This list may change, but here's our best guess of what you'll be getting in your share this week. l

September 8, PA Young Birders Meet at Rushton Woods Preserve.  More info.

 

 

 

DIGGING RUSHTON FARM

 

We've got a blog!  More recipe ideas, musings about the farm and more...join the conversation at Digging Rushton Farm.

 

 

 

WCT BIRD BLOG 

 

Keep up with what's happening at our banding station at Rushton Woods Preserve as well as other activities in our Bird Conservation Program.  Inspiring photos and words from our staff and supporters.

 

  

You know you are having a successful growing season when the farm staff can take a few days off for a vacation. Joanna just got back from the high peak trails in the Adirondacks and Noah is about to head up to his old stomping grounds on Martha's Vineyard. Next week I am going to be heading up to the Green Mountains in Vermont to see my brother Aaron before heading into the White Mountains of New Hampshire to a place where my phone has no service and the only traffic is the passing moose. It is a welcome respite before fall begins.

 

One of the great enjoyments I have when traveling is visiting farms and tasting the local food being grown. Wherever your travels may take you there is usually a farm stand or market along the way selling fresh produce and if you are lucky breads, meats and cheeses as well. These farm stands can be quirky and unique in both their offerings and presentation of local foods. One of my favorite "market moments" is stumbling across a small Saturday farmers market in Red Lodge, Montana. It was mid-July but the market was getting started for the season (they had snow in the ground until late June that year). The vendors offered foods foraged from the wilds of Montana and breads baked on a stone hearth. There were few commercial vegetables but plenty of pickled dandelion greens and wild herbs along with some very distinctive honey. The farmers and vendors were as unique as their products and I will never forget their enthusiasm about the food they were selling.

 

Next week's travels in Vermont will include a farm dinner where the local growers are the honored guests and their food the focus of the evening. As we travel north through Vermont I expect to stop at the various cheese mongers offering the best cheese in North America as well as the cider houses and the fruit and vegetable farms that are spread across the rolling hills of Vermont.

 

Friends have asked why I would spend my limited vacation time visiting other farms. The simple answer is that to me the small farm is the truest picture you can get of the "local" landscape. The people and the food they grow is indicative of the land they come from and a farmers market in Montana is going to be very different than one in Vermont. It is a great way to experience the local scenery and enjoy some wonderful food in the process.

     

-Fred

       

 

 

 

Provençal Tomato and Squash Gratin

  

Some of the tomatoes in this gratin are cooked down to a savory sauce, while the rest are sliced and used to decorate the top.

 

2 pounds tomatoes

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

2 large garlic cloves, minced

1/2 medium or 1 small onion

1/2 pound summer squash (1 good-size zucchini, for example), cut in 1/2-inch dice

Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves, or 1 teaspoon crumbled dried thyme

1 cup cooked rice, farro or barley

3 eggs

2 ounces Gruyère cheese, grated (1/2 cup)

1 to 2 tablespoons slivered or chopped fresh basil leaves

 

1. Peel and seed half the tomatoes, and chop fine. Slice the rest and set aside. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Oil a 2-quart gratin or baking dish.

 

2. Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a large, heavy nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring often, until it is translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, stir together for about 30 seconds, until it begins to smell fragrant, and stir in the squash. Cook, stirring often, until the squash is translucent, about 5 minutes.  

 

Add the chopped tomatoes and the thyme, season with salt and pepper, raise the heat slightly and cook, stirring often, until the tomatoes have cooked down and smell fragrant, 10 to 15 minutes. Stir in the rice or other grains and remove from the heat.

 

3. Beat the eggs in a large bowl. Stir in the cooked vegetables, salt and pepper to taste, and the cheese and combine well. Scrape into the gratin dish.

 

4. Slice the remaining tomatoes and cover the top of the gratin in one layer. Drizzle on the remaining tablespoon of olive oil. Bake 45 minutes, or until the top is browned and the gratin is sizzling. Remove from the heat and allow to sit for at least 10 minutes before serving. Sprinkle the basil over the top. Serve hot, warm or at room temperature.

Yield: 6 servings.

 

Advance preparation: The vegetables can be cooked through Step 2 several hours before you assemble the gratin. They can be held in the pan on top of the stove or refrigerated overnight. The finished gratin keeps well for 3 or 4 days.

 

Nutritional information per serving (6 servings): 188 calories; 10 grams fat; 3 grams saturated fat; 1 gram polyunsaturated fat; 5 grams monounsaturated fat; 103 milligrams cholesterol; 16 grams carbohydrates; 3 grams dietary fiber; 77 milligrams sodium (does not include salt to taste); 9 grams protein

 

 

                                                           - Martha Rose Shulman

                                       The Very Best of Recipes for Health