CSA Share #8, Tuesday July 29th, 2014

Standard Shares:

1 lb green beans

1 pint mixed tomatoes

1.5 lbs zucchini and summer squash

½ lb pickling cucumbers

½ lb salad mix

1 bunch beets

1 bunch kale

small bag basil

Family Shares:

1 lb green beans

1 quart mixed tomatoes

3 lbs zucchini and summer squash

1 lb pickling cucumbers

½ lb salad mix

1 bunch beets

1 bunch kale

1 bunhc chard

1 cabbage

small bag basil

Farm News:

Well, things are growing wonderfully around here, getting tall and green and bushy and producing all sorts of things… red beets, green cucumbers, yellow squash, orange tomatoes and so much more.

Unfortunately for us, Mike managed to tear his bicep last week, and can’t use his arm for 6-8 weeks…. Of course they are the busiest 8 weeks of the season! He will be spending a lot more time with the kids for the next few months while Christa and our great crew juggle things around to fill the gap.

With 8 weeks until the Common Ground Country Fair, the season is flying by! Hope you’re enjoying it, too!

Thanks!

Christa, Mike, Lizzy and Nicky

Recipes

Simple Summer Zucchini with Tomatoes and Basil

1 pound zucchini or summer squash

2 tablespoon olive oil

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 cup diced tomatoes

1 cup basil leaves, roughly chopped

freshly ground pepper

salt

Cut the zucchini into 1/4-inch slices diagonally, or 1/4- inch cubes.

    Heat the olive oil over high heat in a large skillet. Cook the zucchini and garlic for 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes and basil. Continue to cook for 3 more minutes, or until the zucchini is tender.

    Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve hot or cold.

From: http://www.wolfgangpuck.com/recipes/side-dishes-and-vegetables/Zucchini-with-Basil-and-Tomatoes

Super Simple Cucumber Sandwiches

(Mike’s current favorite snack)

2 slices bread, toasted per your preference (We love the Maine Grain bread in the farmstand)

1 pickling cucumber, sliced thinly into sheets

Mayonnaise

Salt and pepper

Spread the warm toast with mayonnaise. Lay the sheets of thinly sliced cucumber over the prepared toast, and lightly add salt and pepper. Yum! A great snack in a hot day.

Crispy Kale with Lemon-Yogurt Dip

    1 bunch curly kale   

    1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

    2 garlic cloves, minced

    Salt and freshly ground pepper

    1 cup plain Greek yogurt

    1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest

    2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

    Preheat the oven to 375°. In a bowl, toss the kale with all but 1 tablespoon of the olive oil and half of the garlic. Spread the kale on 2 baking sheets and roast in the upper and lower thirds of the oven for about 15 minutes, until crisp; shift the pans from top to bottom halfway through. Season the kale with salt and pepper and transfer to a large platter.

    In a small bowl, whisk the yogurt with the lemon zest and juice and the remaining garlic and 1 tablespoon of oil. Season with salt and pepper. Serve with the roasted kale.

From: http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/crispy-kale-with-lemon-yogurt-dip

CSA Share #7, Tuesday July 22nd, 2014

 

What You’re Getting: 

Standard Share:

1 lb Green Beans

1 pint mixed Tomatoes

2 lbs Zucchini and Summer Squash

1 Slicing Cucumber

1 head Lettuce

1 bunch Carrots

1 bunch Scallions

Family Share:

1 lb Green Beans

1 pint Sugar Snap Peas

1 pint mixed Tomatoes

4 lbs Zucchini and Summer Squash

1 Slicing Cucumber

2 heads Lettuce

2 bunches Carrots

2 bunches Scallions

1 bunch Kale

Farm News:

Summer veggies are really, truly here now! Enjoy the bounty. The weeds are growing, the veggies need picking and fall crops need planting. Hard as it is to believe, we have already finished seeding crops we will be harvesting in November. Enjoy every precious minute of this lovely, sunny summer!

As for us, we are going ‘round the clock to try and stay on top of our to-do lists. Plus, the baby’s teething…. So I’ll leave you all to get some sleep while I can.

Enjoy your veggies!

