Crushed New Potatoes

Crushing the boiled new potatoes.

Based on a recipe from Gramercy Tavern Chef Michael Anthony

2 lb. new potatoes, washed
1/2 cup shallots, minced
Lemon juice of one large lemon
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Fleur de sel to taste, be generous
Pepper to taste, be generous

Directions:
In a large pot, cook potatoes with skins on in heavily salted boiling water until tender, approximately 15-18 minutes. While still warm, using a fork, gently smash potatoes, maintaining a fairly chunky consistency. Careful while crushing the potatoes that they don't pop out from under your fork and slide across the counter. Slice larger potatoes in half before crushing and hold them in place with one hand while crushing with the other. Fold in minced shallots, lemon juice, olive oil, fleur de sel, and pepper.

Variations:
Serve warm or cold.
Add fresh parsley or dill as a garnish.
Top it with slices of hard-boiled egg.

A sign of new potatoes underground.

Harvesting new potatoes.

Simplest New Potatoes with Dill

New potatoes are just as they sound: the little new potatoes that form first on potato plants. They don't store too well because their skins haven't toughened up, so you don't generally find them in supermarkets, but their thin skins and buttery soft texture makes them absolutely delicious and perfect for potato salads and all kinds of yummy dishes that call for minimal prep and potatoes at their most potatoey.

1 pound new potatoes, washed well
1 tbsp dill
2 tbsp butter
salt to taste

Directions:
Cut bigger potatoes into manageable chunks (or not, if you don't mind cooking a little longer). Steam potatoes in a steaming basket for 15-20 minutes, or until done (you can check by poking one gently with a fork).

Throw into a bowl, and toss with butter and dill while still hot. Add salt to taste (more if you're using unsalted butter)

The simple bowl of potatoes goes quickly in a crowd.

The potatoes are the perfect topping on a bed of greens. We also added some blackened pink salmon chunks, roasted pumpkin seeds, and black olives for our own Northwest version of salad nicoise.

Cumin Roasted Potatoes, Carrots, Onions

2 1/2 - 3 lbs total of carrots, potatoes, onions
4 cloves garlic
2 tsps salt
1/4 cup olive oil
1 tsp pepper
1 tbsp cumin

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Thoroughly scrub the potatoes and carrots, but leave the skin on. Slice the potatoes, carrots, and onions into bite-sized chunks and combine in a large bowl with the peeled and crushed garlic cloves. Add the salt, pepper, cumin seeds, and olive oil and toss the coat. Spread in a flat layer in a large baking dish and place in the middle rack of the oven. Bake for approximately 45 minutes, using a spatula at 25 minutes to flip the roasting vegetables. Depending on how thickly your sliced your vegetables and thinly they are spread out on the pan, they might cook faster or slower, so begin checking for desired browning, caramelization, and crispiness at 35 minutes. It could take as long as an hour.

All the ingredients tossed in a large bowl.

Lentil Beet Salad

Adapted from: Emily's Purloined Beet and Lentil Salad

3 cups green lentils, picked over and rinsed
5 cups chicken stock (best from Synergy chickens!)

6 medium beets, washed thoroughly, but not peeled!
8 Napoli carrots, chopped into 1/2'' cubes
1 medium onion, julienned
6 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp cumin
1/3 cup olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
20 basil leaves, torn

For mustard vinaigrette:
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
8 tbsp olive oil
3 tbsp cider vinegar
3 tbsp reserved roasting juice
salt and pepper to taste

Wash lentils well in cold water, removing stones and skins and discarding. Bring stock to a boil -- don't add salt of your lentils can become tough. Add in your lentils, boil for 2-3 minutes and then reduce heat to a simmer. Cook for approximately 45 minutes -- be sure to check after 30 minutes since you don't want these to become overdone and mushy!

Preheat your oven to 425 degrees. Place beets (sans greens, with skins), carrots, onion slices, and garlic into a baking dish. Top with olive oil, cumin, and salt and pepper and mix well to coat. Cover pan tightly with foil. Bake for about an hour without uncovering.

