Harvest Notes July 29, 2010

Written by Dana Blizzard

I think by far Dad's favorite part of working in the Garden is digging up potatoes, and I really enjoy it too! It's a treasure hunt in the soil! The wet spring did make our early potato crop a bit light, but these Yukon Golds, especially selected by Kara for their early harvest and scrumptious flavor, are a real treasure when you serve them up for dinner! Also this week are:

Walla Walla Sweet Onions - another of my favorites and featured in this weeks recipe. If you have to store them for more than a week be sure to take them out of the plastic bag so they don't spoil - they were pulled from the ground today and are still pretty moist.
 

• Carrots - WOW - Purple Haze Carrots! Purple on the outside, orange on the inside. This is the first year we've grown these and I'm quite in love with them.
• Blueberries - from our same farmer friend...
• Zucchini - The Zucchini is just starting to come into season, so some of you got a tiny squash, but never fear there is an abundance of zucchini in the Garden and you will get plenty soon. If fact you may be sad that you missed your opportunity to unload some on "National Sneak a Zucchini on Your Neighbors Porch" Day!
• Half shares also got some broccoli - be sure to eat the stems with the heads as they are soft and tender too. I like to cook them a bit and then add them to some egg and cheese - yumm!

ONION RING BEER BATTER

 

1/2 cup dark beer
1/2 cup seltzer water or club soda
1 tablespoon oil
1 egg white
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon kosher or sea salt
1 cup Wondra or pastry flour
1/4 teaspoon mustard powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder

Pour beer and seltzer water or soda into the bowl of a blender or food processor (or a stick blender can be used). Sprinkle in pepper, mustard, salt and onion powder and oil. Pulse until combined. Add flour last, and process only until mixed. Batter may still be slightly lumpy, but almost smooth. If too pasty, add a teaspoon of water at a time until mixture has the consistency of a pancake batter.

Whisk egg white until frothy in a shallow bowl. Gently stir in contents of food processor, mixing until combined.
Slice large sweet onions into rings. Separate rings. Soak in a small amount of milk for 10 minutes. Drain and lightly sprinkle with onion powder, then dip in batter.

Fry small batches in hot oil (365F), turning once, gently to brown evenly. Remove using a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels before serving. Season with salt and pepper (a little hot salt or cayenne, if desired) while still hot from fryer.

Serve in paper baskets lined with paper towels. Great with batter-fried fish.

Until next week-
Dana