Thoughts (and a recipe!) from Deborah Madison

"Presenting a book to the world is always a thrill and something of surprise. Here I am hunkered down in my office or out in the garden, and suddenly ‘Vegetable Literacy’ is out there, no longer my near secret activity of the past two years. As my artist husband says about his paintings, he wants them to 'grow up and go to college' – that is, get out there in the world, and it’s the same with a book. Although this first foray into the world feels tender and vulnerable; a bit of shock, really, I’m thrilled to have had the chance to write ‘Vegetable Literacy’. I hope it inspires those who read it as it did me while writing it."

Deborah Madison

This groundbreaking new cookbook, is Madison’s crowning achievement: a celebration of the diversity of the plant kingdom, and an exploration of the fascinating relationships between vegetables, edible flowers, herbs and familiar wild plants within the same botanical families.

Black Quinoa Salad with Lemon, Vegetable Literacy, featured in our April 22-26, 2013 Newsletter.
Photography credit: Christopher Hirsheimer and Melissa Hamilton © 2013

Deborah so graciously shares her knowledge and passion in this epic, new cookbook. We are so grateful to her for sharing her thoughts, one of her recipes from her new book, and some home gardening advice with us.   


Do you have a favorite ingredient or vegetable from Vegetable Literacy?

Well, it's a little like asking what's your favorite child! I don't, really, though I love the green coriander berries that appear before before they brown. They're a real treat to use. I love the opportunity to use interesting corn meals, like Red Floriani or Royal Flint Calais. I find the prickly, bitter members of the Asteraceae family very interesting (cardoons, artichokes, salsify, burdock, chicories, lettuce) and of course, there's

nothing quite like a fresh picked pea, asparagus or tomatoes. Or potatoes. Or eggplant. Or exotic winter squashes.  They all take their turns as favorites.

If someone were looking to start an edible garden of their own, do you have recommended plants to try first as a beginner?

I consider myself a beginner, so I'm somewhat cautious - I have to consider what I can actually take care of and how much water it will use and will I really be home to take care of big cabbage or broccoli.

It's hard for me to start things from seed indoors (tiny house), so I make use of my local nursery who not only has starts, but has interesting starts and is willing to grow out seeds of plants customers think are interesting, and that's a big help. That way I can have a variety of tomatoes, instead of just one, and so forth, or shishito peppers or eggplants. But summer squash are rewarding unless you live where you have infestations of squash bugs (like New Mexico.)  I love growing peas of all kinds, especially southern peas, and beans.

I mix trellised vegetables with flowers, like morning glories because they look so great, and I think mixing up vegetables with flowers helps keep the bugs at bay.  Chard is a must. Kale. Kohlrabi. Lettuce is easy. Spinach is variable due to hot weather, but better in the cooler ends of the seasons. I know I'm forgetting a lot of things. Potatoes! They're very rewarding and fun to harvest and eat.

Personally, I love to grow orach, amaranths of all kinds, cardoons, salsify, lots of herbs both annual and perennial. And I can't resist trying anise seed and caraway and cumin, also angelica and lovage. They're not your everyday plants, and they are probably impractical, but I find them interesting. And I definitely use them. This summer I want to try wheats. Oh, and buckwheat, for a ground cover, is so pretty and strong. 

Carrots growing on our farm.

Chilled Spicy Carrot Soup with Yogurt Sauce

2 tablespoons ghee, olive oil, or light sesame oil
1 onion, sliced (a sweet variety like Walla Walla or Vidalia 
is good)
1 heaping tablespoon peeled and coarsely chopped fresh ginger
3 cups sliced carrots
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1/4 teaspoon turmeric
2 tablespoons cilantro stems, finely minced
5 1/2 cups water or vegetable stock or light chicken stock
Sea salt
Juice of 1 lime, plus more if needed

Sauce
3 tablespoons creamy yogurt
1/2 jalapeño chile, seeded and finely diced, or pinch of red pepper flakes
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh cilantro
1 tablespoon slivered Thai basil
Pinch of sumac powder

Warm the ghee in a wide soup pot and add the onion, ginger, carrots, spices and cilantro stems. Give a stir to coat with the ghee and cook over medium heat for about 5 minutes. Add the water and 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and bring to a boil. Lower the heat, cover, and simmer until the vegetables are quite soft, about 20 minutes.