To make the mustard vinaigrette, put ingredients together in a jar and shake until emulsified, or whisk in a bowl.

Remove from oven and let cool. Pour off juice, reserving at least 3 tbsp of the bright red roasting juice. Peel and chop beets into 1/2'' cubes. Mix beets, carrots, lentils and onions together, then add vinaigrette, to taste.

Garnish with fresh basil leaves and serve at room temperature, or chill and serve cold for a refreshing side dish.

Basil starts keeping warm in the Synergy flathouse

Newly harvested Napoli carrots at the washing station

Arugula, Walnut, Feta Pesto

3 garlic cloves
1/3 lb Synergy arugula
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 cup feta
1/2 cup walnuts
salt to taste (~ 1/2 tsp, but depends on how salty the feta is)

Directions:
Blend all the ingredients in a food processor or blender. Feel free to add more olive oil to suit your texture preference. Season with salt and pepper.

As with other pestos, be sure to store in a container with a piece of plastic wrap directly on the surface, or add a layer of olive oil to the pesto to keep it from turning brown.

Enjoy on a piece of local bread, as a pizza topping, or as a light accompaniment to pasta.

Arugula's pepperiness pairs nicely with creamy feta and walnuts for a different take on traditional pesto

Parmesan Basil Balsamic Vinaigrette

Recipe from Gourmet Magazine

1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
3 tablespoons minced fresh basil
1/4 cup parmesan, finely grated
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 cup olive oil

Directions:
In a jar with a tight fitting screw top lid, place minced garlic, salt, vinegar, lemon juice, basil, parmesan, and pepper. Screw on top of jar tightly, then shake till completely combined. Open lid, add the oil and shake again, vigorously, till dressing is emulsified.

Use to dress lettuces or other salad greens. This dressing goes especially well with spinach and arugula.

Create a salad that is a combination of half spinach, half arugula, toasted walnuts, and some crumbled feta.

Creamy Basil Dressing

Synergy chicken tossed in Creamy Basil Dressing, served on a bed of lettuce leaves and sprinkled with toasted almonds.

On the farm, we first seed our basil in redwood flats before transplanting to a bed.

Based on a recipe from Gourmet Magazine

1 cup packed fresh Synergy basil
2 1/2 tablespoons chopped shallot
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
3 tablespoons safflower mayonnaise
6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

Directions:
Blend all ingredients in a blender until smooth.

Use as a dressing for salad of summer lettuces or sliced tomatoes or cold summer chicken salad.

Pure Cream of Tomato Soup

Based on a recipe from The Fannie Farmer Cookbook

5 tablespoons butter
3/4 cup chopped Synergy Stuttgarter onion
4 tablespoons flour
3 cups whole milk (or any combination of lowfat, whole, and cream)
1 bay leaf
1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
3 cups fresh, or canned Synergy tomatoes, chopped
1 tbsp tomato paste

Melt the butter in a soup pot. Add the onion and cook over medium heat, stirring, until the onion is softened but not browned.

Sprinkle the flour over the butter mixture and continue to stir and cook for 1 to 2 minutes. Slowly add the milk, bay leaf, sugar, and salt and continue to cook and stir until slightly thickened. Stir the baking soda into the tomatoes. Add the tomatoes and tomato paste to the milk, and bring just to a simmer.

Remove from the heat and put in a blender. Puree until smooth then put back in the soup pot and over medium-low heat.

Bring to a very gentle simmer and taste and correct seasonings. Let simmer till soup has reached desired thickness and intensity of flavor.

Serve hot or cold with a generous sprinkle of fresh ground black pepper.

Though the farms tomato plants are only about two feet tall with tiny green tomatoes at the beginning of June, we are able to enjoy a pure cream of tomato soup since we froze some of the prior years harvest in mason jars!

