2014 CSA Week 11

Greetings fellow CSA members!

I'm back from an enjoyable vacation in the Canadian Rockies. It's a magical place, but I'm so happy to be back to my beautiful Kentucky! I can't help sharing a photo from my trip, TAKEN WITH AN IPHONE! I didn't feel like carting around my heavy camera. It's amazing what these phones can do nowadays!

Jasper National Park, Alberta, Canada, 7-7-14, 9 p.m.

Before continuing with the blog, I want to send out an earnest request for thoughts and prayers for Ford and Amanda after experiencing a house fire this past weekend. Thank goodness no one was injured, but apparently there was quite a bit of damage. Let's join together in our love for them in prayers for a renovation beyond expectation after this unfortunate set-back. We know, with good grace and fortitude, they will be fine. The support of great family and friends always helps!


Amazingly, In the midst of all this chaos, there is still magnificent produce for our benefit in shares this week.

Here is what will be awaiting us.
I've missed my share of Sustainable Harvest Farm!

Item	How to store it	How long will it last?
cabbage or broccoli	washed or unwashed in refrigerator	1-2 weeks
yellow squash	unwashed in fridge	1-2 weeks
zucchini	unwashed in fridge	1-2 weeks
tomatoes	room temperature	several days
cucumbers	Unwashed in the fridge	1-2 weeks
green beans	dry, unwashed in the fridge	3-4 days
blackberries	store in coolest part of fridge	3-5 days

OK, I've already admitted my tried and true method of cooking (at least when I'm the only guinea pig) is chopping everything up and throwing in a wok with olive or coconut oil (and lots of garlic). Before I owned a dishwasher, I took pride in my "one pan meals" especially when doing the clean-up. Now that I have a dishwasher, I still hate to use too many dishes or pots. So, this remains my main style of cooking, and is very yummy.

Blackberries!!! Can't wait to add them to my yoghurt, ice cream, and to make my first blackberry cobbler of the season! Check out this recipe from the Pioneer Woman website. 

But, what do we do with cucumbers???? Even with my imagination, they just don't go with a stir fry (though, I have to admit I never tried it).

After some research and experience, here are some ideas:

Cucumber Water

Have you tried adding slices to a pitcher of iced water? Cucumbers add such a refreshing taste to plain drinking water. Try them in place of lemon slices, or combine the two with some mint! You can add them to your water bottle. There are even detox diets based on drinking cucumber water which, besides the great taste, has great health benefits. It's a staple in all the spas these days.

If you enjoy gin and tonics in the summer, add cuke slices for a more refreshing drink.

Here's a different (and easy!) recipe for an appetizer found on marthastewart.com:

Cucumber-Feta Toasts

Toasted bread spread with feta and topped with sliced cucumber makes a cool and refreshing appetizer.

Ingredients

1/2 baguette
2 teaspoons plus 4 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
3 ounces feta
1/2 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
Coarse salt and ground pepper
1 small English cucumber, thinly sliced crosswise

Directions

Preheat oven or toaster oven to 450 degrees. Split baguette lengthwise and lightly brush cut sides with 2 teaspoons olive oil. Bake until golden around edges, 5 minutes. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, mash together feta, 4 teaspoons oil, and lemon juice with a fork. Season with salt and pepper. Spread feta mixture evenly over toasted baguette and top with cucumber. Season with salt, pepper, lemon juice, and a drizzle of oil. Cut into pieces to serve.

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And, when in doubt, there are always pickles! Lots of recipes are found on the web. Here's an easy recipe that doesn't require kettle steamers, special jars, or vacuum lids. This is found on myrecipes.com from a 2007 Cooking Light issue.

Easy Refrigerator Pickles

Ingredients

6 cups thinly sliced pickling cucumbers (about 2 pounds) $
2 cups thinly sliced onion $
1 1/2 cups white vinegar
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds
1/2 teaspoon celery seeds
1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

Preparation

Place 3 cups cucumber in a medium glass bowl; top with 1 cup onion. Repeat procedure with the remaining 3 cups cucumber and remaining 1 cup onion.
Combine vinegar and remaining ingredients in a small saucepan; stir well. Bring to a boil; cook 1 minute. Pour over cucumber mixture; let cool. Cover and chill at least 4 days.
Note: Pickles may be stored in the refrigerator for up to one month.

Enjoy!
~Nancy