August 2,
2005
Mid-season Survey
Today we will be giving you a mid-season survey. Please take a moment to fill it out for us, as we use it to help us plan for the remainder of the season as well as for the next. We try to make our choices about the CSA directly reflect the feedback we get from you! Please bring your survey back to us at next weeks pick-up.
We will be having our Mid-Season CSA Potluck on Wednesday, August 10th!
Just in time for corn! Mark your calendar!
The U-pik area is starting to come on, as you can see by our u-pik harvest list below. Greg says there won’t be very many beans, as they didn’t germinate well, but there will be a lot of other goodies to come!
Chelsea Clark — CSA Outreach
This Weeks Harvest:
Beets, blueberries, brussels sprouts, cabbage, carrots, cucumbers, dill heads (for pickle making), eggplant, garlic, head lettuce, herb bouquets (for roasting chicken or vegetables), peppers, scallions, summer squash, tomatoes
U-Pick
yellow beans, picking cucumbers, yellow squash, sun gold tomatoes, basil, dill, flowers
back to top
THE RECIPES:
Cold Cucumber Soup
4 Large cucumbers
4 scallions (white only) -- sliced
2 Tbsp. butter
1 Tbsp. salad oil
2 1/2 C. chicken broth
2 Tbsp. flour
1/2 C. milk
1 1/2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice -- strained
2 Tbsp. dried dill weed
1/2 Tbsp. salt or to taste
1/4 Tbsp. white pepper
2 C. sour cream
chopped chives
Peel, seed and slice the cucumbers. In a heavy 10 to
12-inch skillet, saute the cucumbers and scallions in the
heated butter and oil for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Stir in the flour and cook slowly for 3 to 4 minutes,
stirring frequently. In a 2 quart saucepan, heat the chicken
broth and milk and stir this slowly into the cucumber mixture.
Add the strained lemon juice, dill weed, salt and pepper.
Simmer gently, stirring for about 10 minutes, until thickened.
Put into blender until smooth. Put the soup into a large
mixing bowl. Cool completely. Add sour cream, taste for
seasoning. Cover and refrigerate for at least 6 hours. Serve
in chilled soup bowls, garnished with chopped
chives.
Gazpacho with Scallion Swizzles
(makes 8 servings)
2 1/2 pounds vine-ripened tomatoes
1 large cucumber, peeled, halved lengthwise
1 medium, red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1 small red onion, peeled and chopped
1 large clove garlic, minced
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon olive oil
3 cups low-sodium chilled vegetable juice cocktail
2 cups chicken or beef broth
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon liquid hot pepper sauce or to taste
salt (optional) and freshly ground pepper
8 scallions, cleaned and trimmed, leaving about 3
1. With a sharp knife, cut a small X in the bottom of each tomato. Put a large pot of water on the stove to boil. Once boiling, dip a tomato into the boiling water for 10 seconds, then plunge into a bowl of ice water. Repeat until all tomatoes have been dipped. Once cool enough to handle, slip off the skins, cut in half, and remove the seeds using a tiny spoon.
2. Coarsely chop the tomatoes and place in a food processor or blender along with the cucumber, bell pepper, red onion, garlic, and red wine vinegar. Pulse until the vegetables are finely minced.
3. Transfer mixture to a large bowl and stir in remaining ingredients except scallions. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight.
4. Using a sharp knife, cut the green ends of the scallions into thin lengthwise strips, leaving the white bulb intact. Place in ice water and cover until green ends have curled. Drain and store in a self-sealing plastic bag.
5. When ready to transport to the picnic site, stir the gazpacho. Taste, adding salt, if using, and freshly ground pepper to taste. Transfer to a chilled thermos. Pack the bag of scallion swizzles in the iced cooler.
6. When ready to serve, pour the gazpacho into 8 plastic cups, adding a scallion swizzle to each serving.
Cabbage, Carrots, and Onions with Sesame
6 tbsp. sesame seeds
3/4 tsp. salt
3 tbsp. toasted sesame oil
1 bunch green onions
1 lg. carrot thinly sliced
1 head green cabbage, coarsely chopped
Combine the sesame seeds and salt in a blender. Grind until they achieve the consistency of coarse meal. This is called gomasio or sesame salt. Set aside. Heat a medium-sized wok or large deep skillet. Add the sesame oil and the onions. Stir-fry over med-high heat for a couple of minutes. Add about a tablespoon of the gomasio. Keep stir-frying until the onions are soft and translucent (5-8 minutes). Add carrots and the cabbage, and sprinkle in about half the remaining gomasio. Keep stir- frying until everything is tender (another 10-15 minutes). Sprinkle in the remaining gomasio, and serve. Serves 4
Still Life with Menu, Mollie Katzen
Boiled Beets and Wilted Beet Greens w/ Garlic & Lemon
This sauce utilizes both the beets and their leafy tops, so freshness is paramount. Boiled and diced beets are added to a simple sauce of tender beet greens wilted in garlic and olive oil. A splash of lemon juice helps balance the sweetness in the beets, as does the gentle bitterness of the greens themselves.
