Intro to Magenta Spreen, red cabbage and plans for a July farm dinner

I just left the farm after a walk through the gardens with Chef Bill Niles of St. Vincent Tavern in San Francisco. Bill along with St. Vincent's owner and expert sommelier David Lynch will create a farm to table dinner @ Bloomfield Farms on July 13 pairing Bloomfield's provisions with local wines meticulously chosen by Lynch. Stay tuned for details on this event! Space will be limited.

This week we have two new additions to the box: magenta spreen, a stunning leaf both green and hot pink used for salads or steamed like spinach and a stunning purple cabbage to compliment the mizuna, carrots, eggs, onions, beets, butter lettuces, fava beans, thyme and oregano.

Here's a recipe inspired from my walk today using cabbage, beets and carrots... and another idea for magenta spreen.

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Bloomfield Slaw

3 beets, peeled

4 carrots washed and peeled

1 head of cabbage

1 spring onion chopped fine with tops chopped on the side

Vinaigrette:

3/4 cup tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1/4 cup white wine or apple cider vinegar

1 tablespoons of Dijon mustard

1 teaspoon honey

1 small shallot, minced

1 teaspoon fresh thyme

Salt and pepper to taste

In a food processor, shred separately: beets, carrots and cabbage, chop the spring onion finely and the green tops separately and place all the ingredients in a large bowl. In a small bowl add vinegar, mustard, honey, shallot, thyme and salt and pepper. Whisk to combine. Stream in 3/4 cup of olive oil, whisking at the same time to emulsify. Pour dressing over salad ingredients, toss, eat.

variations:

use a 1/4 cup of homemade mayonnaise in place of the olive oil

or add parsley or cilantro if available

or add chopped hard boiled eggs to the mix.

Magenta Spreen Scramble

Here's a simple way to taste the Magenta Spreen (lambs quarters) and use the wonderful farm eggs at the same time. Or just add them to your salad raw!

a handful or two of Magenta Spreen leaves

a small spring onion chopped fine

olive oil

2-4 eggs

salt  and pepper

 In a small frying pan, sauté the onion until translucent then add the washed leaves to sauté with the onions. Salt to taste. Scramble the eggs in a bowl, add the cooked greens then pour the mixture in a hot oiled or buttered pan and cook and scramble. Serve on toast. Chop some onion tops fine and sprinkle on top.

A lovely discovery: Salsify

This week we have a new member to the farm box: Salsify. The purple flowers punctuate the fields this month and are a striking compliment to the green grasses. We decided it would be fun to include this interesting vegetable this week. The plant is native to central Europe and is a member of the daisy family yet its root has a distinct and mild flavor of asparagus. It's also loaded in potassium, calcium and protein.

The whole plant can be used. The root, once peeled, can be roasted, added to soups, grated and made into fritters or cooked and pureed, the stalk can be cooked like asparagus and the flower can be added to salads or whipped to make a compound butter. And if you don't want to cook them, put them in a vase and watch the flowers open as the morning sun hits them.

The harvest this week also includes:

Kale, the last of the green garlic, Lisbon white scallions, a mix of young leaves, a head of lettuce, fava beans, eggs, purple collards, carrots & revolution bread in the Thursday box.

Here's a simple recipe for a roasted root:

 Pan-Roasted Salsify

3 large or 6 thin/small salsify roots

Juice from 1 lemon

1 teaspoon black peppercorns

1 bay leaf

1-2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

A sprinkling of chopped parsley or oregano

1-2 tablespoons of salted butter 

breadcrumbs

Carefully peel the salsify roots to their pale core and place them in a shallow pan with water lemon juice, black pepper, bay leaf, and salt to taste. Bring to a simmer and cook until tender (about 20-30 minutes, simmering, based on the thickness of the roots.) Remove the salsify roots from the liquid and let cool slightly, then cut into pieces or leave whole. Heat some olive oil in a sauté pan over medium heat until hot, then add the salsify pieces along with a sprinkle of coarse salt and a grinding or two of fresh black pepper. Cook until golden brown, then toss in the chopped fresh oregano at the end. Heat a small frying pan and add butter to a sizzle. Sauté the bread crumbs. Finish with a sprinkle of crumbs for slight crunch. 

