Its that time of the year, when the summer heat starts to give way to the cooler days of fall. If you are a local farmer like Mary Roberts at Windcrest Certified Organic Farm in Monroe NC, Sarah Jane and Jamie Davis at A Way of Life Farm in Bostic, NC Ben Geiger at Garden Window farm in Denton NC or Casey and Tori Ostwinch at Honey Tree Farm in Conover NC the fall of the year means that the official start of ginger season is right around the corner!
I first learned about locally grown ginger from Mary Roberts back in the early 2000’s.
Mary planted her first crop of certified organic ginger using organic seed from Hawaii in 2011. I am delighted to say I was there the day they dug up that first hand of ginger and was as delighted as anyone in the greenhouse that day to see the success of that harvest. I couldn’t be more pleased to see how Mary’s ginger business has continued to grow. That first year the harvest was small, it was an experiment to see if it could be done and if there was a market – Yes and Yes!
A Hand of Locally Grown Ginger to Call Your Own
With 1000s of pounds of local ginger in the ground this time of year, you’d think there would be plenty for everyone, but this is a coveted crop that goes fast once harvest begins. Chefs and caterers are already placing preorders with farmers and you can too!
How the locally grown Ginger begins
Most ginger farmers in this area plant the seed in January, keeping them warm and comfy in the greenhouses until they are big enough to transplant. The growing season is nearly 10 months long, but about this time of year, the plants begin to really shoot up first just one long main shoot which comes straight up from what as known as the “mother” and then as smaller nodules or fingers of ginger start to develop.
Farmers know when to harvest by the looking at the height of the leaves and the number of shoots coming up from the mother root to form what is called a hand of ginger. The “fingers” may be broken off and sold separately or the hand may be sold in one large piece.
The baby ginger root is tender and pink and not quite as spicy as its older counterpart which will start to develop a thicker brown skin as it ages. Baby ginger and older ginger may be use interchangeably in recipes.
Speaking of recipes, here is one of my favorites recently showcased on WCNC’s Charlotte Today . Watch it through and then scroll down to for the complete recipe for my Sesame Ginger Tuna Burgers and slaw.
Watch the Video on Cooking with Local Baby Ginger
Heidi’s Ginger Sesame Tuna Burgers with Ginger Slaw
1 lb. fresh sushi-grade tuna fillet
2 Tbs. chopped fresh cilantro
2 Tbs. finely chopped red onion or scallion
1 Tbsp. mayonnaise
1 Tbsp. sesame oil
2 Tbsp. minced fresh Windcrest Farm Organic baby ginger
Sea Love Sea Salt and Heidi’s Homemade Pepper Blend
1 Tbsp. dark sesame oil + 1 Tbsp. Olive Crate Kores Estate EVOO for frying
Cut the tuna into 1-inch chunks and pulse in a food processor until just chopped, about 4 quick pulses – so that it looks like coarse ground beef. Gently stir in the cilantro, onion, mayonnaise, sesame oil, local baby ginger, salt & pepper. Shape the tuna into 4 burgers.
This may be done up to 3-4 hours ahead of time.
Heat the sesame and olive oils in a large skillet or griddle. Cook the tuna 1-2 minutes on each side – finished burgers will bel nicely browned on both sides but still have a pink center
Serve on a bun or on a bed of letter with sliced ripe tomato and Heidi’s Sesame Ginger Slaw ( recipe follows).
Heidi Billotto’s Recipe for Local Baby Ginger Slaw with Sesame Oil
½ head organic or local green cabbage
2 organic carrots, cut into Julienne shreds
¼ cup minced parsley
2-3 Tbsp. fresh grated local baby ginger
For the dressing:
3 Tbsp. minced onion
3 Tbsp. sesame oil
2 Tbsp. Olive Crate certified organic strawberry balsamic vinegar
3 Tbsp. finely minced local baby ginger
2 Tbsp. ketchup
1 Tbsp. Mushroom-flavored soy sauce ( Heidi likes Best Boy Brand available at any Asian grocery store)
1/2 clove minced garlic (optional)
Sea Love Sea Salt and Heidi’s Hot pepper blend to taste
Shred cabbage and combine in a bowl with the julienne carrot and minced parsley.
Make the dressing by Combining the onion, sesame oil, strawberry balsamic vinegar, local baby ginger, ketchup, soy sauce, garlic, salt and pepper in a blender or food processor and process until combined.
Toss with the shredded vegetables and serve on top of the tuna burgers.
Variations: use shredded Brussels Sprouts in place of or in addition to the cabbage
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