Tea Time

Harvesting and drying the medical herbs from our gardens is a satisfying adventure. It's the perfect time of year to package the harvest as the weather cools and sun sits low on the horizon. This mixture is mostly from the mint family and used as a digestive for a stomach-calming yet invigorating tonic mix. Steep the mixture in a French press or a in a cup of hot water and strain, then add a purple bergamot flower to float on the top for the full effect.

the ingredients:

Hysoop: Overall digestion is a common benefit of drinking hyssop tea

Bergamot leaves and purple flowers: (bee balm): used as an antiseptic, carminative (helps with gas), diaphoretic, diuretic and stimulant. A tea of infused bergamot is used internally in the treatment of colds, catarrh, headaches, and gastric disorders, to reduce low fevers and soothe sore throat, to relieve flatulence, nausea, menstrual pain, and insomnia.Can also be used in the bath.

Mountain Mint:  a pick-me-up winter tea which has been used in the treatment of menstrual cramps, indigestion, gum disease, colic, coughs, colds, chills & fevers.

Calendula Flowers: Calendula tea is usually beneficial with gastrointestinal problems

* Statements contained herein have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Admin.

How to eat a feijoa

Cut your fruit in half and scoop out the fruit with a spoon and eat!

Need a detox? This week fresh juice!

I recently discovered the joys of juice pairing at a very special dinner at Noma in Copenhagen this summer. Instead of drinking loads of wine and forgetting the details of my 20-course meal, I decided on the rare opportunity to pair the meal with juice. I did this for clarity sake and out of curiosity and the incessant need for inspiration. It was an interesting choice. By the middle of the meal, I have to admit, I craved wine with my food. The juices which were both raw and fermented seemed better as a meal itself or just a stand alone drink. The colors were spectacular and flavors clean. But I didn't really want juice with my meal.  I soon found myself asking one of servers if I could have a glass of wine! That of course was not problem at all. 

So this week, partly out of inspiration from Noma, we give you juice. Not as pair but as a stand alone drink. We harvested and juiced beets, fennel, carrots and celery for you sip at leisure. The delicious mix makes a super clean drink that is really good for the body and great for digestion.

A little about the ingredients:

The intense red color in beets known as betalain has its function; it works as an antioxidant and a powerful anti-inflammatory for detoxing the body. Beet juice is also proven to help blood flow & reduce blood pressure. Its high in fiber, zinc and iron too. The carrot (and its color) has its own antioxidant properties in the beta carotene which helps put a healthy glow on your skin and hair. Carrots are also alkaline, balancing the acid/alkaline ratio. They also are high in vitamin A and C. The cool green celery is excellent for the digestive system, a natural form of salt and another type of anti-inflammatory. Finally, fennel which is has its beneficial soluble fibers and high amounts of vitamin C, folate and potassium. It helps with PMS as well as colic and gas. Studies on fennel, as far as heath benefits, show it's excellent for the skin and has "anti-aging " properties. In any detox, the key is eliminating inflammation and this drink is the perfect mix for that. It also taste good. I hope you think so too. If anyone is interested in doing a week long detox with juices and whole foods delivered to you let us know.

The box this week has our first sweet pumpkins and our amazing feijoas ( pineapple guavas) as well as kale, onions, potatoes, red chard, and a small bouquet of herbs: mint, rosemary, purple basil and dill with its flower. 

Use the dill on a piece of fish, the mint in a tea, the rosemary with eggs and onions and purple basil  on a pasta as a finishing touch.

one more thing: a pumpkin recipe

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a pumpkin recipe

Lots of Rainbows

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Last week Bloomfield got some crazy beautiful warm weather mixed with downpours, thunder, lightning and lots of rainbows. We shared the golden moments with close friends and family and now you get the benefits of the thunderous bounty.

This week: fennel, leeks, Russian kale, red & green rosettes, beets, tomatillos and onions.

With these lovely greens (and reds)  you get each month, I thought it would be nice to share the simplest of recipes for a vinaigrette. It treads lightly on the greens and lets the leaves speak for themselves.

