CSA Share Week 15: From our farm to your table this week …

Basil         
Cantaloupe                      
Eggplant OR  Okra 
Onions (storage) 
Green peppers
Kennebec potatoes
Red Tomatoes                
Yellow squash  

Tips for using &/or preserving your produce…

Basil
Although it seems we might get a break from the heat next week, August is sure to include more steamy, sticky, days.  Freshen up a tall glass of ice water by stirring in this sweet, zesty Basil Lemon Syrup recipe from www.yummly.com.  Note, this is a GREAT method for creating delicious iced drinks with herbs.  I LOVE to do the same with fresh mint.

Basil Lemon Syruphttp://www.yummly.com/recipe/Fresh-Lemon-Basil-Salad-Dressing-Recipezaar 4 cups fresh basil (packed) 9 (4x1 inch) strips lemon zest OR the zest from 1 large lemon 4 cups water 2 cups sugar Combine all ingredients and bring to a boil in a medium saucepan, stirring until sugar is dissolved. Let stand at room temperature, covered, for 1-2 hours. Transfer to an airtight container and chill until cold. Strain through a sieve, discard solids. Stir as much as you like into a big, tall glass of ice water and enjoy!

Cantaloupe

These delicious melons are perfect as-is but cantaloupe is also great for fruit salads, smoothies, and other cool summer dishes.  Eat it plain or mix it with other fresh produce for a light, cool snack to beat the heat.  Pair it with nuts or cheese for a filling, afternoon pick-me-up.   Finley LOVES cubed melon and cheese for an afternoon snack, and so does his mom!

Eggplant

This summer I’ve been trying to learn new ways to try eggplant and, in the process, discovered so many interesting recipes!  Our friends and mentors at Elmwood Stock Farm in Georgetown Kentucky maintain a weekly blog for their CSA members (http://elmwoodstockfarm.blogspot.com/ ). One of their CSA members shared the following recipe for Eggplant Involtini.  I think you’ll enjoy this one!

Eggplant Involtini from our friends at Elmwood Stock Farm: http://elmwoodstockfarm.blogspot.com/ 1 T extra-virgin olive oil 2 lb tomatoes, seeded and coarsely chopped (about 3 large) ½ tsp kosher salt, divided 4 garlic cloves, crushed and divided 12(1/4-inch-thick) lengthwise slices eggplant (about 2 medium) ¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper cooking spray 2 T pine nuts, lightly toasted (optional) 1 oz whole-wheat French bread, toasted and torn into pieces 8 oz part-skim ricotta cheese 1 tsp grated lemon rind 1 large egg ¾ C chopped fresh basil leaves, divided 2 oz Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, grated (about ½ C) and divided Combine oil and tomatoes in a medium saucepan; stir in ¼ tsp salt and 2 garlic cloves. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat; reduce heat, and simmer 15 minutes or until reduced to 2 C. Cool 10 minutes. Place mixture in a food processor; process until smooth. Set aside. Preheat broiler to high. Sprinkle eggplant slices evenly with ¼ tsp salt and pepper; arrange slices in a single layer on a foil-lined baking sheet. Lightly coat eggplant with cooking spray. Broil 4 minutes on each side or until lightly browned. Cool 10 minutes. Preheat oven to 375°. Place remaining 2 garlic cloves in a mini food processor; pulse until chopped. Add nuts and bread; pulse 10 times or until coarse crumbs form. Add ricotta, lemon rind, and egg; process until smooth. Stir in ½ C basil and ¼ C Parmigiano-Reggiano. Spread 1½ C tomato sauce over the bottom of an 8-inch square glass or ceramic baking dish coated with cooking spray. Spread 2 T ricotta mixture onto each eggplant slice; roll up jellyroll fashion. Place rolls, seam sides down, over sauce in dish. Spoon remaining sauce over rolls. Sprinkle with remaining ¼ C Parmigiano-Reggiano. Bake at 375° for 25 minutes or until bubbly. Sprinkle with remaining basil to serve.

