Tuesday, September 9, 2014

CSA Share # 9, Tuesday August 5th, 2014



What You’re Getting:

Standard:
1 pint cherry tomatoes
1 bunch onion
¼ lb basil
1 head lettuce
1 bunch carrots
1 pint blueberries
1 lb cucumbers
1 bunch parsley

Family:
1 pint cherry tomatoes
1 lb tomato
1 bunch onion
½ lb basil
1 head lettuce
1 bunch chard
1 bunch beets
1 bunch carrots
2 pints blueberries
2 lbs cucumbers
1 bunch parsley
 

Farm News:

Things are extra busy around here, it being the peak of the season and Mike being mostly out of commission! The crew harvests almost all the time, and farmers markets are extra busy.
If you like canning, or freezing veggies for the winter, this is the season to do it it! We will let you know if and when we have surplus crops for bulk orders. Tomatoes should be available for canning later this month. Right now we have a huge surplus of green cabbage. Into sauerkraut? 40 lbs of cabbage makes 5 gallons of sauerkraut to keep your winter tasty. Usually $1.00/lb, right now you can get cabbage for $0.25/lb when you buy 20 lbs or more. This is for CSA Members only! Let us know if you’re interested.

Thanks!
Christa, Mike, Lizzy and Nicky

Recipes

Basil Pesto

1/3 lb basil
1/2 cup pine nuts, or any other nut (I like walnuts)
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese, or any other hard cheese
1-2 garlic cloves
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4-1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Blend half the basil with nuts, cheese, and garlic: Combine half of the basil with the nuts, cheese, cloves, and salt in a blender or food processor. Blend continuously until the ingredients are finely chopped. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and add the rest of the basil. Blend until a uniform paste has formed. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.
With the blender running, stream in the olive oil. Less olive oil will make a paste good for spreading on sandwiches and pizzas; more will make a sauce better for pastas and stirring into soup. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and continue blending as needed until the olive oil is emulsified into the basil and the pesto looks uniform.
Taste the pesto and add more salt, garlic, nuts or cheese as needed to taste.
Pesto is wonderful on pasta, sandwiches and almost anywhere you can think of. Believe it or not, you can substitute arugula or kale (or many other greens) in this recipe to make pestos with an array of flavors. Enjoy!


Cucumber, Onion and Parsley Salad

1 large cucumber
½ cup red or sweet onion, finely diced (or more to taste)
1/2 cup chopped parsley
½ tsp oregano
1/4 cup crumbled Feta cheese
2 T best quality extra virgin olive oil
1 T fresh lemon juice
salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste

Dice cucumbers and onion. Pat Feta cheese dry with a paper towel, then crumble into pieces. Wash parsley and spin dry or dry with paper towels, then chop coarsely.
In large bowl, combine cucumbers, onions, and parsley. Whisk together olive oil, oregano and lemon juice and stir into vegetable mixture. Sprinkle feta cheese over and stir gently a few times. Season with salt and fresh ground black pepper and serve immediately.
Cherry tomatoes are a delicious addition to this salad…. but haven’t you eaten them already?