By john
 Bruschetta is one of those comfort foods that is simple to make, healthy and oh so tasty. Historically, bruschetta is just grilled bread flavored with garlic and olive oil with a pinch of salt. Regional and modern variations add toppings. Like any recipe, the better your ingredients the better your result. And what better ingredients than fresh produce directly from your own garden or local farm stand.
The pictured bruschetta at left modifies the basic recipe by adding blanched kale and black olives. Later this week, when we harvest our first eggplant, we will saute thin slices in olive oil and garlic. Regardless of what topping you choose, the one common ingredient to all bruschetta, and the most important, is the bread. Use a hearty, crusty bread such as Trader Joe’s Tuscan Pane.
| mediaOrganic’s Garden Fresch Bruschetta
ingredients
slices of your favorite hearty bread
garden fresh tomatoes, seeded and diced
onion, diced
fresh basil, chopped
salt
olive oil
garlic clove, whole
grated parmagiano reggiano
a hot grill, stovetop grill pan or panini press
To make the topping mix the tomato, onion, basil, salt and olive oil together in a bowl and let sit while you prepare the bread. Lightly brush the bread slices on both sides with olive oil and grill until nicely toasted with grill marks on both sides. Rub the garlic clove on one side of each toast slice. Top with your tomato mixture and sprinkle the grated cheese over the top. |
By john
 A perfectly smoked beef brisket is a beautiful thing. It’s not terribly difficult, but achieving that perfect balance of flavors, textures and tender juicy beefiness can take some practice and some patience. Our mediaOrganic brisket starts with a simple dry rub of equal parts salt, black pepper, garlic powder, paprika and brown sugar; a 1/4 cup of each will give you plenty of rub for one brisket. Now there are more variations on dry rubs than you can possibly imagine however the basic flavor science at work here is to create a balanced combination of salt, sweet, savory and heat (look for more about dry rub science in a later post).
For the brisket, it is best to find one that has a nice even layer of fat on the one side. Brisket is a cut of meat from the breast or lower chest of the cow and is generally very lean except for this surface fat. Do not remove the fat; it will help to keep the meat moist and flavorful as it slow cooks. Sprinkle the rub evenly on both sides of the brisket, rubbing it in gently until every part of the brisket is lightly coated. Completely wrap the rubbed brisket in plastic or foil and store in the refrigerator overnight.
 I usually plan on 6-8 hours for cooking a brisket. Brisket is a pretty tough piece of meat and, like pot roast, requires long, slow cooking. It will be fully cooked through after just two hours but it will be tough, tough tough. You need those extra hours to break down the connective tissue so plan to start early. I use an electric wet smoker because I don’t have to tend it, I just set it up at 10 AM and return to it around 5 PM. This is where the practice and the patience kick in as you learn to use your equipment and senses to get the results you find most appealing. This is one skill I don’t mind practicing at all. 
By john
 Ponzu is a citrus-based sauce commonly used in Japan and is generally available in Asian markets. It is often combined with soy sauce and makes a perfect paring with pork. This recipe is so simple there is no recipe. Simply marinate pork chops in ponzu in a Zip Loc bag for a half hour or more prior to grilling. The combination of the salty, citrusy ponzu and the smoky grill is sublime. Sear both sides of the pork chop and then move to the indirect side of the grill, covering the grill for about 10 minutes (depending upon thickness of the chops) until they are done. After you take the chops off the grill, don’t forget to cover them with foil and let them “rest” so they reabsorb all of their juices. So simple, so satisfying.
By phyllis
 What? What’s a garlic scape? Well, when a hardneck garlic variety reaches it final growth phase it sends up a curly shoot called a scape. This is basically the garlic flower head and they need to be removed to force the plant to put more energy into making a bigger bulb. Scapes are edible and I like to use them for Garlic Scape Pesto. They have a wonderful flavor that is a cross between garlic and scallion that is just delicious! After garlic is dug up it needs to cure for several weeks and the scapes are an early treat until we can cook with the bulbs.
Garlic Scape Pesto:
1 cup garlic scapes (about 8 or 9 scapes), cut into ¼-inch slices
1/3 cup walnuts
¾ cup olive oil
¼-1/2 cup grated parmigiano or grana padana
½ teaspoon salt
black pepper to taste
Method:
Place scapes and walnuts in the bowl of a food processor and whiz until well combined and somewhat smooth. Slowly drizzle in oil and process until integrated. With a rubber spatula, scoop pesto out of bowl and into a mixing bowl. Add cheese to taste; add salt and pepper. Makes about 6 ounces of pesto. Keeps for up to one week in an air-tight container in the refrigerator.
For ½ pound short pasta such as penne, add about 2 tablespoons of pesto to cooked pasta and stir until pasta is well coated
About Us mediaOrganic is located on 3/4 of an acre in Westwood, Norfolk County, Massachusetts, a community of about 15,000 residents outside of Boston. We are firmly ensconced in zone 6 with a lovely mix of microclimates that allows us grow a broad mix of plants.
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Bruschetta is one of those comfort foods that is simple to make, healthy and oh so tasty. Historically, bruschetta is just grilled bread flavored with garlic and olive oil with a pinch of salt. Regional and modern variations add toppings. Like any recipe, the better your ingredients the better your result. And what better ingredients than fresh produce directly from your own garden or local farm stand. 
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