Next Thursday, people around the country will gather with friends and family with one goal in mind - EAT!  Tables will overflow with casserole dishes, trays of meat, pies, cakes and so much more.
For us, it all starts in the garden.  I've compiled a few farm inspired dishes below that I hope you will consider adding to your table this holiday.  CSA members can find many of the ingredients in their boxes this past week or next, and produce will be available at The Market at Pepper Place and Tuscaloosa River Market on Saturday morning.
​
​Happy Eating!
​

A Note on our Recipes:
​David and I both love to cook.  It is one of our main motivations for growing vegetables.  However, we are not recipe writers.  Please view the following as rough templates and make them your own.

Salad Greens with Persimmon and Blue Cheese
You can use any salad greens you'd like in this salad.  I love the sharp flavor of frisee and treviso, mixed with lettuce.

1/2 pound of salad greens (chopped treviso, frisee, lettuce, arugula, kale, or any other greens you would like)
1 to 2 persimmons
blue cheese to taste
Garlic-Lemon Dressing (recipe follows)

Toss the salad greens with the dressing and top with slices of fresh persimmon and crumbled blue cheese.
That's it!

Garlic-Lemon Dressing
4 cloves of garlic, minced
1/2 cup of lemon juice, or a combination of lemon juice and your vinegar of juice
1 cup olive oil
A couple of pinches of salt, to taste

We always put dressing ingredients into a half-pint mason jar with a lid and shake to combine.
​

Fennel and Greens Dressing
1 bunch of cooking greens (collards, kale, chard, or any other), stems removed and leaves cut in chiffonade
2 medium or 4 small green bell-type peppers, deseeded and cut into dice
1 medium onion, cut into dice
4 to 6 small fennel bulbs, or 2 to 3 large, fronds removed, stems cut into ¼-inch rounds and bulb sliced
2 garlic cloves, minced
Herbs of choice, I used a ¼ teaspoon dried savory from the garden
Salt and pepper to taste
2 cups broth
6 cups croutons

Make croutons
Cut bread into 1-inch cubes and toss with olive oil and salt.
Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes.
​
While the croutons are baking, cook the vegetables, starting with the onions, peppers, and fennel stems.
After about 10 minutes, add the fennel bulbs and garlic.  When you can smell the garlic, add the greens and cook until tender.
In a large bowl, combine the croutons, vegetables, and herbs then add salt to taste and stir.  Add the broth and mix again.
Put all of this into a baking dish and bake covered at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.  Remove the lid and bake another 10 minutes.

Aromatic Rice Stuffed Pumpkins
You can adapt this recipe to the number of people you would like to serve.  Our Seminole Pie Pumpkins could serve 2 to 4, depending on the number of other dishes being served.

Cut a circle in the top of the pumpkins and scoop out the seeds.
Add a ½-inch of water to the bottom of the pumpkins and bake at 350 degrees for about an hour.

While the pumpkins bake, make the aromatic rice - be sure to substitute the dried turmeric for fresh!
https://www.theroastedroot.net/ginger-turmeric-aromatic-rice/

​
When the pumpkins are soft, pull them out of the oven.
When they are cool enough to handle, fill them with the aromatic rice and bake for another 10 minutes.
Top with cilantro and toasted pine nuts.
​

Smashed Sweets with Toasted Pecans
Our sweet potatoes need nothing more than butter and salt!  I add the pecans for a bit of texture.

Bake sweet potatoes on 425 degrees for about 1 hour, until soft and fragrant.
Allow to cool and remove skins, placing the sweet potato into a large bowl.
Add butter and salt to taste and smash.
Place this mixture in a baking dish.
Top with slightly candied pecans (toasted in a skillet with butter, a sprinkle of sugar, and a pinch of cinnamon until aromatic).
Bake again for 5 to 10 minutes.
​

This cake is SO delicious!  It tastes like gingerbread cookies, but has the airy-ness of cake.  It is the perfect combination of salty and sweet.
​
Fresh Ginger and Molasses Cake
From Salt Fat Acid Heat by Samin Nosrat
Makes two 9-inch cakes
 
1 cup thinly sliced fresh ginger
1 cup sugar
1 cup neutral-tasting oil
1 cup molasses
2 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
½ teaspoon ground cloves
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 teaspoons kosher salt or 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 cup boiling water
2 large eggs at room temperature
2 cups Vanilla Cream (recipe below)
 
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Set a rack in the upper third of the oven.  Grease two 9-inch cake pans, then line with parchment paper.  Grease and sprinkle generously with flour, tap out the excess, and set aside.
Puree the fresh ginger and sugar together in a food processor or blender until completely smooth, about 4 minutes.  Pour the mixture into a medium bowl and add the oil and molasses.  Whisk to combine and set aside.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, pepper, salt, and baking soda, then sift into a large bowl.  Set aside.
Whisk the boiling water into the sugar-oil mixture until evenly combined.
Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and gradually whisk in the water-oil mixture until incorporated.  Gradually whisk in the eggs and stir until smooth.  The batter will be thin.
Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans.  Drop the pan onto the counter from a height of 3 inches a couple of times to release any air bubbles that may have formed.
Bake in the upper third of the oven for 38 to 40 minutes, until the cakes spring back from the touch and just pull away from the edges of the pan.  An inserted toothpick should come out clean.
Cool the cakes completely on a wire rack before unmolding them from the pan and peeling off the parchment paper.
To serve, place one layer down on a cake plate.  Spread 1 cup Vanilla Cream in the center of the cake and gently place the second layer atop it.  Spread the remaining cream onto the center of the top layer and chill for up to 2 hours before serving.
Alternatively, top with cream cheese frosting, serve with ice cream, or simply dust cakes with powdered sugar.  The batter also makes for fantastic cupcakes!
Tightly wrapped, this cake will keep for 4 days at room temperature, or for 2 months in the freezer.
​
Vanilla Cream
Makes about 2 cups
 
