2017 CSA Week 7

Hello fellow CSA members!

I hope you all are ready for summer - and another great share. Last week's travels took some of my attention away from my share so I'm hoping to get back in the swing of things this week. Here's what's coming our way:

Produce	Storage	Longevity
cucumber	Washed or unwashed, in fridge	1-2 weeks
summer squash and zucchini	unwashed, in fridge	1-2 weeks
lettuce	unwashed, in fridge	1 week
turnips*	in fridge crisper	1 month+
kale	washed and thoroughly dried, or unwashed, in fridge, sealed in container	1 week
radishes*	unwashed, in fridge	up to 1 week
basil	store in an unclosed container in fridge or snip off bottom of stems and immerse in water	1-2 weeks

*Shares will have either turnips or radishes.

Also, keep your fingers crossed... There may be a some surprise tomatoes coming our way this week. (I CAN'T WAIT for tomatoes!)

In case we do get tomatoes I want to go ahead and share with you one of my favorite summer salads. Chop tomato and cucumber and mix in a little Italian dressing (or dressing of your choice). Some people also add in onions. I happen to think chunks of cheese (maybe some cheese curds or Bernstadt Swiss) are also a delicious addition. The basil would work well too. If you'd like a more precise recipe you can check this one out.

Photo credit:
 http://allrecipes.com/recipe/238741/bethys-cucumber-basil-lemonade/photos/2414519/

Cucumber and basil are a great combination on their own. There are plenty of cucumber-basil salads and soups and drinks. One that caught my eye (and may be a great way to welcome summer) is Cucumber Basil Lemonade. I think I'll be trying that one very soon!

And while I'm sharing some of my favorite recipes, I'll also tell you about the delicious blueberry zucchini bread. This is my favorite zucchini bread recipe. I love the addition of the blueberries. And, I know, this isn't the healthiest way to eat zucchini. But I'll share with you something Amanda said to me several years ago when I told her I was ruining the health benefits of her organic squash and zucchini by breading them and frying them: "It is still a healthier option than many other choices AND you're still eating your vegetables."

One of my early goals in helping with the blog was to highlight the many health benefits of the items in our shares each week. Many of us are seeking foods not only to nourish, but to heal, our bodies. And, admittedly, I don't know nearly as much as I should about the food I consume. Fellow members were talking this week about wanting to know more about the specific nutritional values of our weekly shares. To help facilitate that, I decided to do a quick bit of internet research on the new item this week (cucumbers) and found this article. And bonus: if you don't like the taste of cucumbers, you can always just use them for skin care. :)

Keep sharing all the ways you use your share (conventionally and non-conventionally) on our Facebook group page.