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Showing posts from September, 2010

Ditmas Park CSA Week 15

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As you can tell by the light in this photo the days are getting shorter. It was 80 degrees, windy, and humid today. A combo I hate, but we can call that fall in NYC for now. The vegetables this week were still abundant, and delightful. The yellow wax beans were the most juicy and tender I've seen all year. Can't wait to crack into that squash. I should note that I traded cauliflower for extra zucchini with a fellow CSA member. The swap box was empty, which leads me to wonder if the volunteers weren't aware they should put food in it so that members have something to swap. I forgot to pick up the eggplant. If my head weren't connected to my body I'd probably forget that too. CSA Week 15 Veg List 5 tomatoes 13 small and medium potatoes 1 head broccoli 1 big ole squash 1/2 lb yellow wax beans 4 zucchini (traded 1 head of cauliflower to get 2 extras from another memeber) 1 pepper 1 onion 1 eggplant, not pictured 1/2 chicken 1 dozen eggs

Cooking Healthy Soil at Prospect Farm

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Working with our hands at the Prospect farm I was fully ready to post a pie recipe I've been hanging on to in my photo bank today. I can't find that pie, and instead I will treat you to me delightfully disgusting, filthy Sunday of sifting soil, and trench composting at my volunteer run urban farm in Brooklyn! Prospect Farm is 5,000 square feet of my neighbor Tom's land. I have been volunteering with several neighbors to clear and cultivate the land. Or goal is to grow food for our community. We have one big obstruction, soil! Our soil, like most Brooklyn soil is full of heavy metals. Lead is the biggest problem. Rather than build over the poor soil and pay to truck in soil from some healthy far away place we are trying to remediate our soil with compost. The idea is to bury a layer of compost that breaks down in the soil and lowering the percentage of bad soil with our new good composted soil. We don't know if this works yet, as Oren our master composter says, its all

Chili Ginger Plums

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Good use out of my mason jars Grocery store plums are not always too good. Yellow and firm, sometime sour meaning very unripe. Be it chance or a better crop, the plums at my local green stand are beautifully red, sweet with a balance of tangy and floral notes. I can't stop consuming them, so I decided to preserve a bunch for later. Little did I realize that these already outstanding plums could be made better. A splash and pinch of assorted spice, balsamic, a portion of a hot pepper and sugar brings out the savory nature of the plums making them a perfect pairing for serious proteins. Think braised pork, bbq tofu, or short ribs all slathered with the softened spicy plums. especially bright and plum-y Chili Ginger Plums 2 lbs plums, quartered with stems and pits removed 2 tsp ground ginger 1 tblsp chili powder 1 small hot pepper (optional) 1 tsp ground clove 1 tblsp allspice 1/2 tablespoon salt 1/4 cup sugar 1 cup white vinegar 1 cup balsamic vinegar Add all ingredients into a

Ditmas Park CSA Week 13

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Lazy CSA share arrangement on bedspread The weather is cooling off, and its been raining more than once a month. Its no surprise that this week's share of the CSA is end of the season huge and plentiful. Its time to have an end of season dinner party to use some of these beauties up before they turn. 1 head of broccoli 2 "medium" zucchini 1 eggplant 2 sweet peppers, one yellow one red 2 heads of garlic 1 onion 4 hot peppers 1 bag lima beans 1 butternut squash 12 potatoes 1 cucumber 15 medium to small tomatoes and 1 green tomato 1/2 chicken 1 dozen eggs

Garden Harvest in a Pickle Jar

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Garden goods pushed into a pickle jar Early Saturday morning I cleared out my humble 36" by 30" nugget of garden with my plot partner to prepare for cool weather crops. Because of square foot gardening and the neighborhood greenthumb I've taken home a remarkable amount of food. Not quite enough to feed myself every day, but more than I need on top of my CSA . I took home an armful of what was left in the ground about 1/2 lb beans, a few hot cherry peppers, some stalks of potent basil, and celery greens. Rather than chop it raw for a salad or cook my harvest, I decided to pickle everything together to savor the garden freshens. What grows together, goes together and makes for an outrageous crisp raw pickle. I plan to use my pickled beans in bloody marys , but they would be nice as finger food along with cured meats or cheese plate. Also try chopping the beans and serving them on top of salads. Last of the summer veggies right out of the ground Garden Jar Pickled Beans 2 1

Vinyl Club at Sycamore!!

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Hey Ditmas Park, save your strength for Monday night. I'm bringing my monthly party to Sycamore Bar and Flower Shop. Bring you own vinyl, and spin a short set. Serious to strange encouraged. Vinyl Club has a pile of 45's for those less anlaog inclined. Will teach anyone how to dj in 30 seconds or less. F r e e ! MNVC #23: Pick it (vinyl + flowers) Monday September 13th Sycamore Bar and Flower Shop 1118 Cortelyou Road, Brooklyn 8:00pm - 11:30pm F r e e http://mediumfirm.blogspot.com/2010/09/monday-night-vinyl-club-23-pick-it-at.html http://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/event.php?eid=113126412074223&ref=ts

Ditmas Park CSA Week 11

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Vibrant end of summer CSA veg Feels like I'm losing count of what week of the Ditmas Park CSA share I'm photographing. I was slacking just before vacation (not really just meeting nutty deadlines elsewhere ) and then 2 weeks were picked up by others. Here we are at week 11, maybe. Aren't those some red tomatoes? Solid and juicy inside like a proper tomato should be. I was happy to get beets this week. Beets I've missed you. I plan to stew this chicken, or make dr pepper chicken. Full List of Ditmas Park CSA share: 1 big watermelon 1 eggplant 2 cucumbers 2 zucchini 2 onions 2-3 lbs yellow potatoes 10 medium and small tomatoes 5 medium beets 4 ears of corn 2 green peppers 1/2 lb yellow wax beans plus 1 dozen eggs 1/2 farm chicken This just in read this excellent interview with my CSA farmer Jorge of Amantai Farm. Pictures of living chickens and fields before they hit the streets and kitchens of Brooklyn!