1 cup heavy cream, chilled
1 ½ teaspoons granulated sugar
Scraped seeds from ¼ vanilla bean or 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Chill a large, deep metal bowl (or the bowl of your standing mixer) and the whisk (or whisk attachment) in the freezer for at least 20 minutes before you begin.  When the bowl is chilled, prepare the cream with the vanilla seeds or extract, then add the sugar.
I prefer to whip cream by hand because it gives me more control, so I’m less likely to overwhip it and end up with butter.  If you’d like to use a mixer, run it at a low speed.  Whisk until the first soft peaks appear.  If using a machine, switch to a handheld whisk and continue to whisk until all the liquid cream has been incorporated and the texture of the cream is uniformly soft and billowy.  Taste and adjust sweetness and vanilla as desired.   Keep chilled until serving.
Cover and refrigerate leftovers for up to 2 days.  Use a whisk to bring deflated cream back to soft peaks as needed.

This super-tuber adds incredible flavor and color to meals and teas!   It leaves you feeling warm and healthy.
The aromatic rice recipe below is the best rice I have ever tasted!
And the tea left me feeling incredibly satisfied on a cold, gray day.
Fresh turmeric can be substituted for dried in any recipe and adds a depth of flavor.

Ginger and Turmeric Aromatic Rice
From theroastedroot.net
 
1 cup white basmati rice
1.5 cups water
1 tablespoon coconut oil (or oil of choice)
2 cloves garlic minced
1 tablespoon ginger peeled and grated
1 teaspoon fresh turmeric peeled and grated*
1 teaspoon sea salt to taste
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
½ cup dried cranberries
FOR SERVING:
¼ cup fresh cilantro chopped
¼ cup pine nuts toasted
 
Add all ingredients for the rice except for the dried cranberries to a small pot, cover, and bring to a full boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook, covered, until rice has absorbed all liquid, 15 minutes (or according to package instructions). NOTE: if using a rice other than white basmati rice, follow package instructions for amount of water and cook time.
A few minutes before rice is finished cooking, stir the dried cranberries into the rice - this allows them to plump up and lends more flavor to the rice. Re-place the cover and continue to cook.
Taste rice for flavor and add more sea salt if desired. Serve with fresh cilantro and pine nuts alongside your favorite main dish.

Golden Milk Turmeric Tea
https://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/golden-milk-turmeric-tea
​
1 cup unsweetened non-dairy milk, preferably coconut milk beverage or almond milk
1 (3-inch) cinnamon stick
1 (1-inch) piece turmeric, unpeeled, thinly sliced, or 1/2 teaspoon dried turmeric
1 (1/2-inch) piece ginger, unpeeled, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon virgin coconut oil
1/4 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
Ground cinnamon (for serving)
 
Whisk coconut milk, cinnamon, turmeric, ginger, honey, coconut oil, peppercorns, and 1 cup water in a small saucepan; bring to a low boil. Reduce heat and simmer until flavors have melded, about 10 minutes. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve into mugs and top with a dash of cinnamon.
Do Ahead
Golden milk can be made 5 days ahead. Store in an airtight container and chill. Warm before serving.

​1 bunch of scallions, sliced
1 bok choy, stems separated, washed, and quartered lengthwise
2 to 3 medium turnips, greens removed (can be cooked with the bok choy), washed and quartered
1 Eggplant, cut into ½ inch cubes
2 to 3 Sweet Peppers, chopped
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 can of coconut milk
1 stalk of lemongrass or 1 tsp. dried
Red curry paste to taste
Salt and pepper to taste

Over medium heat, sauté the turnips, eggplant, and sweet peppers about cook 5 minutes. Add the bok choy and minced garlic.

In a small pot combine the coconut milk, lemongrass, ginger, and add the red curry paste a little bit at a time until the desired flavor is reached. Allow to simmer for 10 or 15 minutes, then strain and add this to the vegetables.  Serve over buckwheat soba noodles and top with scallions and toasted sesame seeds.

*You can add mushrooms to this recipe; cook them along with the turnips, eggplant, and sweet peppers.