Blum's Bloomfield Vinaigrette 

4 tbs extra virgin olive oil

a squeeze of lemon

1 tbs apple cider vinegar

1 teaspoon dijon mustard

1 teaspoon finely chopped shallot (optional)

salt to taste

In a small bowl or a mason jar add the vinegar, salt, mustard and lemon then add the oil beating with a fork to emulsify. Or just shake the jar. Taste for salt.  If you use the shallot, let it macerate in the vinegar for 10 minutes before adding the rest. Then add it to a red and green mixed leaf salad.

late summer soup

Todays box has the makings for an end of summer soup. Caley and the crew harvested kale onions, leeks, kohlrabi (both red and green), potatoes, carrots, fennel, cabbage, cherry tomatoes and yummy strawberries that just won't quit.

One of my favorite soups from memory comes from the south of France; the village of Gordes to be exact. Its a soupe au pistou, and both refreshing and warming at the same time. Pistou is basil pesto that perfumes the soup at the very end and you can use your the leaves of your pesto plant!

Soupe au Pistou

This soup also invites invention. Cabbage can be added too and even kohlrabi

 4 servings

1 cup fresh shell beans (like cranberry or lima), soaked for a couple of hours in water to cover, or 1/2 cup dried beans, soaked overnight (or boiled for 2 minutes and soaked for 2 hours), drained or a can of beans....

1  onion, peeled and chopped

2 medium carrots, peeled and chopped

1 celery stalk, trimmed and chopped ( can be made without)

2 medium potatoes, peeled and chopped

a few cherry tomatoes cut in half

1 fennel

3 garlic cloves, peeled

1 to 2 cups fresh basil leaves, washed

1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

Salt and pepper to taste

1 cup small pasta like ditalini, or capellini broken into pieces

Freshly grated Parmesan to taste

salt

Pour 2-3 tbs of olive oil in a heavy-based casserole or saucepan. Add the diced fennel, carrot and onion and a little salt and chili pepper and allow to gently soften without coloring.  Add the potatoes and tomatoes to the pan.

Add the broth  (chicken or vegetable) and allow it to reduce for about 15 minutes (taste it for seasoning and depth of flavor, boil vigorously if you want a stronger broth).

At the very end of cooking add the cooked shell beans, chopped parsley and  cook 5-10 minutes then serve with pistou.

For the pistou, pound the garlic with a pinch of salt until well broken down then begin to add a few basil leaves and a splash of olive oil alternately, pounding as you go until you have a smooth paste. Add the rest of the oil and parmesan and check for seasoning. Then add it to a bowl of soup with toasted bread and butter.

Salsa's for Summer

This week: Tat Soi, Red Chou, Strawberries, Rhubarb, Tomatillos, Bell peppers, Beets, Onions, Lettuce, Bouquet of flowers 

a note on tomatillos: Related to a gooseberry and part of the nightshade family, the tomatillo is a staple of Mexican food. It's got a wonderful papery husk that you remove before roasting. Tomatillos are very high in fiber and have moderate levels of vitamin c, k, a and potassium and niacin so they particularly good for digestion.

Here are two salsas of which both can be served with grilled or roasted fish or chicken. 

Strawberry Rhubarb Salsa 

( what you are trying to do here is have a nice balance of salt, sweet and spicy)

Ingredients

a stalk of rhubarb cut into small pieces

2 cups of strawberries, chopped into small pieces

 2 tablespoons of honey in liquid form

1 small jalapeño or other chili pepper, seeded and finely chopped  Note: if you have Bloomfield Chili's (ring of fire or goats horn) add sparingly to your "hot" tolerance. 

1 small onion finely chopped 

2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh basil or cilantro or in a pinch, the onion tops finely chopped

3 tablespoon freshly squeezed lime juice

Sea salt

Method

Set a small pot of water to boil. Drop the sliced rhubarb in the boiling water and boil for just one minute. Transfer the rhubarb to a strainer and then to a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking process.  Hull strawberries and cut into small piece. Mix the rhubarb & add the rest of the ingredients and toss.

Tomatillo Salsa

Makes 2/3 cup

3 tomatillos

1 fresh onion

1 teaspoon olive oil

1/3 bunch fresh cilantro, stems included

1 large clove garlic

1/2 lime, juiced

kosher salt to taste

Method

Oven 450 degrees F. Remove tomatillos from their outer leaves and discard the leaves. Tomatillos will feel sticky. Rinse and halve tomatillos then place on parchment paper lined baking sheet. Quarter onion and place on pan with tomatillos. Drizzle olive oil over vegetables and lightly season with kosher salt. Place in oven and roast for 20-30 minutes until lightly browned. Let vegetables cool slightly and then place in food processor. Be sure to include the drippings from the pan. Add cilantro, garlic, and lime juice, then puree. Add kosher salt if necessary. Serve with chips or with a roasted chicken or anything grilled on the BBQ and get your hands on some fresh tortillas.

