CSA - Week 20

Last week of CSA: Pie pumpkin, lettuce, green pepper, squash, zucchini, green beans, assorted hot peppers, tomatoes, grape tomatoes, eggs, watermelon, and potatoes.

 I have a huge mound of potatoes leftover from weeks and weeks of CSA.  I needed something new to try,   and roasting potatoes on a bed of salt sounded interesting. These turned out simple but tasty.

Salt Roasted Potatoes

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Place 1-1/2 cups of coarse sea salt in an oven-proof pan that has a cover. Wash the potatoes and dry them with towels. Place the potatoes in a bowl and lightly cover them with olive oil. Place the potatoes, one by one, into the bed of salt, leaving room between them. Season them with another teaspoon or two of salt. Put the cover on the pan and roast them in the oven for 45 minutes. The potatoes are done when a knife slips into the potato with no resistance. Allow the potatoes to cool a bit and then remove them from the salt, brushing off the excess salt.

I found this great online article about lacto-fermentation as a preservation method. I thought I'd try it out. If it works, I'm definitely going to try and make kimchi. Instead of using whey, I opted to use the extra salt. But making whey is very easy, so try it if you want a guaranteed lacto-fermented end product.

note: Create whey by allowing plain yogurt to sit in a coffee filter or kitchen towel. The liquid that drains out is whey.

UPDATE 1/15/11: It's been several months since I made this salsa. I opened up the large jar of salsa the other day and it bubbled and fizzed! It worked! The salsa definitely has a tang, but inside a tortilla with other ingredients, I didn't notice. The big test: my husband didn't notice the difference in taste.

I will be trying out kimchi soon, now that I know lacto-fermentation is so easy.

Cultured Salsa
adapted from Nourishing Traditions by Sally Fallon via simplebites

4 medium tomatoes, about 2 pounds total
2 small onions, finely chopped
1-2 bell peppers, seeded
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded (or not if you prefer more spice)
1 bunch cilantro
juice of 2 lemons
1 tablespoon sea salt
4 tablespoons whey (if not available, use an additional 1 tablespoon salt)
1/4 cup filtered water

If you prefer peeled tomatoes: score the bottoms, drop into boiling water for about 15 seconds, remove and place in ice water. The peels should come off easily.

Chop all ingredients by hand or with a food processor to desired consistency. Mix and place in a very clean quart-sized, wide mouth mason jar. Press down with a wooden spoon, adding more water to cover the vegetables. Be sure to leave 1-2″ head space.

Cover tightly and keep at room temperature for 2-3 days before transferring to cold storage.