Okra and Greens Gumbo
Adapted from the Gumbo Z’herbes recipe in Susan Spicer’s Crescent City Cooking
Makes 8 to 10 servings
 
½ cup oil
½ cup flour
2 medium onions, chopped
2 sweet peppers, chopped
2 stalks of celery, chopped
2 medium turnips, chopped
1 cup plus ½ cup chopped scallions
2 garlic cloves, minced
4 cups of greens, coarsely chopped (mustard greens, turnip greens, kale or chard)
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
1 teaspoon file powder
2 quarts stock (chicken, vegetable, or shrimp)
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
Bouquet garni (made with parsley stems, bay leaf, and thyme)
2 cups okra, chopped
Salt and pepper
Hot sauce
Cooked white rice, optional
Also optional, cooked chicken, shrimp, and/or sausage
 
Heat ½ cup oil in a large, heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat until almost smoking.  Carefully whisk in the flour.  Continue whisking until the roux is the color of peanut butter, or a little darker. 
Add the onions, sweet peppers, celery, turnips, 1 cup of scallions, and garlic, and cook, stirring to coat vegetables with roux, for 5 minutes. 
Add the greens, stir, and cook for about 10 minutes, or until they are wilted; add the thyme and file powder. 
Stir in the chicken stock, 2 cups at a time, bringing the mixture to a boil after each addition.  Whisk in the oyster liquor and Worcestershire sauce. 
Bring the gumbo to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer.  Add the okra and the bouquet garni and cook over medium-low heat for about 1 hour, adding more chicken stock or water if the mixture gets too thick. 
​Season to taste with salt, pepper, and hot sauce. 

To serve the gumbo, ladle generous portions into bowls and garnish with remaining scallions, and hot rice, if desired.

These fresh-from-the-farm ingredients available at The Market at Pepper Place and Tuscaloosa River Market, as well as in CSA boxes!

Sweet Potato, Potato, and Turnip Gratin with Thyme and Gruyere
 
1 pound of potatoes
1 pound medium red-skinned sweet potatoes
1 pound of turnips
2 cups heavy whipping cream
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoon minced fresh thyme
1 1/2 teaspoons fine sea salt
3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 1/4 cups (packed) coarsely grated Gruyère cheese (about 5 ounces)
 
Using a mandoline (or knife if you do not have a mandolin), cut the potatoes, sweet potatoes, and turnips in 1/8-inch rounds.  Combine cream, butter, and garlic in medium saucepan; bring to simmer. Remove from heat. Place thyme leaves in a small bowl. Mix sea salt and black pepper in another small bowl.

Butter small baking dish or pie pan. Alternate slices of sweet potato, potato, and turnip, standing on their skin side, to fill the dish or pan.  Sprinkle thyme and salt mixture over the slices, separating if necessary and allowing some of the salt and herbs to fall between the slices.  Pour cream mixture over gratin, pressing lightly to submerge potato mixture as much as possible. Sprinkle the cheese on top. 
DO AHEAD Can be made 6 hours ahead. Cover with plastic wrap and chill. Remove plastic wrap before baking.
​
Preheat oven to 400°F. Cover gratin tightly with foil. Bake 30 minutes. Uncover; bake until top of gratin is golden and most of liquid is absorbed, about 25 minutes longer. Let stand 10 minutes; serve.

With a salad, it makes a meal!

It is greens season!  We have plenty to choose from, but this week I have turnip greens on my mind and specifically a turnip green calzone with sweet peppers and smoked cheddar.

Turnip Green Calzones
Makes 2 calzones
 
1 pizza crust recipe (included below)
1 large bunch of turnip greens
1 red onion, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, minces
As many sweet peppers as you’d like, chopped
4 ounces smoked cheddar cheese, grated (you could substitute gouda or other cheeses, but if you can find smoked cheddar, it is really the best)
1 egg, whisked
A tomato or some tomato sauce (Most have sauce on the side, but I just put a couple of spoonfuls in the filling and it was great that way!)
 
Heat your oven to 450 degrees.
While the crust is rising, cook the onion and peppers in some olive oil in a skillet.
When they begin to soften, add the garlic and turnip greens.  Once cooked, you can add in a couple of spoonfuls of tomato sauce (or save for the side if you would rather).
Roll out one round of dough and place it on a flour or cornmeal dusted baking sheet.   On one half of the circle, sprinkle one quarter of the cheese then place half of the filling, leaving one inch on every edge.  Top with another quarter of the cheese and fold the empty half of dough over.  Fold the edge and crimp shut.  Cut decorative vents in the top.  Coat with whisked egg and repeat with the other round of dough.
Bake for 15 minutes or until the crust has a nice golden hue.

The premier pod of summer, okra is in its prime right now.  It is one of the most beautiful pieces of produce.  Long and tender, tapered at the end with symmetrical ridges running the length of it, segments cut from it are star-shaped with an almost perfectly round seed nestled inside each of the eight chambers, or locules.

You can spend much of a day prepping and stirring a pot of gumbo, filling your home with the scent of supper, or you can toss whole pods in olive oil and salt and roast them in 30 minutes.  And, don't forget, it is a superfood!

Hundreds of pounds of the vegetable are coming out of our garden each week.  We, and our CSA members, often feel buried under it at this point in the year, so we solicited recipes for some mid-season inspiration. 

The “Okra in Sesame Coconut Sauce” was the clear winner,
with “Tomato and Grilled Okra Panzanella Salad” coming in second.    
There was not enough time to prepare all of the recipes entered, so we voted on the top 6 to try.   The other four dishes were "Mock Shoe", "Okra with Cherry Tomatoes and Fresh Herbs", "Undecided Okra Stew", and "Okra with Harissa and Feta".

