Hello friends! I’m back from an unplanned summer hiatus, but in an effort to regain a regular writing practice, I thought I’d do a bit of a summer recap before diving back into other topics.
Over the past few months, interspersed with travel bursts to the east and west coasts, local food and seasonal produce has been an important part of my summer. I treasured farmer’s markets with produce galore, visiting new farms, and discovering vegetable and fruit varieties!
While in upstate New York over July 4th, I visited Essex Farm, a 450 acre property that grows organic vegetables and raises meat for their community. I had been to the farm a handful of times in the past, but not before my master’s and greater appreciation of and passion for organic, local food. One of the owners, Kristen Kimball, wrote two books, The Dirty Life and Good Husbandry. She used to live and work in New York City, but left the hustle and bustle to start a farm with her husband Mark. I read her second book, Good Husbandry, earlier this year. In this story, Kristen chronicles an account of life, challenges, transitions, growth, and beauty on the farm. I was struck by the raw insight into daily life and the messy process of growth and evolvement, but what left a deeper impact was the insight into a community I visit every summer, but don’t live in full time.
My mom, family friend, and I stopped by one morning in July, and as we approached the farm shop, I noticed the owner and author herself, Kristen! I couldn’t believe my luck! She graciously listened to my comments of thanks and then invited us to an event they were hosting the following day: a kebap night on the farm. Fresh lamb, tomatoes, cucumbers, labneh, pita, and toppings…. Sign me up! We arrived the following evening, welcomed by Kristen’s husband and the other owner, Mark, who was also playing an instrument and directing traffic. The convivial atmosphere on a gorgeous summer evening, perforated by smells of wafting lamb and a delicate dance of people taking orders, grilling, shaping and cooking pitas, and serving made it a night to remember.
Next up: Los Angeles. While visiting a friend, I knew I had to go to a farmer’s market. I’ve heard so much about the citrus and fresh fruit and vegetables the golden state is known for, and sure enough, it surpassed my expectations! The fresh citrus! The gorgeous grapes! The new-to-me vegetable varieties I was eager to try! I loved chatting with producers and perusing the stalls, but my favorite moment was connecting a man at an Italian stand. While on the market loop, figuring out the lay of the land before deciding what to buy, I spotted scamorza, an Italian cheese, and knew I had to stop. I asked Francesco, the person working the stand, about the cheese, taralli, and other products on offer. As we got to talking, we immediately connected on Italy, and much to my delight, he interspersed sentences with Italian phrases that made my heart sing. They brought me right back to school, to the sound of the language, and to the people I hold dear. Day made! [Unfortunately, I don’t have any photos of the market!]
While in Grand Isle, Vermont, earlier this August, my family & I went to, shocker, another farmer’s market. I loved perusing the various stalls, and discovered a new tomato variety! It’s essentially like monkey bread - all parts are attached to the whole, but it’s easy to pick off bite-sized pieces. So fun!
I stocked up here on a variety of tomatoes to make panzanella for a family party, to which a neighbor’s cucumbers were the perfect addition to a fan-fav salad.
On the home front, our small garden is in full swing. A bed beside the house complete with herbs, tomatoes, and lettuce pulls its weight and is the gift that keeps on giving. Earlier this summer, I planted mizuna, a lettuce variety, from seed, inspired by the life-changing salads at Podere il Casale, the farm I volunteered at last year as part of my master’s program. I planted the seed in the ground, just the way Benito, the head gardener in Italy, did, and it worked! There has been a bounty of mizuna, tomatoes, and parsley! I can hardly keep up!
Sidenote: if you have the space for a little herb garden where you are, I cannot recommend it enough. The herbs last much longer for one, they’re most cost-effective, and they taste brighter and more flavorful than store-bought.
That’s it for the summer recap! Up next are a few recipes I made this past week, which are a perfect way to celebrate the last weeks of glorious summer produce!
Recipe of the Week: Alison Roman’s Tomato Tart
Alison posted this last week, and I immediately put it at the top of my to-make list. The bounty of tomatoes on our home plant provided the perfect opportunity to try it out! Oh my gosh. What a gorgeous ode to summer produce! The crust is comprised of brown butter (!), flour, cornmeal/polenta, parmesan, salt, and a sprinkle of sugar. The dough comes together so fast, and then is pre-baked to ensure the crust retains its crunch after the tomatoes are added. The filling is essentially tomatoes, loads & loads of them, salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, garlic, capers, and olive oil [optional are herbs and red or white wine vinegar on top]. The polenta in the crust provides a nice crunch, and the time in oven allows the tomatoes to deepen in flavor, pairing wonderfully with the garlic and the crust to create the perfect marriage. Run, don’t walk, to the kitchen to make this recipe! It’s wonderful on its own, but would be even better shared with family and friends.
Honorable Mention: Lidey Heuck’s Melon & Cucumber Gazpacho
This recipe appears in Lidey’s new, debut cookbook, Cooking in Real Life. The book sits on my kitchen shelf, and I find myself frequently flipping through it for inspiration. I’ve worked my way through a handful of recipes this summer, and when I picked up a fresh melon at a farm-stand earlier this week, I knew just what to do with half of it! Cucumber, tomatoes, melon, jalapeño, onion, lime juice, salt, olive oil & herbs are thrown in a blender and come together to create a slightly spicy, bright, refreshing gazpacho. I honestly wasn’t sure what to expect, but this combo is a winner! It’s a great side dish, and such a fun, unique, easy way to use up fresh, flavorful ingredients!