Week 14 - Pasta with Fresh Tomato Sauce

Everything on the farm is in transition right now. Our next big wave of seeds and starter plants is in the works. We've got some late summer plantings of cucumbers and squash out, which we've got our fingers crossed were planted early enough for a second harvest before the cold sets in. I have a feeling we'll be catching it by the skin of our teeth.

In addition to our transition into a new growing season, we're also adjusting to some new routines this week. The Husband has made his official move. He is now home/on the farm full-time. I've started my new part-time job at a local pizza place. And the Boy had his very first day at Daycare this past week.

So, yet again, I have just not had the time to get out there and take pictures of the farm. I did, however, manage to get some step-by-step pictures of one of my favorite summertime dishes: Linguine with Fresh Tomato sauce. I have it here, made with bacon and chicken. But this would be lovely with some homemade meatballs, or perhaps featuring some other, tasty seasonal veggies, like summer squash, bell pepper, or mushrooms!

I'm so excited to share this recipe with you, finally! It's one of my favorites, and has been on my mind since we first got our tomatoes in the ground, many months ago. This is a simple dish, with not many ingredients, but lots of flavor. The trick is the order in which we do things, which builds layers of flavor, and also the quality of ingredients. Everything should be as fresh as possible. I wholeheartedly recommend this dish on any day of the week. It takes about 30-40 minutes to cook.

As any good cook knows, kitchens can easily become chaotic. So before you go heating up your pots and pans, get your mise en place in order. This simply means, everything in its place. Prep all of your ingredients before you start cooking, that way you can focus on the process of cooking. 

First of all, the stars of the show! I have three medium-sized paste tomatoes, here. This is one of our two varieties we are growing this year, called Costoluto Genovese. Roma/Roman tomatoes would also be an acceptable substitute. You can use slicing tomatoes, but you will ended up needing to cook the sauce a little longer, to properly cook off all the juice.

I also have a small bundle each of fresh Italian basil and parsley.

Generally, it's a good rule of thumb to chop up your herbs right before you add it to your dish; however, I prefer to chop all of my herbs and veggies before I cut up any meat, that way I (ideally!) only have to use one cutting board, from start to finish. To keep my herbs (particularly the basil) from oxidizing before I'm ready to cook with them, I toss them in 1-2 Tbsp olive oil, and set aside in the fridge.

You'll want to wash your tomatoes, and remove any blemishes. Then, simply roughly chop into medium-sized chunks. My three tomatoes came out to around 3 generous cups of tomato chunks.

2-3 Tbsp of diced garlic. You want your garlic cut finely, but still big enough that you'll be able to see it in the finished dish.

Half of a yellow onion, sliced

Linguine. For this recipe, you'll be using 1/2 the box (8 oz) to make 3-4 servings. In a pot of well-salted water, cook your linguine most of the way, about 7-8 minutes. If you taste your pasta, the texture should be a little more toothsome than al dente. Don't worry! It'll finish cooking in the sauce! Set aside 1/2 cup of pasta water.

Preheat your skillet on medium, and your pasta pot on high, covered. As soon as the water is at a boil, add your linguine. To keep your pasta from sticking together, make sure you stir the pot at least three times in the first few minutes.

Confession: I was pretty excited about cooking this meal, and didn't even think about taking pictures (duh, Neary!) until my bacon was already done. So please, take a moment to imagine the smell of bacon frying... 

So here I have three slices of bacon, which I chopped, and then rendered off in my cast iron skillet. I've pulled my bacon out to drain, but left the bacon fat in the pan. You could drain off the fat, and replace it with some olive oil if you wanted to, but I think it adds an irreplaceable depth of flavor.

Live on the wild side. Cook with the bacon grease.

Add your two seasoned chicken thighs to the pan. Sear on both sides, until chicken is golden brown, and nearly done in the center of the thickest part (if you have a meat thermometer, which I highly recommend, your chicken should register between 157-160*F). 

When your chicken is ready, set aside, and let rest for at least 5 minutes before slicing.

By now, there should be all kinds of lovely little brown bits stuck to the bottom of your pan. Go ahead and give your pan 2-3 splashes of red wine vinegar (red or white wine would also work wonderfully here), and with a wooden spoon, swirl the vinegar around and scrape up all those lovely little bits of flavor from the bottom of your pan.

