Hello CSA Members!
Here is what we *hope* to bring you for Week 14 of our CSA:
REGULAR SHARE
Herb Choice
Potatoes
CHOICE: Shishito Pepers OR Bell Peppers
CHOICE: Zucchini OR Cucumbers
CHOICE: Carrots OR Beets OR Cabbage
CHOICE: Beans OR Roasted Chiles
Tomatoes
CHOICE: Kale OR Collards OR Chard OR Bok Choi
LARGE SHARE ADDITIONS
DOUBLE CHOICE: Kale OR Collards OR Chard OR Bok Choi
Heirloom Tomatoes
Artichokes
Watermelon
FRUIT SHARE
Peaches
If you like bread and butter pickles you will love these. The texture of the zucchini is really satisfying for some reason. These are great on sandwiches and burgers. We had hummus and salad and pita for dinner the other night and served these on the side, they were delicious. Friends were over and several people commented how much they liked them.
I barely adapted the recipe from several sites all over the internet.
Makes 1 quart
3. Meanwhile, combine the vinegar, sugar, dry mustard, mustard seeds, and turmeric in a small saucepan and simmer for 3 minutes. Set aside until just warm to the touch. If the brine is too hot, it will cook the vegetables and make the pickles soft instead of crisp.
4. Transfer the zucchini and onion pieces to a quart jar (or the equivalent) and pour over the cooled brine. Seal tightly and refrigerate for at least a day before serving to allow the flavors to mellow and permeate the zucchini. They’ll last for at least a few week in the refrigerator.
I made these Friday and they are almost gone. I have been putting them on almost everything. I had them on leftover pizza for breakfast.
What’s up with that tomatillo salsa? Need a recipe for that?
Have a great week.
Mo
I have several people at pick-up ask me what to do with tomatillos. I tell them, anything you can do with a tomato you can do with a tomatillo. Preparing them is a little different than a tomato (tomatillos have a papery covering) and the taste is different, tart and tangy and a little citrusy if you eat it raw. If you haven’t eaten them raw, rinse one off and take a bite. Cooking-usually by roasting or grilling, tames the tartness.
Let’s take a look. In the front row from left to right is a tomatillo in it’s paper, next one I started to peel it, next one has the paper off. When you are ready to use your tomatillos remove the paper and wash them. They are sticky for some reason.
If you want to make salsa you can gather your ingredients just like you would if you were making salsa with tomatoes.
You’ll need;
If you want raw salsa, just chop up everything to the texture you like, or throw everything a a food processor and process it to an even texture, taste it and adjust the seasonings. If I make raw tomatillo salsa I think it needs some fat from either olive oil, sour cream or avocados because it is really tart and the fat calms that down, so does serving it with something cheesy like nachos or a quesadilla.
Here is how I made the cooked version;
1. Chop the onion in half, crush the garlic, and leave the jalapeños and tomatillos
whole. Roast or broil on a baking sheet in a 450-degrees F oven for about 15 minutes,
turning all halfway over through roasting time.
2. In a food processor, add all roasted ingredients (peel the garlic!), plus cilantro and salt and pulse until all ingredients are chopped. Taste, taste, taste and adjust the tartness with lime, salt, olive oil. One of my favorite things I like to do with this salsa is blend an avocado in the food processor with everything, it makes it luscious and creamy and very green. It doesn’t keep in the refrigerator very long if you make it with avocado; only two or three days with an avocado, without it will keep at least 10 days. You can always add the avocado right before serving it too.
Dig in!
Have a great week. See you at pickup.
Mo
Hello CSA Members!
Here is what we *hope* to bring you for Week 13 of our CSA:
REGULAR SHARE
Herb Choice
CHOICE: Potatoes OR Zucchini OR Cucumbers
CHOICE: Tomatoes
CHOICE: Shishitos OR Tomatillos
CHOICE: Eggplant OR Bell Peppers
CHOICE: Carrots OR Beets OR Cabbage
CHOICE: Kale OR Collards OR Chard OR Braising Mix
LARGE SHARE ADDITIONS
DOUBLE CHOICE: Carrots OR Beets OR Cabbage
Cherry Tomatoes
Onions – Mixed
One additional item
FRUIT SHARE
Peaches
Last week I said I had a new favorite vegetable preparation. I think I spoke too soon. This Super Green Pasta is my new favorite.
It has only 6 ingredients, takes about 15 minutes to make, and is silky delicious and really really filling. You could have a salad or some chicken or fish or just eat it as is.
I slightly adapted a Jamie Oliver recipe. This makes enough for two for dinner with a little leftover. We couldn’t eat it all, we were stuffed. You’ll need;
2. Drain the pasta, reserving a cupful of cooking water (I didn’t do this). Return the pasta to the pan and toss with the vibrant green sauce, loosening with a splash of reserved cooking water, if needed, then divide between your plates. Dot over the ricotta, drizzle with a tiny bit of extra virgin olive oil, and tuck right in.
Gosh this is so good I hope you make it. I know I will make it again and again.
Have a great week and see you at pickup.
