email this page"Since I could see the hogs from my bedroom window,
I planned to turn on the fountain and lights from my bed and watch
the pigs romp in the colored water. The lights were going to be purple, yellow
and magenta. Even though I knew that a hog fountain needed
four lights, I never determined the color of the fourth light."
— Farmer John Peterson
John Peterson started farming at the age of seven, taking care of chickens and milking cows on his family’s farm in northern Illinois. For a time, he quit farming a moved to Mexico to write and live the life of an artist. But farming was in his blood. He returned in the 1980s and started Angelic Organics (www.angelicorganics.com), one of the largest Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) programs in the nation. As he explains, the CSA "is a new socioeconomic form in which the farmer and consumer enter into a sort of partnership, an alliance to take care of each other’s needs."
Providing fresh organic vegetables to more than 1,200 families in the Chicago area, Farmer John and Angelic Organics have also produced Farmer John’s Cookbook: The Real Dirt on Vegetables. The recipes offered here are adapted from this book, available from Gibbs Smith, Publishers, www.gibbs-smith.com, (800) 748-5439.
Puffy Endive Frittata
Ingredients
1 large red or white onion, thinly sliced
1 head curly endive, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
8 eggs
4 tablespoons finely chopped fresh herbs (any combination of parsley, basil, cilantro or thyme)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 cup grated Gruyere cheese
2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese, divided
2. Add endive; cook, stirring occasionally, until tender and the moisture has cooked off, about 10 minutes. Add garlic.
3. Lightly beat eggs in a large bowl. Stir in herbs, salt and pepper. Pour egg mixture into the skillet. Add Gruyère and 1 tablespoon Parmesan.
4. Preheat broiler.
5. Cook mixture in the skillet over very low heat without stirring until eggs are set on top but still moist, about 10 minutes. Remove skillet from heat.
6. Sprinkle remaining Parmesan on top. Place skillet under broiler; broil until lightly browned on top, about 1 minute.
7. Remove skillet from broiler. Slice frittata into wedges and serve. Wrap any leftovers and store at room temperature up to one day. Serves 6.
Recipe adapted from Farmer John's Cookbook: The Real Dirt on Vegetables (Gibbs Smith, Publisher, www.gibbs-smith.com, 2006), “Relish the American Farmer,” August 2006
Cantaloupe and Tomato Salad with Mint
2 small tomatoes, cut into thin wedges (about 1 cup)
1/2 cup cucumber, peeled, seeded and diced (about 1 cup)
1 large celery rib, diced (about 3/4 cup)
1 cup plain yogurt
1/2 cup chopped fresh mint, plus more for garnish
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
2 teaspoons honey
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2. Whisk yogurt, mint, vinegar, honey and lemon juice in a small bowl. Pour about half over salad and toss until well combined. Add more dressing according to your taste. Season with salt and pepper. Garnish with mint leaves. Serves 4.
Recipe adapted from Farmer John's Cookbook: The Real Dirt on Vegetables (Gibbs Smith, Publisher, www.gibbs-smith.com, 2006), “Relish the American Farmer,” August 2006.
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- Farmers Museum
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- Find a CSA Farm in Your Area
- The Real Ratatouille
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