Monday, June 27, 2016

2016 CSA Week 9

Good evening, fellow CSA members!

I hope you all are staying cool! And making plans for the ice cream social this weekend! If you haven't registered yet, please RSVP at this link by June 28th at noon! I've never actually made homemade ice cream before, and I'm not sure I'll start by entering this contest BUT I sure am excited to try all the different flavors! I had an AMAZING sorrel ice cream while I was in DC last month. (Confession: I had to google sorrel after I left the restaurant... As a rule I eat first and ask questions later.)

The locally-sourced ingredient in your ice cream doesn't have to come from Sustainable Harvest Farm, but wouldn't it be cool if you could put something from your basket in an ice cream?!?

Here's what we're getting this week:


Produce
Storage
Longevity
summer squash and zucchini
unwashed, in fridge
1-2 weeks
green beans*
unwashed, in fridge
3-4 days
Swiss chard*
washed and thoroughly dried, or unwashed, in fridge, sealed in container
1 week
kale
washed and thoroughly dried, or unwashed, in fridge, sealed in container
1 week
tomatoes
room temperature
about a week
broccoli
unwashed, in fridge
1 week
green onions
Lightly rinsed, dried and stored in plastic wrap or fridge container
1-2 weeks
cucumber
washed or unwashed in fridge
1-2 weeks
basil
store in an unclosed container in fridge or snip off bottom of stems and immerse in water
1-2 weeks

This week's CSA lottery is green beans OR swiss chard... Good luck! :)

CSA member Jodi Mendez sent this favorite recipe for zucchini (I bet you could also sub fresh tomatoes). Sounds yummy!

Roast Chicken with Tomatoes and Zucchini
(from Williams-Sonoma)

1 chicken, about 5 lb, cut into 8 serving pieces
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
1 yellow onion, diced
3 garlic cloves, cut into 1/4-inch
1 Tbs tomato paste
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 can San Marzano (Williams-Sonoma brand) tomatoes, roughly chopped and juices dariner
1 lb zucchini, cut into 1/2 inch strips
1 fresh rosemary sprig
2 Tbs finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Generously season the chicken with salt and pepper. In a shallow roasting pan over medium-high heat, warm the olive oil. Add the chicken and brown on all sides, about 10 minutes total. Transfer to a large plate.

Pour off all but 2 Tbs of the fat from the pan. Return the pan to medium-high heat, add the onion and saute until softened and beginning to brown, about 7 minutes. Add the garlic and tomato paste and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 1 minute. Add the wine and cook, stirring with a wooden spoon to scrape up the browned bits, until most of the liquid has evaporated, 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes, zucchini and rosemary sprig and season with salt and pepper. Nestle the chicken, skin side up, in the tomato-zucchini mixture.

Transfer the pan to the oven and roast until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of a thigh, away from the bone, registers 170 degrees F, 30 to 35 minutes. Divide the chicken among 4 individual plates. Remove the rosemary sprig and discard. Season the tomato-zucchini mixture with salt and pepper and spoon alongside the chicken. Garnish with the pasley and serve immediately. Serves 4.

I didn't do an "in the kitchen" post last week. I was in the kitchen, but didn't take the time to write about it. And it actually works out well because this week you have basil! One of my absolute favorite ways to eat these delicious tomatoes is in a caprese salad. We usually get basil in our shares each year but I wasn't sure if we'd see it -- or when -- and I'm not one for patience. I was going to use some of the delicious Wildcat Mountain Cheese (I thought either the Bernstadt Swiss or Cheese Curds would go well) but I saw a fresh ball of mozzarella at the grocery store when I was impatiently picking up my basil, and I just went full-on traditional caprese, layering tomato, basil and mozzarella (I did basil every other layer) and then sprinkling some fresh ground salt and pepper and drizzling some balsamic vinegar on top. SO delicious.

When I saw the tomato AND cucumber in this week's share, I was reminded of my second favorite way to eat tomatoes. Chop up the tomato and cucumber and stir them together in a bowl, drizzle some Italian dressing (or dressing of choice). You can stop there and it is delicious. OR you can also add chopped onion and other veggies and shredded or chunked cheese of choice.  Here's a general recipe to follow if you'd prefer more precise instructions.

I also thought bruschetta might be great for this week's share. (I had originally planned to make bruschetta with the bread from Clementine's but I got a little carried away with the caprese and a taco salad.)

Have you guys heard of Brigitte Nguyen and the Kentucky Proud Kitchen? I discovered it today! There are several broccoli recipes and plenty others! Just plug in the ingredient you're looking for in the search box and you'll see all the recipes that include it! (I haven't done an ice cream search yet!)

Hope you all enjoy your share this week!

Keep in touch! amyrosekarr@gmail.com

*A note about the cheese: Some CSA members were curious about expiration dates for the cheese, as well as what the numbered sticker may mean. We asked and learned. The numbered sticker is actually a lot number. The cheese doesn't have an exact expiration date and should last for several months unopened. Once opened, it is susceptible to mold, but the mold can be cut off and the cheese is still good. Cheese can be frozen but it does affect the quality, so that is not recommended.

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