Once your pan is deglazed, add 2 tbsp olive oil and let it heat up for a minute before adding your yellow onions. Season lightly with salt and pepper. When they become fragrant, and just start to turn soft, add your garlic to the pan. Cook 2-3 minutes, until garlic becomes fragrant as well. Then add your tomatoes to the pan. Stir every minute or two, until tomatoes are about halfway cooked. 

Season your sauce with 2-3 Tbsp balsamic vinegar, 1 tbsp sugar, and a pinch each of salt and pepper.

When your linguine is ready, move your pasta directly from the pot, into your tomato sauce. Toss well with your sauce, stirring every 2 minutes.

Our unexpected key player in this recipe is the pasta water, which is not only seasoned with salt, but also with starch. When added to your pasta sauce, will produce a silky, velvety sauce that clings to every single bit of pasta in your pan. Most people would pour this straight down the drain without a second thought, but trust me, it is well worth remembering to do.

Adding 1/4 cup at a time (I generally add around 1/2 cup total, sometimes more or less), stir pasta water into your simmering pasta and sauce. Add a second 1/4 cup when the first round has cooked off.

Slice your chicken! 

When your pasta and sauce are ready to eat, add your chicken, bacon, and herbs. Herbs not pictured here. My camera lense got fogged up. Toss well and serve immediately.

Last but not least, Enjoy!

Linguine with Chicken, Bacon, and Fresh Tomato Sauce

Makes 3-4 servings; Takes 20 minutes to prep, 20 minutes to cook

Ingredients

• 3 medium paste tomatoes, cleaned and roughly chopped
• 3 tbsp fresh parsley, finely chopped
• 5 Tbsp fresh basil, chiffonade
• 3 Tbsp garlic, finely diced
• 1/2 medium yellow onion, sliced
• 3 slices of bacon, diced
• 2 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
• 3 Tbsp red wine vinegar, or red wine, or white wine
• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 3 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
• 1/2 cup of pasta water, reserved
• Garlic and Herb seasoning, to taste
• Salt and pepper, taste
• Flour, a few pinches

Heat a cast iron skillet out medium heat. Start a pot of salted water, covered, on high heat.

Render off bacon in cast iron skillet. Remove bacon from pan, leaving behind bacon grease, if desired. If not, drain off bacon grease and add 3 tbsp olive oil to the pan.

Season chicken thighs on both sides with garlic and herbs seasoning, salt, pepper, and a few pinches of flour. Sear in skillet, 3-4 minutes on both sides, until outsides are golden brown, and internal temp reads ~160*F. When pasta water begins to boil (right around when you flip your chicken), add linguine to the pot, and stir 2-3 times in the first few minutes to prevent sticking.

When chicken is ready, remove from the pan, and set aside. Let rest for at least 5 minutes. Deglaze the pan with red wine vinegar, scraping the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon until all the little brown bits of flavor have released from the bottom of the pan.

If you need to, add about 1-2 tbsp of olive oil to the pan. Add onions, and season very lightly with salt and pepper. When onions are just beginning to soften, add garlic to the pan. Cook 3-4 minutes, until onions and garlic are fragrant. Add tomatoes to the pan, stirring well. Stir every 1-2 minutes, until tomatoes are about halfway cooked. Season sauce with salt, pepper, balsamic vinegar, and sugar.

When pasta is ready, transfer directly from pasta pot to skillet. Toss well with sauce. Add 1/4 c reserved pasta water to your skillet. Stir every minute, until pasta water is absorbed. Add another 1/4 cup of pasta water, and stir every minute until cooked off. Taste a small bite of your pasta. If pasta is not quite ready, add a small amount more pasta water. If it is ready, add chicken, bacon, and herbs. Toss very well, so that all herbs are dispersed, and everything is coated evenly in sauce.

Serve immediately.

Week 12 - The Homestead

This farm is so much more than just a parcel of land that we grow vegetables on. To us, it's the culmination of years of daydreaming, planning, and endless amounts of reading. The husband and I will be celebrating our 7th anniversary this coming week. Eight years ago, when we first met, one of the first things that we bonded over was a mutual interest and desire to farm and provide for ourselves, and one day, our family. As we began our self-education, we learned that what we wanted had a name: Homesteading.

