Zucchini Scramble

I have to admit, almost all of my zucchini recipes consist of grating and sautéing zucchini, and then adding it to something.This recipe is a particularly simple version of that formula, with only eggs added to the zucchini. The result is surprisingly good, with an almost souffle-like consistency.

Zucchini Scramble

Serves 2

Ingredients
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 small green or Ronde de Nice zucchini, grated
• heavy pinch salt
• 2 eggs
• pepper, to taste

1. In a small skillet, warm olive oil over low heat. Add zucchini and salt.
2. Cook, stirring, until zucchini has turned translucent.
3. Beat the eggs and stir into zucchini. Stir slowly until eggs have set to a custard-like thickness. Don't wait until it looks dry, or it'll be rubbery!
4. Add pepper and serve.

On the nature of square dancing and potato salad

When we set out to throw our barn dance, we had many goals in mind; we wanted to have a big party in the big barn; we wanted to fundraise; we wanted to raise awareness about the farm and the institute, we wanted to bring our community together.


Now, having lived through the exciting event that was our barn dance, we've decided that it was that final goal that was really the dearest to our hearts. We wanted people to get to know us and the farm, perhaps see why we love this place so much, yes, but we also wanted those same people to meet one another. It is rare, after all, to really meet with one's neighbors these days.


That is where square dancing comes in. For our barn dance, we had a caller named Tina, who stood with her band at the end of the barn and told us uncoordinated chickens what moves to make, when to hold hands, bow to our partners, and do-si-do. We formed long lines, held hands with complete strangers, and skipped down the length of our barn like children. There is something about square dancing that makes you put your guard down. For one thing, everyone looks just plain silly and so no one feels silly alone. And for another, the dance goes on whether you know your dance partner or not, and if you don't grab on to someone, you'll be left behind.

We read, recently, a beautiful account of that night that really brings to light this community-building aspect of our dance, and asks some really great questions about the relationship between communities and nature in our culture today; go here to see it: http://dailydialect.wordpress.com/

Now, at the barn dance we made a special dinner for our musicians, that we designed to be friendly and familiar, because we wanted them to feel like our neighbors too. Only one dish would do. We firmly believe that many a neighbor has bonded over this ubiquitous dish, that graces the table of every American summer block party and bbq: potato salad. It brings people together, especially if you buy the potatoes at your friendly neighborhood farm stand. Try some!

Potato Salad with pickled onions

Serves 8-10
Ingredients

• 10-12 large potatoes, washed and cut into 1 1/2-2" cubes
• 2 cups of green or yellow wax beans, washed with the stems cut or broken off
• 1/2 cup pickled onions (or more if you like), recipe follows
• 1 batch mustardy mayonnaise, recipe follows
• salt and pepper, to taste
• 1/4 cup fresh oregano, chopped

1. Put cubed potatoes in a large pot and cover with cold water. Cook over high heat until they come to a boil and add a tablespoon or more of salt to the water (just enough so that you can taste the salt). Turn the heat down so the potatoes are at a very low simmer and cook until they are tender but not mushy.
2. While the potatoes are cooking, put a small pot of water on to boil, and add salt to taste again. Have a small bowl of ice water ready, next to the stove. When the water in the pot is at a rolling boil, add the beans and cook until they are tender, but still a little crisp, then add them to the ice bath to stop their cooking. When cool, drain the beans and cut into thirds; set aside until the potatoes are done.
3. When potatoes finish cooking, drain them and put them, still in the collander, in an empty sink to dry out and cool, covered with a dish towel.
4. When potatoes are barely warm, toss with the mayonnaise, pickled onions, blanched green beans, oregano, and 1-2 tablespoons of the onion pickling liquid. Season with salt and pepper to taste, and toss to combine.

Pickled Onions

Ingredients

• 4 medium sized onions
• 1 cup apple cider
• 1 cup apple cider vinegar
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon mustard seeds
• 1 teaspoon fennel seeds
• 1 teaspoon chili flake
• 1 1/2 tablespoons coarse salt

1. Peel, halve and thinly slice onions and put in a medium sized bowl.
2. Combine all other ingredients in a small saucepan and bring to a boil.
3. Take hot pickling liquid and pour over onions. Allow to cool and refrigerate at least overnight before using.
   

Mustardy Mayonnaise

Ingredients

• 2 egg yolks at room temperature
• 1 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons dijon mustard
• 1 clove of garlic
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• salt and pepper to taste

1. Place yolks in a medium sized bowl with a damp towel underneath it, to keep it from sliding around while you whisk
2. Beginning just one spoonful at a time, alowly add the oil to the egg yolks in a drizzle while constantly whisking, waiting until each bit of oil is absorbed before adding another spoonful. Eventually the mixture will begin to be a more pale yellow, and will thicken. At this point, it is okay to add the oil straight from the container in a steady stream, whisking all the while. It should continue to thicken until, when all the oil has been added, you need to add a few tablespoons of water to thin it out.
3. Grate or finely chop the garlic and add to the bowl along with the mustard, lemon juice, salt and pepper and taste. Adjust seasoning if you need to.

Farmy Mayonnaise

If anyone tells you homemade mayonnaise isn't worth the trouble, they don't know what they're missing. Fresh eggs have extraordinary emulsifying power, and you can't get much fresher than Green String Farm's eggs -- we rarely have eggs for sale that are more than a day old.

Homemade mayo does require raw eggs, so if you're worried about salmonella -- particularly if you have anyone in the house who's pregnant or who has an immune disorder -- stick to store-bought mayonnaise, but for those of us who like our yolks runny, this is as good as it gets.

Experiment with different spices and herbs for specialty mayos; our current favorite is ½ teaspoon smoked paprika and a small pinch of ground ginger. We can't wait for summer to bring basil-mayonnaise -- there's nothing better for topping a veggie burger.

Smear on any kind of sandwich or blend it into your favorite vinaigrette for a tangy, creamy salad dressing. Former intern Julia has been known to feast on leftover popovers smothered with curry mayo in the wee hours of the morning, and we think she's onto something great.

Ingredients

• 1 egg yolk
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 pinch sugar
• ½ teaspoon ground spices (paprika, turmeric,
• curry powder, ginger, mustard, etc.) or 1 tablespoon finely chopped herbs
• juice of 1 lemon
• 1 cup safflower oil

1. In a large bowl, whisk together yolk, salt, sugar, and spices until very well combined.
2. Add half of the lemon juice and whisk until creamy.
3. Drizzle the oil in very slowly and continue to whisk. Begin drop-by-drop until you have the hang of it.
4. Once you have incorporated half of the oil, add the remaining lemon juice, then return to drizzling in the remaining oil.