Mo
Hello CSA Members!
Here is what we *hope* to bring you for Week 12 of our CSA:
REGULAR SHARE
Herb Choice
CHOICE: Carrots OR Beets OR Turnips
CHOICE: Potatoes OR Beans
CHOICE: Zucchini OR Cucumbers
Grilling Onions – Mixed
CHOICE: Tomatoes OR Tomatillos OR Cherry Tomatoes
CHOICE: Kale OR Collards OR Chard OR Braising Mix
LARGE SHARE ADDITIONS
Shishito Peppers
DOUBLE CHOICE: Carrots OR Beets OR Turnips
DOUBLE CHOICE: Zucchini OR Cucumbers
FRUIT SHARE
NONE – This is a regularly scheduled gap in our fruit share. We plan to resume fruit share pickups the week of August 12th.
Every summer I have a favorite new vegetable or preparation. One year it was shishito peppers. another year it was grilling fava beans .
This year my favorite thing I am eating again and again is shaved zucchini salads. I have made this 3 times in the last 10 days. Last night we had a gathering of about 12 people and everyone commented on how good it was, ‘you really upped your game’ was said about this salad by two different guests!
High accolades for something so basic and easy to put together. It’s utterly summery deliciousness.
You really don’t even need to measure anything. I am writing down roughly the amounts I used. Use what you like and what you have on hand.
1 ¼ pounds zucchini
1/2 cup torn soft herbs like mint leaves, basil, dill, fennel fronds or cilantro
1/2 to 1 cup hard cheese like Parmesan or Romano or feta
Fennel, as much or as little as you like, cored and thinly shaved-optional but delicious
Juice of 1 lemon or lime, plus more if needed
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more if needed
Salt and pepper,
I added a handful of sliced almonds this time, any nut will do. I highly recommend you do too. The added texture with the crunch of the fennel and the firm raw texture of the zucchini and the nuts and hard cheese are magic. Use what you have but don’t leave any of the main elements out.
Use a vegetable peeler or mandolin ( I used a vegetable peeler like this ) to thinly shave the zucchini lengthwise. In a large mixing bowl, toss together the zucchini, herb, hard cheese, fennel (if using), lemon juice and olive oil and nuts. Season with salt and pepper. Add more lemon juice or olive oil to taste.
You’ll have the core leftover after shaving the zucchini. It’s mostly water and seeds, don’t use the core, just give that to the chickens :-)
Now dump the well mixed and seasoned ingredients in the mixing bowl into your serving bowl, pile it high in a serving bowl.
All the good stuff falls to the bottom while you are mixing so inverting it from one vesicle to another is imperative with salads IMO. Get all the good stuff back to the top and enjoy.
I’m making this again tonight I think.
I hope you try this. Have a great week, see you at pickup.
Mo
Hello CSA Members!
Here is what we *hope* to bring you for Week 11 of our CSA:
REGULAR SHARE
Herb Choice
CHOICE: Carrots OR Beets
New Potatoes
Zucchini
Grilling Onions – Mixed
CHOICE: Fennel OR Braising Mix
CHOICE: Kale OR Head Lettuce OR Chard
LARGE SHARE ADDITIONS
Shishito Peppers
Beans
One other item
FRUIT SHARE
NONE – This is a regularly scheduled gap in our fruit share. We plan to resume fruit share pickups the week of August 12th.
This time of year every CSA share in the country will probably have some zucchini or summer squash included in their share, ours does! You’ll want to store it properly to keep it fresh until you are ready to use it, here’s how.
Keep the squash whole, dry and unwashed in a plastic bag and put them in the crisper drawer in the refrigerator. They’ll keep there for at least 1 to 2 weeks, though you’ll probably see the skin start to shrivel a little.
These zucchini were kept that way and are 2 weeks old.
They are just a little wrinkly, but totally fine to use raw or cooked.
Some people like to blanch and store zucchini in the freezer. I haven’t tried blanching it and freezing it but I have shredded it and frozen it and used it in baked goods like muffins, cakes and bread. If I’m honest like using summer squash in the summer and winter squash in the winter and not messing with freezing it.
Check out some of these recipes for ideas on using your zucchini.
Have a great week.
Mo
I did a little experiment I want to share with you. 5 weeks ago, the last time we got radishes in our CSA share, I wanted to see how long they would stay crisp and fresh stored in my refrigerator. Every week I would check on them and see if they were still crisp. These are 5 week old radishes. Beautiful right?
I cut off the leaves and put them in a plastic bag and put them in the vegetable drawer in my refrigerator. I do the same with carrots, turnips and grilling onions. (Here is a post I did on storing/cured onions).
All of these will keep at least 2 or 3 weeks. These carrots are 3 weeks old and just as good as the day I got them. 
So, know, you don’t have to eat your whole CSA share every week. It’s nice to sandbag some vegetables if you need larger quantities than you get in one weeks share.
It’s also nice to know some of the vegetables will wait patiently in the refrigerator until they are needed.
Have a great week, see you at pickup.
Mo