This week you’ll see the same line-up as last
Saturday with TWO exceptions: 1) no lettuce and 2) GREEN tomatoes!
When I sampled our lettuce this week to see if it had turned bitter in the heat, I had one of those “YUCK” experiences on my tongue that I think Finley must have when he decides to taste leaves, grass and other less palatable items he finds around the yard. Until fall brings cooler weather, you will probably not be seeing any fresh lettuce from our farm with the exception of some iceberg lettuce that could be ready in a couple of weeks. The good news is that there are PLENTY of other good vegetables to make up for it, including your first green tomatoes.
When I sampled our lettuce this week to see if it had turned bitter in the heat, I had one of those “YUCK” experiences on my tongue that I think Finley must have when he decides to taste leaves, grass and other less palatable items he finds around the yard. Until fall brings cooler weather, you will probably not be seeing any fresh lettuce from our farm with the exception of some iceberg lettuce that could be ready in a couple of weeks. The good news is that there are PLENTY of other good vegetables to make up for it, including your first green tomatoes.
Basil
Broccoli
Cabbage
Cucumbers
Squash
Green Tomatoes
Zucchini
Tips for using and/or preserving your produce…
Basil
Broccoli
Cabbage
Cucumbers
Squash
Green Tomatoes
Zucchini
Tips for using and/or preserving your produce…
Basil
Unless you’re living on Caprese salad, pesto, and other fresh
basil recipes, you might want to begin using a portion of your basil for drying
or for frozen pesto. This week I heard a
gentleman say “Every soup tastes better
with basil in it.” If you do a little each
week throughout the summer, I think you’ll find that you have more than enough
dried basil to get you through winter cooking and you might even have enough to
fill a few glass spice jars for homeade Christmas gifts!
Broccoli
Very soon
both broccoli and cabbage will give way to the hot, dry, July weather, so,
while you still have a bunch of broccoli, I recommend chopping it up into a
big, cold salad for the fourth of July!
There are several good broccoli salad recipes out there. One of my favorites (a little on the heavy
side) is the broccoli and bacon salad we shared early in the CSA season. If you didn’t hold onto it, you should be
able to find the recipe on our blog under CSA week two. By the way, I noticed that some of the new
recipes aren’t appearing so I’m working to update the blog over the next week
or two to make it more accurate and user friendly. Please pardon the inconvenience. Thanks for your patience!
Cabbage
Again,
fresh cabbage won’t be around much longer (most likely 1-2 more weeks) so it’s
a great time to make up a big, delicious cabbage salad or slaw to enjoy before
it’s all gone. Over the years I’ve
learned that some of you travel to Lexington occasionally for healthy treats
from Good Foods Market and Whole Foods.
While you’re in Lexington, you might want to head over to South Broadway
and have lunch at Alfalfa’s. They have a lot of great food, including a
signature, fresh cabbage salad.
Cucumbers
Each year I have to make up at least one batch
of dainty cucumber sandwiches. It’s
cool, refreshing, and it sort of makes me feel like I’m at a southern tea
party! These southern classics are great
for showers and parties.
Cucumber
Tea Sandwiches
-2 small or one medium grated cucumber, peeled & seeded
IMPORTANT NOTE: – To get a creamy spread
that isn’t watery, you’ll need to toss your grated
cucumber with a little salt and leave it in a
colander for about 30 minutes, pressing the
excess water out a few times.
- 8oz cream cheese, slightly softened
-1-2 Tbsp mayonnaise
-1 small garlic clove, pressed
-1 tsp fresh dill
Simply stir together all of the above ingredients and spread the mix on your favorite, dainty squares of bread. You can cut the crusts off your favorite bread & cut the sandwich into quarters. White is traditional but I always use regular wheat bread or occasionally, for a party, I buy those cute little loaves of pumpernickel bread sliced into thin squares.
-2 small or one medium grated cucumber, peeled & seeded
IMPORTANT NOTE: – To get a creamy spread
that isn’t watery, you’ll need to toss your grated
cucumber with a little salt and leave it in a
colander for about 30 minutes, pressing the
excess water out a few times.
- 8oz cream cheese, slightly softened
-1-2 Tbsp mayonnaise
-1 small garlic clove, pressed
-1 tsp fresh dill
Simply stir together all of the above ingredients and spread the mix on your favorite, dainty squares of bread. You can cut the crusts off your favorite bread & cut the sandwich into quarters. White is traditional but I always use regular wheat bread or occasionally, for a party, I buy those cute little loaves of pumpernickel bread sliced into thin squares.