 

April question: What is kohlrabi?

Answer: It's a vegetable somewhere between a turnip and cabbage and this week it's in your box.  

This strange yet beautiful form is a member of the brassica family (i.e. kale, Brussel sprouts, broccoli and cauliflower) whose phytochemicals are regarded for their antioxidant properties. When you eat kohlrabi, make sure you peel them. Then use them grated raw in salad or cooked as a mash with potatoes. Or you can cut them into sticks and fry them like French fries and sprinkle with a touch of Bloomfield chili salt ( a product available soon). 

Here's a recipe for a salad: 

Kohlrabi, Carrot + Apple Salad with cilantro and lime

serves 2 or more as a side

1 medium kohlrabi (green or purple), peeled and finely shredded
3 carrots peeled and finely shredded
1 red apple skin on + finely shredded ( optional)
a large handful cilantro, roughly chopped
the juice of 1 lime or lemon
a good glug of extra virgin olive oil
fine sea salt, to taste

Combine everything in a large bowl, season well with fine sea salt and serve immediately.  Other add in's: feta, finely chopped spring onions and some of the tops, mint leaves and walnuts.

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This week you will find our first batch fava beans and much more: eggs, salad mix, carrots, onions, beets, miner’s lettuce, purple collard greens, kale, chard and herbs: mint and spearmint, green and purple sage, cilantro....

Note on fava's: I love fava beans. They define Spring! But they do take a bit of work. Note that they are peeled twice to get to the yummy green nugget inside.

how to peel:

• Remove the beans from the pods by running a finger up the seam of the pod, splitting it open and removing the beans. 


•  The bean has a thick  skin around it which also needs to be peeled off. To remove the second skin, put the fava beans in boiling salted water to blanch for 30 seconds. Remove the beans from the boiling water and submerge them in ice cold water to stop the cooking process.


• With your fingers, squeeze the bean out from its skin.


• eat them right away with a sprinkle of salt or make a toast and spread some fromage blanc or any other fresh cheese and put the favas on top with and a splash of olive oil, salt and pepper. yum.

April's box & fresh carrots

This week the farm is bursting with growth. The trees finally have leaves and the greens are bursting with flavor. This week we bring you our bright orange carrots, spring onions, chard, three types of lettuces and a mix of miners lettuce and delicate green leaves. We have a bundle of rosemary and oregano for you and, of course, our amazing eggs.

We are working on a line of finishing salts made from Sonoma sea salt extracted from the Pacific mixed with the array of herbs and chilis we grow. So this week, we have added a Bloomfield finishing salt made with our rosemary for the premium box. Give it a try and tell us what you think. I like to sprinkle it over toast with a bit of fresh olive oil. It's really nice on top of a fromage blanc cheese or on any meat of fish dish. It's just very usable and adds just the right  flavor kick.

The three alluims: leek, onion and green garlic

If you find these in your box here's how you know the difference:

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The leek has a deep flat blue/green leaf, the onion has a hint of pink and the green garlic looks similar to the leek but has the pungent bouquet of garlic we all know and love.

Spring has Arrived: Introducing the Kaffir Lime Leaf

 Hi everyone! This week I have had the pleasure of staying on the farm while Caley is away. It's a magical place this time of year—so many flowers blooming and so may vegetables sprouting. And even some needed rain showers....

This week expect the color green. We have eggs, onions, green garlic, leeks, kale, pink and green chard, some amazing heads of lettuce, some edible arugula flowers to garnish any dish, and a micro mix that includes my favorite spring leaf; the fragile miners lettuce. Miner's "lettuce" is a tiny wild sprout that miners of the Gold Rush foraged to get their vitamin C preventing scurvy. I love them for the cute heart shape and it's flavor that always reminds me of the delicious smell when walking in the woods. 