4 medium beets with their leafy greens
1 tsp. Salt, plus some to taste
1/4 cup olive oil
4 cloves garlic
1 1/2 tbsp. fresh lemon juice
1 lb. pasta (best choice: fusilli or other short, curly shape)
. Bring 4 quarts of salted water to a boil in a large pot for cooking the pasta.
2. Slice the beet stems where the leaves begin and set the leaves aside. Trim all but the last inch of the stems from the beets themselves. Trim any dangling roots and wash the beets to remove any dirt. The trimmed beets should weigh about 1 pound. (Julias note: if you have a beet or 2 left over, they are good grated raw into a salad.)
3. Place the beets in a medium saucepan and cover with water. Bring the water to a boil and add salt to taste. Simmer until the beets are tender enough so that a metal skewer slides easily through them, about 25 minutes. Drain the beets and cool them slightly. Use paper towels to hold the beets and rub gently to slip off their skins. Trim and discard the remaining portion of the stem. Cut the peeled beets into 1/4 inch cubes and set them aside.
4. While the beets are cooking, place the beet greens in a large bowl and soak in several changes of cold water until no grit appears on the bottom of the bowl. Shake the leaves to remove excess moisture but do not dry them. Slice the damp leaves crosswise into 1/2 inch wide strips and set them aside. There should be about 5 cups of shredded beet greens. (Julia's note about the 'several changes of cold water': I just wash the beets, but then I'm not a fussy chef from New York City....)
5. Heat the oil in a large saute pan with a cover. Add the garlic and saute over medium heat until golden, about 2 minutes. Add the beet greens and 1 teaspoon salt. Stir several times to coat the leaves with the oil. Cover and cook, stirring several more times, until the beet greens have wilted, about 5 minutes.
6. Stir in the cubed beets and the lemon juice and cook until heated through, about 1 minute. Taste for salt and adjust seasonings if necessary.
7. While preparing the sauce, cook and drain the pasta. Toss the hot pasta with the beet sauce. Mix well and transfer portions to warm pasta bowls. Serve immediately.
Pasta e Verdura, Jack Bishop
Layered Eggplant Casserole (from Recipes from America's Small Farms)
2-3 TBS vegetable oil
1 large egg
2 TBS milk
¼ cup all purpose flour, more if needed
1 large eggplant, peeled and cut into ¼ inch thick slices
1 large onion, finely chopped
4 large tomatoes, cut into ¼ inch thick slices
4 ounces Monterey Jack or other cheese, grated
1 TBS unsalted butter
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Oil a 2-quart casserole. Beat the egg and milk in a bowl and spread the flour on a plate. Heat 1 TBS of the oil in large skillet. Dip each slice of eggplant into the egg mixture, and then flour on both sides. Place the slices in the skillet in a single layer and fry until golden on both sides. Continue frying the eggplant in batches, adding oil as necessary, until done. Layer the fried eggplant, the onion, the tomato, and the cheese until they are all used up; the final layer should be the eggplant. Sprinkle any remaining flour (or use another 2 TBS of flour) over the top. Dot with the butter. Place in the oven, uncovered, for about 45 minutes, until bubbling and the eggplant is tender. Note: instead of frying the eggplant slices, you can drizzle them with oil and bake them on a cookie sheet for about 30 minutes in a 350 degree oven.
Eggplant Rounds with Cheese and Tomato Sauce (adapted from D. Madison's Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone)
6-8 eggplant rounds per person, grilled, broiled or fried (from the skinny asian eggplants, reduce number of slices if using the large purple ones.)