Onion ( storage)

This year we grew our first large crop of “storage onions.”  That term simply means that we should be able to dry them and keep them well into the winter.  Despite the fact that these onions should withstand the drying process, you are getting them FRESH from the ground.  Right now, they’re only partially dry and you’ll find that they have a tender, juicy flavor and texture that sets them apart from the dry version you find in the supermarket.  The same is true for fresh garlic.  The difference is subtle, but a pleasant reminder that flavors are fresh this time of year.  Hopefully the onions will dry well and we’ll be able to enjoy them in fall soups, stews and chili! 

Green Peppers

Peppers are extremely versatile.  You can stuff, roast, bake, pickle or, well, you-name-it.  They show up in all sorts of recipes.  Here’s a GREAT recipe for beef with peppers by my favorite blogger, Ree Drummond, the Pioneer Woman.  She includes beautiful photos with all of her recipes so you really get to see the recipe come together step-by-step before you try it on your own.  Check out this link for her recipe: http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2011/03/beef-with-peppers/

Okra

If you like to whip up soups and stews in a hurry in the winter time (I sure do!) and you often find yourself with surplus veggies (…again, I do!) think about chopping up a bunch of squash, okra and tomatoes, roasting them (together) in the oven for about 30-45 minutes, then cooling them and transferring to gallon-size storage bags for freezing.  It is SO nice to have good vegies on standby for quick meals.  
Potatoes (Kennebec - white, multipurpose, organic)
Despite sincere efforts to ensure that Finley develops a taste for healthy foods, this summer, on outings with my dad, he’s become quite a fan of French fries (which he pronounces “French frees”). This week I was determined to create a nutritionally superior homemade version that met Finley’s standards of tastiness. I think I succeeded by chopping our home-grown potatoes in thin strips, tossing them with olive oil, a little salt and roasting them in the oven at 400^oF for 20-30 minutes (turning them once in the middle). If you have a little French fry lover in your home, give this a try, I bet s/he will love it! …and you will too.

Tomatoes
The eggplant involtini recipe above is a great way to use your tomatoes this week! If you like to can homemade stewed tomatoes, salsa, or tomato juice, now is the time to get to work! We have an abundance of standard organic and heirloom organic tomatoes so, if you’d like to can several quarts of tomatoes to use in winter cooking, just let us know. If you purchase more than 15lbs, we’ll reduce the price.

Yellow Squash
Inspired by a pretty picture in Better Homes and Gardens, I decided to try their lovely-looking stacked salad by slicing long, paper-thin ribbons of squash, zucchini, & carrots. You can use squash, zucchini, or a little of each. Here’s how mine turned out. (I made a double batch, of course, because we have SO many veggies around, and it saves time in the evenings to have a nice salad ready.)

You can find the original recipe online here: http://www.bhg.com/recipe/stacked-summer-vegetable-salad/  but I felt it needed a bit more flavor so there’s another version below for you to try.  It's a good side dish or, if you add some feta cheese and a hard-boiled egg, it's a great lunch.

Note – is stays well in the fridge for a few days, just be mindful when your cutting out servings to use a sharp knife and work carefully to prevent the pretty layers from falling apart.

Stacked Summer Vegetable Salad
adapted from: http://www.bhg.com/recipe/stacked-summer-vegetable-salad/

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3 medium yellow or green zucchini or yellow squash

Salt

4 medium carrots

½ small red onion (red is prettier but white is just fine too)

1-2 cups torn leaf lettuce or baby spinach

3 Tbsp lemon juice

1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
¼ cup white wine vinegar

2 Tbsp snipped fresh dill

1 Tbsp each fresh cilantro and parsley, minced

Use a vegetable peeler or mandolin shave zucchini or squash and carrots into thin ribbons, lightly salt the squash/zucchini and transfer to a colander to drain for about 15-30 minutes.

Assemble the salad by alternating layers of zucchini/squash, lettuce, carrots and onion in a 2 quart, square dish.

Once the layers are assembled, combine the remaining ingredients, stir vigorously and drizzle over salad.

Cover and refrigerate 1 or more hours before serving.

Optional – sprinkle with more fresh herbs before serving.

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