May 31st 2022 | goodhumus

May 31st, 2022

What’s in this Week’s VEGGIE BOX: Beets, Collards, Carrots, Fennel, Red Onion and Apricots

Bread this week: Garlic Parmesan OR Round Lavain your choice of one

Summer Quarter Started: NEW QUARTER CHECK LIST

Is your name on the list for your order?
If your name is not on the list PLEASE DO NOT PICK UP A BOX- we did not pack one for you.
If you think your name should be on the list and is not, send an email
Check your name off of each separate list when you pick up your produce, so the drop host knows who forgot their box and can give you a call.

If you see CONT next to your name on the roster, it means we have not received payment from you
If next to your name it says E-MAILED or CALLED, it means we gave you a call and have not heard from you, we would like to know your intensions-we did make you a box for this week only

Do we have your order correct? If not give us a call
Is your phone number correct? If not give us a call

Are you getting the newsletter via e-mail if not send us your address (humus@cal.net)

Special Orders

***Royal Apricots***

~number 1’s 12# for $48.00 (last longer and prettier)

~JAM Box12# for $38.00 (perfect for eating right away or making jam)

Please place your order by 5pm Friday evening so we can have your order ready for Tuesday June 7th.

This week on the farm

On the farm this week it is all apricots. Each day brings a new load of from 20-80 thirty lb. cases of fruit fresh from the tree, all full of the splendor of what nature allows us to have. In those boxes are bird pecks, bruises, small fruit, greenish fruit, leaf rub bruises, split pits, and fruit too ripe to make the journey to our tables. But in the midst of all those cosmetically challenged fruits, are the fruits that we can deliver to your table. We make our living by managing the conditions of the orchard to minimize the cosmetic damage while offering pruning, discing, watering and thinning, and finally picking at the right moment in the morning of the right day to bring a Royal Blenheim apricot to your table that you will remember with fondness, no matter whether you like apricots or not. Our greatest joy at this time of year is to hear a customer say: “I haven’t tasted an apricot like this since I was a kid”, or “I never thought I liked apricots, but….

More from Ed Looney. As I was readying for my first apricot harvest in 1978, Ed gave me the single statement that has defined my approach to apricot harvest. He had been the world’s largest apricot grower at one time, had lost a fortune one year but earned it back the next, had learned the fresh and canning fruit trade by working his family orchards in the Santa Clara Valley and Brentwood from the time he was a child. Born in 1910, he was a product of the agricultural paradise that was the Santa Clara Valley in between the World Wars. He knew most all of the game, and so when he told me that when apricot season arrives, everything else stops if you want to make a living growing apricots, It stuck. I remember it now not as a rule that I have uniformly applied, but as a guideline that I have repeated to my children. And so the attitude, the presence and the ethics of the past survive as guidelines to our present and future. In the hurly-burly of the life and times of a small family farm, there is never enough time to do everything, much less be able to drop everything for the harvest of one fruit. And so I have adapted, and have come to regret on many occasions my inability to obey the rule. But on the other hand, I have learned the resilience of this fabulous fruit, I have learned the perseverance of these trees of the Himalayas in continuing life through all the challenges I give them. It has been a good lesson for the life of our family, that for us it is not about being the best at any one thing, but rather to be good at juggling all that life has to offer in and out of the orchard, and to persevere through it all. Looking back at Ed and his piece of advice, I realize that it was not the exact text of the moment that was the gift, but rather the willingness to give freely of his best knowledge, not knowing where or how it might finally be used. As I walk in the orchard today, looking at those beautiful golden globes hanging in their leafy home on old heavily barked and gnarled branches, I am thankful for all the lessons imparted by having lived the farming life. It doesn’t get any better than this. Have a great week. ~Jeff

ROASTED BEETS AND FENNEL ON PASTA

Source: Belgianfoodie

500g linguine or penne pasta

2 tbsp olive oil

300 g onion chopped

400 g fennel raw sliced

400 g red beet sliced or diced

3 cloves garlic minced

1/2 tsp salt

1/8 tsp black pepper

100 g Parmesan cheese or goat cheese, or nutritional yeast

Instructions

Put water in a large casserole over a medium-high heat until it boils. When it boils add the pasta and cook according to the instructions on the box. While the water boils and the pasta cooks, prepare and cook the vegetables. Chop the onions, slice the red beets, and slice the white part of the fennel bulbs into bite-sized pieces. For the fennel remove the fronds and the green parts on top. You can put the fronds aside in case you want to sprinkle them on top of the cooked dish at the end.

