July 26,
2005
Saison d'Etre:
The season is proving to be a heck of a growing year!
We will be having our Mid-Season CSA Potluck on Wednesday, August 10th! Come hang out with us and other CSA members and eat some fresh Arcana sweet corn. Look for invitations in the mail in the next week or so.
Field conditions—Luis would like to pass on the news that, although it has been a fabulous growing season for many things, the heat has been very hard on the mesclun and head lettuces. He’s doing his best to keep the harvest coming, but there may be a lettuceless spell.
Current & Upcoming harvests—we have been harvesting garlic, and now have a large amount of amazing looking garlic curing in the barn.
Look for the mid-season survey next week! We greatly appreciate your responses, and try to address any issues for the rest of the season based on the feedback we get from you.
Chelsea Clark — CSA Outreach
This Weeks Harvest:
Beets, blueberries, broccoli, brussels sprouts, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, cilantro, cucumbers, eggplant, garlic, kohlrabi, mesclun, scallions, summer squash, tomatoes
U-Pick
Nothing this week
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The Recipes:
For something different this week, I thought the plentiful harvest might do well used in some Indian recipes. I hope you enjoy!
Zucchini in Sweet Milk Sauce with Chili Flakes
An unusually flavored dish from Tanjore, India.
1 pound tender young zucchini, or other summer squash
1 cup milk
3 TBS brown sugar
1/2 tsp. coarse salt
2 tsp. cornstarch dissolved in 2 TBS milk or water
1-2 TBS light sesame oil or light vegetable oil
1/2 tsp. black mustard seeds
3/4 tsp. split white gram beans (urad dal)
4 dry red chili pods, broken into bits (discard seeds for a milder flavor)
1. Scrub the zucchini clean under cold running water and wipe dry. Cut them into 1/4-inch-thick slices. Steam zucchini and set aside.
2. Mix the milk, brown sugar, and salt in a 3-quart pan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Add the cornstarch solution and cook stirring constantly, until the vegetables are heated through. Turn off the heat.
3. Heat the oil in a small frying pan over high heat until very hot. Add the mustard seeds. Keep a pot lid handy, as the seeds may spatter and fly all over. When the seeds begin to spatter, add the gram beans. When the beans turn light brown and the seeds stop spattering, add the chili pieces. Shake the pan a few times to make sure all the chili pieces are coated with hot oil, then immediately pour the contents of the pan over the vegetable sauce mixture. Stir to mix the ingredients and serve.
Cucumber and Peanut Salad, Maharashtrian-Style
2 pounds cucumbers
1/3 cup roasted peanuts (salted or unsalted), ground to a fine powder
3 TBS chopped fresh cilantro
1/2 TBS chopped fresh mint leaves (optional)
2 tsp. sugar
Juice of 1 small lemon
For the spice-perfumed butter:
2 TBS usli ghee (or vegetable oil)
3/4 tsp. black mustard seeds
3/4 tsp. cumin seeds
1/4 tsp. ground asafetida
1/8 tsp. turmeric
8 hot green chilies, shredded
Coarse salt to taste
1. Peel the cucumbers and cut them in half. Using a spoon, scrape out the seeds. Grate the cucumbers, using the coarse blade of a grater or food processor. Put the cucumber in a colander and squeeze hard to extract any excess moisture, and pout it in a bowl. Add the next five ingredients and toss well.
2. Heat the usli ghee in a small frying pan over high heat. When it is very hot add the mustard seeds. Keep a pot lid handy, as the seeds may spatter and fly all over. As the seeds are spattering, add the cumin and continue cooking until mixture turns several shades darker (15-20 seconds). Add the asafetida, turmeric, and chilies, shake the pan for a few seconds, and pour the entire contents of the pan over the cucumber. Add salt, and toss well to coat the vegetables with spices. Serve immediately.