The basic premise behind homesteading is simple: To provide as much as possible for yourself and your family with your own hands, labor, and knowledge. Some people are fortunate, and have older relatives and friends from which to learn many of these skills. We are not those people, and have spent a great deal of time - particularly in the last few years - constantly acquiring and practicing new skills.

With me headed back into the work force in less than two weeks, a lot of our energy and spare time has been focused on getting a good head start on our pantry and freezer for the winter. We've made laundry soap (okay, not food, but still pretty vital for this family!), pickles, and relish; frozen pounds of blueberries, zucchini, and corn; and are in the process of canning blueberry preserves, as well as baking bread to put away in the freezer. Needless to say, it's been a pretty hectic couple of weeks, and it looks like that pace is only going to continue.

I love the intensity and excitement of summertime, but come August I am typically looking forward to cool weather signalling the slow-down of our home life. C'est la vie! It will come soon enough. In the meantime, feel free to shower me with caffeinated goodies and encouraging words, because this marathon is far from over!

My laundry soap, at the halfway done point. I've been using this recipe for several years now, and I love it! Not only did I make 1-1/2 gallons for about $8, but it cleans out dirt and grease better than any commercial detergent I've used, with the added bonus of not irritating my husband's and son's sensitive skin. 

We managed to get to Thomas Blueberry Farm twice this season, and came home with around 23 pounds of delicious blueberries total. I'm looking forward to enjoying these all winter long.

Obviously, the first thing I did was make a pie with it. Summer is not complete without a blueberry pie a la mode.

A good bit of it has made it into the freezer, with several pounds yet to come. The second tray that you see in the picture full of Chicken Zucchini Patties (you can find the recipe in my week 10 post. My preferred method for freezing food is worth the little bit of extra effort it takes. I line a baking pan (I definitely recommend one with sides) with wax paper, and lay whatever I'm freezing out in a single layer. Then I put it in the freezer for 5-6 hours (or overnight). After everything is thoroughly frozen, then I put it into freezer bags. It's so much easier to remove the proper portion later, as nothing is frozen together! 

A batch of sweet and spicy pickles in the works. We have both cucumbers and zucchini in this brine. The red pieces you see are whole dried chilies.

I had to take another picture of our lettuce this week. I'm so proud of this product. Admittedly, it's not the most exciting thing that we grow, but it is the most essential. This season, our lettuce mix has become the backbone of our operation, and we've harvested at least 300 pounds since our 2017 season officially started.

We're trying something new at the market this week - single-serve salad kits, featuring cucamelons and tomatoes. Just wash and add dressing. What a great way to get a small taste of what Nantahala Heirloom Farm has to offer!

Last week saw a soft start to our ground cherry season. We have a limited number of boxes available for sale. Come get them while you can! They didn't last long on the table last week, and I expect them to fly quickly again!

CSA shares will be receiving - Little Gem Lettuce, Tomatoes, Ground Cherries, Lemon Basil, Opal Basil, and Soy Beans.

Two very, very simple recipes for you this week. High quality ingredients don't need a lot of fussing to really shine, so we're going to celebrate simplicity.

First off, let's talk about chocolate-covered ground cherries. You can use either dark or milk chocolate. That's totally up to your personal preference. 

Peel your ground cherries, but DO NOT remove the husk. If you take a look at the picture above, you can see that the husk has been gently pulled backwards This makes a nifty little handle. Melt your chocolate. Holding onto your new husk handle, dip each ground cherry in chocolate, and set down on a parchment-lined tray. 

When all your ground cherries are covered, place your tray in the fridge, and allow your chocolate to set, 1-2 hours. Pat yourself on the back! You've made a fancy dessert, and hardly done any work at all.

We have a new offering this week - Soy Beans, or Edamame. One of my favorite ways to enjoy these is simply to boil them. This is definitely a veggie that needs to be cooked to be enjoyed. And once you've boiled them, you can add them to basically anything that you can dream up.