I included some kaffir lime leaves for anyone interested in flavoring a thai curry. You can also chiffonade them and use them like you would basil. Just cut out the tough middle spine and then stack to the two halves on top of each other. Roll the leaves by making a tight cylinder. Then using a pairing knife, cut cross ways as thin as you can and you have a chiffonade. Add it as a finish to any Asian dish, a soup or add it to flavor a rice dish . Use it in a marinade for chicken. Make a syrup: add a kaffir lime leaf to sugar overnight and use the sugar to make a syrup the next day. Check out this yummy blog on Thai cooking www.shesimmers.com to get the idea.

The premium boxes get some Bloomfield pesto made with pine nuts, parmesan and the delicate basil leaves from a recent harvest from our hothouse on the hill. Spread it on a piece of toasted Revolution bread!

March photos from a glorious week

This week Caley harvested the remaining chili peppers in the greenhouse so I decided to do some product research and development drying, grinding and smoking chills. More to come on that front .....

March Edibles: Galeux D' Eysines soup & Mizuna ideas

The Spring rains and warm temperatures gave the gardens a lot of growing power.  So this week we've continued with the vibrant greens and added a few new things still in their infancy (pea shoots and micro greens). We have flamenco chard,  "giant" chard, mizuna, collards, Tatsoi,  Red & Green Russian Kale, some fabulous lettuces: Bronze Beauty, Grandpa's Admirer, and Red leaf. We have fresh eggs as well as parsley, mint and cilantro. 

I also added a homemade soup made from the last hurrah of our French winter squash— the Galeux D' Eysines (also known as "warted sugar marrow") and flavored with new shoots of green garlic. This soup is vegetarian based & made with a vegetable broth of Bloomfield, onions, fennel and herbs. 

Serve hot with grated parmesan, a bit of green, peppery  olive oil and a crusty bread. 

Mizuna Notes:

Each week you've been getting different types of mizuna in your salad mix. So this week I decided to give you another option for this mild Japanese mustard green. (In Japan, the green is not usually eaten raw —instead, it's pickled, stir-fried, simmered, and added to soups).  

RECIPE:  SAUTEED MIZUNA WITH GARLIC

Ingredients:

1 bunch mizuna

2 cloves garlic, crushed

2 tablespoons olive oil

1/2 lemon, zest and juice

salt to taste, about 1/4 -1/2 teaspoon

freshly ground pepper

Wash and drain mizuna. The greens do not have to be completely dry. Roughly chop into 2-inch segments and set aside.

Place a wide and shallow frying pan or wok over high heat. Add two tablespoons of oil.

Add the crushed  garlic and stir around for 5 or so seconds.

 Add the greens to the wok or pan and saute for a few minutes, stir around constantly. The mizuna should be softened. Add the salt and distribute evenly. Garnish with a squeeze of lemon, zest and freshly ground pepper. Serve warm or tepid. 

You can also add walnuts and parmesan to give it an Italian bite. Or keep it Asian and add fish sauce to the mix.

The 2nd February Box: into the Wild Nettles

This Week's Box:

The salad mix this week will be deconstructed into the various leaves of arugula, red and green mizuna, tat soi, Australian green lettuce, bronze beauty lettuce, Russian red kale, and dandelion greens. Look for Grandpa's Admirer lettuce too, garlic, Kamo Kamo squash, collard greens, two types of chard, eggs, onions, herbs: rosemary, sage, thyme. In a glass ball jar you have a mint and nettle tea to be steeped and stirred with honey.

*A side note on bio-degradables: The eco ties & the green jute twine are both biodegradable. We are looking for alternatives to the plastic bag which ultimately keeps the greens and vegetables fresh. This is an ongoing challenge for many sustainably-oriented farmers. But we are sure to find that alternative so our greens arrive always alive and fresh.

