Tamarisk Farm Rhubarb Cake

The Backstory:

Dan and I travelled through Europe, working on organic farms through an organization now called World Wide Workers on Organic Farms. We were extremely lucky to land at Tamarisk Farm in West Bexington, England, on what is known as the "Jurassic Coast" looking out over the channel and the chesil beach. The farm operated on the "hamper or basket system" - basically, a lovely name for a CSA, where your share of the harvest would be ready for you in a basket.  This recipe comes from Josephine Pearse, a wise farmer, we worked for there.

Cooking note: She used, and I use, truly sour milk. The milk that Farmer Dan says is un-usable because it curdled in his coffee. You can use regular milk with a little vinegar or lemon juice added, buttermilk or kefir and all work well (and Food Safe might prefer this).

TAMARISK FARM RHUBARB CAKE

3 cups finely chopped rhubarb

1 egg

1 cup sour milk

1/2 cup olive oil, butter or coconut oil

1 cup brown sugar or sucanat

2 cups whole wheat or whole spelt flour

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp or more of cinnamon

turbinado sugar mixed with additional cinnamon (optional)

Preheat oven to 350. Mix egg, oil, sour milk, brown sugar and rhubarb well. Add dry ingredients on top. Mix gently with spatula until dry ingredients are just incorporated. Pour into greased 9 x 13" pan (or make into muffins). Sprinkle turbinado sugar and cinnamon mix on top for a shiny, sweeter cake. Bake cake for approximately 30-45 minutes or until toothpick comes out without any flour on it (you may see a little soft rhubarb on toothpick and this is fine). 

Ratatouille

This recipe comes from one of Brookfield Farm's first apprentices, Nicole, who brought the recipe home from southern France. It is a great July dish, as usually all of the vegetables are available. Serve alongside bread and cheese for a complete meal.

2 T olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
2 bell peppers, cubed
1 medium zucchini or squash, cubed
1 eggplant, cubed
3 tomatoes, chopped
1 clove of garlic (i like to add more)
fresh parsley, oregano, basil

Saute the onion, garlic and pepper until soft; stir in eggplant and squash; add tomatos and seasoning; cover and simmer for about 30 minutes. Voila! Serves 6.

Search terms: Soup, summer, dinner, one pot meal,

Tomato Corn Chowder

Ingredients:

3 scallions
1 tsp oregano and thyme
4 paste tomatoes, diced
1/4 cup flour
1 cup cream
2 cups fresh corn kernels
1/4 cup parsley

Fresh Brookfield sweet corn and paste tomatoes will make for an especially tasty soup!! Saute scallions with oregano and thyme over medium heat until browned. Add tomatoes, then 4 cups of water. Lower the heat and simmer 30 minutes covered. Mix flour and cream (watch for lumps!) and add to soup. Simmer and add corn kernels, pepper and parsley. Simmer 15 minutes uncovered and enjoy!

Savory Scallion Biscuits

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups unbleached white flour
1/2 cup whole wheat pastry flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1 cup low-fat plain yogurt
1/2 cup minced scallions
1 Tbsp. chopped fresh dill
1/4 tsp. ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a medium bowl, combine the flours. Sprinkle in the baking powder and salt, and stir well. In a separate bowl, combine the oil, yogurt, scallions, dill, and pepper. Blend the yogurt mixture into the flour mixture quickly and thoroughly to form a soft dough.

On a floured board or countertop, pat the dough into a 3/4 inch-thick circle and cut it into eight wedges. Separate the wedges and place them on an oiled baking sheet. Bake for 20 minutes, until a knife inserted in the center of a biscuit comes out clean. Serves 8.

From Moosewood Restaurant Cooks at Home

Asian Style Spinach Salad

Ingredients:

1 pound fresh spinach (1 large bunch) washed and stems trimmed

Dressing:
1 clove garlic, minced
1 Tbsp. minced fresh ginger
1/4 cup choppped scallions
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
2 Tbsp. rice vinegar
2 Tbsp. lime juice
2 Tbsp. soy sauce
1 tsp. sugar
1/8 tsp. sesame oil
1/4 cup peanut oil

Place spinach leaves in a large salad bowl. Thoroughly combine all dressing ingredients in a food processor or blender. Add oil in a steady stream, processing until well blended. Toss dressing with spinach, garnish with mint leaves and/or peanuts and serve. Serves 4.

From:More Recipes from a Kitchen Garden

Kohlrabi with Apples and Creamy Mustard Dressing

Ingredients:

1/2 cup heavy cream
2 tbsp lemon juice
1 tbsp coarse grained mustard
3 tbsp finely chopped parsley
1/2 tsp sugar
1 Granny Smith apple
2 lb kohlrabi, peeled and cut into strips

 

In a bowl, whisk the cream until it holds soft peaks, and whisk in the lemon juice, the mustard, the parsley, the sugar, and salt and pepper to taste. Stir in the kohlrabi strips and the apple, peeled, cored, and diced, and combine the salad well. 

From our friends at Riverland Farm

Sauteed Kohlrabi

Ingredients:

2 kohlrabi, 3 if small
1 medium onion, diced
1 tsp salt
4 tbsp oil
1 tbsp fresh herbs (thyme, sage, chives, etc.)

Grate kohlrabi, place in colander and sprinkle with salt. Let stand 30 minutes to drain. Heat oil, add onions, and sauté a few minutes over medium heat. Stir in kohlrabi, reduce heat to low, cover and cook 10 minutes. Increase heat to medium and cook 2 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in fresh herbs.

Kohlrabi and Carrot Slaw

Dressing:
2 Tbsp. very finely chopped onion
1/2 cup low fat sour cream
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 Tbsp Dijon mustard
2 Tbsp lemon juice
2 Tbsp chopped fresh dill
2 Tbsp chopped parsley
pepper to taste

1 1/2 lbs kohlrabi, peeled and shredded (about 4 cups)
2 medium carrots, shredded

In a bowl, combine dressing ingredients and mix well. Add kohlrabi and carrots and toss. Servces 4-6.

From: More Recipes from a Kitchen Garden