Bring a pot of salted water to a boil on the stove. (You could lightly salt the water if that is your preference, but for soy beans, I prefer the water to be pretty aggressively salted. The short cook time and tough pod mean that not much salt will penetrate to the bean itself.) While your water is coming to a boil, thoroughly rinse off your soy beans. Add the beans to the water when it begins to boil, and back off the heat just a little bit, so your pot doesn't boil over. Boil for 10 minutes. 

This is the point that I like to take mine out, when they're a little on the al dente side, but you can cook them for 5 more minutes if you prefer yours a little more done. To test the done-ness, simply, carefully, remove a bean from the water, and rinse under cold water to cool. Squeeze out a soy bean. If you like them, pour the pot into a colander. If not, let them cook a little longer, and taste a bean every couple of minutes until they're as done as you like them.

Once your beans are ready, pour them into a colander, but do not rinse . Enjoy as is for a tasty snack, or remove from the shell, and throw your cooked soy beans into stir-fry, curry, fried rice, or whatever else you can dream of.

That's all for now! As always, we look forward to seeing you at market! Happy eating!

Week 10 - Crazy About Tomatoes

During the week, I struggle to envision my post for the weekend. Things change with such tantalizing slowness, that come Wednesday and sometimes Thursday, I can't fathom what I could possibly take a picture of, that I haven't shared in preceding weeks. This week was no exception. 

I woke at sunrise today, and a went about my usual Friday morning: Glass of water, cup of coffee, feed the cats, rush off to yoga. And as the morning progressed, a series of pictures formed in my mind's eye. It didn't take me long once I got home, to grab a handful of shots. You'll notice that there is a strong focus on our tomatoes. We're quite proud of them this year. It looks like this season will give us our most healthy and productive harvests of tomatoes that we have ever grown.

I feel like it's just as important to talk about our failures, as it is to talk about our successes. Farming is one of the most fulfilling and humbling jobs that I've ever had. It's also a risky and time-sensitive business. Month after month, you pit yourself against whatever Mother Nature decides to unleash at you. Two weeks ago, that meant an early afternoon hail storm. A year ago, we were in the throes of a drought. Throughout it all, the need to stand vigilant against the seasonal tides of bugs, nutrient deficiencies, and diseases. 

We've lost a lot this year. Bugs have twice claimed our turnips before we could harvest them. Our squash and cucumber plants have succumbed to downy mildew. We missed our window of time, and were not able to get anywhere near the number of beans planted as we were hoping, and no corn, either. Flea beatles absolutely decimated our eggplant seedlings, and left not a single one standing. Okra struggled to bounce back after transplanting, and we reluctantly pulled all of them, and re-planted the bed with something new. Our patch of potatoes has been completely engulfed by weeds. 

Such is life. Such is farming. We will keep on trying, and overcoming, and learning. And despite all of the set backs and disappointments of the year so far, we have so much to be grateful for. Our tomatoes are thriving. Ground cherries are starting to drop. Before our cucurbits succumbed to the inevitable, they produced a bounty of beautiful squash and cucumbers. We have a fall seed order on its way to us. Peppers are flourishing. Our relationships with CSA members, our community, and our chefs continue to grow stronger with each passing week.

Barry cooked up the most wonderful fried green tomatoes for me this week. They were topped with shredded mozzarella cheese, crumbled bacon, garlicky roasted red peppers from last season, and basil. We finished them off with a really simple lemon-pepper aioli. You can bet that I'm going to be having him fix these for me again before the month is out. 

 Our cucumbers are done. They were wonderful while they lasted.

 Little Gem lettuce is back in circulation. So glad to have these babies back.

 An Indigo Kumquat tomato, very nearly perfectly ripe. One or two more days of heat and sunshine should get us there.

 Our Black Vernissage are starting to blush!

 Lovely Sungold Cherries. We should have some of these in the CSA's starting next week. Sweet, and juicy, and just the right amount of tart, they are best enjoyed fresh. I'm so glad we have these back this year, and I fully intend to keep them out in the garden every year that I can.

Carbon tomatoes are coming along nicely. These will grow at least double before they start ripening.

