Even though we love living That Chalkboard Life here in Los Angeles, sometimes the rush hour traffic and take-out windows have us yearning to escape the city vibes for a more rural atmosphere. Thank goodness Andrea Bemis fell into our laps earlier this year, letting us live vicariously through her each month on TCM as she shares what it’s like to run a farm for a living.
Andrea is the face behind Dishing Up The Dirt as well as Tumbleweed Farm, an Oregon farmer’s market and restaurant-serving farm she runs with her husband. Tumbleweed Farm is also a CSA – meaning springtime is when the hustle and bustle starts! This month, she’s giving us a peek into one of her busiest time of the year – and sharing her CSA box’s recipe for the Miso Vegetable Rice Bowls that keep her sane and satisfied after a long day’s work!
My husband and I run a small community supported agriculture (CSA) farm and springtime is a hectic season of anticipation and work. Our farm has officially woken up from a long winter’s nap and is more demanding than ever. The spring weather always brings challenges as it tends to be inconsistent (don’t get me started on our local weatherman!). We’re trying to keep up with daily chores and our bodies are sore and beat up. This happens every spring but for some reason we always forget how hard it is to get back into the swing of things after a slow winter on the farm.
The good news is that spring greens are starting to pop up and our greenhouses are quickly filling up with new varieties of vegetables each week. We’re busy tilling up new areas of the fields so we can start transplanting outside and we feel anxious and excited that our 2015 season is officially underway.
Because we run a CSA farm and sell to a local farmers markets, we rely heavily on a small local crowd for our livelihood. When we deliver our CSA boxes each week, we always include a few recipe ideas to keep our members inspired in the kitchen. It’s been a great way to share our love of farm-to-table recipes with our members and strangers alike. These miso vegetable rice bowls were a highlight after a long day of chores on our farm. I hope you all enjoy this simple meal as much as we do. Run to your local farmers market to pick out your produce and whip these up. A miso veggie rice bowl tastes best with a glass of your favorite wine and some good company. Cheers!
Miso Cauliflower & Snap Pea Rice Bowls
serves 4
Ingredients:
For the bowl:
1 cup uncooked black rice
3-4 small white turnips, cut into ½ inch chunks
1 small head of cauliflower, trimmed and cut into small florets
1 lb of sugar snap peas
1 Tbsp olive oil
4 radishes, thinly sliced
1 small bunch of cilantro, roughly chopped
¼ cup sesame seeds (a mix of black and white)
For the miso sauce:
1 Tbsp minced fresh ginger
2 scallions, minced (white and light green parts only)
2 Tbsp white miso
1 Tbsp tahini
1 ½ Tbsp pure maple syrup
1 Tbsp low-sodium soy sauce
¼ cup rice vinegar
small pinch of crushed red pepper flakes
1 Tbsp toasted sesame oil
2-3 Tbsp water
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 425F.
Cook the rice according to the specific brands instructions.
Toss the turnips, cauliflower and sugar snap peas with the olive oil. Place on a prepared baking sheet and roast in the oven until the vegetables are browned and tender. About 20-25 minutes. Toss the veggies halfway through cooking. If the snap peas begin to burn, remove them from the oven with tongs a little earlier.
Prepare the sauce by combining all the ingredients and whisking until smooth. This works best with an immersion blender or small food processor. Taste test and adjust seasonings if need be.
Divide the rice between bowls and top with roasted veggies, sliced radishes, cilantro, sesame seeds and drizzle with the sauce.
