September 16 or 19 CSA

This weeks’ share includes: 1/2 pound baby greens, 2 garlic bulbs, 1 pound onions, 2 pounds fingerling potatoes, 2 pounds okra, 3/4 pound habanada peppers (NOT hot!).

The baby greens are kale, collards and baby pac choi. They’re great as salad greens or lightly sauteed.

The habanada peppers can be de-capped on the stem end and stuffed with sausage and cheese or potatoes and cheese and baked for a great appetizer. They can also be fermented and used to make a great pepper sauce. I add a few hot peppers to give it heat but its great without too. They can also be pickled in vinegar with or without okra.

To pickle the okra, wash it and pack firmly into jars. (2 pounds will make about 3 pints. If you add peppers as well, it will make about 2 quarts.) In each jar put 1-3 peeled cloves of garlic, several habanada peppers and 1 hot pepper per jar if you want it to be spicy. Make a brine of 1 cup apple cider or white vinegar, 2 cups water, 2 teaspoons dill seed, 2 teaspoons mustard seeds, and 2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons salt. Bring the brine to a boil and pour hot liquid over okra. You can just tuck it away in your refrigerator with a lid on once the liquid has cooled or you can process it in a water bath for 10 minutes. Either way, let it sit for several weeks before eating for optimal deliciousness.

The process of fermenting the peppers is one that I cannot put into words and instruction well here. There are 2 resources I use for fermentation instruction. They are Sandor Katz’ Wild Fermentation and The Noma Guide to Fermentation. I am not always successful but naturally fermented hot sauces are my favorite kind so I keep trying. Loosely, I use a 5.4% brine solution to ferment ( 3 tablespoons non-iodized salt dissolve in 1 quart of water).