This is the last week of the csa and I'm a very sad girl! I am very appreciative, however, of all the love and hard work the Waterstrat family has put into making this the best experience for us eating plenty of nutritious food throughout the season!
I'm sure we will continue to hear from Ford and Amanda throughout the fall. Let them know if you are interested in the naturally raised beef and pork.
In shares this week...
| Item | How to store it | How long will it last? |
|---|---|---|
| sweet corn | shucked or with husks in the coolest part of the fridge | enjoy as soon as possible |
| green beans | dry, unwashed in the fridge | 3-4 days |
| squash and zucchini | unwashed in fridge | 1-2 weeks |
| tomatoes | room temperature | several days |
| basil | store in an unclosed container in fridge, or snip off bottom of stalks and immerse in water | 1-2 weeks |
| garlic | unwashed in fridge | up to 1 week |
| bell peppers | unwashed in fridge | 2-3 weeks |
For my last blog of the season, and since I've written about all of these items in previous blogs, I thought I would take a peak at memory lane and some of Amanda's thoughts and recipes she posted throughout the years. She has such a warm and inviting way of writing which makes you feel like you are sitting at her kitchen table chatting over a cup of coffee like long-time friends.
Excerpts from 2012
TomatoesIn keeping with the theme of quick, simple preparations, I’ll encourage you to try yet another roasted vegetable recipe – garlic roasted tomatoes.
This one is taken from the September 2007 issue of Everyday Food and can also be found online.
from September 2007 Everyday Food
4 large tomatoes cored and halved crosswise.
2 Tbsp butter, cut into 8 thin slices
4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
Coarse salt and ground pepper
Preheat oven to 400oF.
Place tomato halves, cut side up, on a large, rimmed baking sheet.
Dividing evenly, top with butter and garlic; season with salt and pepper.
Bake until tomatoes are tender, 40-45 minutes.
Green Peppers
If your home is like ours this time of year, you might be scrambling around after dinner assembling lunches for work or school on the following day. I find that I am much less likely to snack on convenience foods if I pack plenty of healthy snacks. If you’re short on time but want a tasty, crunchy side dish with your lunch, slice some raw peppers into long strips and use them to dip into hummus, soft goat cheese, or your favorite spread. They’re such a nice treat on a busy afternoon!
Basil
The days of summer, and summer herbs like basil, are numbered. This realization always hits me hardest when school resumes, which happened to me this week. It seems like the excitement of the first days of school give way to fall parties, Halloween, and then, in the blink of an eye, Thanksgiving and Christmas have arrived. My thoughts are beginning to turn toward that season. It’s time to stock up on dried/preserved basil. If you haven’t already dried some of those aromatic leaves, be sure to save at least a few stems to hang upside down in your kitchen to dry. It will smell so nice as it dries and you’ll be left with crunchy leaves you can sprinkle into small pieces just right for seasoning winter dishes.
Excerpts from 2013
This week our dear friend and CSA member Tifany, shared a wonderful recipe that uses both tomatoes and corn. It’s quick, simple and received a lot of great reviews online! You can find the recipe at this link: Pasta with Fresh Tomatoes & Corn. Thanks Tifany!Familiar Favorites
Tomato Corn Pie that combines several of my favorite summer harvest vegetables and herbs.
I made a few changes to accommodate my tastes and it turned out great! For starters, I like making a piecrust with 1/3 cornmeal for added texture and flavor. I just took my favorite biscuit recipe, reduced the quantity and replaced 1/3 of the flour with cornmeal. I pressed the dough nice and flat so it wouldn’t be “fluffy” like a biscuit but it was still heartier than a typical piecrust. Yum! I also omitted the top layer of crust in favor of a deep dish pizza feel with the thick cornmeal biscuit crust. I didn't peel or blanch the tomatoes but I did squeeze out some of the extra juice. By the way, if you’re like me, perhaps you think the mayo in this recipe sounds disgusting (I’m not a mayo fan) but I have to say that the combination of lemon mayo and cheese forms a gooey crust makes this dish AMAZING. I’ve grown to enjoy this recipe so much that I actually made THREE pies the last time I whipped this up! …and not ONE bite was wasted.
Roasted Tomato Bean Dip
Yet another hummus!
4 cloves garlic, minced (divided)
freshly ground black pepper, dried oregano, and salt (optional)
1 1/2 cups cooked chickpeas, drained
2 tsp. white balsamic vinegar (or lemon juice)
10-12 large leaves fresh basil
salt, to taste (optional)
Preheat the oven to 400°F. Slice the tomatoes into 1/2-inch slices and place them in a large, oiled (or silicon) baking dish in a single layer. Sprinkle each slice with garlic, using only half of the garlic. Add a sprinkling of black pepper, oregano, and salt to the top of each slice. (You can also add olive oil, but I resisted the temptation.)
Place in the oven for about 30 minutes, until tomatoes are totally cooked but are not burning. Remove from oven to cool (or use warm and then chill the dip after preparing).
Place the remaining garlic into the food processor along with the chickpeas, vinegar, and roasted tomatoes. Blend well. Add the basil leaves and salt, if you like, and blend again. Serve chilled with vegetables or crackers for dipping. Also makes a good sandwich spread or salad dressing.
Preparation time: 10 minute(s) | Cooking time: 30 minute(s) Number of servings (yield): 4
Nutrition (per serving): 125 calories, 10 calories from fat, 1.2g total fat, 0mg cholesterol, 273.1mg sodium, 334.5mg potassium, 24.4g carbohydrates, 4.8g fiber, 1.8g sugar, 5.2g protein, 3.6 points.
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As a final note, I'd like to say that this has been a great experience for me, attempting to fill in with this weekly blog, giving Amanda the time with her family which practically doubled in size with the birth of their twin boys in December. Lets hope Silas and Josiah enjoy working on the farm as much as Finley!
Happy healthy eating!
~Nancy
