2013 CSA Share Week 7

From our farm to your table this week…

Item	How to Store it	How long will it last?
Cabbage (Saturday pickup only)	Unwashed in fridge	2-3 months
Cucumbers	unwashed in fridge	1-2 weeks
Kale	washed & thoroughly dried (my preference) or unwashed, in fridge, sealed in container or plastic bag	1-2 weeks
Kohlrabi (Thursday pickup only)	Unwashed, in fridge	2-3 months
Lettuce (Thursday pickup only)	washed & thoroughly dried (my preference) or unwashed, in fridge, sealed in container or plastic bag	1-2 weeks
Tomatoes	at room temp	~1 week
Yellow Squash	unwashed in fridge	1-2 weeks
Zucchini	unwashed in fridge	1-2 weeks

 

More information…

Cabbage
On the eve of Independence day many of you may be preparing or planning for traditional summer picnic favorites like coleslaw, pasta salad, and creamy desserts.  The small, fresh cabbage heads in your share this week are so tender and flavorful that they are sure to make any slaw recipe (..and boy are there a lot of them!) a little nicer.  Within my own family there are passionate believers in various slaw recipes: carrots, no carrots, a little sugar, absolutely no sugar, and so the list goes on.  Over the years I’ve come to love light slaws with olive oil and vinegar and whatever other vegetables or fruits are fresh and tasty at the time. ….so, chop up some slaw this July 4 weekend and enjoy the best of the best cabbage, any way YOU like it.

Cucumbers
Cucumbers win the prize for refreshing flavor and crisp texture when hot days have us longing for cool snacks.  I love sliced or julienned cucumbers tucked into wraps and sandwiches.  Long, thin strips (think lasagna noodles) of cucumber also make great wraps themselves for stuffing with creamy fillings like soft goat cheese or cream cheese with herbs. 

If someone in your family loves super spicy barbecue, you might also consider whipping up a fresh cucumber relish known as a raita. Raita is a popular accompaniment to spicy Indian dishes.  Here’s the recipe from Serving Up the Harvest by Andrea Chesman

 

RaitaServing up the Harvest – A. Chesman

6 cups coarsely grated of finely chopped cucumbers (peeled and seeded if desired)2 tsp salt1 cup plain yogurt2 Tbsp chopped fresh mint¼ tsp ground cumin

-Combine the cucumber and salt in a colander and toss to mix.  Let drain for 30 to 60 minutes.  Transfer the cucumbers to a clean kitchen towel and pat dry.-Combine the yogurt, min, and cumin in a small bowl.-Transfer the cucumbers to a salad bowl.   Pour the yogurt mixture over the cucumbers and toss gently.-Set aside at room temperature to allow the flavors to develop for at least 30 minutes before serving.

Kale
Our dear friend and CSA member Tifany DeGough shared a recipe for a kale salad a few months ago that became quite a hit at the frequent meals shared within our church family.  What’s better than healthy greens with plenty of sweet fruit?  I didn’t retain the exact recipe because I made a few modifications (…mostly for the sake of convenience and cheapness – the original called for pine nuts and I’m always too cheap to buy them). 

 The basic idea is that you wash, dry and remove stems from the kale, chop it finely and toss with chopped sweet apples (crisp, sweet apples like gala or Fuji are best), raisins, sunflower seeds or almonds, and stir in a creamy poppy seed dressing.  I especially like the poppy seed dressings with a hint of lemon or orange.

 Kohlrabi
When I asked Ford how much kohlrabi would be in the Thursday shares for this week (so I know what sort of recipe to suggest) he said, “One little spaceship.”  Isn’t that clever?  …and accurate?  (Can you tell he and Finley have been spending a lot of time together this summer?)  Those fun, funny-looking green and purple roots do sort of resemble the spaceships in cartoons.  Since you’ll only be getting one “spaceship,” this will be a great time to add some crunch to your salad, slaw or refrigerator pickles by slicing up some kohlrabi to add to the mix!

Lettuce

It’s been a long time since I’ve eaten a lettuce wrap but, for some reason, they’ve been on my mind a lot lately.  Now is a GREAT time to serve up cool appetizers like lettuce wraps filled with creamy cheese, herbs, and julienned veggies. 

Tomatoes
I’ve heard from a few of you that I’m not the only one around here who loves tomato sandwiches!  This week I made some “grown-up” grilled cheese with fresh tomato slices and that was a nice treat too – especially if you add a little basil & onion. 

Yellow Squash & Zucchini

If you like grilling vegetables, you should definitely try grilled summer squashes, if you haven’t already.  My favorite way to prepare them for the grill is to chop them into small cubes, line them up on a skewer, drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with salt, and grill until nice and roasted on the outside but still very firm.  They get just a bit sweet, tender, and delicious in only a few minutes.  Keep an eye on them and don’t overcook!
 

As always, please feel free to contact me for clarification, further information, or to share your own adventures in cooking local, USDA-certified organic produce.  amanda.waterstrat@gmail.com