Thursday, June 10, 2010



Now for the how to.

vinaigrette:
roughly chop one bunch of spring onions and one bunch of flat leaf parsley and place in a bowl.
Add the fresh squeezed juice of one lemon. Then a pinch each of salt pepper and thyme.
Add extra virgin olive oil til the contents are almost covered.
Stir.
This should make about one quart. I like to keep this in a mason jar with a tight lid in the fridge. In fact I like to put almost anything in mason jars. It is easy and pretty and if you made it you don't need a label because you can see what is in there.

On to the veggies and popcorn!

Half or quarter to your desires, four white turnips and two french breakfast radishes for each person who wants to eat. Place in a bowl and top with one tablespoon vinaigrette per serving. Now add a pinch each of salt, pepper and thyme. Stir or toss according to whim. place on a hot grill and leave it be for long enough to get some grill marks. This will vary much according to grill so don't go anywhere, just stay there and watch it go. After you see the turnips and radishes begin to mark up, give them a stir as to expose unmarked surfaces to hot grill. Add one handful of fresh popped popcorn per person right onto the grill and stir all together with the veggies. You may lose a kernel or two so you can add more, don't worry. Now, using spatula and tongs remove all ingredients from the grill quickly and return to your bowl. Add another spoon of vinaigrette and toss. Turn out onto plates or service platter.
Dig in! No need for utensils.

Friday, June 4, 2010


As farmers we start thinking about the next spring, oh sometime in August, when the ragweed is high and we all are schlepping the same veggies to the market.Thoughts of cooler weather and the first scents of turned soil bring goosebumps to my arms even now.Funny enough here in the South Toe River Valley, our micro-climate is more akin to Vermont than to the down home south.This winter with it's feet of snow certainly affirmed that for all of us.You sit with your ear glued to the weather radio, waiting for that delicate balance between wet and dry, freeze and thaw.After a while, you can feel it in your bones and you rush out to the tractor, dust off the earthway seeder and wait for that first whiff of humus.Then its on,ripping off shoes and socks, feeling that last slush freeze your toes you jog the seeder down the rows,adreneline pumping as radish,turnip,spinach and mesclun seeds whirl into the freshly turned and manured soil.It is at that moment that we feel the connection to those first tillers of the earth in the fertile crescent and to the native americans, whose shards and arrow heads are always reminding us of the long line of agriculturalists before us.
Soon germination occurs and the crazy optimism on which we base our livelihoods starts to put on true leaves and soon our radishes, turnips,spinach and mesclun are gracing plates and palates .A whole new season is before us.
-Gaelan Corazine

Tuesday, June 1, 2010

May has been awesome and I am so excited about june


My first spring in the nc mtns since I was nine is finally here and I have been thinking general excited thoughts about all the things I am going to get my hands on all winter long. And just like all things patiently awaited it comes on so quickly that I find myself rushing at every chance to get my hands on whatever I can only to find that I have but one chance to harvest before earth is moving on to the next harbinger of what seems to be an amazing summer.
I pick chick weed and nettles and branch lettuce as the first radishes and tender young lettuces are showing up to the prty. And soon farmers are all calling with reports on how the rabbits or chic or cows are doing and the fair weather residents return to our mountain paradise. I am trying so hard to hold on to each precious moment. And it's all running over and past me. But my hibernation mind is awake and full of new inspiration. First big spring hit is grilled white lady turnips, popcorn, and green onion vinaigrette.
This is the first step of a seasons worth of collaboration between my friends and fellow craftsmen, Robin Dreyer and Gaelan Corazine, and myself. We are setting forth with the goal to educate and inspire like-minded makers, doers, growers, artists- craftsmen all, to join in this celebration of self-sufficiency and earth-cycle awareness. We will be working at Gaelan's farm, Green Toe Ground Biodynamic Farm, and cooking at various locations including, but not exclusive to, knife & fork restaurant. Robin will be documenting all the while.