The sun is shining and everyone is basking in its warmth!
On Saturday, when all of our kids were in nature programs on the farm (run by Friends of the Petaluma River), Seth and I took a long walk through the pastures. We headed out to the back hills, looking at all the drainages for slides and any new changes in the land. We were excited to stumble upon a beautiful patch of native bunch grasses, as well as spotting some of the first wildflowers of the year.
On Sunday, I walked through the vegetable fields, noting the rot and standing water, seeing the resilience of many plants, and thinking about the coming season. We will scatter cover crop in the open areas this week, hoping to cover the soil with plant growth as the water recedes. Walking around you could feel the shift that was in the air, the longer days and the growth that was beginning.
Please join us this Friday for a potluck and fire at 5 pm! Bring a dish to share featuring farm products.
We are closed next week for spring break.
Sign ups for next season will begin April 17th with our all member meeting. We ask that everyone attend this important event. Please look for an evite and more details coming soon!
This week’s pick list:
Onions
Celery
Beets
Chard
Cabbage
Spigarello
Carrots
Castelfranco and Radicchio
Green Garlic
Turnips
Potatoes
Winter squash
Rutabaga
Parsnip
Celeriac
Spinach
Revolution Bread is available
Curried carrot mash with brown butter, from ottolenghi.co.uk
About 8 carrots, peeled, cut in half lengthways and roughly chopped into 2cm pieces (800g net weight)
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp curry powder
¼ tsp ground cinnamon
30g unsalted butter (or 2 tbsp extra olive oil)
2 cm piece fresh ginger, peeled and cut into very thin matchsticks
½ tsp nigella seeds
½ tsp fennel seeds
½ tsp cumin seeds
½ tbsp lime juice
5g mint leaves, finely shredded
Put the carrots in a steamer (or colander that fits inside a large pot with a lid), put on a high heat, cover and steam for 25 minutes, until you can cut through them easily. Tip the carrots into a food processor with the oil, curry powder, cinnamon and a teaspoon of salt, and blitz to a semi-smooth mash (it should have some texture).
While the carrots are steaming, put the butter, ginger, all the spice seeds and a generous pinch of salt in a small saucepan on a medium heat. Cook gently for three to five minutes, stirring occasionally, until the butter begins to foam and turn light brown and the seeds become fragrant, then take off the heat.
Spoon the mash on to a large plate, and make dimples all over the surface with the back of a spoon. Drizzle over the butter with the ginger and seeds, then sprinkle over the lime juice. Finish with the mint. Serve warm.