Garlic Scape Pesto

Garlic scapes.

Garlic Scape and Almond Pesto tossed with whole wheat spaghetti.

Recipe from Dorie Greenspan

10 Synergy garlic scapes, finely chopped
1/3 to 1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan
1/3 cup slivered almonds, toasted
About 1/2 cup olive oil
Sea salt

Put the scapes, 1/3 cup of the cheese, almonds and half the olive oil in the bowl of a food processor (or use a blender or a mortar and pestle). Whir to chop and blend all the ingredients and then add the remainder of the oil and, if you want, more cheese. If you like the texture, stop; if you'd like it a little thinner, add some more oil. Season with salt.

Store in a container with either a piece of plastic wrap pressed down to the surface of a layer of olive oil poured on the top surface to keep the pesto from oxidizing and turning green. It can be stored in the refrigerator for up to a week on the freezer till tomato season, as Dorie Greenspan suggests. Until then, toss it with some pasta for a refreshing, light dinner, or spread on a torn off piece of a fresh baguette as part of a picnic!

Harvesting ten scapes for this recipe.

Balsamic Onion Marmalade

Onions start as onion sets, which we sort through before planting.

Rows of Stuttgarter onions being planted in a bed.

Balsamic onion marmalade.

Adapted from 'wichcraft by Tom Colicchio with Sisha Ortuzar

1 tablespoon vegetable oil
4 medium Synergy Stuttggarter onions, thinly sliced (about 8 cups)
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/3 cup sugar
2/3 cup balsamic vinegar

Directions:
Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat until it slides easily across the pan. Add the onions, salt, and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 20 minutes, until the onions are soft. Add the sugar and reduce the heat to medium-low. Cook, stirring frequently, for about 10 minutes, until the onions appear dry. Add the vinegar and reduce the heat to low. Continue cooking, stirring occasionally, for about 1 hour, until the onions are soft and dry. Serve warm or at room temperature. Store the marmalade in the refrigerator. It will keep for several weeks.

Serving Suggestions:

• On a slice of Fig Anise bread from Cafe Demeter with Quail Croft goat cheese.
• In grilled cheese sandwiches.
• As a topping on a pizza with olive oil brushed dough, goat cheese, kale, eggs, black olives, salt and pepper.

Cafe Demeter Fig Anise bread, Quail Croft goat cheese, and balsamic onion marmalade.

Grilled cheese sandwiched on rye bread with cheddar cheese and balsamic onion marmalade.

Share local food gems

Farm Greens Frittata

1/2 lb seasonal Synergy greens of your choice
8 large Synergy pasture-raised eggs
3/4 cup Heritage Farm Raw Milk
3/4 cup grated cheddar cheese
1/2 medium Synergy Stuttgarter onion, diced finely
2 cloves Synergy garlic, minced finely
4 4-inch sprigs fresh rosemary
4 4-inch sprigs fresh thyme
salt & pepper to taste
Quail Croft Goat Cheese

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350.

Chop or tear your greens into bite sized pieces. The actual size is up to you and your mouth.

Beat eggs and milk in a bowl that's big enough for them. Add herbs (don't forget to get rid of stems or anything else you wouldn't want to bite into) and your cheese.

Add olive oil to a frying pan big enough for the greens. When it's hot, saute the onions and garlic until fragrant and the onions are translucent (4 or 5 minutes). If you're using two kinds of greens like chard and spinach, add in the "hardier" ones first (e.g. the chard) so they have a little more time to cook. Cook the greens till they're all evenly wilted (they should reduce in volume by 3x or more).

Pour those yummy greens in a buttered 9x11 pyrex dish or baking pan. Pour the eggy mix on top and stir so the greens are evenly distributed. Dollop on goat cheese or other delicious cheesy topping.

Bake for 10-12 minutes at 350 on a middle rack, or until you can see the sides of your frittata are browning. Then move to a top rack and turn on the broiler. Keep it in another 2-3 minutes, checking often because it's easy to burn it quick!