Many thanks to everyone that entered!  And a huge thank you to Jennifer and everyone at Spirits Wine Cellar for hosting the recipe tasting!

All 6 recipes for the dishes at the tasting are included below.

Okra in sesame coconut sauce 
from Jana Wheeler
 
2 teaspoons oil
3-4 cups okra, cut into 3/4 inch pieces
Cook until okra is slightly crisp, 8-9 minutes, add a pinch of salt, stirring occasionally
 
Set aside
Sauce: 
1 tablespoon coconut oil
3/4 teaspoons coriander seeds
1 teaspoon cumin seeds (or powder)
3/4 cup chopped red onion
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1 inch knob ginger, minced
1 teaspoon tumeric
1/2 teaspoon cayenne (or a fresh one)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 -1 teaspoon Garam Masala
3/4 cup chopped tomato
1/4 cup sesame seeds
1/3 cup coconut flakes (unsweetened!)
 
Heat oil in skillet. Add coriander and cumin seeds and cook for 30 sec. Add onion, garlic, ginger, cook about 5 minutes. 
Add turmeric, cayenne, salt, garam masala, stir a few seconds. Add tomato, sesame seeds, coconut, cook 3-4 minutes, mash tomato a bit. Let slightly cool, transfer to a blender with 1/2 cup water, blend until smooth.
 
Add puree and okra back to skillet, cook for about 5 minutes.
Amazing over rice, with flatbread, other curries if we feel fancy, or by itself! :)

Tomato and Grilled Okra Panzanella Salad
from Elizabeth Alford
For salad:
2 cups okra, grilled and cut into 1 inch pieces
2 cups heirloom tomato, cut into 1 inch cubes/pieces (a firmer tomato is preferable, like the Cherokee Purple)
1/4 cup fresh basil, roughly chopped
1 1/2 T. Kosher salt
 
For croutons:
Small (or 1/2 regular) french baguette, cut into 1 inch cubes
3 gloves garlic, peeled
1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 cup unsalted butter
 
For dressing:
1 clove garlic, finely chopped or smashed
2 T sherry vinegar
2 T balsamic vinegar
1/3 - 1/2 c. olive oil
1 tsp dijon 
Salt and pepper to taste
 
1. Toss whole okra lightly in olive or canola oil. Grill 3-4 minutes each side over medium-high heat, until grill marks develop. Remove from grill, allow to cool, then chop roughly into 1-inch pieces.
2. Over high heat, melt 1/4 cup butter and blend with 1/2 cup olive oil. Add 3 cloves garlic and cook until fragrant. Toss in bread cubes so they are well coated with oil/butter. Cook until bread crumbs begin to develop golden-brown color.  Remove croutons from heat and remove garlic cloves. Place croutons on baking sheet and bake at 400 degrees 10-15 minutes until crisp and golden. Remove from oven and allow to cool.
3. In large salad bowl, combine tomato, okra, croutons, kosher salt, and basil. Allow to sit while dressing is made.
4. Whisk together all dressing ingredients until well emulsified. Toss with salad and allow to sit 15-20 minutes before serving. 
 
Serve room temperature as an appetizer or top with your favorite grilled protein for a complete meal!

Mock Shoe
from Suzanne Hoye
 
1 cup Conecuh Sausage, cut into small pieces
2cups okra, bite sized pieces
2cups corn cut from cob
1/2cup onion. Chopped
1/2 cup red pepper. Chopped
1/2 cup water
1 large tomatoe cut into bite sized pieces
2-3 tbsp butter, divided
Salt and pepper
 
Brown the sausage in a Dutch oven using a small amount of butter. Medium heat. Remove and set aside when browned
Add a little butter to the pan and melt.  Add onion and pepper, cook a minute or so til onion is transparent.   Remove and set aside
Add the rest of the butter, melt, add corn and okra. Cook about 5 minutes, til tender. Add the sausage, onion and pepper and water to the mix. Bring to a boil.  Add tomato and turn down the heat to low.  Cook 5 minutes, salt and pepper to taste, then serve.   If you have any leftovers, it’s even good cold 

Okra with cherry tomatoes and fresh herbs
from Stefani Mugnaini

I split the pods on the bias. With bigger pods, maybe two cuts.

Dice onion and mince garlic, throw everything in a very hot skillet, in the order of okra-onion-garlic, adding the onion after the okra gets a little charred and blistered, and the garlic after the onions start Browning. 

Season with salt, pepper, cumin or Chipotle powder.

Then I toss a few cherry tomatoes in, toss everything just long enough for the tomatoes to pop, and then serve, garnished with chopped fresh herbs. Basil or savory or Italian parsley.

Undecided Okra Stew
(6 servings, vegan, probably low-fat)
from Chase Wrenn
 
I love okra curries. I love gumbo. This isn’t either, but it’s what I make when I can’t decide which I want. Feel free to turn up the heat with more spices.
 
Ingredients
1-2 lbs okra, trimmed and cut into ½” pieces
2 medium onions
2 ribs celery
1 red bell pepper
1 jalapeño pepper
2 tsp each of
              Paprika
              Cayenne
              Garam Masala
1 tbsp curry powder
1 tbsp vegetable oil (plus more if needed)
2 tsp dried thyme
1 block super-firm tofu, cubed
1 large can crushed tomatoes
3 cups vegetable broth
 
2 (dry) cups rice, prepared according to package instructions. (Basmati is great; I like long grain brown rice with this)
 
Equipment
Food processor and pressure cooker (I use an Instant Pot). You could do this without them and just simmer on the stove until you’re happy with it, but I think this way is most convenient.
 
