CSA Week 3
No pick ups anywhere on the 4th – that’s you Sunday peeps! You are getting the letter anyway so you can read all about summer squash 😉
You will definitely have some type of summer squash, you MAY also have lettuce, blueberries, chard or kale, peas or beans, arugula or mesclun. Honestly, some of you may see kohlrabi or even corn…it’s just going like that right now. Please don’t panic if you do not get something I list, you are sure to see it sometime – as I have said previously, sometimes the week is split and I can never be totally sure what goes into the box/bag each day.
We eat salad every day – especially when it is hot! A note about our greens for those who have missed it the first time: our greens are rinsed, but not washed. You should wash all your greens. We do not spray our greens, so there sometimes may be creatures on them. I always fill my salad spinner with salted water and let the leaves soak for a few minutes; the salt makes any critters release, then give another rinse, spin dry and store in fridge.
What I really want to talk about is summer squash season! We generally stay on top of picking it so there are not any large ones; the great thing is even the large ones are super tender and not seedy when they grow fast. Any squashes with tender skin harvested in the summer are technically summer squash. There are slight flavor and texture nuances, but nothing to prevent you from using them interchangeably. I love that they have become the go-to replacement for pasta and why not? They are low carb, low calorie, high in vitamin C and a good source of fiber, B-6, Potassium and Magnesium. Get the spiralizer or mandoline out and make some veggie noodles.
Recipes
Zucchini Bread from Tammy
- 3 ½ cups shredded zucchini
- 3 eggs
- ½ cup applesauce
- 3 cups flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 2 ¼ cups sugar
- 4 tsp cinnamon
- 1 tsp salt
- 4 tsp vanilla
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- 1 cup nuts
Preheat oven to 350, oil 2 8×4” loaf pan
Sift all dry ingredients together except for the sugar then stir to combine. Beat eggs, applesauce, oil, sugar and vanilla. Slowly add liquids to dry ingredients and mix. With rubber spatula fold in nuts and shredded zucchini. Pour into prepared pans and bake 45-60 minutes until toothpick comes out clean.
Remove from pans and cool on wire rack.
*Tammy adds a little cinnamon and brown sugar to top before cooking for crunchy – yummy topping.
Need more guidance on utilizing squash in every recipe?
Zucchini and Summer Squash Lasagna
Swiss chard, summer squash, black bean quesadillas
Sautéed Summer Squashes (any variety)
Here’s one from the Inspiralized website cold-spiralized-sesame-noodle-salad
Pro tip: lightly salt it after spiralizing, slicing, etc, to draw out some of the water. In a fresh salad this process tenderizes the squash and also prevents your dressing from becoming watery, if used as the lasagna layer it won’t make your finished dish runny, and if sauteing will allow the squash to brown.
Sprinkle squash with 1/2-1 tsp of salt, let sit for at least 10 minutes, drain and pat with paper towel if needed. I toss mine in salt right in the colander and let it drain while I organize the rest of dinner.
Grilled Summer Squash
any summer squash
S&P
1/3 cup olive oil
1/4 cup Balsamic vinegar
Wash and trim squashes. Cut into 1/3″ slices. Yes, you can go thicker or thinner, but tend to them accordingly 😉 Preheat the grill. Lightly salt the squash, let drain and blot off excess moisture. Toss with oil and vinegar. Place the squashes on the grill, cooking for a few minutes per side. These can char pretty quickly, so don’t get involved with a good book. When done, they should be perfectly fork tender and have nice grill marks. Season with another drizzle of oil and vinegar, ground pepper, and salt if needed.
Summer Squash Enchiladas
- squash
- black beans, rinsed and drained
- onion chopped (optional)
- sweet peppers, diced (optional)
- queso fresca or ricotta
- shredded cheese – cheddar or Mexican blend
- tortillas
- jar of enchilada sauce or salsa verde
Slice squash into small bits – quarter the long way and then slice makes a good size. Lightly salt and drain if you have time. In a large skillet fry the squash, chopped onion and peppers if you have them. Season with S & P and garlic or use plenty of Adobo seasoning 😉 When tender, remove the veggies from skillet, leaving any liquid behind or you’ll have a wet mess when filling the enchiladas. I reduced the liquid to a thick syrup and added back to the veggies. Stir in black beans.
On each tortilla, spread a spoonful of ricotta, large spoonful of filling, top with shredded cheese, roll up and lay seam side down in greased baking dish. When done with that process, top with sauce, make sure it gets down between your enchiladas, sprinkle as much cheese on top (lots!) and bake uncovered at 350 30 minutes or until bubby and fully baked looking.
Farm Dirt
We got a nice shower which also brought with it an end to the heat. Phew! That rain was so timely for the corn to finish…too dry too long and the kernels actually dent and make it look like it is not fresh, which is not a good look. Glenn and the crew have been out straight harvesting and packing trucks, but it is still planting season and there are all these other fun chores like pulling the runners off the strawberries, getting the netting over the blueberries before too many get stolen by the Orioles and Waxwings, weeding, thinning peaches. etc. Crops are constantly being sown and planted so we can have a good supply for the entire season. My gut tells me there will be a few gaps, as some planting could not happen because the fields were too wet…and then again when it was too hot. We’ve made the mistake of setting out plants in the heat and it’s not good.
This was in last year’s letter am pasting it in here because it is still so relevant:
We are truly thankful and for those of you who pray or reach to another spiritual power, we welcome your prayers for the farm and all who we employ, always. You may not think of it (I mean, why would you?) but while Glenn and I hope for a successful year so we do not let down – our awesome CSA members that keep the cash-flow in a positive direction, we also count on success for all the employees that depend on this job for their livelihood. We have fourteen families from Jamaica that depend on this work and they in turn have been able to send their children to college, build homes, and, yes, buy things as simple as rice and toilet paper – not always available to them at home…or it is very dear. We also employ three immigrants who are now US residents and support families. We even bought a house for one of them to rent (which is very subsidized by us) so he could send his youngest to school out here – getting him away from some of the negative influences of the Bronx. He graduated and is now attending college. Again at New Braintree, we gave a young mother a shot when she came for a job a few years ago – straight out of high school; she has turned out to be amazing and wonderful help. Her daughter is delish as well. She recently purchased a new (to her) truck that looks pretty fly and has been looking to buy a home. For what it is worth, we continued to pay our managers at BPM and WPM full wages the entire time we have been shut down and they stayed plenty busy filling mercato deliveries. Our wonderful veggie butcher in Boston stayed with us and we were able to keep her at close to full salary and pay for her Charlie Card too 😉 We actually have many more employees who are equally valuable to us that I won’t list here. If something goes sideways here, if sales go down, if we are not supported, it is bad for all these people too. Our farm family is large and diverse. Our farm family is not just us and our kids and grand kids, but all our employees who depend on us and we likewise depend on them. So know with your CSA support, you support our entire farm family: people of color, immigrants, single moms, working moms, new Americans…
You are part of that. Thank you!
Blueberries are ready! Peas and beans are looking good. SOOO early for those of you who are new to New England. Corn and tomatoes are forthcoming.
With that, July will bring the first of so many things. It is a perfect time to plan a visit to the New Braintree farm. Yes, come on out. Wear sensible shoes, plan on getting dirty, pack a picnic lunch or check our local attractions page for other options. Yes, you can pick some produce, bird watch, catch frogs, walk your dog, and see where and how your food is growing.
We wish all of you a SAFE and HAPPY Independence Day!!!
Eat well,
Geneviève Stillman