Monday, July 11, 2016

2016 CSA Week 11

Hello fellow CSA members!

We have reached one of my favorite points of the CSA season! Can you guess? Let me tell you 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
tomatoes
room temperature
about a week
tomato juice*
shelf stable
months
garlic scape pesto*
in fridge
2+ weeks
cabbage**
unwashed, in fridge
2 months
eggplant**
unwashed, in fridge, wrapped in paper towel in crisper
5-7 days
cucumber
washed or unwashed in fridge
1-2 weeks
SWEET CORN!!!
shucked or with husks on in the coldest part of fridge
enjoy as soon as possible

Can you guess now?!?! I LOVE sweet corn. My grandparents grew some in their garden, but every year my grandmother would boil and freeze dozens and dozens of ears of corn for us to enjoy throughout the winter. We would stop at a farm on the way home from visiting my aunts in Indiana and stock up. Kids would ride their bikes out into the fields and pick however much we bought from their parents.



Sustainable Harvest Farm has the cutest little farmers!
Then, when we got home, my grandmother would start boiling it in a big cooker. And for that day or two while she was putting corn away for the winter I ate as much of it as I wanted. Which was A. LOT. A lot, a lot.
My plan for this share is to have my FAVORITE summer meal, typical in my family at the height of summer: Green beans, corn, tomatoes, cucumbers or refrigerator pickles, corn bread and cantaloupe.

I've gotten ahead of myself and need to back up. Ford wanted me to let you know this week's sweet corn was purchased from a farmer in Pulaski County. It is not certified organic, but it IS non-GMO. The early sweet corn he planted, unfortunately, didn't do so well.

Also, this week's CSA lottery is either tomato juice or garlic scape pesto AND cabbage or eggplant. I feel like I should quote Hunger Games every week, so I'll do it this time: May the odds be ever in your favor.

I still remember the first time I had SHF eggplant. I had never had an eggplant before the CSA. I made eggplant parmesan and was a bit intimidated. But Johnie and I loved it so much I continued to make it after the share was over. The first time I bought eggplant from the local grocery store I could tell a noticeable difference in the quality, texture and flavor. Local and fresh really is better.

I also received several tips and recipes from fellow CSA members over the weekend. Thank you!

Maria Brown said one of her favorite uses for the squash and zucchini is to roast them with tomatoes, Vidalia onion, fresh basil, parsley and olive oil. She also suggested adding pesto to any leftovers you might have. How delicious does that sound!

Karen Wyan shared with me some cabbage tips she picked up on a medical mission trip to Russia, including using the cabbage leaves like you would lettuce leaves on salads, sandwiches and wraps. She also said she chops and sautés cabbage with granny smith apples. I am definitely wanting to try these!


Please keep sending me your recipes and tips. I love hearing how you use your shares... I get so many great ideas from all of you! amyrosekarr@gmail.com

2 comments:

  1. Just wondering what the asterisks are indicating?

    ReplyDelete
  2. Hello Kathryn, I hope you're enjoying your share each week. Our apologies for not making that more clear- so you either got eggplant or cabbage, pesto or tomato juice. Sincerely,
    Ford

    ReplyDelete