Puree in a blender until very smooth. Cover and chill well. The flavors dull with the cold, so season with the lime juice and with more salt, if needed, just before serving.

To make the sauce, stir together the yogurt, chile, cilantro and basil. Swirl a spoonful of the sauce into each serving of soup and add a pinch of sumac to each bowl.

For 6

  

A big thank you to renowned chef and cookbook author Deborah Madison for sharing her insight and her wonderful Chilled Spicy Carrot Soup with Yogurt Sauce recipe with us! We hope you find as much inspiration in her words and recipes as we do.

Deborah has generously offered two signed copies of Vegetable Literacy to give away. Enter to win here by 8:00 a.m., Tuesday, April 30th!  
Be sure to check out her book Vegetable Literacy!

Cookbook Giveaway - Deborah Madison's Vegetable Literacy

"Along with the good and beautiful plants a garden can give us, it also brings the world into focus, plants into relationship, and that’s terrifically exciting. We needn’t be botanists for this magic to unfold; mostly we just have to look and relationships will show themselves to us."

- Deborah Madison, Vegetable Literacy

In her latest cookbook, Deborah Madison, America’s leading authority on vegetarian cooking and author of Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone, reveals the surprising relationships between vegetables, edible flowers, and herbs within the same botanical families, and how understanding these connections can help home cooks see everyday vegetables in new light.

This groundbreaking new cookbook is Madison’s crowning achievement: a celebration of the diversity of the plant kingdom!

Destined to become the new standard reference for cooking vegetables, Vegetable Literacy shows cooks that, because of their shared characteristics, vegetables within the same family can be used interchangeably in cooking. It presents an entirely new way of looking at vegetables, drawing on Madison’s deep knowledge of cooking, gardening and botany.

With more than 300 classic and exquisite recipes, Madison brings this wealth of information together in dishes that highlight a world of complementary flavors. 

We are ecstatic to announce that we have two signed copies of this amazing book to give away!

“There are few people equipped with the curiosity, skill, and eye for observation required to construct a volume of this size and scope—and Deborah does it masterfully. Vegetable Literacy will shift the way both home and professional cooks think about the relationship between ingredients, and vegetables in particular. Using this book has felt like a missing puzzle piece snapping into place—inspiring, intimate, informative, and beautifully illustrated.”

 —Heidi Swanson, author of Super Natural Every Day
  

Raised in Davis, CA, Deborah is a local icon having spent years in the San Francisco Bay Area where she worked at Chez Panisse and was the founding chef of world-renowned vegetarian restaurant Greens - both important Bay Area restaurants to have established local, farm-driven menus. She now resides just outside of Santa Fe, New Mexico where she is still writing cookbooks and is very involved in the local farmers' market.

Her passion for the sustainable and local food movement follows her wherever she goes and is expressed in an array of endeavors such as cooking, writing and teaching. That's the thing about Deborah - her passion is inspiring and can't help but be transferred to your cooking and eating!

 

Here's How to Enter – (contest is now closed)

To win one of two signed copies of Deborah Madison's Vegetable Literacy cookbook, simply leave a comment below answering this question before 8:00 a.m. on Tuesday, April 30th (one entry per person, please) -
 

Which Deborah Madison cookbook
or recipe is your favorite?

New to Deborah Madison's cooking?
Learn more about her cookbooks and recipes here.

No purchase required. Limit one entry per person, please. Entries will close on Tuesday, April 30th, at 8:00 am. Winners are chosen by Random Number Generator and announced on our blog on Tuesday, April 30th.

Thank you to everyone who participated.

There are so many wonderful and encouraging comments!

We have chosen TWO winners:

The first winner chosen at random is: Erin who wrote:

Love The Greens Cookbook - always looking for new and creative ways to incorporate more greens into our diet. 

The second winner chosen at random is: Jessica who wrote:

Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone has been one of my most resourced cookbooks since I bought it 10 -12 years ago. It's hardcover, which is good, because the amount of loving abuse I expose my favorite cookbooks to is pretty intense. You can always tell my favorite recipes by the wrinkled, stained, and caked pages.