Method

1. Slice one onion and set aside. Cut the remaining onion, celery, bell and jalapeño peppers into chunks and put them in the food processor. Pulse until they are finely cut up. They may be a little watery, and that’s fine.
2. If using an electric pressure cooker, put it on “sauté” and roast the paprika, cayenne, garam masala, and curry powder until they are beautifully fragrant. If using a stovetop cooker, cook them over medium heat. Add sliced onion, salt generously, and cook, stirring now and then, until soft. Add vegetable oil and stir, scraping browned bits up from the bottom. If you can’t get all the brown bits up, add some water or oil and keep at it. If you don’t get them now, they will burn later.
3. Add the minced vegetables and some salt, and cook until water has evaporated and they are starting to soften. Scrape any brown bits from the bottom of the pan.
4. Add okra, tomatoes, tofu, and vegetable broth. Pressure cook under high pressure for 12 minutes. Release pressure naturally or by using the release valve.
5. Serve with rice. 

Okra with Harissa and Feta
from Brett Louise
​
Remove ends of okra and slice pods lengthwise down the middle. Season with salt and pepper. Heat oil in a cast iron skillet and add okra to skillet. Cook at medium-high heat for about 8 minutes, or until okra has softened and charred a bit. 

Add a bit of cumin and a bit of garlic powder (alternatively, you can mince and sautee garlic with the okra). Reduce heat to medium-low. Add one to three heaping tablespoons of harissa (to taste, depending on your desired spice level and amount of okra). 

Stir about two minutes more, until heated through. To serve, top with lots of crumbled feta, or if you prefer, a generous dollop of yogurt. Yum!

ROSELLE (also called gongura or Jamaican sorrel)
A couple of years ago Rao, our entomologist friend from India, gave us a small number of roselle plants.  We were immediately hooked and have been enjoying it ever since, adding more plants each year.  It thrives in the sweltering temperatures of late summer in Alabama and it has a unique flavor that always leaves me wanting more.

His suggested preparation is to toast mustard seeds in oil, adding garlic and a chile pepper (optional), and then briefly sautéing the roselle leaves with those ingredients.  We tried it this way and it was delicious.  The flavor is a bit sour, like sorrel or rhubarb, and there is some okra-ness in the texture.  The tart recipe below features both of those aspects – the sourness is used as in a rhubarb tart and the texture serves to help the tart ‘set’.

Roselle is in the same family as okra and hibiscus.  We are currently harvesting the leaves, but the calyces (“the sepals of a flower, typically forming a whorl that encloses the petals and forms a protective layer around a flower in bud”) can also be harvested and used in the same way as culinary hibiscus, as in a tea.

Roselle is also used in pickling and can be paired with lentils or shrimp.
Please let us know what you think!
​
Here is an article on roselle:
http://www.thestar.com.my/lifestyle/food/features/2015/04/12/roselle-makes-you-feel-blooming-marvellous/
​

​
Gongura Pachadi
From indianhealthyrecipes.com
Heat 3 to 4 tablespoons of oil in a pan.
Add clean and plucked roselle leaves to the hot pan.
Fry until the leaves wilt.  Set them aside to cool completely.
To the same pan, add more oil and fry the chiles until crispy.  Switch off and add cumin.
When they cool down, add them to a food processor with garlic and salt.  Blend until smooth.
Add the leaves and pulse to get a coarse texture.
​

​Roselle Tart
Adapted from rareseeds.com
1½ cups sugar 
1 tablespoon flour
½ teaspoon cinnamon
1/3 cup water
4 cups roselle leaves, coarsely chopped
½ teaspoon lemon extract
2 tablespoons butter
½ cup pecans, toasted and coarsely chopped
1 tart crust
Mix together the sugar, flour, and cinnamon in a saucepan and add whisk in the water.  Place over medium-heat and bring to a simmer, stirring occasionally.  Add in the roselle, cover, and cook until tender, anywhere between 20-40 minutes.  Remove from heat and whisk in the lemon extract and butter.  Stir in the pecan pieces and set aside.
Preheat oven to 375° F.
Roll the tart crust out and bake for 10 minutes (pie weights recommended).  Place the filling in the curst and return to oven and bake for another 30 minutes.  Serve cool. 
 