Mid-August Box

This week we are beginning to harvest our medicinal herbs, chili peppers, and flowers to make our finishing salts and oils. In the meantime, enjoy this weeks box with our white kohlrabi, red butter rosette lettuces, red bok choy, tatsoi, leeks & fingerling  potatoes!

Your very own pot of basil and a bit of lovage.

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THE BOX

There is really nothing like the height summer in Northern California as far as fresh vegetables go. This week the earth was very very generous. Abundance for all!

The end of July introduces us to some wonderful green things like watercress, a very special and spicy wasabi arugula (see note below), a salad mix, micro greens, borage (eat the purple flowers) and lovage ( i love ) as well as more kale, violet heart ease and potted basil plant. We also have yukon gold potatoes, strawberries and zucchini too. 

NOTE on Wasabi Arugula:

Wasabi arugula is a hybrid of horseradish and arugula and has a wonderful wasabi flavor. I suggest making a salsa verde or a pesto with it and using it as a condiment to a grilled white fish like California Sea bass or an Alaskan halibut. Or be adventurous and add it to a sushi hand role made at home.

RECIPE: Zucchini and Lovage Pasta

A quick, easy dish. Serves four.

4 zucchini
500g dried penne or fusilli
3 tbsp olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
Zest of ½ small lemon
1 small handful lovage leaves, finely shredded
1/2 cup Parmesan, grated, plus extra
Fresh ricotta, broken into chunks

Trim the tops and bottoms off the zucchini, then shred into ribbons with a sharp vegetable peeler. Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat, add the garlic to flavor the oil, then add the zucchini, season and sauté until slightly golden, about five minutes.  Add lemon zest, and fry for a minute. Stir in the lovage. Taste and season again.

Cook the pasta a dente. Drain the pasta (reserve some cooking water) and toss with the zucchini, a couple of tablespoons of cooking water, parmesan and ricotta ( if you have it). Serve in warmed bowls with more parmesan sprinkled on top. Yum.

Purple Vikings, Borage and Wild Pansy for a change

This week's box has some very cool edibles with namesakes that we don't see very often. We have a potatoes!  They are of the Purple Viking variety. Gorgeous color and flavor. 

Lemon Balm which looks a lot like mint. In fact, it is part of the mint family. Use it as a tea to calm the nerves and tummy. It also helps you sleep.

Violet Heart Ease  (aka wild pansy) are edible flowers ( the whole plant is edible). Shakespeare refers to the flowers in a Midsummer's Night Dream.  The juice of the heartsease is a love potion and "on sleeping eyelids laid, will make a man or woman madly dote upon the next live creature that it sees." Use them in salads and see what happens.

Borage is another edible flower and medicinal that can used fresh in salads or cooked into a soup. It's medicinal properties include relief from colds and asthma when made into a tea.  For more ideas on the plant see Hunter Angler Cook.

 We also have  beets, onions, red tree kale, dino kale, rosemary, sage and amazing strawberries. Enjoy!

 

Perfect Romanesco Cauliflower

This particularly beautiful and edible flower from the cabbage and broccoli family tastes very similar to cauliflower, but has a slightly nuttier & earthier flavor. It also has a gothic tendency to create spires and minarets that are quite intricate and simply a wonder of nature. Take a good look at it before you cook it. It is kind of amazing and I think it pairs perfectly with pasta:

Aglio ( garlic ), olio ( olive oil) and Romanesco Pasta recipe

Blanch the florets in plenty of boiling, salted water until they just turn tender, and shock them in an ice bath to stop the cooking. Sauté a smashed and chopped garlic clove and a bit of crushed red pepper flakes in extra virgin olive oil. Add the broccoli romanesco florets and sauté briefly, make sure the florets are well coated with olive oil, taste for salt then toss everything with the al dente pasta of your choice and a splash of the pasta cooking water. Grate over plenty of Pecorino Romano off the heat. 

Cuerno de Cabra ( Goats Horn Chili) in the house.

Goats Horn Chili adds a little spice to the box this week along with onions, cabbage, green chard, collard greens, magenta spreen, epazote, mint, oregano, rosemary, and a lovely cardoon flower arrangement. No eggs today as the chickens took an unexpected break in production. 

