While I was collecting eggs on Sunday, the flat that I was filling was precariously balanced and flipped over, breaking six eggs. I swore and felt remorse. The hens that were in the coop came running over, chattering with concern. (The coop is spilt into two sides by a chicken wire fence: the egg room and the roost bar area, so the hens could not come right next to me.) I felt a kinship with them over the loss of the eggs and gratitude for the nourishment of the eggs that they give us.
I was lucky to have time earlier in the day to immerse myself in reading, a whole bunch of articles across many topics. The main questions they led me to was: am i asking too much? Am I giving enough?
This Week’s Pick List:
Eggs
Rose Finn Fingerling Potatoes
Rhonda Beets
Dolciva Carrots
Cortland Yellow and Monastrell Red Onions, Matador Shallots
Kossack Kohlrabi
Purple Top Turnips
Bora King and Cheong Du Radish
Watermelon Radish
Balena Celeriac
Hablinge Parsnips
Takrima Leeks
Cabbage
Song Cauliflower
Calypso Celery
Ruby Red Chard
Dazzling Blue Kale
Joi Choi
Coral Escarole, Sugarloaf, Chioggia and Rosalba Radicchio
Parsley
Regiment Spinach
Evergreen Hardy Scallions
Tetsukabota Kabocha, Gil’s Golden Acorn, Sonca Orange Butternut, & Spaghetti Winter Squash
Saltonstall Olive Oil
Revolution Bread
I enjoyed reading this article about Vietnamese Tet and dishes to make to celebrate: https://www.nytimes.com/2021/01/29/dining/tet-vietnamese-recipes-lunar-new-year.html
Dua Hanh (Pickled Shallots), from nytimes.com
10 ounces small shallots (about 2 cups)
Boiling water
2 tablespoons fine sea salt
½ cup granulated sugar
1 cup distilled white vinegar
Put the shallots in a small heatproof bowl and cover them with boiling water. Let stand for 2 to 3 minutes to loosen the skins. Pour out the hot water, then refill the bowl with cold water to quickly cool the shallots. Drain in a colander.
Using a paring knife, cut off a bit of the stem end of a shallot. Working from the stem end, peel away the outer skin and dry-looking layers underneath. Separate any twin bulbs to fully remove the skin. Finally, cut away the root end, taking care to leave enough so the shallot won’t fall apart. Repeat with the remaining shallots.
In the bowl that held the shallots, stir the salt into 1 cup warm water until dissolved. Return the peeled shallots to the bowl. Let stand at room temperature, loosely covered, at least overnight or up to 24 hours to remove some of their harshness.
Drain the shallots and rinse well under cold running water. In a small saucepan, combine the sugar and vinegar and bring to a rolling boil, stirring occasionally, until the sugar dissolves. Add the shallots. When the liquid returns to a simmer, immediately remove the pan from the heat. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the shallots to a pint jar. Pour in the hot brine to the rim. Weigh down the shallots with a small dish if they bob up. Let cool completely, uncovered, then cap and refrigerate.
Allow the shallots to mature for 5 days before serving (halve bigger ones, if you like). They will keep refrigerated for several weeks, though they are likely to be long gone by then.