Burmese Roselle Leaves with Bamboo Shoots & Shrimp - Chin Baung Kyaw
from chumkieskitchen.blogspot.com
 
“In Burmese cuisine, roselle leaves are called chin baung ywet or sour leaf. It is perhaps the most widely eaten and popular vegetable in Burma. The leaves are fried with garlic, dried or fresh prawns and green chili or cooked with fish. A light soup (hinjo) made from roselle leaves and dried shrimp is also a popular dish."
1 bundle roselle leaves, washed and chopped
1 (8 oz.) pkg. bamboo shoots, fresh or pickled and sliced
1 lb. shrimp, peeled and deveined (optional for vegetarians)
6 Tbsp. vegetable oil
1 large onion, diced
8-10 cloves of garlic, diced
1 green chili, diced
1 large tomato, diced
1/2 tsp. shrimp paste/ngapi (optional for vegetarians)
1/4 tsp. turmeric powder
1 Tbsp. fish sauce (optional for vegetarians)

Marinate shrimp in fish sauce and turmeric for 15 minutes and set aside.
Heat oil over medium-high heat and fry garlic, onions and chilies until onions turn translucent.
Add tomatoes and shrimp paste and stir-fry until tomatoes break down and oil resurfaces.
Add roselle leaves and bamboo shoots, mix thoroughly and simmer over medium heat until roselle leaves are cooked and all liquid is absorbed.
Add marinated shrimp and cook for another 5 minutes.
Serve with steamed rice.
 

SWEET POTATO GREENS
You know the tuber well from pies and fries, but did you know that you can also eat the leaves?  They have been in staple in many countries, especially in African cuisine, for as long as sweet potatoes have been grown.
​
I made a simple salad by cutting the leaves very thinly (chiffonade) and marinating them with minced shallot, vinegar, olive oil, and salt.  After that it sat for 15 minutes or so, I added some chopped tomatoes.  We ate it with crab cakes and were impressed with how the leaves holding their texture.  The flavor was mild.

http://www.epicurious.com/archive/blogs/editor/2012/08/cooking-with-sweet-potato-greens.html
​

Sauteed Sweet Potato Greens
From The Broad Fork by Hugh Acheson
Serves 4 as a side
"They are wonderfully rich in vitamins A and K and in polyphenols, and have magical way of hitting that hot pan and wilting into a beautiful pile of silky goodness in a minute's time."

1 tablespoon grapeseed oil
1 pound sweet potato greens, stems finely chopped and leaves torn
kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 teaspoon cold unsalted butter
pinch of crushed red pepper flakes

Place the largest saute pan you have on the stove, or use a wok.  Crank up the heat to high, and when the pan is blazing hot, turn on the hood vent.  Add the grapeseed oil and swirl it around in the pan.  When the first wisps of smoke waft off the oil, add the greens.  Cook them for 1 minute, as you would spinach, quickly stirring them around halfway through.  Season with kosher salt while they are cooking, and then add the lemon juice, butter, and red pepper flakes, stirring well to combine.  Remove the pan from the heat and transfer the greens to a paper-towel-lined plate.  Blot off the excess moisture and serve immediately.

​Vadouvan and Corn and Sweet Potato Leaves
From Heritage by Sean Brock
Serves 6 as a side
​“I can never understand why more people in the South don’t eat them (sweet potato leaves).  Other cultures consider them a treat and here are all these farmers in the South growing sweet potatoes who have never tasted the leaves, much less tried to sell them.”
 
4 ears corn in the husk, soaked in water for 1 hour
12 sweet potato leaves
1 tablespoon Vadouvan spice (recipe below)
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
 
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
Put the corn on a rimmed baking sheet and bake it for 15 minutes, or until the kernels are soft.  Remove it from the oven.
When the corn is cool enough to handle, remove the husks and silk and cut the kernels from the cobs.  Set aside.  (This can be done up to 1 day ahead.  Refrigerate the kernels, and bring them back to room temperature when ready to proceed.)
Wash the sweet potatoes leaves, drain them, and pat them dry.  Make stacks of the leaves, roll them into cylinders, and cut them into ½-inch-wide ribbons.
Combine the corn and sweet potato leaves in a large skillet over medium heat.  Add the Vadouvan and butter and toss to coat. (This can be kept warm on the back of the stove for no more than 8 minutes.  It should be made as close to serving time as possible.)
​
Vadouvan Spice
From Heritage by Sean Brock
Makes ½ cup
 
“This spice mix is great on pumpkin and fall squash, as well as on lamb, lobster, and scallops.  Vadouvan is a curry powder that takes its influences from both India and France.”
 
1 pound sweet onions, cut into 1-inch pieces
8 ounces shallots, halved
6 garlic cloves
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
½ teaspoon fenugreek seeds
1 ½ teaspoons thinly sliced fresh curry leaves (optional)
1 ½ teaspoons ground cumin
½ teaspoon ground cardamom
½ teaspoon brown mustard seeds
½ teaspoon turmeric
¼ teaspoon grated nutmeg
¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1 ½ teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
 
Working in batches, pulse the onions in a food processor until very coarsely chopped; it’s okay if there are a few large pieces remaining.  Repeat with the shallots, and then the garlic.
Heat the oil in a 12-inch heavy nonstick skillet over high heat until it shimmers.  Add the onions, shallots, and garlic and cook for 2 minutes, stirring frequently, then reduce the heat to low and cook until the onions and shallots are golden and lightly browned in spots, 25 to 30 minutes.  Remove from the heat.
Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Line two rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper.
Grind the fenugreek seeds in a spice grinder or clean coffee grinder or with a mortar and pestle.  Add them to the onion mixture, along with all the remaining ingredients, and stir until combined.  Spread the mixture on the prepared baking sheets as thinly and evenly as possible.  Bake, stirring occasionally and rotating the baking sheets, for 1 to 1 ¼ hours, until the mixture is well browned and barely moist.  Cool to room temperature, then transfer to a container, cover, and refrigerate. 
Tightly covered, the spice mix can be refrigerated for up to 10 days.

