CSA Week 3
No pick ups anywhere on the 4th – that’s you Monday 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 beets, chard, bunching onions, scapes, choy, and blueberries!. 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 will see it sometime – again, sometimes the week is split and I can never be totally sure what goes into the box/bag each day. One day something is not ready and a day or two of heat pushes it, and, BOOM, gotta pick it, can’t wait till Friday when the CSA week starts anew 😉
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 had a member complain that she had no idea how to use yellow summer squash, only the zucchini. That’s kind of funny to me 🙂 Any of the summer squashes are my 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 mandolin out and make some veggie noodles!
Stillman’s Bucks/Store Credit
In an effort to keep our CSA price the same as the last few years, we made an executive decision to do away with the $15 of “Stillman’s Bucks” many of you were familiar with. BUT, what we did do was give everyone who signed up early an amount of CSA store credit. How does it work? We have your amount loaded into our POS system, found by your name. You shop at any of our markets and give your name at check out and we run your purchases off your pre-loaded credit. Simple, well, it should be 😉
Clockwise from top left: Yellow straight neck, pattypan/scaloppini, Golden zucchini, green zucchini, cousa (the light green one)
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
2-4 TB olive oil
2+ TB 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. 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 balsamic, 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
Things are ripening up around here nicely. Glenn picked the first ears of corn today (June 30th!) though it will still be about a week until we start picking in earnest. I think there will be cucumbers next week and maybe fennel. There’s a little gap in lettuce, so if you still have some from last week, you can catch up, LOL. This week Glenn was out scouting and sent me some fun pictures of the onion field and also a Redbellied snake encounter. The raspberries are ripe and you are invited to come pick your own some time in the coming weeks. Due to the labor involved and their highly perishable nature, we seldom include raspberries in the main CSA.
All the Barn Swallows everywhere have fledged and we learned the pair in the carriage shed had 5!!! We are delighted for their success.
Blueberries are ready! Beans are looking good – SOOO early for those of you who are new to New England. Corn and cucumbers 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, let you kids run off leash, and see where and how your food is growing.
We wish all of you a SAFE and HAPPY Independence Day!!!
Eat well,
Geneviève Stillman
