CantaloupeAlone

We ( Vinyl Club & Electric Temple and joined by IMPOSE this time) started something in June, and now we're planning on keeping it just as we started. Psychedelic. Double Rainbows are for food and music. Please join me this Sunday for grilling, music. All you have to do is bring the dance party and wish John happy beeday. - - - {{{{ Psychedelic Summer 2 }}}} - - - {{{{{ double rainbows music & food }}}}} - - {{{{ john b's birthday bash }}}} - - - @ Trophy Bar, August 1st, 6 pm - 2am, 351 Broadway – Brooklyn http://www.facebook.com/event. php?eid=116731988374548 http://mediumfirm.blogspot. com/2010/07/psychedelic- summer-2.html The menu reads: Kefta Meatball Sandwich* $6 Spiced Ground Beef and Lamb on pita w/mint yogurt, tomato, and pickled kohlrabi & Diakon (grass fed local lamb and beef, parsley, mint, salt, allspice, nutmeg, red & Black pepper *old family recipe!) Herby Grilled Summer Vegetable Sandwich $5 on Pita Bread w/olive tapenade & pickled ...

Poached chicken, neck and all After some Google group discussion with other CSA members I realize I am not only person with tough chickens problems. The chickens in my csa aren't being treated like any other grocery store chicken, organic, non-organic, free range, or any other variety. The chickens aren't packed or treated with water or preservatives. No these are chickens that live and die and are given to me. I was going to progress from least to most intensive cooking treatment (roasted, brined and roasted, braised /poached) but I jumped to poached with better results. The chicken went in a pot at low heat. After an 45 minutes or so I let the chicken sit in its cooking fluids for an extra 30 minutes off heat. I saw Daisy Martinez do this on her show . She explained that chicken "sighs" and absorbs the flavors in the water. I don't have any scientific evidence that this is true, but all of Daisy's recipes have proven themselves. My natural chicken cam...

Week 5 looks pretty normal This is the third time I have picked up, and the 5th CSA share I have split with my easy-going-veg-likin' roommate. Last week looked much like week three: tomatoes, green beans, purslane, summer squash, beets, corn garlic, onions, new potatoes, parsley, cucumbers. Notably we did get a cantaloupe. We did not get garlic, peppers (hot or mild), turnips, herbs, lettuce, or braising greens. These are just some of the foods from last summer (and occasionally other weeks this year) that I really miss, and would like back. This summer Jorge is growing big beautiful food, which we receive in abundance, but the varieties seems to be of the every-day-kitchen variety. Tomatoes and cucumbers are excellent and I will never get bored with variety of ways to eat them, but the really garden extraordinaire vegetables aren't here this year. I'm craving the challenge in discovering the best way to eat a bundle of callaloo greens or dinosaur kale. I'm ashamed to...

Summer is dumping an earthy soil rich load of vegetables on my door stop. Its the best eating of the year but there gets to be a point when eating vegetables for breakfast (green beans, corn, and beets) starts to feel oppressive. Craving something less healthy but in respect to my csa veggies I decided to pull out my frying grease and pot and do some damage to the excess of beets jamming my fridge. Beet chips have a metallic sweet flavor with a delicate crunch. Factoring in the oil and salt flavors from frying beet chips have a complete spectrum of flavor. Ready to dip or eat alone. I enjoy my beet chips on a nice sandwich. Beet Chips 2 bunches of farm fresh beets, greens removed and peeled (I used a mix of golden and red beets) oil for frying (I used 50% canola 50% peanut oil) salt Heat oil to 350 degrees in a wide and tall thick sided pot. Slice beets about 1 mm thick on a mandolin. If you don't have a mandolin borrow one. Its too labor intensive to chop all the beets equally ...

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Herbs and onions aren't enough I enjoyed my eggs from my CSA share more than any other. Its almost if there is a breath of country air in actually inside each yolk. I leaped at the opportunity to order and eat the same chickens sold in fresh halves from my farmer. My roommate and I signed up for half a chicken every other week. Week one I decided to roast the chicken (rather than brine it or braise in a sauce) to really experience the flavor. The farm fresh flavor of the eggs is in the chicken too, but the texture is not nice. Tough, to say the least. Juicy , flavorful, tough chicken. We roasted week three's chicken as well, also tough. I know how to cook a grocery store chicken, but this was my first natural chicken. Its not the same bird, so I'm going to have to re-learn how to cook it. Any guesses why the grocery store chicken is more palatable then the natural farm one? Herb Roasted Farm Chicken 1 large onion cut into 1/2 inch hunks 1 tsp white wine 1 garlic clove mi...

Can you spot the unicorn onion? Back to regularly programmed CSA share distribution photo and write up. Many many high regards and brownie points awarded to the volunteers and coordinators at the CSA pick up site. It was hot. 102 degrees, real feel 105. The vegetables seem unfazed and remaining plump, tender and leafy as ever: 7 tomatoes, small and large (2 lbs?) 1 big bag yellow and green beans large bunch basil large bunch of purslane 1 yellow squash 1 zucchini 5 beets, large and small 4 ears of corn (white and corn worm free!) 2 heads of garlic still attached on their reed-like stems 2 Texas sweet onions 2-3 lbs new potatoes 3 cucumbers 1 head of broccoli 1 dozen eggs 1/2 chicken (lighter than last time, and frozen)

Pink food Refreshing turnip pickles with a crunch and twang of sour. Colored with beets this garnish has a blazing bright magenta color that can't be ignored. Put the pickles together 3-5 days before serving in salads, on sandwiches or burgers, on the side with meat. So far this summer they have disappeared from every bbq I've brought them too. Turnip Pickles 1 bunch (about 1 lb) of farmer's market turnips 1/2 small beet 1 2/3 cups water 1 1/2 tblsp salt 1 tblsp sugar 1 1/2 tblsp white wine vinegar 1 peeled garlic clove 1 small bunch fresh herbs (thyme, oregano, marjoram etc.) Remove greens from turnips and beet, reserve for another use. They can be wilted or used in a salad. Clean vegetables and slice on a mandolin, about 1/8" thick. If you don't have a mandolin you can slice into 1/4" sticks. Sliced, stained turnips. Anything white will get stained by beets, like it or not. Meanwhile heat water, salt, sugar, and vinegar in a saucepan. Bring to a boi...

Week 2 veg heaven I had a mighty 1st week of the 2010 Ditmas Park CSA season. I am splitting a whole share with my roommate and first-timer Nicole. A great haul of beets, 2 kinds of onions, green beans, 3 kinds of herbs, 2 kinds of lettuce, tomatoes, zucchini, yellow squash, purple kale, eggs, and 1/2 a chicken. It was beautiful. I took many pictures, and they corrupted before I could get them off my camera. Week 1 will have to be a memory. Pictures and description of the chicken made it out alive and are coming. Week 2 was Nicole's week to pick up. I didn't get to it until late Wednesday, so these photos are of 3 day old veggies. Hmmm, something is off in my fridge and storage. Need to work on the humidity level, almost everything is wilted. The cabbage is 1o inches in diameter. Its as big as a globe and could possibly sustain its own satellites if it were launched into orbit. 5 little beets 2 yellow onions 1 large head of green cabbage (maybe 3-4 lbs) 1 head red lettuce 1 h...