​Sweet Potato Leaves Salad
From panlasangpinoy.com
1 large bunch sweet potato leaves, stems removed and cleaned
3 pieces medium tomatoes, sliced
1 thumb ginger, shredded
1 medium red onion, sliced
6 tablespoons sugar cane vinegar
½ teaspoon white sugar
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon ground black pepper
2 cups water
Place water in a cooking pot and let boil.
Blanch the sweet potato leaves. This is done by putting the leaves in boiling water. Let it stay for about 20 to 30 seconds. Remove the leaves and submerge in a bowl of cold water for 30 seconds, and let dry.
In a large bowl, combine sweet potato leaves, tomatoes, ginger, onion, sugar, salt, pepper, and vinegar. Gently toss until all the ingredients are distributed.
Serve as an appetizer. Share and enjoy!

​Gongura Biryani
From ujwalasdelicacies.com
 
3 cups rice
5 cups gongura (Roselle or Jamaican sorrel leaves)
2 carrots
2 potatoes
1 medium onion
2 eggplants
½ tsp - cumin
1 spicy cinnamon stick
3 anise stars
3-5 bay leaves
4 tbsp. - ghee
1 tbsp. - oil
1-2 tsp - coriander powder
½ tsp - chili powder
5 green chilies
5 sprigs cilantro
Salt
 
Soak rice for at-least 1 hour
 
Cut onion, carrots and potatoes into cubes. Place deep X shaped slit to eggplant.
Separate gongura leaves from stem. Discard stem.
 
In a pot, add 2 tbsp. oil. Then add gongura, ¼ of onion and green chilies. Close the lid and cook till soft. Let it cool and grind to paste. Add water if needed. Keep it semi solid consistency. It should be watery also like paste.
 
Meanwhile to another pot, add 4½ cups of water and boil. Now add bay leaf and rice. Lower flame to low, and cook rice till water drains.
 
Take big pot, add ghee.
 
Add cumin, star anise, cinnamon fry till golden brown.
 
Add onion, carrot, eggplant and potatoes. Close lid and cook for 10 minutes.
Add salt, stir and cook for 5 more minutes.
 
Now add gongura paste, chili powder and coriander powder. Cook for 5 minutes.
 
Now take gongura mixture into another bowl. Leave 1 layer of mixture on the bottom. Now add a layer of rice. On top of rice add another layer of gongura mixture. Add layers till all gongura and rice is placed. Place aluminum foil on the pot and close lid on top of foil. Placing aluminum foil ensures steam not to escape. We cooked rice partly, by this process we are cooking rice in gongura steam. Gongura taste penetrates rice and gives it aromatic flavor and taste.
 
Close lid and cook on very low flame for almost 20-30 minutes till rice is cooked.
Mix well, garnish with cilantro. Serve hot immediately.
 

Below are 2 job descriptions.  Both are somewhat flexible, though working at a farmer's market is required.  
The Part-Time Farm Crew Member may work best for someone living in Birmingham.
Email margaretann@snowsbendfarm.com with a resume or completed application.

​JOB TITLE
Farm Crew Member
 
SUMMARY
Farm Crew Members are involved in all aspects of the farm, including crop production (planting, maintaining, harvesting, washing, and packing), CSA and restaurant deliveries, and vending at farmer’s markets.  Applicants should know that we are a production farm with a strong focus on hard-work, efficiency, and getting things done.
 
QUALIFICATIONS

• Minimum of 1-year experience on a commercial farm
• Be helpful, kind, and courteous to co-workers and customers
• Be able to lift up to 50 lbs. regularly, bend at the knees and back, and walk throughout the day
• Be able to work on your feet outdoors, in hot and cold weather, up to 8 hours
• Accurately follow directions
• Maintain a steady work pace
• Have a strong work ethic and ability to see jobs through to completion
• Show leadership skills
• Be able to think critically                       
• Enjoy cooking and talking about it
• Clean driving record

 
DUTIES

• Help with greenhouse planting and maintenance
• Help with field planting, irrigating, cultivating, and harvesting crops
• Help with washing, sorting, weighing, and packing produce
• Deliver produce to CSA home delivery customers
• Vend at farmer’s markets
  
• Other duties as assigned by supervisor

 
WORK RELATIONSHIPS
Supervised by farm owners. 
Works closely with farm owners and other farm workers.
We rely on staff members to communicate details, observations, anything and everything pertinent to their job.  Good communication is a must.
 
HOURS
In the spring, early summer, and fall months there are typically up to 60 hours available and a minimum of 40 hours required.  There is a slight dip in available hours in the peak heat of summertime, but still at least 40 available.  In the winter, there is typically 40 hours, but some weeks the weather can have an effect on those.  However, we grow and sell year-round so there is not a significant drop.
 
The schedule for the majority of the year looks like this:
 
M-F 7am-3pm (flexible end times, depending on how many hours employees would like to work)
Saturday 5/6am – 1/3pm (depending on which farmer’s market you attend)
5-day work weeks are also an option
 
COMPENSATION
Farm Crew Members start at $12/hour
Access to loads of high quality, delicious produce.