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For the premium box add Bloomfield thyme oat cakes made from organic oats, stone ground wheat flour, pecans, sugar, salt and fresh thyme. They are a cross between savory and sweet and more of a biscuit meant to be served with tea of the fresh goat cheese made by Gypsy Cheese Company in Valley Ford. The oat cakes are delicious served with the cheese, a bit of the olive oil and leaf of arugula leaf on top. enjoy!

This week there is a cleansing  herbal tea made from wild nettles that grow in the fields among the row crops and some cultivated mint leaves from our kitchen garden. I've also written up a recipe for an easy squash soufflé below. 

But first some notes on Stinging Nettles (Urtica diocia) and how to handle them...

Everyone always asks me what the story is on nettles. The most important thing is that when they are fresh, they can sting you. They should be handled with gloves or some sort of protection as buffer between you and the plant. The tiny hairs on the leaves and stems act like hypodermic needles, injecting histamines of formic acid into the skin that cause you to itch or give a you a  minor rash (some healers use this as a medicinal use). But, when dried or cooked they are neutral and when eaten, they are both delicious and healing.  Next month, we will provide fresh nettles for you to try.

 Nettles have a long history of medicinal and culinary uses. They are rich in antioxidants and contain chlorophyll, beta-carotene, vitamins A, C, and E, calcium, potassium, phosphates, and various other minerals. They are rich in iron vital to circulation and helpful in controlling high blood pressure. The tea is particularly useful in combating seasonal allergies, or improves symptoms associated with allergies. It’s also used during cleanses for the urinary tract and is a fortifying tonic for the blood. These properties, combined with stress relieving properties of mint makes for a nice herbal blend.  The menthol that is naturally present in the mint is a muscle relaxant and helps promote sleep.

Mint and Nettle tea:

Prepare a tea by steeping 2 tablespoons of dried leaves in hot water for 5 to 10 minutes, and strain. Add honey for a sweet kick.

 

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To make a Kamo Kamo squash soufflé

Serves 4

6 tbsp butter, divided

3 tbsp flour

1 cup milk

2 cups of mashed squash ( use just one squash)

fresh-ground pepper

pinch of cayenne

salt

2 thyme sprig, leaves only4 egg

4 oz. goat cheese or parmesan (optional)

Preheat the oven to 375 and butter a 1-quart souffle dish with 1 tbsp butter.

Cut the kamo kamo in half scoop out the seeds and put on a greased cookie sheet skin side up and bake until soft when pierced with a fork. When it’s ready, scoop out the interior and mash. Put 2 cups aside (the leftover can be used as a side dish for another day: saute with olive oil, garlic and rosemary and salt)

Melt 5 tbsp butter in a heavy saucepan over medium heat. Stir in flour and cook for 2 minutes. Little by little, whisking thoroughly between additions, stir in milk. Season the bechamel with salt, pepper, cayenne and thyme. Cook over low heat, stirring occasionally for 10 minutes. Remove from heat and cool slightly.

Separate the eggs, stirring the yolks into the white sauce. Add the cheese to the sauce if you use, it’s optional. Taste for salt. It should taste slightly too salty to make up for the unsalted egg whites, which will be added later. Add the squash and mix. Taste again for salt.

Whip the egg whites into moist firm peaks. Stir 1/3 of the whites into the souffle base. Then gently fold the base into the rest of the egg whites, taking care not to deflate them. Pour the mixture into the buttered dish and bake for 35-40 minutes, or until puffed and golden, but still soft in the center and jiggly when shaken gently. (Halve the bake time if baking in two smaller dishes.) Serve with a lightly dressed Bloomfield salad and you have a rich meal.

The Rains of February and a Winter Soup

Last week the Bay Area got what it desperately needed. Rain! In Sonoma County near the farm, the National Weather Service reported up to 20 inches since last Friday. Quite impressive and almost unprecedented. The plants are so happy!

