It's been exciting in our kitchen getting to know and working with our new cohort! Not to get too political here, but it was definitely eye opening to see their concerns around the recent presidential inauguration. Many of them come from places where the peaceful transfer of power is not a given and often leads to dangerous situations. Some of them even come to us because of these situations. So, it was definitely a reminder to me to not take these things for granted!
That being said, its been an exciting time in our kitchen because of the food! Farmer Robbie has been sending some wonderful treasures from the garden for us to play with including Meyer lemons, a variety of carrots, herbs, and cauliflower. We’ve also come into a glut of amazing local citrus and have been busy creating new and exciting pantry items for you to enjoy. So, if you haven’t checked those out yet take a look at our Family Meals or at our soon to reopen Take Out Café where you can purchase them!
This week our CSA customers will be getting some homemade preserved Meyer Lemons which we started curing just about a month ago. This salty/tart addition can bring wonderful depth to many dishes. Numerous middle eastern and North African stews are elevated with this simple, delicious ingredient. You may notice little flecks of white in the lemons which is due to both concentrated salt as well as lactic acid formation. Just like a true fermented pickle there is nothing wrong, simply the end result of the natural fermentation process! Our recipe this week comes from Chef Julie who joined us a couple of months ago and who actually proposed the idea for the preserved lemons. Her recipe for roasted potatoes with preserved lemons is definitely my kind of recipe because of its simplicity and flexibility. Sometimes its just all about having great ingredients and a simple technique!
Roasted Potatoes with Preserved Lemons 2 Lbs. small potatoes (baby red, fingerling, etc...) cut in half lengthwise 2-3 Tbsp. olive oil 2 tsp. Chopped fresh rosemary Salt and pepper to taste 3 Tbsp. (1.5 oz.) sliced preserved lemons Procedure
Preheat oven to 450f.
Toss potatoes, olive oil, rosemary, and salt and pepper in an a large nonreactive bowl. Spread on a baking sheet and roast in preheated over for 25-30 minutes. Remove the potatoes from the oven and toss in the preserved lemon. Serve warm.