This recipe will make
enough for a crowd, so cut it in half or to one fourth if you just want to give
it a try for yourself at home. The
spread will store just fine in an airtight container in the fridge for a few
days.
Both squash & zucchini make excellent vehicles for delivering a flavorful, filling meal when you carve them into little boats and fill them with your favorite meaty (or vegetarian) filling and top them with cheese. We really enjoyed baking zucchini filled with our home-grown, grass-fed beef so I will share that version with you. We also love vegetarian meals so you could easily transform this one by replacing the meat with beans, shredded, seasoned tofu, or some combination of the two. However you prepare the filling, I think it is best with plenty of cheese on top!
Baked,
Stuffed Zucchini
-5 medium zucchini (or squash or some of each)
-2 Tbsp olive oil
-1 medium onion, minced
-2-4 cloves garlic, pressed with the flat side of a knife and minced
-6 oz roasted red peppers, chopped
-1.5 cups freshly diced tomatoes OR 8-10oz canned tomatoes
-1.5 cups marinara
-½ teaspoon oregano
salt and pepper to taste
-½ - ¾ lb cooked ground beef (or 8-12 oz beans, or crumbled tofu)
16 oz of your favorite shredded cheese (mozzarella is good with this Italian style filling but cheddar or pepper jack might be best if you use beans and Mexican seasonings in the filling)
Preheat oven to 350oF.
Pierce whole, uncut zucchini a few times with a fork, stack on a plate with a little water in the bottom, and microwave for about 8 minutes. The exact time varies with the size of the veggies & your microwave, but you're goal is to see the skin get a little brighter and for the flesh to become soft enough to pierce very easily with a fork without becoming mushy.
Slice the zucchinis in half, length-wise, remove seeds and a bit of the flesh with a melon-baller, leaving about 1/2 inch "walls" to create little zucchini canoes.
Set the zucchini aside for now and prepare your filling.
Heat olive oil in skillet and sauté onions, peppers and garlic until onions become translucent then combine with all remaining ingredients except cheese, mixing thoroughly.
Distribute filling equally among zucchini halves, top with cheese and bake for 30 minutes.
-5 medium zucchini (or squash or some of each)
-2 Tbsp olive oil
-1 medium onion, minced
-2-4 cloves garlic, pressed with the flat side of a knife and minced
-6 oz roasted red peppers, chopped
-1.5 cups freshly diced tomatoes OR 8-10oz canned tomatoes
-1.5 cups marinara
-½ teaspoon oregano
salt and pepper to taste
-½ - ¾ lb cooked ground beef (or 8-12 oz beans, or crumbled tofu)
16 oz of your favorite shredded cheese (mozzarella is good with this Italian style filling but cheddar or pepper jack might be best if you use beans and Mexican seasonings in the filling)
Preheat oven to 350oF.
Pierce whole, uncut zucchini a few times with a fork, stack on a plate with a little water in the bottom, and microwave for about 8 minutes. The exact time varies with the size of the veggies & your microwave, but you're goal is to see the skin get a little brighter and for the flesh to become soft enough to pierce very easily with a fork without becoming mushy.
Slice the zucchinis in half, length-wise, remove seeds and a bit of the flesh with a melon-baller, leaving about 1/2 inch "walls" to create little zucchini canoes.
Set the zucchini aside for now and prepare your filling.
Heat olive oil in skillet and sauté onions, peppers and garlic until onions become translucent then combine with all remaining ingredients except cheese, mixing thoroughly.
Distribute filling equally among zucchini halves, top with cheese and bake for 30 minutes.
Green Tomatoes
Fried green tomatoes happen to be one of my favorite foods (…and one of my favorite movies!). There are countless variations in the recipes from soggy, pan fried mounds of tomato with thick batter to light, crunchy baked versions. I tried several and found that my favorite falls somewhere between. During my extreme calorie-counting days (long ago) I made some dry, baked, barely-breaded versions that resemble fried green tomatoes but just don’t hold a candle to the slices that have a bit more batter, although I don’t think frying is an absolute necessity when it comes to making a good “fried” green tomato. There are enough fried green tomato recipes on the Southern Living website to make your head spin. Try out this link to browse them: Southern Living Fried Green Tomatoes.
Have a GREAT week and thanks so much for your support!
As always, please feel free to contact me for clarification, further information, or to share your own adventures in cooking local, USDA certified organic produce. amanda.waterstrat@gmail.com
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