Happy Friday, Farm-ily,
As Farmers, we’re pretty into veggies; we’re also foodies, and locavores. We love to cook, to eat, and to find great food to share with you! Scouring northern Virginia and the surrounding region for special snacks and dry goods to add to your veggie boxes has been a great extracurricular activity for us this season. We’re excited to have these treats to offer our Farm-ily, and we want to introduce you to one of our newest partners.
Salt is such a culinary necessity that it appears in almost every recipe, yet so ubiquitous it’s easy to overlook. Despite this, whole books have been written about salt’s role shaping in the modern world; we strongly suggest adding “Salt: A World History” by Mark Kurlansky to your reading list! The English poet George Herbert once wrote: “Of all smells, bread; of all tastes, salt." We think the great minds at JQ Dickinson Salt Works in Malden, West Virginia would agree.
During the Paleozoic era, slow moving continents trapped large pockets of brine beneath what would become the Kanawha River. The salt deposits would later attract buffalo and deer, followed by indigenous people of the Eastern seaboard of North America, and eventually European colonists. The iron content of the salt that was cured from this brine gave it a distinctive red color and flavor that earned accolades worldwide, including the 1851 World’s Fair.
In the heyday of Kanawha salts, there were multiple commercial salt-works along the riverbanks. Post-Civil War, only John Q. Dickinson remained. Now, his descendants Nancy Brun and Lewis Payne work the same farmland and use artisanal techniques to dry brine in sun houses and hand harvest the resulting mineral-rich salts. Chefs use the term “finishing salt” to describe salts that add a distinctly special flavor and texture to a finished dish. Dickinson salts certainly fit the bill!
Our favorite uses for finishing salt? Since we’re veggie farmers, we’ll start with the most obvious: crispy roasted potatoes, grilled peppers and eggplant, a simple Caprese salad. You’d be surprised what a pinch of the Ramp Salt adds to a slow-roasted pork tenderloin! We also highly recommend using some of that Willowsford Farm honey to make a Salted Honey Pie.
Meal Plan Week #14
- Whatever you're grilling as summer wanes, top it with this Purslane Chimichurri. Purslane is incredibly rich in Omega-3s and has a lovely lemony flavor; you could also use it in this fresh idea for Tomato Cucumber and Purslane Salad.
- Before tomato season ends, make this fuss-free, oven-based interpretation of risotto with Aborio Rice Stuffed Tomatoes.
- Other tomato favorites: Caprese Mac and Cheese, or Tomato Basil Baked Eggs.
- Hot peppers? Hot kitchen? The solution is Mississippi Pot Roast, a slow-cooker meal that uses herbs and peppers for melt-in-your-mouth flavorful dinner. The traditional option is pepperoncinis, but adding some of our harvest favorites will give it a delicious twist.
- Whip up a Thai Style Chicken Salad with carrots, cabbage, and bell peppers.
- Fresh nectarines are perfect on their own, but to add that summer sweetness to your other seasonal goodies, try Shrimp& Nectarine Salad with corn and cherry tomatoes.
Eat Well and Be Well,
Ashley, Collin, John, Lex, Alexandra, Rory, Gabe, James, and all the hens, hogs, and dogs