JOB TITLE
Part-Time Farm Crew Member
 
SUMMARY
Part-Time Farm Crew Members are involved in all aspects of the farm, including crop production (planting, maintaining, harvesting, washing, and packing), deliveries, and vending at farmer’s markets.  Applicants should know that we are a production farm with a strong focus on hard-work, efficiency, and getting things done.
 
QUALIFICATIONS

• Be helpful, kind, and courteous to co-workers and customers
• Be able to lift up to 50 lbs. regularly, bend at the knees and back, and walk throughout the day
• Be able to work on your feet outdoors, in hot and cold weather, up to 8 hours
• Accurately follow directions
• Maintain a steady work pace
• Have a strong work ethic and ability to see jobs through to completion
• Show leadership skills
• Be able to think critically                       
• Enjoy cooking and talking about it
• Clean driving record

 
DUTIES

• Help with greenhouse planting and maintenance
• Help with field planting, irrigating, cultivating, and harvesting crops
• Help with washing, sorting, weighing, and packing produce
• Deliver produce to CSA home delivery customers
• Vend at farmer’s markets
  
• Other duties as assigned by supervisor

 
WORK RELATIONSHIPS
Supervised by farm owners. 
Works closely with farm owners and other farm workers.
We rely on staff members to communicate details, observations, anything and everything pertinent to their job.  Good communication is a must.
 
HOURS
There are some hours available working from home which can be discussed during an interview.
Otherwise, the schedule for the majority of the year looks like this:
 
Thursday – meet at Red Cat Coffee House to accept home deliveries, then delivery around 15 boxes to homes around Birmingham
Friday – 7 am to 4 pm work on the farm
Saturday 6am – 1pm work at Pepper Place Farmer’s Market
 
COMPENSATION
Part-Time Farm Crew Members start at $12/hour
Access to loads of high quality, delicious produce.

​Where is your ideal setting for enjoying a cold slice of watermelon?  Mine is along our private sand bar on the Black Warrior River, just down the bluff from where we grow them. We swim and then take a break to munch on slices of melon, spitting the seeds out.  Once satiated, we swim again.  Each year, we plant a melon patch on this bank, simply by spitting out the seeds.

​My second favorite spot is on the front steps of our home.  As I begin to cut a melon, it is so ripe that the knife barely touches the rind and it splits open. I arrange each piece on a platter, and tell the whole family to come outside. We often eat watermelon outside because it can be a messy snack and because then we can spit the seeds and we may have the opportunity to catch up with our neighbors.  By stepping out into the thick air of an Alabama summer afternoon, we are embracing that moment, that season, and elevating it with watermelon,  turning a typical summer day into a celebration.

​It was in that setting that I offered a slice to our 6-year-old neighbor.  They struggled with it for a while before I realized that they didn’t know how to eat watermelon with seeds in it.  From there I continued to see signs that this iconic symbol of summer may be fading away.  The next day, I walked into a grocery store and was immediately face-to-face with a full grown woman dressed as a slice of watermelon, covered in the black, teardrop shaped seeds, yet serving samples of seedless watermelon.

Seedless watermelons are more common in grocery stores, but almost all the melons being sold at a farmer's market will have seeds.  We don't grow seedless watermelons for a few reasons.  The seedless watermelon seeds cost 50 cents per seed, which is quite expensive as commercial seeds go.  Then you have to spray the seedlings with a crocus-derived alkaline, called colchicine, commonly used to treat gout.  You must then plant all of your watermelons and, for every 2 or 3 rows of those, you must also plant a row of melon plants just for pollinating.  I don't want to get too deep into the science of this here, but basically, the seedless watermelons are a triploid, carry 3 chromosomes instead of 2 and as a result when they are fertilized,  the seeds fail to mature.
​If you want to go deeper on this subject, here is a great article:
https://botanistinthekitchen.blog/2015/09/18/triple-threat-watermelon/
​or an easy-to-digest video here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ohN0y03yMco

​The parts around the seeds are always my favorite.  It seems to me that the melon ripens up the most right around those seeds. ​

 If we do need to eat the melon indoors, I'll cut it into chunks by finding the areas with the least amount of seeds first.  Typically, around the rind there are some large seedless areas and then again in the center.  The seeds generally form a ring in the middle.  When I am left with the middle parts, full of seeds, I may pick them out or I may just eat that part right away (it's the best!).  Sometimes I will send the seedy parts through a sieve and create watermelon juice to enjoy on its own or turn into a margarita!

Just today, a melon split open in the packing shed.  It was fresh from the walk-in and very chilled.   I had a million things to be doing at that moment, but I could not resist that bright, red sweetness calling to me from where it sat on a stainless steel table and I am so glad that I listened.  I ate it and had a mouth full of seeds.  I shot them out like  automatic ammunition. As soon as I had that first bite, I thought to myself I needed that.  Not only did I need the hydrating properties (watermelons are 92%) water, but also the vitamins it is packed with, all wrapped up in a satisfying snack.       
​It was the sweetness of summer, concentrated and cooled. 

​Spit seeds, see whose goes the farthest, and invite neighbors over to join in. Teach a kid the joys of watermelon seed spitting, revel in the heat of summer and the delicious flavor that it brings.  Eating watermelon is an event, not just a food.  Take a moment to go slow, that is what summer is for.