This week’s box included: tomato, okra, butternut squash, summer squash, cucumbers, potatoes, garlic, sweet potatoes. You can see a photo that can help with identification on our Facebook page or check out our weekly video on Instagram.
Note from the farm: It’s officially the “summer lull” — that time in September where the summer harvests are waning and the fall harvests have yet to gather steam. We’re officially making the transition to fall produce, so look for more greens and other fall lovelies coming soon! Turn, turn, turn y’all.
Need storage instructions? Visit our fruit & veggie home pages. Click on the pic and a new page opens with storage instructions and a list of recipes curated by Conne over the years.
————————————–
I always get excited about the first of whatever … this week it’s sweet potatoes! We got sweet potatoes in a range of sizes from little almost fingerling size to a pretty giant one. At the end of next week I’ll slice up the smaller ones and saute with some sausage, then drizzle with maple syrup, and serve at the autumnal equinox September 23. One of my favorite fall meals. Maybe we’ll have apples next week I can add to the skillet. I’m going to use the rest to make this African Chick Pea Soup which is also where my bunch of turnip greens will star (in place of the mustard greens that are called for in the recipe). But as the season goes on and I’m ready for more variety, I’ll check out our sweet potato page where there are a bunch of fun sweet potato soup and salad recipes.
Speaking of those turnip greens, dozens and dozens of ideas on the greens recipe page. If I weren’t making that African Chick Pea Soup I’d probably be thinking about Potato and Greens Cakes. Maybe next week?
What to do with that bag of okra? This week I’m making Okra and Tomato Stir Fry, recipe below, from the new cookbook out by Natalie Keng. Love the homemade soy-ginger sauce recipe that’s a part of that. I still have little tomatoes from last week, but if I didn’t, I’d just chop up one of this week’s slicers.
It’s been a bountiful year for cucumbers, that’s for sure. When I looked in the refrigerator last weekend and saw a half dozen cucumbers and a few peppers, I realized I needed to do something with them to make way for what would undoubtedly be more this week. So I made the Sweet Cucumber Relish you see below. It’s hugely adaptable so if you want to make some, consider this just a general notion of what you could do. Great way to use up any quantity of cucumbers, any quantity of peppers, etc.
If you’d prefer to go savory, here’s a Sichuan Cucumber recipe from a restaurant in Charleston. I have black vinegar in my pantry from recipe testing for the AJC. If you don’t, and don’t want to buy a bottle, you could skip it and up the rice vinegar. Definitely not balsamic (which some people think they can substitute just because it’s black)!
Sweet Cucumber Relish
3 large cucumbers, washed, seeded, and cut into 4 large chunks
2 medium white onions, quartered
2 medium red bell peppers, seeded
1 large green bell peppers, seeded
2 tablespoons kosher salt
1 cup cider vinegar
3/4 cup sugar
2 teaspoons mustard seed
2 teaspoons celery seed
Grate the cucumbers using the grating disc in a food processor, or the medium-sized holes on a box grater. Use the steel blade of the food processor to pulse cucumbers until finely chopped. Repeat with onions and peppers.
Place chopped cucumbers, onions, and peppers in a medium bowl and mix in salt. Cover and allow to sit for 30 minutes.
Pour vegetable mixture out into fine mesh strainer. Rinse under cold water and strain, pushing the vegetables against the side of the strainer using a rubber spatula to remove as much water as possible.
In a medium saucepan, bring vinegar, sugar, mustard seed, and celery seed to a boil over medium high heat, stirring to dissolve sugar. Add vegetables, reduce heat to medium-low and simmer 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. When the vinegar has reduced and the relish is the consistency you prefer, remove it from the heat, put it in jars and refrigerate.
Sichuan Cucumbers
Kwei Fei in Charleston
4 English cucumbers, ends trimmed
4 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup black vinegar
1/4 cup rice vinegar
1/2 cup sliced garlic
1/2 cup plus 3 tablespoons sesame oil
4 1/2 tablespoons doubanjiang
1 tablespoon Sichuan peppercorns
Cut cucumbers lengthwise into quarters, then crosswise into 1½-inch lengths. Season generously with salt, then place in a large colander and allow to drain for 2 hours.
In a large stainless steel bowl, whisk together salt, sugar, MSG, and vinegars. Set aside.
Place garlic in a nonreactive 4-quart container. To the vinegar mixture, add sesame oil, doubanjiang, and Sichuan peppercorns. Whisk well to emulsify, then pour over garlic.
Check cucumber seasoning; if they’re too salty, rinse under cold water and pat dry. Add cucumbers to marinade and let sit for at least 3 hours before serving, stirring occasionally. (Don’t worry if they aren’t submerged in the marinade initially—they’ll start to break down and become covered as they sit.) Cucumbers can be made up to 3 days in advance and kept in marinade in fridge.
Okra and Tomato Stir-Fry
From “Egg Rolls & Sweet Tea: Asian Inspired, Southern Style”by Natalie Keng
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
1 tablespoon minced fresh garlic
1 tablespoon chopped green onion
1/2 lb. fresh whole okra, washed
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 pint cherry tomatoes, each tomato sliced in half
1/3 Homemade Soy-Ginger Sauce (recipe below)
For the Homemade Soy-Ginger Sauce (yields about 1 cup)
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/2 cup water, divided
1/2 cup naturally brewed soy sauce
1 tsp. grated ginger or ginger paste
1 tsp. minced garlic
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon cooking wine
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
1/2 tsp. toasted sesame oil
Make the stir-fry: Heat the oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the ginger, garlic, and onion and stir-fry for 30 seconds. Add the okra, soy-ginger sauce, and vinegar and stir-fry 1 minute, until heated through but still crispy. Toss in the cherry tomato halves and gently stir for a few seconds before serving.
Make the Soy-Ginger Sauce: In a small saucepan over medium-low heat, dissolve the cornstarch in 2 tablespoons of water, then add the remaining water, soy sauce, ginger, garlic, sugar, wine, vinegar, and sesame oil. Whisk together until the sugar and cornstarch are completely dissolved, and bring to a boil while stirring frequently for 3 to 4 minutes, until the sauce thickens and is shiny and translucent.
To use as a cooking sauce, pour over the prepared meat, fish, or vegetables. To use as a dipping sauce, allow to cool for 10 minutes.