A big thank you to Deborah Madison!

Be sure to check out Vegetable Literacy and our next post featuring some of her scrumptious recipes.  

Have Your Event at the Farm!

Since starting our organic farm in 1976, we've welcomed school visits, business team-building retreats, farm tours, community events and wedding celebrations to our farm. Over the years, it's been an honor to share our family farm with visitors and their own families, friends and communities.

Nestled in the beautiful Capay Valley, the site of our family's original farm welcomes visitors with picturesque, rolling hills and vivid sunsets. Events are held along an oak-tree and lavender-lined, grassy plateau overlooking fields of fruits and vegetables and nearby citrus and stone fruit orchards.

If you've been thinking about hosting your event at our Capay farm in northern California, here's a little more information about the types of private events and activities we offer.  Hope to see you soon!  

To inquire about hosting your event or to schedule a tour of the farm, please contact us at events@farmfreshtoyou.com.

EDUCATIONAL EVENTS

Our farm offers the perfect setting for school groups of all ages to truly experience a farm and the importance of growing organically and sustainably. Upon arrival students will meet one of our expert farmers and enjoy a tractor-tram ride around around the farm.

Along the way they will stop to get their hands dirty by participating in a harvest activity. They might even get the chance to weed a crop or help us release some good ladybugs into the fields to defend against the bad bugs we don’t want.

After some fresh air and a little work, they will leave the farm with a better understanding of sustainable farming and what it takes to bring the fruits and vegetables to the table.  

WORK RETREATS

The Capay farm is the perfect place for a work retreat. 

The mood is restful and contemplative. Groups can take long walks, harvest produce or meet at tables that overlook the breathtaking Capay Valley. 

WEDDINGS

A wedding in the Capay Valley is a beautifully rustic, never-to-be-forgotten experience. Our events manager works directly with the wedding couple to plan a memorable ceremony and reception for the unique setting of the farm. The farm house is available for the party's use.  

With multiple options for event and ceremony locations, our farm works well for both small, intimate gatherings and large celebrations of up to 400 guests, May through October. 

For inquiries or to schedule a tour of the farm, please contact us at events@farmfreshtoyou.com.

Online Meal Planning for Your CSA Box & GIVEAWAY!

Farm Fresh To You members get 20% off Design My Meals' Online Meal Planner.
Click image to enlarge.

We are excited to announce a special promotion with online meal planner Design My Meals, a great service that automatically downloads the contents of your CSA box type into your menu planner each week and suggests recipes that make the best use of the food that you have — with nutritional information too!

Easily drag and drop recipes into your meal planning calendar.
Click image to enlarge.

Sign up now and try Design My Meals for 30 days free, and once your free trial period ends, Farm Fresh To You members get 20% off the subscription! 
 

Suggested recipes are taylored to the contents in your FFTY box and provide nutritional information. Click image to enlarge.

 Design My Meals Features:  

• CSA box contents are automatically downloaded into your account each week. (Box contents are added weekly, regardless of your delivery schedule. Excluded items will still appear in your online pantry.)

• Easily drag and drop healthy recipes into your meal planning calendar. Customize nutritional information for each household member. 

• Substitute ingredients and see how nutritional values change.

To sign up for your 30-day free trial and receive a special 20% off your subscription go to: www.designmymeals.com/farmfreshtoyou

 

 

GIVEAWAY! (Contest is now closed)

Enter to Win One of Two 6-month Subscriptions:

For a chance to win one of two 6-month subscriptions to Design My Meals online meal planning, simply leave a comment below answering this question by Tuesday, March 19th. Limit 1 entry per person, please.

Which produce item/s would you like the most meal planning help with?

We have chosen TWO WINNERS! CONGRATULATIONS!!

 

The first winner chosen at random is Karen M. who wrote:

“Need help with fennel.”

The second winner chosen at random is Amy P. who wrote:

“Fennel?”

 
Thank you to everyone who participated in our giveaway!! Like us on Facebook as we will be posting more recipes for items such as fennel, kale, beets, endive and greens that were listed here the most!

