By now your kitchen should be filled with the goodness of summer!
What’s In The Box is in full swing, following along with the ripening of most of the vegetables we will be seeing for the summer. This week when I went to the tailgate market, I had to tell myself: “Mark – LEAVE NOW – you have more food than you can cook or eat”. The difference of one week is astounding. Tomatoes are in season, the summer squashes are abundant, cabbages, berries, herbs, lettuces, onions, garlic and the bounty goes on. All this food presents a challenge – what to do with it and how to manage and plan a weekly menu, especially if all arrives in one day in a CSA share.
To assist with this and to share my cooking experience, the classes I have been teaching are following what you might get in a CSA share or select at the tailgate markets. My routine is this: I am at the market both on Wednesday and on Saturday, checking out what is freshest. I am receiving a box from Jake’s Farm and I go out to Fullsun Farm in Sandy Mush every other week and do a “spontaneous” menu from their garden, planning out my lessons.
The series of classes build on previous lessons. Each class has a number of components – a helpful technique, one or more of my “Paint Pots”, a menu and recipes for everything demonstrated in the class. For example, this week I taught the technique of “dry charring” in on a CHAPA – basically a hot iron plate or a large iron skillet. the paint pots were a Massaman style curry and basil mint pesto. You can download a copy of this week’s class here: WHAT’S IN THE BOX – June 22_Recipes.
In additon to the classes, I have also been cooking with my #2 – #1 daughter; Bennie, sharing important, but simple, recipes and techniques with her. All this adds up to a refined approach to cooking and enjoyment of the flavors of our local gardens. I think of it this way: SIMPLY. GOOD.
COME TO ONE OF THE CLASSES!
-MARK ROSENSTEIN