 This week the box will have the ingredients for a winter soup since winter has finally arrived. What you’ll find is kale, garlic, onions, chili, carrots, rosemary, sage and thyme as well as French radishes ( amazing with salted butter), eggs, Bloomfield salad mix, and potatoes. The premium added products included in the boxes are some amazing Cassoulet Rancho Gordo Beans from our neighbors in Napa and Revolution Bread out of Petaluma.

Zuppa Lombarda ( kale and bean soup) recipe

Zuppa Lombarda ( kale and bean soup)

serves 4-6

This is one of my favorite soups to eat on a winter’s eve. I gleaned the recipe from my years in Tuscany eating at one of my favorite roadside spots near Florence called Ponte Rotto in San Casciano Val di Pesa. This recipe can include an added poached egg at the end if desired.

1 pound of beans (approx two cups) of the tarbais or "cassoulet" beans from Rancho Gordo  or  cannellini beans.

2 onions cleaned of grit, chopped fine using most of the green tops

2-3 small carrots chopped finely

3-4 cloves of garlic smashed and chopped

one quarter chili pepper chopped fine (depends on taste, they can be very spicy)

a sprig or two of thyme just the leaves, a few sage leaves chopped, and a tablespoon of fresh rosemary chopped

one bunch of  kale (about 8 leaves) washed and coarsely chopped

Extra Virgin Olive Oil (can use Bloomfield Chili Oil to substitute)

8 small tomatoes  

parmesan (optional but preferred)

 a poached egg if desired.

toasted bread rubbed with a garlic clove

1. Soak beans overnight in a bowl with enough water to cover by 2 to 3 inches. The next day, drain them and put them in a large stockpot, cover, bring to a boil, then adjust the heat so the water simmers gently. Do not add salt during this step, it prevents the beans from getting tender. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the beans are tender (an hour or so or much more if you didn’t soak them). Once cooked, take almost half the beans out and puree them with two cups of the cooking liquid in a blender. If it’s thick add a bit more of the liquid or water. It should be pourable. Save the other half or more of whole beans in a bowl and set aside.

2.     Put a few tablespoons of olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. When it’s hot but not scalding, add the chili, onion, green onion tops, carrot, garlic, and season with the herb mixture and salt. Cook, stirring frequently, until the vegetables are very soft, 12 to 15 minutes.  Taste for salt and the power of the chili. Adjust to suit your taste. Add the tomatoes cut in half, stir, coat with the mixture then add the whole beans and do the same. This mixture will flavor the beans that act as little sponges. Once again, taste for salt. Add the puree. Stir.

3.  Add 5- 6 cups of water to adjust the soup for thickness. Add the chopped the kale. Adjust the heat so the soup simmers steadily, and cook for 15 minutes.

4. Serve soup hot, over a piece of toasted country bread rubbed with garlic. Add a poached egg if desired. Then pour a tablespoon or two of fresh green olive oil or chili oil over the soup, sprinkle a bit of chopped rosemary and grated Parmesan cheese to finish. (Store leftover soup in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to several days.)

End of January Provisions and Recipes ( of leeks, collards, and roasted carrots)

This week, Bloomfield's bounty includes lots of greens- collards, leeks, kale, and an amazing salad mix of tender greens and shoots. We have honey, carrots, garlic, revolution bread and a homemade Moroccan chili pepper paste called Harissa too. 

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A note on Harissa: This mild and floral version of the North African chili paste can be used as a condiment with fish, meat and vegetables. In Morocco it's used to flavor slow-cooked meats and tagines and used as a staple with cous cous dishes. You can use it on toast as an appetizer with a cheese plate and olives or as a delicious addition to just about anything you cook. It's ingredients include three types of chili peppers grown at Bloomfield Farms: Ring of Fire, Padron & Shishito peppers. The rest of the ingredients... lemon zest, garlic, onions, oregano, cardamom, cumin, fennel seed, palm sugar, and cinnamon add to the mixture which is oh so savory and addictive.

This week I have a recipe for collard greens and leeks as well as a recipe for your carrots roasted with the spectacular Bloomfield Honey.

