Seth and I had a wonderful week visiting with all my relatives on my father’s side. It was a joy to see the next generation playing together endlessly and a treat to have time with everyone.
The plants double in size in our absence! The annual flowers are truly starting to bloom and the summer crops are trickling in. We were grateful to return home to home grown food and herbs and to see our crew and the animals.
This week we have no plantings and only a small seeding. We are focusing on weeding and cleaning garlic!
This week’s pick list:
Beets
Chard
Potatoes
Collards
Parsley, Basil, Cilantro, Dill
Kohlrabi
Leeks
Radish
Kale
Summer squash
Lettuce
Cucumbers
Peas
Turnips
Fennel
Broccoli
Strawberries
Tea Blends - bring containers!
Dried Peppers - bring containers!
TURNIP & BACON FRITTERS, from dishingupthedirt.com
3 slices of thick cut bacon, roughly chopped
3 cups grated turnips (use a box grater or the grating attachment on a food processor and make sure to drain the shredded turnips in a tea towel to release excess water)
1 cup chopped greens
1 large egg
pinch of salt and pepper
1/2 cup finely grated hard cheese,
½ cup unbleached flour
Bacon fat or another cooking fat for frying
Yogurt or creme fraiche for serving
Ground hot peppers for serving (optional)
Preheat your oven to 250F.
In a large cast iron skillet over medium high heat fry the chopped bacon until fully cooked and slightly crispy. Remove from the pan and let drain on a paper towel lined plate. Reserve the cooking fat.
In a large bowl combine the grated turnips (that have been squeezed pretty dry in a dish towel) with the bacon, turnip greens, egg, salt and pepper, grated cheese and flour. Mix until well combined.
In the same skillet heat about 2 tablespoons of the reserved bacon grease over medium-high heat. Spoon 1/4 cup of the mixture into the skillet and flatten it gently with a spatula. Add 2-3 more fritters to the pan and cook for about 3-4 minutes per side or until golden brown and crisp. Transfer the batch to a baking sheet and keep warm in the oven until you finish the rest of the fritters.
Serve with yogurt or creme fraiche and a pinch of ground hot pepper