Christa, Mike, Lizzy and Nicky

Recipes

Broiled Zucchini with Yogurt Sauce

    2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

    2 lbs zucchini, halved lengthwise

    Coarse salt and ground pepper

    1/3 cup low-fat plain yogurt

    1 tablespoon lemon juice

    1/4 teaspoon ground coriander

    1/4 teaspoon ground mustard

    1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves

Heat broiler. Brush a rimmed baking sheet with 1 tablespoon oil. Arrange zucchini in a single layer, cut side up. Brush with 1 tablespoon oil and season with salt and pepper. Broil until zucchini are deep golden brown, 8 to 10 minutes.

    Meanwhile, in a small bowl, stir together yogurt, lemon juice, coriander, and mustard. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer zucchini to a serving platter, drizzle with yogurt sauce, and sprinkle with cilantro.

Sesame Green Beans

I know, I give you this recipe every year…. But it is just SOOOO good!

½  pound green beans, trimmed

1 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 teaspoon sesame seeds

1 teaspoon  sesame oil

Salt & freshly ground pepper, to taste

 Toast sesame seeds: Place in a small dry skillet and cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until fragrant and lightly browned, 2 to 4 minutes.

Preheat oven to 500ºF.  Toss green beans with olive oil. Spread in an even layer on a rimmed baking sheet. Roast, turning once halfway through cooking, until tender and beginning to brown, about 10 minutes. Toss with sesame seeds, sesame oil, salt and pepper.

CSA Share #12, Tuesday August 27th, 2013

 

What You’re Getting:

Standard Share:

1 lb zucchini/summer squash

1 lb mixed sweet onions

1 head lettuce

1 pint cherry tomatoes

2 lb tomatoes

0.5 lb green beans

1.5 lb mixed potatoes (Red, white and purple)

1 field ripe cantaloupe melon

Family Share: 

1 lb zucchini/summer squash

1 lb cucumbers

1 lb mixed sweet onions

2 heads lettuce

1 quart cherry tomatoes

4 lb tomatoes

1 lb green beans

2 lb mixed potatoes (Red, white and purple)

1 field ripe cantaloupe melon

Farm News:

The peak of the season for the veggies! Yum!

We are harvesting non-stop these days, and are trying hard to make time with other things too, like weeding, caring for our fall crops, and freezing and canning veggies for our own winter use.

Speaking of which… it’s time to order your #2 tomatoes! If you are interested in tomatoes for canning, sauce or etc, we offer our “seconds” for a bulk discount. I’m offering this to CSA members only at first, and will open it up to the public next weekend. 

Our bulk #2 tomato prices are:

10 lbs for  $20.00

20 lbs for $30.00

50 lbs for $50.00 

(Our normal prices for #1 market tomatoes are $3.50-$4.00/lb)

#2 tomatoes are slightly blemished, very ripe, too ugly for market sale, etc. They are a mix of all of our available varieties – the varieties you will get in your order will be what is available that day. Orders can be ready for almost any specific day, beginning with this upcoming Wednesday, August 28^th.

Let us know if you are interested! Thanks!

Christa, Mike and Lizzy

Recipes

Green Bean and Cherry Tomato Salad

Adapted from Chez Panisse Vegetables

½ lb green beans

1 pint cherry tomatoes

1 large shallot (Or onion)

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

Salt and pepper

1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Basil or other herb (optional)

Top and tail the beans and cut them into large segments. Parboil the beans in salted water until just tender, about four to five minutes. Drain and immediately spread them out to cool. Stem the cherry tomatoes and cut them in half.

Peel and mince the shallot and put it in a bowl with the vinegar and salt and pepper. Whisk in the olive oil. Taste and adjust the balance with more vinegar, oil, or salt, as needed. Toss the cherry tomatoes in with the vinaigrette; this can sit for a while. Do not add the green beans until just before serving or they will discolor from the acid in the vinaigrette. For variety, the salad can be garnished with basil or some other fresh herb such as parsley, chervil or hyssop.

Zucchini and Ricotta with Tomato and Olive Oil on Grilled Bread

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil, divided

2 medium-size zucchini, thinly sliced

1 large tomato, diced

1 medium onion, thinly sliced

 Salt and pepper to taste

8 basil leaves, thinly sliced

4 slices country or sourdough bread

1 cup ricotta

Parmesan cheese, for grating

Pour 2 tablespoons of the olive oil into a saucepan over high heat. Add the zucchini and sauté until the edges start to brown, about 3 minutes. Add the tomatoes and onions, season with salt and pepper, and cook until the zucchini is cooked through but not too soft, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat, add the basil, and set aside to cool.

