Two Spruce Farm 

CSA Pick Up: Week Twelve

8/28/2013

Pick Up Site 1: Cobblestone Valley Farm
 6609 New York State Bicycle Route 11, Homer • Friday 4-6pm
Pick Up Site 2: Northland Sheep Dairy
 3501 Hoxie Gorge Freetown Rd, Marathon • Thursday 4-6pm

This week shallots and onions are both available--I pulled about half the crop of each of these last week and they're curing in one of the sheds here on the farm. When you harvest these crops, they need to cure before being stored in the root cellar. I pulled them, let them sit on the ground in the sun for less than an hour, then laid them out in a single layer inside on shelves and tables. During this time, you want the outside skins to dry and seal, and for the greens to dry down to brown. Then you can cut off the greens and store them in the cellar. The entire process usually takes about a month. If you're interested in a decadent but simple shallot recipe, check out shallot jam below. I like to spread it on toast for breakfast! Please make your choices for the week here. Have a great week!

shallot jam

6 large shallots, thinly sliced

¼ cup water

2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar or white wine vinegar

⅓ cup sugar

1 teaspoon whole-grain mustard

¼ teaspoon salt

⅛ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Place all the ingredients in a saucepan and bring to a simmer. Cook over low heat until the shallots are translucent and slightly crunchy, and the liquid is thick and syrupy, about 30 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.