Lacto-fermented vegetables are pickled in a simple brine of water, salt, and sometimes whey, plus spices as you like — no vinegar.

Recipe by Karen Killebrew, adapted from Frog Bottom Farm
(1 pint – doubles easily)

Ingredients:
as many okra (washed and stems cut off) as will fit in a pint jar
1-2 cloves garlic, smashed with the broad side of a chef’s knife and peeled
½ tablespoon sea salt or pickling salt (any salt without anti-caking agents)
2 tablespoons whey
½ cup + water
any spices or seasonings you like – we like red pepper flakes, coriander, cumin, garlic, and mustard seed

Instructions:
Wash the okra and stuff it, along with the garlic, into your pint jar. Pack it in there really tight; you don’t want any pieces to float above the brine when you add it. Make sure there’s about an inch of headroom between the top of the okra and the top of the jar.
Combine the rest of the ingredients and pour over the okra. Gently turn the jar back and forth during the first day or so of fermenting, to help the salt dissolve.)
Add a bit more water if necessary to cover the okra completely; lacto-fermentation is an anaerobic process, and if any vegetables are exposed above the brine, you risk either mold or mushy vegetables.
Cover and keep at room temperature for 3-4 days, until bubbles begin to form and the okra is as sour as you like it. Taste it after 2 days; if you like how it tastes, put it in the fridge. If you want it to be more sour, give it another day or two before putting it in the fridge. Lasts several months.

Cat­e­gory: Main Dish

Plac­er­Grown ingre­di­ents used: Lamb, Meyer Lemons, Onions

Ingre­di­ents:

• 3/4 cup butter
• 1 medium onion (chopped)
• 1 cup veg­etable stock
• 1 lemon sliced very thin and seeded
• 1 tsp. caraway
• 2 tsp. marjoram
• 1 clove garlic
• 2 lbs. Fresh lamb — shoul­der or ribs (cut into 1 1/2 inch cubes)

Instruc­tions:
In a large skil­let saute onion in but­ter until soft over medium high heat, add stock and lemon slices, bring to a boil. Mean­while mash in a mor­tar; car­away, mar­jo­ram and gar­lic then add to skil­let along with lamb. Cover and sim­mer for 1 1/2 hours. Serve over but­tered, wide egg noo­dles, gar­nish with grated lemon rind. Serves 2 to 4.

-6 lbs. RougeVif d’etampes, Musque de Provence or other pumpkin, seeds removed and cut into wedges for roasting
-3 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
-1/4 cup unsalted butter
-2 leeks, green tops removed, washed well and sliced crosswise
-1 medium carrot, peeled and thinly sliced
-2 ribs celery, thinly sliced
-3 cloves garlic, minced (optional)
-salt and pepper, to taste
-1/2 cup heavy cream (optional)
-4 oz (1 stick) unsalted butter, for browning
-zest and juice of 1 mandarin

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.  Arrange the pumpkin wedges on a large baking sheet and toss with 2 Tbsp of olive oil.  Season with salt and pepper and roast, turning once, until pumpkin is soft – about 30 minutes.  Remove from oven and cool slightly.  Scoop pumpkin flesh from the skin and set aside.

In a large soup pot over medium flame, heat the remaining olive oil and butter until butter is melted.  Add the leeks and garlic (if using), celery and carrot and cook, stirring occasionally, until leeks are soft and fragrant, about 15 minutes.  Add the cooked squash and enough chicken or vegetable stock to barely cover vegetables.  Bring the pot to a boil, then reduce to a simmer.  Cook until all vegetables are very soft, about 30 minutes.  Puree soup in a blender in batches and return to the pot.  Adjust seasoning and add cream, if using.

While soup is cooking, heat the remaining 4 oz. butter in a medium saute pan or sautior over high heat.  Allow the milk solids to begin to caramelize on the bottom of the pan.  Once the butter begins to smell “nutty,” remove from the heat and immediately add the mandarin juice and zest.  Season to taste with salt and pepper and keep in a warm spot until ready to use.

Heat soup back to a simmer and serve!