CSA SHare #7, Tuesday, July 23rd, 2013

 

What You’re Getting:

Standard:

1 bunch chard

¼ lb salad mix

½ lb green beans

1 bunch scallions

1 ½ lb cucumbers

1 ½ lb zucchini

¼ lb basil

Family:

 

1 bunch chard

1 bunch kale

½  lb salad mix

1 lb green beans

1 bunch scallions

3 lb cucumbers

3 lb zucchini

¼ lb basil

1 head green cabbage

Farm News:

Hi all!

After the hot, hot dry weather lately, the rain today is a welcome drink for thirsty fields. We’re enjoying the cooler weather, too! Of course, plenty of things in the field love the heat – peppers, basil, tomatoes, cukes, zucchini and melons have all been thriving in the recent heat.

We hope you have been finding ways to enjoy your summer months! We’ve been squeezing little trips in to the beach and late night swims when we can. Got to enjoy it while it’s here!

Thanks and Enjoy!

Christa, Mike, and Lizzy

Recipes

Sesame Green Beans

½  pound green beans, trimmed

1 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 teaspoon sesame seeds

1 teaspoon  sesame oil

Salt & freshly ground pepper, to taste

 Toast sesame seeds: Place in a small dry skillet and cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until fragrant and lightly browned, 2 to 4 minutes.

Preheat oven to 500ºF.  Toss green beans with olive oil. Spread in an even layer on a rimmed baking sheet. Roast, turning once halfway through cooking, until tender and beginning to brown, about 10 minutes. Toss with sesame seeds, sesame oil, salt and pepper.

Stuffed Zucchini Boats

In a small bowl combine 1 ½ cup cooked rice, 1 cup cooked lentils, 2 medium diced tomatoes, ¼ cup parmesan cheese, ½ cup tomato sauce, salt and pepper, some fresh chopped basil and 1 lb cooked ground beef. Mix well and set aside. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease a 9x13 inch baking dish. Cut the stem ends off of 2 medium zucchini and cut in half.  Scoop out the flesh, leaving 1/4 inch thick shells. Chop the reserved trimmings and flesh coarsely. In a large saucepan of boiling, salted water, cook the shells for 2 minutes. Drain and rinse in cold water; drain on paper towels.

            Heat  a medium skillet over medium heat with 1 T olive oil. Chop 1 small zucchini. Saute chopped zucchini for 5 minutes, or until tender. Stir in remaining basil, salt and pepper.  Transfer to the bowl that contains the other filling.  Spoon mixture into shells and place in prepared baking dish. Cover and bake in preheated oven for 25 to 30 minutes, or until tender.

Basil Pesto

¼ lb fresh basil

1/3 cup pine nuts (or walnuts)

2 medium cloves garlic

½ cup grated parmesan cheese

½ cup olive oil

salt and pepper to taste

Process the basil, nuts, cheese and garlic in the food processor. With the machine running, slowly add the olive oil. If the sauce seems dry (It should be a thick paste), add a little more olive oil. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve with linguine. Yum!

From the Joy of Cooking, 1997

Share #10, Tuesday August 14th

 

What You’re Getting:

1 lb mixed tomatoes

1 pint cherry tomatoes

1 head lettuce

1 bunch parsley

1 lb cukes

1 lb zucchini/summer squash

1 pepper

1/2 lb green beans

1 bunch carrots

Farm News:

Farm life in August is harvest, harvest, harvest all the time. Oh yeah, and also make time to care for those important fall crops.  This is the point in the season that most of our hard work all spring has been leading up to, so we try to make the best we can of it!

We really enjoyed meeting so many of you last week at the CSA dinner, thank you so much to those of you who made it out! It was definitely the best turn out we’ve had, and we’re already brainstorming for next year’s dinner.

Enjoy!

Christa, Mike, and Lizzy

Recipes:

Greek Salad (Horiatiki)

As seen at last week’s CSA dinner!

2 Tbsp. chopped fresh parsley

2 medium tomatoes, cut into 1 ½ “ pieces

1 cucumber, peeled, halved, and sliced into ¼” slices

½ medium onion, thinly sliced

3 tbsp. olive oil

1 tbsp red wine vinegar

1/8 tsp. dried oregano (actually better with fresh, if you can get it)

6 oz. feta. Cut into thick slabs

8 kalamata olives

Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Combine parsly, tomatoes, cucumbers, and onions in a bowl. In a small bowl, whisk together oil, vinegar, and oregano; season with salt and pepper and pour over vegetable mixture. Toss. Transfer salad to a serving bowl and top with feta and olives. Garnish with more oregano.