 Atomic Grapes! Aren't they stunning? And so much bigger than I imagined they would be. These are a new variety, this year being the first which the seeds are available to purchase. While this strain is new, you can rest assured they are produced using traditional growing and breeding techniques. Nantahala Heirlooms remains committed to our use of sustainable methods, from seed to table.

 This tomato is called Costoluto Genevese. It's a beautiful, heavily ribbed paste tomato that we are trying for the first time this year. They must be good, as seeds were all sold out last season, before we even had a chance to purchase them.

 The first week of August, we should have our first offering of Ground Cherries for the market. Here are two of the very first ripe cherries we have found so far: one in the husk, and one peeled. I've been looking forward to trying them dipped in chocolate this year. 

This is the same Highlander Poblano that I took a picture of last week. So gorgeous! And it's still not full-sized.

CSA shares will receive: Little Gem Lettuce, Opal Basil, Squash, Cucumbers, Scarlet Kale, and Salad Mix.

The first recipe I'm sharing for the week is a Chicken Zucchini Fritter. These are blowing my mind right now. I've got ground chicken and ricotta on my grocery list, because I must make these... and soon! Is your kid burnt out on squash, yet? Because mine certainly is. He won't even deign to look at it anymore. This is a great way to keep getting those nutrient-packed farm-grown veggies in a new and exciting way. :)

I'm imagining these being served in several different ways. On their own, with a small side salad, and a yummy dipping sauce. Just like a regular burger, on a bun with some sweet potato fries. And the patty mixture looks just solid enough, that it would be pretty easy to gently bread these (with your standard breading procedure: seasoned flour, egg, and then bread crumbs) and fry them up, and serve them with pasta, marinara, and mozzarella for a healthier take on chicken parmesan.

Earlier in the season, I shared cinnamon and sugar radish chips with you. This week, we're talking about Sea Salt and Vinegar Kale Chips. My family tends to be pretty snacky. We love crunchy, salty, sour things the most, and these chips hit all of those notes with very little effort. The best part? This recipe only requires, "4 ingredients, just a few minutes of prep time, and 20 minutes in the oven," according to the original author.

Happy eating, everyone. Until next week!

Week 8 - 1 year!

Last Saturday, July 1st, was our 1 year anniversary with the Glorious Jackson County Farmer's Market, and we did something that we've never done before: We SOLD OUT. And I mean of everything. We have come close a few times in the last year, but last week marked a new milestone for us. I'm so grateful for our community. Jackson County might not be the most populous area in NC, but I'd venture to say that our passion for locally and sustainably produced food is hard to beat! Thank you so much for your support, and your endless curiosity! We look forward to continuing our small part in feeding the good people of WNC.

I love that gigantic pile of radishes. So colorful! This was our last harvest before our most recent planting succumbed to the heat and bugs. We'll be back in radishes in about a month.

Our signature salad mix is a collection of full-grown leaf lettuces. A mature leaf has more flavor, more texture, and better shelf life than a baby lead. It's stayed fresh for up to two weeks in our fridge.

Five days worth of  squash and cucumbers. I love all the different colors and shapes!

A cluster of indigo kumquats on the vine. We are growing this particular variety especially for one of our Chefs.

I'm happy with the trellising technique we're trying this year, so far! Tomatoes are happy, so I'm a happy mama. <3

Block C is filling in nicely. (Click on the picture to see a larger version!)

These carrots got a pretty intensive weeding a while back. They've really bounced back! I'm hoping we'll have these ready in a month.

We have soy bean pods! They're pretty small yet, but it won't be long! 

A handful of new potatoes. This particular strain has been grown by our neighbor's family for generations. I seem to be losing the battle against the forest this year. Unfortunately, our potato crop will most likely be a small one. A lot of these are destined to be seed crop for next year. 

Look what I found growing near our upper garden: Wild blackberries!

Are you starting to wonder just what the heck to do with squash and zucchini? One of my favorite preparations is to stuff it! You're really only limited by your imagination. And this is also a great way to recycle odds and ends leftovers you might have lurking in your fridge. This works for any type of summer squash you might have on hand.

