, 2010

Check Out RVAFOODIE

Through my adventures in Twitterverse I have come to know Jason Guard/aka RVA Foodie. If you are not currently following his blog Caramalized Opinions through RVAFOODIE.COM , I would highly recommend it. I have started to comment there on occasion. He tends to ask good questions.

Below you will find my comment on his most recent post about being a "foodie". Thank you all for your continued support of local agriculture and bio diversity.

When I was 16 I took a road trip up to Georgetown to see my first long distance girlfriend, who was visiting her aunt. During lunch some fresh shredded Parmigiano-Reggiano was served. This was my first experience with the cheese outside of the ubiquitous green can I had known over far too many spaghetti dinners. I guess I’ve been a foodie ever since.
The importance of bio diversity in agriculture can not be over stated. As a local grower, I can say with out doubt, that the rise in farmers markets and the locavore movement has been fueled by a holy trinity of Environmentalism, Health Consciousness, and Foodieisim. It’s a lot easier to get a fair market price, and thus be willing to grow, Broccoli Rabe when the customers know what Broccoli Rabe is. It takes foodies to provide a market for variety, whether that is for 8 kinds of salt, or 6 kinds of kale.

-FR