3/4 cup grated or sliced mozzarella
1/2 cup crumbled gorgonzola or goat cheese
about 4 cups favorite tomato sauce
chopped parsley or basil
Place the eggplant rounds on a sheet pan and cover with the cheeses. Bake at 375 degrees until the cheese melts. Serve with 2 or 3 spoonfuls of the sauce on each serving and garnish with the parsley or basil
Vegetable Kebabs with Mustard Basting Sauce
16 baby carrots (about 8 ounces), peeled
16 baby yellow scallop squash* (about 8 ounces) or 3/4
pound yellow squash
16 baby zucchini (about 6 ounces) or 3/4 pound zucchini
16 red or white pearl onions (about 6 ounces)
1 1/2 tablespoons white-wine vinegar
1 1/2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
2 teaspoons olive oil
2 large red bell peppers (about 9 ounces), cut into sixteen
2-by-3/4-inch pieces
eight 12-inch bamboo skewers, soaked in water to cover 1
Hour
1. In a large saucepan of boiling salted water cook carrots 1
minute. Add yellow squash and zucchini and cook vegetables
5 minutes. Transfer vegetables with a slotted spoon to a
large bowl of ice and cold water to stop cooking and drain
well in a colander. Transfer vegetables to a bowl. (If
using larger yellow squash and zucchini cut them into a
total of thirty-two 3/4-inch pieces.) In boiling water
remaining in pan cook onions 4 minutes and transfer with
slotted spoon to bowl of ice and cold water. Drain onions
well in colander and peel, leaving root ends intact.
Vegetables may be boiled 1 day ahead and chilled in
sealable plastic bags.
2. In a small bowl whisk together vinegar, mustard, oil, and
salt and pepper to taste. Basting sauce may be made 1 day
ahead and chilled, covered.
3. Prepare grill.
4. Thread vegetables, alternating them, onto skewers. Brush
one side of kebabs with about half of sauce and grill,
coated side down, on an oiled rack set 5 to 6 inches over
glowing coals 5 minutes. Brush kebabs with remaining sauce
and turn. Grill kebabs 5 minutes more, or until squash is
tender. (Alternatively, kebabs may be grilled in a hotwell-seasoned ridged grill pan over moderately high heat.)
Serves 4.
Gourmet July 1995
Baked Summer Squash with Pesto Crumbs
This can be served as a whole meal, over wild rice and garnished with toasted pecans.
3 lbs. Mixed summer squash
3 Tbs. butter
1 Tbs. olive oil
1/4 cup half-and-half
3/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
1/4 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg
1/4 tsp. mace
1 tsp. sugar
2 tsp. finely chopped fresh rosemary
1/4 cup finely chopped cilantro
2 shallots, minced
4 scallions, finely chopped
½ cup Pesto Bread Crumbs Recipe(see below)
Preheat oven to 400F. Lightly oil a 2 ½ to 3 quart casserole dish with cover. Trim squash and cut into large chunks (about 1 ½ inches). Arrange squash pieces in casserole and set aside. Melt butter and olive oil together in a small saucepan. Remove from heat and add remaining ingredients, blending thoroughly. Pour sauce mixture over squash, tossing until squash is coated. Cover casserole and bake 40 minutes. Toss squash gently and spoon juices and seasonings from the bottom of dish over squash. Sprinkle with bread crumbs and bake uncovered for 10 minutes longer, until squashes are tender when pierced with a knife.
from More Recipes from a Kitchen Garden by Renee Shepherd
Pesto Bread Crumbs
1 cup dry bread crumbs
2 large cloves garlic, chopped
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan or Asiago cheese
3 Tbs. roasted pine nuts
1 ½ cups loosely packed fresh basil leaves
1/4 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. freshly ground pepper
Combine all ingredients in a food processor until thoroughly blended. After using, refrigerate any leftovers. Makes 2 cups.
Dill Pickles (lacto-fermented)
For 6 quarts
About 30 small, whole pickling cucumbers
1 T salt
1 small bunch dill weed
3 cloves garlic
2 dill seed heads
1tsp. Mustard seeds
1/2 tsp. Chopped, dried chili peppers
Soak cucumbers in cold water for a 1/2 hour.
Clean jars (no need to sterilize).
Make brine (1 T salt per quart jar of water).
Add all ingredients to jars, then fill with brine to within 1/4 inch of top and screw on lids loosely.
Let sit out at room temperature for about 1 week. You may need to “burp” your jars. Allow for some leakage, as your pickles will bubble and give off carbon dioxide as they ferment. If a layer of scum forms on top, simply remove it. The pickles underneath are fine to eat! (This is from contact with oxygen, as the process of lacto-fermentation is an anaerobic one, and only occurs under the liquid.)
When they have reached the desired sourness, firmly close lids and place in the refrigerator or root cellar. Enjoy! They will last for several months!
back to top
