Midsummer Farm CSA Weekly Newsletter: Share Pick Up #6 Greetings Midsummer Farm CSA subscribers!
This week we should have some more garlic scapes and I am planning to include a new, uncured young garlic bulb in each basket. I never thought to try to eat one before it was fully mature and cured, but it is a whole new garlic experience! The rest of the garlics have been harvested and are drying out or 'curing' as we speak - they should appear in your baskets in about 3-5 weeks. These are hard neck German Whites and Spanish Rojas.
We will also have more cucumbers and we have also been starting to harvest summer squash! There will also be bunches of healthful parsley, scallions, chard, kale, some flowering cilantro bunches (little white flowers - very tasty and festive), baby arugula, and blueberries. Lots of recipes below ....
The fruit this week will be pluots! And I ordered crimini mushrooms for the mushroom share...
Some bad news ... If you've noticed a lot of feathers in our yard, it is because our chickens were attacked by a neighborhood dog - most are Ok, and it doesn't look like it will affect the summer egg share (our CSA members always get 'first dibs' on the eggs, but we probably won't have eggs for sale to others for a couple weeks). The whole event was pretty awful though, and so we are trying to be more diligent about keeping the gate closed. If you are coming by late for your pick up, you may find the gate closed and your basket just outside the gate. Sorry for any inconvenience.
We've also had some flooding issues with several rows in the garden .... our main growing area is quite sloped, and although this has usually been beneficial for efficient drainage, the rains we had last week and the week before busted through our terracing and washed many seedlings and small vegetable plants down the hill. We've replanted and re-terraced and will hopefully catch back up, but you may find that there is a bit less in your baskets for the upcoming weeks this year as compared to previous years. Luckily the the vegetables that need a long growing season like the squash and tomatoes and peppers were big enough and had strong enough root systems so they weren't bothered at all, and are still growing beautifully despite the slow cool start this spring.
And following are some of my favorite summer recipes. Summer is a time to eat light and cool and detoxify while enjoying the flavors of fresh seasonal vegetables and herbs....
RECIPE: Cucumber and Bright Herb Juice
1 cucumber
1 small bunch of parsley, dill, or cilantro
1 stalk of celery
a handful of blueberries (fresh or frozen)
Just juice or blend all together - I use a Vitamixer so I add a handful of ice cubes as I process.
Refreshing and wonderful!
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RECIPE: Parsley Tabbouleh
- 1 cup bulgur wheat
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4 plum tomatoes, finely chopped, with their juice
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1 3/4 cups finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley (about 2 medium bunches)
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4 scallions, finely chopped
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1/4 cup fresh lemon juice (about 2 lemons)
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3/4 teaspoon coarse salt
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1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
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Freshly ground pepper
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2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh mint (optional)
In a medium saucepan, bring 3 cups water, bulgur, and 1/2 teaspoon salt to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring often. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until tender, 10 to 12 minutes. Drain well; transfer to a serving bowl. Fluff with a fork and let cool completely. Stir in tomatoes with juice, parsley, and scallions. Add lemon juice, salt, and oil; season with pepper. Toss to coat. Just before serving, stir in mint if using (I like to use mint in summer!)
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RECIPE: Italian Anchovy Sauce
1 big bunch of parsley, coarsely chopped
4 cloves of garlic, minced
1 small can of anchovies, drained and minced
about 1/2 to3/4 cup of oil packed sun dried tomatoes, diced (you could substitute 3-4 tbsp tomato paste but the texture will be different)
1 cup of extra virgin olive oil
3 tbsp balsamic vinegar
Mix all ingredients except vinegar together. Add vinegar right before serving. Tastes even better after a day or two stored in fridge. Don't fret over the anchovies - it doesn't taste fishy at all - they just add a great umami flavor.
This is a great summer sauce, it involves no cooking can be used at room temperature over any meat. It comes out completely different if you chop everything by hand or if you use a food processor. Try it both ways...
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RECIPE: Minty Fresh Cucumber Salad
2 cucumbers
1 green apple
1 handful fresh mint, finely chopped
about 1/2 tsp sea salt (to taste)
juice of 1/2 lemon
Slice cucumber and apple very thin or dice into cubes. Add mint and lemon juice and let marinade for about an hour before serving.
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RECIPE: Marinated Cucumber Salad with Dill*
This delicious salad from Denmark has no sauce, no oil, no dressing-yet each delicate slice of cucumber is bursting with tangy-sweet juiciness. You can use the slices as you would any sweet pickles-in an egg salad sandwich or layered on a veggie burger, and of course, this dish is great with hotdogs.
3 large cucumbers (about 2 pounds), peeled, very thinly sliced
1 tablespoon coarse sea salt or kosher salt
2/3 cup white or apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon white pepper
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh dill or 1 tablespoon dried dill
1. In a large bowl, use your hands to thoroughly but gently mix the cucumbers and salt.
2. Place a plate on top of the cucumbers, then place a 2- or 3-pound weight (such as a large can of vegetables) on the plate to weigh it down (this helps release the salt). Set the cucumbers aside to marinate at room temperature for several hours or in the refrigerator overnight.
3. Drain the cucumbers thoroughly in a colander and pat them dry on a clean dish towel. Rinse and dry the bowl, then return the cucumbers to the bowl.
4. Mix the vinegar, water, sugar, salt, and pepper in a small pot over medium heat and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, stirring often, until the sugar is dissolved, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat.
5. Pour the hot vinegar mixture over the cucumber slices. Sprinkle with the dill and mix to combine.
6. Chill for at least 3 hours. Drain and serve.
*Excerpted from Farmer John's Cookbook: The Real Dirt On Vegetables: Seasonal Recipes and Stories from a Community Supported Farm by Farmer John Peterson & Angelic Organics (Gibbs Smith Publisher).
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RECIPE: Zucchini Salad with Baby Arugula, Truffle Oil and Pine Nuts*
This is a recipe from a friend of ours - Viviane Bauquet Farre - Food & Style NY LLC. Her site and newsletter are awesome and dedicated to seasonal organic foods - http://foodandstyle.com/. Sign up for her newsletter for fabulous seasonal recipes!
2-3 baby zucchini - about 8" long
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
4 tablespoons white truffle oil
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1 large handful baby arugula - rinsed and spun dry
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh chives
3 tablespoons pine nuts
freshly ground black pepper to taste
Step 1: Trim both ends of the zucchini. Cut each zucchini in half. Using a mandoline, julienne the zucchini in 1/16" slices (the julienne slices should be the size of spaghetti). Transfer to a bowl and toss with the lemon juice. Set aside.
Cook's note: at this stage, the zucchini can be refrigerated up to 2 hours. Bring it to room temperature before you serve the salad.
Step 2: Drizzle the zucchini with 3 tablespoons of truffle oil and sprinkle with the salt. Toss well.
Cook's note: only do this step just before serving the salad as the salt will make the zucchini sweat.
Step 3: Put a few arugula leaves in the center of each plate. Top with the zucchini mixture. Sprinkle with the chives and pine nuts. Drizzle with the balance of the truffle oil. Top with freshly ground black pepper and serve immediately.
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Midsummer Farm Contact Info:
Barbara and Mark Laino
Midsummer Farm
156 East Ridge Road
Warwick, NY 10990
845-986-9699
info@midsummerfarm.com
Holistic Health Counseling Contact Info:
Barbara Taylor-Laino
Barbara Taylor Health
156 East Ridge Road
Warwick, NY 10990
845-986-9699
info@barbarataylorhealth.com
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