It's interesting to note that collard greens outshine kale in their for their ability to help lower cholesterol. They are super rich in vitamins A and K and are known as one the healthiest greens to eat because of its antioxidant and anti inflammatory qualities. 

Recipe: Leek and Collard Green Gratin

Leek and Collard Gratin

Serves 4

1 small bunch collard greens, stemmed & washed.

3-4 leeks trimmed of roots and upper greens & cleaned of grit.

1 cup fresh breadcrumbs


Butter


2 thyme sprigs

lemon zest

Salt


2 teaspoons flour


1/2 cup milk


Freshly grated nutmeg

Trim the root and cut off the tough upper end of the leeks. Cut leeks in half lengthwise and slice thin. In a bowl of cold water let the leeks soak to remove grit, then take them out of the water to drain.

In a heavy bottom pan heat and melt 3 tablespoons of butter on low flame. Add leeks, salt and herbs and cook until soft for about 7 minutes.

 In the meantime…

Wash and stem the collards. In boiling salted water, add the collard leaves and quickly cook, about 2 minutes before they loose their green color. Drain and cool. Gently squeeze out the excess liquid from the stems and leaves and finely chop them.

Toss the breadcrumbs with 2 teaspoons melted butter. Toast them on a baking sheet in a 350 degrees F oven, stirring now and then, until lightly brown, about 10 minutes.

Stir the collards in with the leeks and 1 teaspoon salt. Sprinkle 2 teaspoons flour over the leek-collard mix. Stir well and add ½ cup milk and a little freshly grated nutmeg. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally as it thickens. Add more milk if the mixture gets too thick. The collards should be moist but not floating in liquid. Taste and add salt if needed.

Butter a small baking dish. Spread the collard leek mixture evenly in the dish and dot with 2 teaspoons butter and lemon zest. Sprinkle the breadcrumbs evenly over the top. Bake in a 350 degrees F oven until the gratin is golden and bubbling, 20 to 30 minutes.

NOTE: can add a half-cup of Parmesan or grated Gruyere cheese for a richer flavor

Recipe: Roasted Carrots, Honey, Sage and Garlic 

Roasted carrots with honey, sage and garlic

Serves 4

1 -2 bunches carrots

2 tablespoons olive oil


2 tablespoons Bloomfield Honey

2 cloves garlic, crushed (leave skin on)

4 whole leaves of sage, chopped

½ teaspoon coarse salt

½ teaspoon black pepper

½ cup whole-milk, plain yogurt


Radish sprouts or other micro greens (optional)

Preheat oven to 375F

Trim the carrots tops, leaving one-inch stem if available. Peel the carrots. Toss the carrots together with the olive oil, honey, garlic cloves, sage, salt and black pepper. Place them on a baking sheet and bake until slightly caramelized, about 25 to 30 minutes (this will depend on the size of the carrots).

Serve them with a dollop of yogurt and some radish sprouts or tender greens. Make sure you pour all the caramelized juices on top of the yogurt.

Sprinkle with more coarse salt.

Introducing "rEVOLUTION" Bread

The land in and around Bloomfield Farms is fertile ground to produce some of the best row crops in the world. It's also a creative ground for artisan food and drink producers like Eli Colvin of Petaluma and founder of "rEVOLUTION" Bread. Bloomfield Farms wants to celebrate some of our local artisans like Eli where entrepreneurship, creativity and talent mix, in this case, with whole grains flours to create a local, delicious and slowly fermented bread! 

Eli sources whole grains & rare grains for his flours and uses the slow process of natural fermentation to make his bread. One of his signature flours is grape seed, a dark nutty whole grain made from, yes, grape seeds. It's high protein and of course gluten free. The baguette is a combination of whole grain organic wheat, spelt and Chardonnay grape seed flours.

 Eli is also the head baker at The Model Bakery in Napa, California where he uses the ovens to bake his own signature brand. He has been baking for over 20 years and part of growing movement to rediscover the art and taste of bread making before it became an industrial commodity.