Remove from the oven, and cut into generous squares.

Spinach in the spinner on harvest day at Synergy

Rhubarb Crisp

2 lbs rhubarb chopped into 1/2 inch pieces
1/2 cup Bill's Honey
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup brown sugar
4 ounces cold unsalted butter (1 stick) cut into 1/2 inch cubes.
1 cup sliced almonds

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

For the rhubarb base layer, place the 2 lbs of rhubarb into a 11 x 7 inch baking dish and stir in the honey. Then sprinkle 1/2 cup of flour over the rhubarb and stir to coat.

For the crisp topping, cut the butter into 1 cup of flour in a mixing bowl. Just use your fingers to rub the butter into the flour until pea sized chunks of butter remain. Then stir in the sugar and almonds. Sprinkle topping over the rhubarb base. Bake for 45 min to 1 hour.

Serving suggestions:

• Serve with a scoop of Lopez Creamery vanilla ice cream.
• Drizzle whipping cream over the serving of crisp.
• If you are a fan of tart, dollop some plain yogurt on top.
  

Variations:

• Add 2 tbsps chopped crystallized ginger and 2 tsps powdered ginger into the crisp topping.
• Add 1 tbsp chopped rosemary or 1 tbsp lavender buds into the rhubarb base layer.

Rhubarb coated in honey and sugar. (We don't have a 7 x 11 dish, so these two baking dish were our substitute.)

Almond crisp topping sprinkled on top of the rhubarb base. Note the visible chunks of butter.

Island Products, by product name

We try to update this regularly. If you have a favorite island gem that you'd like to see on this list, fill out this form or send us an email.

Bread

Cafe Demeter -- Fresh Sourdough Breads & Bagels, Handmade Pastries, soup, pizza, quiche produced by proprietor Pam Stewart, available at the bakery on Nichols Street in Friday Harbor and on Saturdays at the Friday Harbor Farmers Market.

Cheese

Quailcroft Goat Cheese -- available from Alayne Sundberg at multiple island locations including the Friday Harbor Farmers Market, the San Juan Food Coop, and the Synergy Farm Store.

Herbs

Friday Harbor Farmers Market -- Fresh herbs and herb starts are available from multiple vendors at the Friday Harbor Farmers Market, Saturdays from May to October in the court house parking lot from 10am to 1pm.

Synergy Farm Store -- Fresh herbs are available on a seasonal basis at the Synergy Farm Store, open year–round, Wednesday through Friday, noon to 7 p.m. Contact us to be added to our customer mailing list!

Honey

Bill's Honey -- available from Guard Sundstrom at the Friday Harbor Farmers Market, at the San Juan Food Coop, and the Synergy Farm Store.

Ice Cream

Lopez Island Creamery -- Lopez Island ice cream available at many island locations including the Market Place, King's Market, the San Juan Food Coop, and the Synergy Farm Store.

Meat

Island Grown Farmers Coop (IGFC) -- Pork, lamb, and beef from local farmers including Guard Sundstrom, Rob Waldron, and Mitchell Bay Farm and Nursery, processed by the IGFC and available at the Friday Harbor Farmers Market, San Juan Food Coop, and the Synergy Farm Store

Milk

Heritage Farm Raw Milk -- available direct from Heritage Farm.

Pasta

San Juan Pasta Company -- Fresh pasta made locally from natural ingredients available at the States Inn Ranch Store, the Friday Harbor Farmers Market, and the San Juan Food Coop,

Rhubarb

Friday Harbor Farmers Market -- Rhubarb is available from multiple vendors at the Friday Harbor Farmers Market, Saturdays in the summer from 10am to 1pm.

Synergy Farm Store -- Rhubarb is available on a seasonal basis at the Synergy Farm Store, open year–round, Wednesday through Friday, noon to 7 p.m. Contact us to be added to our customer mailing list!

Synergy Farm season-by-season