Sesame Green Beans

½  pound green beans, trimmed

1 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 teaspoon sesame seeds

1 teaspoon  sesame oil

Salt & freshly ground pepper, to taste

 Toast sesame seeds: Place in a small dry skillet and cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until fragrant and lightly browned, 2 to 4 minutes.

Preheat oven to 500ºF.  Toss green beans with olive oil. Spread in an even layer on a rimmed baking sheet. Roast, turning once halfway through cooking, until tender and beginning to brown, about 10 minutes. Toss with sesame seeds, sesame oil, salt and pepper.

Mosaic Salad

    1 medium cucumber, sliced

    2 yellow summer squash or zucchini, thinly sliced

     2 medium tomatoes, sliced

   

DRESSING:

     1/4 cup vegetable oil

     3 tablespoons minced fresh basil

     2 tablespoons lemon juice

     2 tablespoons cider vinegar

     1 teaspoon sugar

     1/2 teaspoon grated lemon peel

     1/4 teaspoon salt

Arrange the cucumber, squash and tomatoes on a large serving platter. In a jar with a tight-fitting lid, combine the dressing ingredients; shake well. Drizzle over salad. Serve immediately.

Share # 8 Tuesday, July 31st

What You’re Getting:

Standard Share:

Head Lettuce, 1 head

Kale, 1 bunch

Tomatoes, 1 large

Green Peppers, 1

Tropea Onions, 1 bunch

Zucchini and summer squash, 2 lbs

Cucumber, 1 lb

Blueberries, 1 pint

Family Share: 

 

Head Lettuce, 2 head

Kale, 2 bunch

Tomatoes, 2 large

Green Peppers, 2

Tropea Onions, 2 bunches

Zucchini and summer squash, 4 lbs

Cucumber, 2 lb

Blueberries, 1 pint

Farm News:

I was a little overzealous when I ordered the blueberries for the farmstand this past weekend, so you guys are getting blueberries after all! Yay!

We just last night got back from 3 ½ days away from the farm for Christa’s brother’s wedding, which was terrifying (Leaving the farm in July? Aaaaghhh!) and also refreshing (A few days off in July? Ahhhh.) Our apprentices did a fine job and we were delighted to find the farm intact on our return. Now to scramble and play catch-up!

Looking forward to next weeks farm dinner! Thank you so much to those of you who RSVPed, we’ll see you there!

Enjoy!

Christa, Mike, and Lizzy

Recipes:

Zucchini and Ricotta with Tomato and Olive Oil on Grilled Bread

    1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil, divided

    2 medium-size zucchini, thinly sliced

    1 large tomato, diced

    1 medium onion, thinly sliced

    Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

    8 basil leaves, thinly sliced

    4 slices country or sourdough bread

    1 cup ricotta

    Parmesan cheese, for grating

Pour 2 tablespoons of the olive oil into a saucepan over high heat. Add the zucchini and sauté until the edges start to brown, about 3 minutes. Add the tomatoes and onions, season with salt and pepper, and cook until the zucchini is cooked through but not too soft, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat, add the basil, and set aside to cool.

While the mixture is cooling, grill the bread on both sides. Season the ricotta with the remaining olive oil, salt, and pepper. Spread the seasoned ricotta onto the grilled bread. Top with the zucchini mixture and grate Parmesan over the top to coat.

Blueberry, Kale, and Quinoa Salad

This works great with cooked rice, too!

2 cups cooked quinoa, cooled (prepared according to package directions)

1 cup fresh blueberries

1 1/2 cup shredded kale

3/4 cup crumbled feta

1/2 cup sliced almonds

3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

3 tablespoons olive oil

Salt

Fresh ground pepper

    In a large bowl, combine quinoa, blueberries, kale, feta, and almonds. Mix until well combined. Add olive oil and lemon juice and toss to fully coat.

    Season with salt and fresh ground pepper to taste, and enjoy!

What is a Tropea Onion?

The topedo shaped tropea onion is a delcious sweet red onion that originates from Tropea, Italy. They are ready earlier than round storage onions, and have a wonderful sweet fresh flavor that is wonderful in salads, sautéed in dishes, or even on the grill. To grill them, slice them in half and coat them in olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Incredible. Or just do a simple Google search for “Tropea Recipe” to find hundreds of serving suggestions!

Enjoy!