It was a smoky and ashy harvest day Tuesday from the forest fires to the east. I never imagined we’d be harvesting in respirators, but the air was pretty intense so it definitely felt like the thing to do. Ash covered everything outside but luckily it’s not a food safety issue. Just make sure you wash all of the produce well this week.
- Lettuce: “Nevada”
- Tomatoes
- Shallots
- Beets
- Summer Squash
- Cucumbers
- Eggplant (Thursday will get romano beans instead)
- Sweet Peppers
The shallots are the new item here. They can be stored like onions (on the counter) as well as used in place of onions. Expect the result to be a little richer, sweeter, and more complex. Here are a few suggestions from “Bounty From the Box” by Mi Ae Lipe.
- Crispy deep-fried shallots are a highly popular topping on noodles, stir-fries, rice, fish, and other Asian dishes.
- Shallots have a natural reddish-pink coloring between their layers. If you marinate bits of shallot in a little rice vinegar or white wine vinegar, the color ascends to a beautiful magenta and will provide an electric accent to, say, blanched green beans or fresh peas.
- It’s hard to beat the classic French vinaigrette, made with minced shallots, vinegar, mustard, oil, salt, and pepper.
- Caramelized, roasted shallots are a sumptuous treat with meats, poultry, and potatoes, or as a luxurious side dish in their own right.
- Chop shallots finely and use in a favorite tuna, egg, chicken, or potato salad.
- Shallots make good company with fall and winter vegetables; try them braised or roasted with Brussels sprouts, parsnips, carrots, rutabaga, and sweet potatoes.
- Shallots make a wonderful sauté base instead of onions.
- Try a thinly sliced shallot in your favorite salad. They are dynamite with fresh avocado and a squeeze of lemon juice.
- A twist on the Swedish smörgåsbord treat: a little finely chopped shallot atop pickled herring on slices of dark rye bread thickly spread with good butter.
- Shallots are delicious in compound butters; mix with your favorite herbs.
- For a dish that delights and surprises, make fried shallot rings rather than onion rings.
- Instead of garlic mashed potatoes, substitute finely chopped, sautéed shallots for the garlic.
- Roast whole shallots with potatoes and rosemary for a hearty, satisfying winter meal. Great with a little balsamic vinegar, too.
Josh’s photo of our morning captures the eery quiet orange-grey light. Follow Josh on Instagram here: instagram.com/slowhandfarm
Cully Neighborhood Farm 