Quick Glazed Carrot Halwa
1 stick sweet butter
1/4 cup whole milk ricotta cheese
1/4 cup nonfat dry milk powder
1/4 cup blanched slivered almonds
1 tablespoon chopped pistachios
1 pound packed shredded or grated carrots
2 TBS sugar
1/2 tsp. ground cardamom
1. Melt 3 TBS of the butter in a skillet. Add the ricotta and dry milk, mix it in, and cook over medium-high heat to a thick paste (about 10 minutes), stirring constantly. Transfer the mixture to a small plate and set aside.
2. Wipe the skillet clean and add 1 tablespoon of the butter along with the almonds. Cook over medium-high heat until the almonds turn light golden (about 2 minutes), turning and tossing constantly. Drain the almonds on paper towels and set aside for garnish. Add the pistachios to the same skillet and cook until they become crisp (about 1 minute). Drain the pistachios on paper towels and set aside separately.
3. Wipe the skillet clean and add 3 tablespoons butter and place over medium-high heat. When the butter melts, add carrots and stir-fry until they are well coated with butter. Reduce heat to medium or medium-low, cover, and cook for 8 minutes or until the carrots are cooked but not mushy. Add sugar and cardamom and cook until the carrots are glazed (about 5 minutes), stirring constantly.
4. Blend in the milk-cheese past and continue cooking and adding the remaining butter in small portions, until the halwa looks thick and glazed (10-12 minutes). Turn off the heat and stir in the pistachios.
These recipes were adapted from Classic Indian Vegetarian and Grain Cooking by Julie Sahni.
Sunflower Seed and Scape Pesto
6 garlic scapes, tips
1 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 small head of leaf lettuce, chopped
1/4 cup parsley
1/4 cup sunflower seeds
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
Salt and freshly ground pepper
Chop the scapes into small pieces. Blend briefly with 1/2 cup of the olive oil. Add lettuce with parsley. Process until blended. Gradually add remaining oil. Transfer mixture to a small bowl; stir in sunflower seeds, cheese, salt and pepper.
~Shared by a CSA member
Old-Fashioned Brined Dill Pickles
10-14 whole picking cucumbers, approximately 2 inches, scrubbed
3 sprigs dill
2 cloves garlic
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
Cold water
1. Pack sterilized jar with the cucumbers, dill, and garlic, alternating in layers, leaving 1/4 inch headspace.
2. Pour lemon juice over cucumbers. Fill jar with cold water
3. Seal and and refrigerate. These will keep at least 6 weeks. Serve and enjoy!
Sauteed Summer Squash with Polenta Crostini
1 lb small green and yellow summer squash
1 TBS olive oil
1-2 large garlic cloves, tinly sliced lengthwise
12-15 tender rosemary leaves
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Finely grated lemon zest
Rosemary sprigs, to garnish
For the polenta crostini:
3/4 cup polenta
1/2 tsp. Salt
Olive oil, for brushing
1. Put the polenta and salt in a saucepan and stir in 2 cups water. Bring to a boil, stirring all the time. Simmer for about 10 minutes, still stirring, until the mixture comes away from the sided of the pan. Pour into a roasting pan about 7 inches square, leveling the surface with a wet palette knife, and leave to cool. When ready to serve, cut the polenta into neat rectangles or triangles. Brush with oil and place under a preheated hot broiler for about 12-15 minutes until golden and crisp, turning halfway through. Set aside and keep warm.
2. Cut elongated squash into 1/2 inch diagonal slices. Slice patty pans vertically, in half if they are very small, or in thickish slices if slightly bigger.
3. Heat the oil in a heavy-bottomed nonstick skillet (or a ridged cast-iron one). Add the squash in a single layer and fry over moderate to high heat for 3 minutes, until the underside is lightly flecked with brown. Turn them carefully with tongs, add the garlic and rosemary, and fry for 2-3 minutes more, taking care that the garlic doesn ot burn. Remove from the heat and sprinkle with sea sal, a grinding of black pepper, and a little bit of lemon zest.
4. Place two pieces of polenta on each individual plate, add the squash and garlic, and garnish with a rosemary sprig.
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