We made our first farm boxes on April 1, 2020. A labor of love in a moment of need. Before these odd times, I never appreciated how important it is to have things to look forward to. I’m writing this from vacation. I’ve just visited my folks in Chicago, and now I’m at a historic farm and inn in Albuquerque, which I’ve wanted to visit for decades. I’m relishing the return of old traditions and new experiences. And, like every week for the last two years, I’m still looking forward to Wednesday. The purpose and camaraderie of our community, and of course, the food. We first introduced an Indian menu on the day of Biden and Harris’s inauguration, in honor of our Vice President. We offer another round of Indian fare this week because we crave it.
We’re making chicken tikka masala (organic chicken breast meat in a rich and creamy spiced tomato sauce) and saag paneer (creamed spinach with cubes of fresh cheese.) And our friends at Forage are making us a batch of masoor dal with red lentils and coconut milk. These can be reheated in minutes or frozen for another time. Just get yourself some basmati rice for whenever you indulge.The dosa kit is back. This meal in the making comes from Jordan Maseng, a Chez Panisse alum and devoted student of world cuisines. His curiosity has led to extensive traveling and tinkering. The resulting dosa project is one of our favorite offerings. Dosas are thin pancakes made from fermented rice and lentil batter originally from Southern India. This kit comes with enough batter for you to make 4 large crepes and plenty of rich masala potatoes and tomato-roasted peanut chutney to fill them with.There’s also fresh mint chutney and raita, which are delicious on grilled lamb chops, roast chicken, or seared branzino filets over rice. The mint chutney could also brighten a roast carrot salad.Yogurt provides a cool layer to this richness, so we are offering our favorite local kefir-style yogurt from Aris Natural Food in Inglewood. This strained yogurt is dense and creamy. The plain yogurt can be layered with other flavors and sweetened to your liking. A spoonful of mango or lemon yogurt can finish a meal on a sweet note. We also stocked up on Santa Barbara pistachio kernels and K&K Ranch’s plumpest golden raisins. These are great for snacking or adding to salads (maybe a curried chicken salad.) There are also recipes on the site for saffron rice pudding (delicious garnished with golden raisins and chopped pistachios), pickled golden raisins with chili and mustard seeds (which is terrific on grilled lamb chops), and pistachio aillade (which is delicious on branzino.)Off the Indian theme, but on point for new family favorites, is our duck fried rice. Braised duck legs with pineapple and ginger, shredded and added to slightly curried rice with scallions, onions, and garlic, will come cryovac packed and can be frozen. And we’re ordering chocolate and hazelnut babkas from Cake Monkey. This brioche loaf has a deep chocolate swirl and crunchy hazelnut brittle topping. It’s delicious fresh, or you can slice and freeze or french toast it. This week’s delicious organic wines from Small Town are Donkey & Goat Gallivanter Red Blend from a great little husband and wife owned winery near Berkeley, and an unfiltered orange wine from the Czech Republic that is wonderfully textured.This week’s farm box will have all the usuals, plus cauliflower, carrots, sugar snap peas, mint, cilantro, and anything else we can find that works well with Indian foods and flavors.
