Together with my daughter, Elisa, I explored this season’s first maturing pepper field in search of the coveted “Chiles de Padron”. Although still a couple of weeks out before we have enough to put in the shares, we were able to fill a paper bag to enjoy for dinner.
First Padron Peppers
The best way to prepare Padron Peppers is to simply throw them onto a hot cast-iron skillet until they are all blistered, sprinkle some good quality sea salt on them and they are ready to be enjoyed. Grab them by the stem; the little peppers you’ll finish off with a single bite, the larger ones no more than 2-3 bites. I promise, after tasting a few of them it’ll be hard to resist reaching for more. Elisa and I snacked down an entire bowl while preparing dinner.
Most of the time Padrons are mild, yet some exemplars, often the larger ones, can be quite hot. Typically, there is no way of determining whether a given pepper will be hot or mild, short of actually eating it. In our family it always turns into a fun game of daring each other to bite into one that looks spicy.
The first sweet Italian Long-Peppers (Corno di Toro) are being harvested this week, replacing broccoli in your shares. Due to the dry winter you will have noticed that many of our crops are maturing almost 2-3 weeks earlier this year. The second block of green beans will be ready for harvest next week, with the first tomatoes I anticipate showing up in your shares in a week or two (the first cherry tomatoes are going in this Thursday’s extra fruit option).
Corno di Torro Peppers
Sungold Cherry Tomatoes
I love the anticipation embedded in the seasonality of growing food. As a farmer it is exciting to anticipate the maturity of a crop, it is the highlight of the growing cycle, the time we can offer and share the results of our efforts. I like to honor new crops coming into season, harvested for the first time, by highlighting them in a family meal, a simple way to celebrate and be thankful.
That’s the advantage of local food. To experience the pleasure and taste of the seasonality of crops grown right here on our farm and harvested the same day you may prepare them into a nourishing dish. Mealtimes for our family – especially dinner – are important moments to slow down to be with each other. The quality of the meal we share contributes directly to the atmosphere of our time together as a family
At Live Earth Farm, we like you to experience a direct relationship to the land and people who grow the nourishing crops you eat. This intimacy and openness of the farm to its community has always been a guiding principle and a source of pleasure that continues to nourish our passion for farming.