With long squash, cut in half lengthwise, and with a spoon, scoop out the seeds down the center. For patty pan type squash, simply hollow out the stem side of the squash. If you have a more rounded patty pan, you might want to cut a small slice off the bottom, so that it doesn't wobble around. For a faster cooking time, after this step, you can blanch your squash in lightly salted boiling water for 5-8 minutes, depending on the size/thickness of your squash.

Now, the fun part! After seasoning the inside of the squash with salt and pepper, stuff your squash with whatever you like! I've done squash with "enchilada" filling and then served it with a really simple avocado sour cream. We recently stuffed our patty pans with pork and goat cheese, then drizzled with balsamic reduction. I bet they'd be wonderful stuffed with beef, tomatoes, and brown rice.

Happy eating! <3

Week 9 - Cucumbers = Tzatziki

Two of my favorites are well on their way - Tomatoes, and Ground Cherries. This part of the season might be the most difficult for my inner foodie. Nature has her timeline, and there's really no rushing it. But that doesn't keep me from chomping at the bit, just thinking about all the lovely things I'm going to get to cook up, and can up for winter with all of those tantalizing tomatoes out there. We've gone through the majority of what we put away last season, and I'm looking forward to seeing that empty shelf space full of more delicious, homemade goodness for my family. 

 Our Black Krims are coming along nicely!

Ground cherries are loaded up with fruit. Now, we wait. We do not have quite as many plants as we did last year, so Ground Cherry availability will be limited. We get a couple of questions about these babies every week, so expect them to sell out early when they start coming in.

The Lemon Basil patch is really taking off! This stuff is so wonderfully bright and citrusy!

Thai basil in bloom. I love the contrast between the green leaves, and the purple stems and flowers.

One of our first bell peppers of the season. This variety is called King of the North. We've grown this in previous seasons and have been very impressed.

Our Highlander Poblano pepper. Can't wait to fire roast some of these beauties later on in the season.

Our first (and, quite possibly, only! :'( Boohoo! ) watermelon of the season. I'm not entirely sure what kind this one is.

One of my favorite ways to enjoy fresh chives. Bagel with smoked salmon, cream cheese, capers, and chives.

Some of our Goldmine Squash on the grill for our supper. These were seasoned very simply, by tossing them with olive oil, lemon juice, salt, pepper, and garlic powder. And then, as it was grilling, the slices were brushed with the extra dressing that was left in the bottom of the bowl. Yum!

CSA shares will receive: Cucumbers, Chives, Salad Mix, Zephyr Squash, Zucchini Bread, and Kale.

This week, I'd like to share my personal tzatziki recipe with you. Because of the technique I use to draw the moisture out of the cucumber at the beginning, this dressing only needs about 30 minutes to sit and marinate before it's ready to go. So prep this just before you start prepping your dinner, and it'll be ready to go as soon as you're ready to eat!

Tzatziki

Makes about 1.5 cups

• Two medium cucumbers

• 1 Tbsp salt

• 1 Tbsp dried dill, or 2-3 tbsp finely chopped fresh dill

• 1/4 c. lemon juice

• 1/4 tsp black pepper

• 1 c. whole milk greek yogurt

• Salt to taste

• 2-3 Tbsp finely chopped fresh mint (optional)

Peel cucumbers, and split in half lengthwise. With a spoon, scoop out seeds. Discard. 

Grate all cucumber using the medium side of a box grater into a medium-sized bowl. Sprinkle grated cucumber with 1 Tbsp salt. Massage the salt into the grated cucumber. You'll feel the salt slowly dissolve, and the cucumber become soft. Work the salt into the cucumber for 3-4 minutes, until cucumber starts to turn translucent. 

Rinse the grated cucumber 3-4 times with fresh water, swirling the cucumber around in the water and carefully draining each time. Taste a piece of cucumber. It should be somewhat salty, but not unpalatable. When your cucumber is thoroughly rinsed, drain it one last time. Then, taking manageable handfuls, squeeze as much water out of the cucumber as possible and place into a clean bowl. 

Add the rest of your ingredients to the cucumber, and stir. Adjust seasonings as needed. Let rest, covered, for at least 20-30 minutes. Will keep in the fridge for about 3 days.

As always, we hope you enjoy your shares this week! Please, let us know if you have any requests for which veggies I should feature in my recipes!