Don’t forget – you can try Design My Meals for free for 30 days, and after the trial period, you get 20% off your monthly subscription. www.designmymeals.com/farmfreshtoyou  



 

Details of Giveaway: No purchase required. Limit one entry per person, please. Entries will close on Tuesday, March 19th, at 8:00 a.m. Winners will be chosen by Random Number Generator and announced on our blog on Tuesday, March 19th.

Ice on the Mandarin Trees

From the Fields - Farm News, January 21, 2013

 

I awake sometime after midnight thinking about the orchard of mandarin trees we planted last spring. They are frost-hardy; it is the reason we selected them. Literature says they can handle a few hours at 27 degrees F. I am not worried about the established orchards. Their new growth might get burned back a bit, but they will live. It is this orchard we planted last spring that I worry about. This is their most vulnerable season. Lying awake in bed, I realize this cold snap is most likely their most vulnerable 72 hours. Mom lost a new orchard to a hard frost when I was a child. I remember the financial and emotional toll it took in our home.

 

Our plan had been set a week ago. Turn the water on at midnight. An irrigation system wetting the orchard with water does two things; it adds as small amount of energy due to the warmth of the water. The freezing of water is an exothermic reaction, which means that when water freezes, it releases a small amount of energy. The other thing we have going for us is the location of the orchard. It was placed on a small hill that sits above the valley that allows the dense cold air to drain off the orchard.
 

 

 

I think about the tree wrap we installed to protect the base of the trees from rodents and the 2 degrees of frost protection the salesman said they delivered. I don’t believe him, but I want to. There are the wind machines that we don’t have that could protect the trees and for one moment, I wish that we did. I can see a picture of someone selling helicopter services in an ag magazine. I think that paying someone to fly around the orchard in a helicopter at night is dangerous and not effective, but I do think about it. The single degree that separates your orchard from life and death is an elusive, but finite fact that will absorb as much time and money as you will give it.

 

On my drive over to the orchard first thing in the morning, I pass my farm manager returning from it. I arrive to a winter wonderland, micro sprinklers running and ice everywhere. It is pretty. I stop to take photos. Most of the ice is on the ground and on the base of the tree, the leaves have no ice, but they look as cold as the ice below them.

On the hill, there is a line where the irrigation water did not turn into ice (you can see this in the photo above).  The bulk of the orchard is below the line, sitting in what I hope to be a protective layer of ice. It crosses my mind that I don’t know what dead mandarin trees look like, and I hope I never do. The ones I am looking at could be alive or they could be dead. I shout out to them, “How you guys feeling – did you make it? Got another cold night coming.” They don’t respond. 

 

As I drive back to the office, I pass my brother heading to the orchard. It is a popular place this morning. Chatting with our farm manager, we both agree that it wasn’t that cold, and they might get burned a bit, but they will live. Being optimistic is a prerequisite for being a farmer. We both agree that we won’t know for a week or so. 


Many of you have asked, how are the trees doing now?

The trees look great and we didn't loose a single tree! They were planted on a hill, so the cold air rolled right off.  Thank you for asking, and for thinking of us.

We are looking forward to another good year of growth on them this year!

 

Satsuma Mandarins

The perfect pick-me-up! Healthy, sweet, juicy and easy to peel.  
 

Satsuma Mandarins are soft, yet heavy with sweet juices. The longer the fruit stays on the tree, the higher their sugar content - or brix, so earlier in the season, they can be a little more firm and tart. Once your fruit is to your desired ripeness, place your fruit in the refrigerator to extend their shelf life.

 
Satsuma Mandarins are usually eaten out of hand, but make a great addition to salads and savory dishes.They are often paired with bold-flavored foods, such as fennel and blue cheese because their sweetness provides a complementary effect.   

 

 

We are excited about a new Satsuma Mandarin orchard we planted earlier this year. Two years ago, we ordered the trees, and this summer they showed up neatly organized into bins that were delivered from the nursery.

 

Now the trees have been tucked into their homes that were precisely located with the help of a GPS and a surveying crew.
 

 

The new trees look good in the field, but they are so tiny! From the distance, the trees appear as little, green toothpicks neatly organized in a brown field that rolls up and down with the contour of the gently sloping hills.

The thought of a mature orchard seems so far away, but we know that slowly and steadily those little trees will make great use of the soil, sun, water and love that we will provide them.