The Goats Horn chili is a flavorful and picante compliment to any dish that requires a kick. The brilliant red color is not deceiving; the seeds are very hot, so carefully take them out after cutting them in half. (Don't touch your eyes after touching the chili.) They can be dried and used later too.

Once smoked and dried, this pepper transforms into a Chilean spice blend called Merquen  and is put on everything from eggs and potatoes to soups and meats. We are giving it to you fresh and will soon have our version of the blend for you to try.

Using the fresh chili, deseed it, chop it finely and add it as part of a sofrito ( recipe below)  as the base for any Spanish or Italian dish.

Sofrito (spicy)

yield: For 2 1/2 cups

ingredients

• 8 garlic cloves
• 1/2 cup extra-virgin oil
• 1/2 to 1 goats horn chili ( depending how spicy you want it)
• 4 cups onions, finely chopped
• 3/4 tsp oregano
• 3/4 tsp rosemary
• 1/2 dried bay leaf
• 8 oz pureed fresh tomatoes or canned tomato puree
• 1/2 tsp salt

preparation 

Put the garlic into a tall jar or beaker, then process to a paste using a hand-held blender. Put a saucepan over medium heat and add the oil. Fry the garlic until browned. Add the chili to flavor the oil. Meanwhile, process the onion in the blender. Add to the pan with the garlic. Lower the heat, add the herbs, then fry, stirring frequently, until the onion has browned. Add four-fifths of the tomatoes and cook for 30 minutes. Add the remaining tomato, cook for 30 more minutes, then season with salt and pepper.

Sofrito and Mussels Tapas recipe 

(4 servings)

2 pounds mussels

1/2 cup white wine

1/2 cup of water

1/2 cup  sofrito

1 teaspoon chopped parsley

fresh olive oil

1 lemon or lime

plenty of bread to soak up the sauce

In a large pot over medium, steam the mussels with the wine, 1/2 cup water and sofrito Cover, and cook until mussels open, about 6 minutes, stirring once. (Discard any unopened mussels.) Remove from heat and stir in fresh olive oil. Season with salt, pepper and lime and serve with bread.

June: Caraflex Cabbage, summer savory and epazote

This week we have a caraflex cabbage (with a recipe below), red beets, carrots, magenta spreen, red and green lettuces, shelling peas, onions, red kale, eggs and a bunch of herbs: epazote, summer savory, rosemary and thyme.

A note on Epazote and Summer Savory:

Summer Savory is a  European peppery herb that can be added to a cabbage salad or an egg scramble. It also can be added to beans and other savory dishes. It looks slightly like rosemary but is noticeably different.

Epazote, on the other hand, is a Central American herb and staple of Oaxaca and the Yucatan and a must when cooking black beans according the Mexican Food Diva Diane Kennedy.

Summer Savory Pea Scramble

olive oil

2 eggs

a handful of shelled peas

a small onion chopped fine

and a teaspoon of chopped savory

salt

method:

In a frying pan sauté the chopped onions until translucent and tender. Add the savory to flavor the onions. Add the peas and cook for a minute or less. Then add the eggs and scamble until done. Add salt as needed. Eat with the beans and quesadilla below for a FULL meal or alone.

Epazote, black beans & a quesadilla

1 lb black beans
1 onion, peeled
about 10 cups water
2 or 3 tablespoons olive oil 
1 tablespoon salt or to taste
2 large sprigs epazote

Wash the beans, drain, and add to a pot (earthenware is best if you have one). Cut the onion in half vertically, then slice into very thin half-moons and add to beans. Add water and olive oil, bring to a boil, turn down to a slow simmer, cover and cook for about 2 hours or until the beans are almost done. Add water along the way so there is always ample liquid.

Add the epazote and salt and cook for an additional half hour or until the beans are very soft. Set aside, preferably overnight. There should be some soupy liquid.

 Epazote Quesadilla

Fresh Corn Tortillas

Oaxacan or another white fresh cheese

chopped epazote

In a frying pan heat up a little bit of oil, place the tortilla on the pan and the cheese on the tortilla with some chopped epazote. Fold the tortilla and cook until the cheese is melted. Serve with the beans, some salsa and avocado.  

Grilled Caraflex Cabbage

Ingredients:
Caraflex cabbage
Olive oil
Sea salt
Black pepper

Method:
Cut the cabbage in half or quartered. Coat the cabbage with  olive oil and the seasonings. Place the cabbage cut-side down on a hot grill and leave until it is fork tender, but still has a little crunch. Serve in wedges with a little salt.