#25: Defrosting season is upon us
Kitchen wins, green bloodies, DC CSA recs, and DC cookbook press tours!
Hello! We are finally in the midst of allergy-laden springtime folly in DC. It’s beautiful. Despite being a long month, March absolutely flew by.
This month’s newsletter will be a bit on the shorter side. I have a mix of kitchen successes, a verdant bloody mary recipe, some DC CSA recommendations, and a few exciting cookbook tours that are coming to DC this spring. Next month, I’m looking forward to sharing exciting updates from dinner parties, birthday shenanigans, and some much anticipated restaurant visits.
Kitchen wins!
The month was spent following my cravings left and right as they fluctuated rapidly. Earlier in the month, I had an intense craving for stuffed cabbage rolls which always feel so springy. After a weekend at home in PA, I had bag of shiitakes from the West Chester farmers market that I used to make Leah Cohen’s stuffed cabbage recipe with chili crisp. I swapped pork for ground chicken and it was a delight to take on a little arts and crafts project in the kitchen!
Still on the cusp of chilly nights in the middle of March, I wanted something a bit more cozy. Emily Roz’s beef harissa meatballs with coconut broth were super simple and delicious. I swapped the beef for ground lamb and added WAY more harissa + tomato paste to the broth. Quickly realizing I had once again skimmed over a recipe too quickly, I realized I had just started making the broth, not realizing Emily suggests a steaming method inside a dutch oven which was now filled with liquid. So, instead of steaming the meatballs, I simmered the broth separately and cooked the meatballs in the oven on high heat. This approach was just as lovely. For health, I wilted arugula into the broth and threw in some microwave quinoa.
It’s not quite happy hour season yet, so we’ve been hosting a lot of group dinners at home. One of the best things about having my friends live nearby is the opportunity to test out some larger format recipes. I recently made Molly’s Baz’s grandma pie with ricotta, mortadella, and a pistachio-pepperoncini pesto. This is a luxe pizza that crisps up beautifully in the oven especially given that the dough is store-bought. I paired the pie with a radicchio salad using Alison Roman’s chicories with anchovy breadcrumbs salad from her cookbook Dining In. I happily ate heaping spoonfuls of the leftover breadcrumbs days after this dinner.
Green bloody mary’s
You may remember from my India post that I have been determined to create a green bloody mary inspired by the flavors of pani puri since January. My friend hosts an annual Holi party so this was the perfect opportunity to make this dream a reality. I’m happy to report that this was a huge hit with the group. Much lighter than a traditional bloody Mary mix, the tomatillo, yellow cherry tomato, and cucumber base offers a vibrant, refreshing alternative that I foresee being a spring/summer brunch banger.
The recipe below prepares about 4-5 drinks, but isn’t super exact.
INGREDIENTS:
1 pound tomatillos (8-10), husked and quartered
1 cucumber, seeded and chopped into small pieces
1/2 pint green or yellow cherry tomatoes
1/2 cup fresh cilantro leaves and stems
2 cloves garlic, peeled
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 serrano, seeded
2 tablespoons pani puri masala, plus more for rim (adjust to taste)
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1-2oz of vodka or gin per cocktail
Lime wedges
INSTRUCTIONS:
In a food processor or blender, pulse/blend all of the ingredients except alcohol until smooth. This will resemble the texture of salsa verde.
Remove approximately a third of the mixture and pass through a fine mesh sieve into a large bowl to collect the remaining liquid. Add the remaining liquid back to the food processor and blend until you reach a desired consistency. If you have a handheld immersion blender, this can help you get to a smoother texture, too. Taste and adjust seasoning with more salt or pani puri masala.
Once the mix is ready, rub a lime wedge around the rim of glass for serving. On a small plate, pour remaining pani puri masala out and press the glass into the masala to create a spiced rim. Fill the glass with ice, add gin or vodka, and fill the remaining glass with the green bloody mary mixture. Stir and enjoy!
DC CSA options
I mentioned wanting to look into some CSA options in DC in my last newsletter. Based on some initial research, I couldn’t find a central resource for CSAs in DC. It would be a bit more of an undertaking to fully map out what’s available in DC. Focusing on pick-up’s in DC proper, I found a few options that seem feasible based on pricing and accessibility.
Common Good City Farm's Farm Market (300 V St. NW): Runs on Wednesdays 3:30-6:30 pm from May 28-October 29. I like that they have scaled membership levels based on weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly pick-up’s and income level!
Cultivate the City: Pick-up’s are coordinated on Wednesdays at various locations in NE and Silver Spring, MD and available on a seasonal basis ($400 for 10 weeks per season).
FRESHFARM Market Share CSA: If you already go the farmers market, FRESHFARM is a great option for a more traditional CSA experience. Pick-up’s are $40/week or $8/week for those with SNAP benefits and you can pause your subscription whenever.
Of course these are only a few options to get started. If you have a favorite CSA in DC, please feel free to drop a comment below!
DC cookbook press tours
Cookbook press tour season is in full swing! These are a few releases that I can’t wait to get my hands on!
Hailee Catalano - By Heart: Recipes to Hold Near and Dear: I LOVE Hailee’s recipes. If you don’t follow her on Instagram, you’re missing out on elevated but simple recipes that anyone can try in their own kitchen. Bold Fork Books is hosting a sold-out conversation with Hailee on May 20, and released a meet-and-greet signing session before due to demand. I was too slow for the sit-down event but thankfully snagged a ticket for this meet-and-greet yesterday. I simply cannot wait!
Meredith Hayden - The Wishbone Kitchen Cookbook: Hamptons private-chef turned food media influencer Meredith Hayden is releasing her highly anticipated cookbook. Her debut cookbook focuses on high-impact, low-effort hosting that we often associate with Ina’s or Martha’s methods. Her event with Sixth & I on May 8 is also sold-out - maybe some more dates will be added??
Rick Martinez - Salsa Daddy: Beloved Bon Appetit alum, Rick Martinez, is releasing is second cookbook. His sophomore release include 75 salsa recipes and 24 easy meals to reach beyond common red and green salsa interpretations. Rick will chat with Bold Fork Books on May 2 about the book at All Souls Church Unitarian. Tickets are still available for this one!
That’s all for this month - take care!
Potomac Vegetable Farm is a great CSA and woman owned! Have been picking it up at Dupont farmer’s market for a few years and love it
Interesting stuff. Am inspired to try!