How have you been enjoying your Satsumas this winter? Looking for new ways to enjoy them? Here's a list of suggestions:

Juice Them!  Drink your juice straight from the juicer or add it to your favorite tea or cocktail. Fresh citrus juice is also a great ingredient for sauces, dressings and vinaigrette.
 

Freeze Them!  Separate the segments then freeze them - perfect for smoothies!  Use the juice to make sorbet, granita or a frozen orange souffle.
 

Bake Them!  Use Satsumas in your next cake, muffin, biscotti, scone or cheesecake. 
 

Preserve Them!  Satsumas are some of the best citrus fruits to preserve. Turn your fresh fruit into a sweet marmalade, jam, jelly or syrup to enjoy long after Satsuma season is over. 
 

Peel Them!  Candy your peels, or dry them and add chunks of peel to braises or sauces. You can grind the dried peels and mix with your favorite herbs and spices to create a savory-yet-sweet spice rub to enhance just about anything.  
 

Eat Them!  Add fresh Satsuma segments to salads, garnish seafood dishes, make a compote or salsa, include in side dishes such as shaved fennel, fruit salad or cous cous.
 

Decorate With Them!  Satsumas add a hint of color to any centerpiece, wreath or garland. Craft your peel into a simple, lovely candle that uses the pith as a wick.
 

A Look Back at Farm Events

 

As our farm tour season has come to a close, I pause to think about the many different communities that joined us on the farm this year.

From March through October, we've enjoyed sharing our farm with groups of families and friends. We’ve had kids with mouths open in surprise when they see stick-straight asparagus pushing through the spring soil.  We've seen folks coming in from the fields with strawberry-red fingers and mouths as they sample the sweetness found among the strawberry rows. 

 

We had visitors taking home navel oranges by the bag full at our Bardsdale farm, a small farm about an hour outside of Los Angeles that we're excited to "grow" into a site well-suited to welcome visitors, a place where we can connect with our Southern California customers. 

 

 

In addition to our regular farm tours, we were able to host three seasonal events benefiting the Kathleen Barsotti Non-Profit for Sustainable Agriculture.

CINCO DE MAYO -  Mariachi and other Latin music got revelers moving as they enjoyed tortilla-making demonstrations, pinatas, strawberry and sweet pea flower picking and watching the 'Super Moon,' the year's largest moon, rise over the hills.

CAPAY TOMATO - This year marked our 5th Annual Capay Tomato event - an afternoon and evening celebrating all things tomato!  The weather was perfect, the heirloom tomatoes were plentiful, people danced by twinkling lights and campers breathed in deep the farm's night air. View more photos.

CAPAY CRUSH, our annual party in September cheered the grape harvest, featuring local wine and food, grape stomping, a harvest activity, live music and a camp out.  Visitors gathered at our farm-style photo booth to capture their visit.  View more photos.
 

 

In addition to our own events, we were so very excited this year to be chosen by Outstanding in the Field to host one of their fine dining experiences taking place in the fields of farms across the country and abroad. It was an experience we will always remember as we shared an amazing evening and meal with new and familiar faces. View more photos.

It wouldn't be a farm tour season without the enthusiasm from our school visitors!  We are excited each year to welcome school groups to the farm to learn more about organic and sustainable agriculture and how we are all connected as a community.  It's wonderful to watch children interact with the farm, getting their hands a little dirty harvesting something fresh from the field, helping us spread ladybugs and enjoying the many sights and smells to be discovered in the air, on the ground and all around. 

As part of our school visits, we were proud to welcome community school foodservice leaders and parents who joined us in the field on a couple of occasions to see where their food is grown.  From our work on Yolo County's Harvest of the Month to welcoming Oakland Unified School District, we are excited to be working on several projects to improve school nutrition.

 

Whether it was a first grader coming to a farm for the first time or a foodie joining us for a special meal in our fig orchard, we welcomed them all, grateful for their interest in our farm and happy that the food system is changing for the better by connecting people with the land that grows their food. If you are interested in bringing a group or a class to the farm, you can find more information here.

We want to extend a big thank you to everyone who joined us at the farm this year. Much gratitude also goes to our Events Team that works to turn our working farm into a place where our community can gather and connect with the land.

We look forward to seeing you next year!