Pour the olive oil in a pan over a medium-high pan. When the oil is hot, add the chopped onions and sauté a couple minutes until they start softening. Reduce the heat to medium. Add the sliced fennel. Continue to cook about 5 minutes, stirring periodically. Add the red beets and continue to cook another 5 minutes. You may need to add a little of the pasta water If the pan becomes a bit dry or the pieces start burning, The pasta water will help the vegetables to cook and for the flavors to blend together. Add the minced garlic and cook another minute. The vegetables should be cooked, yet the red beets should be slightly firm (al dente). Remove a cup of pasta water before straining the pasta. Add a little more of the pasta water to the vegetables so you have a good consistency to add on top of the pasta. You will not need all the pasta water. Strain the pasta. In each bowl, put about a cup of pasta. Add the vegetable mix on top. Drizzle a little olive oil, hazelnut or walnut oil on top. Not much but just to give a hint of flavor. Put the grated Parmesan cheese or crumbled goat cheese in a bowl on the table to allow each person to add it if they like. Vegans can sprinkle some nutritional yeast instead of the cheese on top of their dish.

If you prefer serving the pasta family style, mix the vegetable topping with the pasta before bringing it to the table.

Grilled Chicken with Fennel and Apricots

Source: ricardocuisine

1 tsp fennel seeds

1/2 tsp coriander seeds

1/4 tsp black peppercorns

1 chicken, about 4 lb (1.8 kg), cut into 8 pieces

1/4 cup (60 ml) olive oil

1 fennel bulb, cut into 16 wedges

4 fresh apricots, pitted and quartered (or canned apricots, rinsed)

3 tbsp (45 ml) honey

1 lime, quartered

2 tbsp fennel fronds, coarsely chopped

1 tbsp chives, finely chopped

Preheat the grill, setting the burners on high. Oil the grate.

In a mortar, crush the spices and peppercorns. In a bowl, combine the chicken with half of the oil and the spice mixture. Season with salt. With the remaining oil, brush the fennel pieces. Season with salt and pepper. Place the chicken pieces on the grill. Reduce the temperature of the grill to medium-low. Close the lid and cook the chicken, turning regularly, until cooked through, about 30 minutes. Grill the fennel pieces on each side until al dente. In a large serving dish, place the chicken, fennel and apricots. Drizzle with the honey and lime juice, squeezing the wedges over the platter. Sprinkle with the herbs.

Fabcakes with Collard Slaw and Old Bay Aioli

Source:Purple Carrot

1 jalapeño

1 package garbanzo beans

4 oz hearts of palm

2 tbsp + 1 tsp rice wine vinegar

1 ½ tsp Old Bay seasoning

2 packets dijon mustard

1 cup panko breadcrumbs

½ cup Fabanaise

1 bunch collard greens

1 parsnip

1 carrot

2 tbsp vegetable oil*

Salt and pepper*

Rinse, de-seed, and mince jalapeño. Drain chickpeas and hearts of palm. Add chickpeas, hearts of palm, and jalapeño to food processor. Pulse to combine, but don’t over process. Add the chickpea mixture to a large bowl with 1 tsp rice wine vinegar, 1 tsp Old Bay seasoning, 1 packet mustard, and 1/2 cup panko bread crumbs (reserve the other half). Season with salt and pepper. Mix well. Form the chickpea mixture into 6 cakes, making sure to pack the mixture tightly. Place the fabcakes in the refrigerator to firm up while you make the slaw. In a small bowl, combine ¼ cup Fabanaise, the remaining 2 tbsp rice wine vinegar, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Mix well and set aside. Rinse the collards and remove leaves from stem. Discard stems. Dry and stack the leaves, roll up into a loose cigar-shape, and slice thinly. Place in a bowl, sprinkle with a pinch of salt, and “massage” leaves to soften them. Wash and peel the parsnip and carrot. Shred both on the large side of the box grater. Add to the collards along with the Fabanaise dressing. Toss everything to combine. Remove the fabcakes from the fridge. Place the remaining panko breadcrumbs on a plate and coat the cakes on all sides. Place a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat and add 2 tbsp vegetable oil. Once the oil is hot add the fabcakes and fry until golden brown, flipping once, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer to a paper towel lined plate and sprinkle with salt. To make the aioli, combine the remaining ¼ cup Fabanaise, remaining ½ tsp Old Bay seasoning, and a pinch of salt in a bowl. Measure out ¼ tsp mustard from the remaining packet, add to the bowl, and mix well. Divide the fabcakes between your plates. Serve with the collard, carrot, and parsnip slaw on the side, and with the Old Bay aioli for dipping. Bon appetit