CSA Week 6, 2018

CSA Week 6

Hey everyone, I am so sorry if my letters have been coming through in a super annoying format! I have changed some of the pictures in the issue, but you can always view it on the blog (see “view this email in your browser” at the top of the email). The blog is optimized for whatever device you are viewing it on – so no more scrolling and sliding 😉 Here’s a direct link to Week 6 on the blog

You may have corn, cucumbers, squashes, blueberries or raspberries, tomatoes, greens, peaches? peppers?
As I write there is not tons of corn, but Glenn tells me the next crop is a couple of days away, so I doubt many of you will be impacted with the light picking. We are just starting to pick peaches and peppers. Just as a reminder, we pick our peaches about two days from dead ripe, they bruise VERY easily. At most of our CSA locations we ask you to pick out your own (so you are responsible for them ;^)) but at a few drop off locations, this is not possible. In those cases we add your peaches, as well as berries, at your respective location. I have observed members in the past toss their fruit into the box and then kind of mash the lid down to close the box. This is not a good strategy and, while it might work for the “green” peaches at the supermarket, with fresh local peaches will likely end in sadness.

TOMATOES! Woot woot! Nothing like a home-grown tomato ? We grow a myriad of red tomatoes and, believe it or not, it’s still a little early for outside tomatoes – I love knowing you got some. Having said that, as with so many crops, there is often a first flush and then not so much for a week. Remember how cold and gross may was? The fruits we are picking now managed to set while we had them under the spun-row cover. No worries, there’s a good set out there. Watch for my posts about bulk tomatoes in 3 weeks or so. If you are a canner or sauce maker, we offer our CSA members a great discount on a box price, so keep it in mind.

Farm snob alert: If you are new to fresh, local tomatoes, you cannot handle them as those rock-hard things masquerading as tomatoes at the supermarket. Be very gentle with them, knowing that they don’t like being squeezed, dropped, or having other produce piled on top of them. Also, wipe from your mind that a tomato is supposed to be firm, or soft for that matter. We have been programmed to squeeze produce to check for ripeness. Just don’t. Also, I have observed people over the years that pick up a tomato and if it gives to the touch (because it’s being squeezed), they put it back, as though it is supposed to feel like a supermarket tomato. Wrong. Just remember that the supermarket tomatoes, even those labeled “vine-ripe” are NOT. “Vine-ripes” are harvested when “pink” starts to show at the blossom end versus harvested at “mature green”. Then they run the tomatoes through sorters to grade them by size, then pack them. Usually they are refrigerated (a huge no-no for any unripe fruit); then they are shipped and gassed with ethylene during their journey to “ripen” them. By the way, ethylene is the natural gas produce by fruits to ripen, so it’s not harmful, just leaves me with the feeling of lab created. How on earth can you do all that to a ripe tomato…you can’t. And why would you want a fresh, harvested by hand, ripe tomato to feel or resemble those sold in the super? You don’t, it’s not real. OK, tomato rant off. If you love supermarket tomatoes or the hard, pink circles on your sandwich, I am truly sorry if I offended…but you’re probably not going to like our tomatoes then ?

Just kidding – We actually do grow a very firm variety called Market Pride for you :~}

I have seen a smattering of peppers coming in so you may see one. I will elaborate on sweet and hot peppers next week.

For National Mac and Cheese Day I made Zoodles and Cheese. It was mighty good. As I felt like I should provide something heartier than zucchini for the working men-folk, I used rice fettucine too. If you choose to remain vegetarian, add another squash to the recipe. This could easily be gluten-free or keto, so sub at will. Here’s approximately what I did:

Zucchini Mac & Cheese

• 8oz marscapone
• 1 cup milk
• 1 3/4 cup shredded cheddar
• 1/3 cup shredded Italian blend cheese
• 1 lb brown rice fettucine
• 2 really large zucchini (or any summer squash)
• 1/2 tsp dry mustard
• s&p to taste  (I use my favorite seasoned slat blend)
• 2 T oil
• red pepper flakes
• 2+ cloves garlic, minced

Spiralize the zucchini, or make long noodles with mandoline. Lightly salt and let drain in colander. Cook pasta according to directions on package.
In saucepot, carefully melt marscapone and milk (right, keep stirring, don’t walk away ;)). When thickened, stir in seasonings and other cheeses. Naturally you should taste it now.

heat oil in large frying pan, add red pepper flakes and garlic, when fragrant (30 seconds) add squash and saute about 5 minutes. Be careful tossing your tender zoodles so they don’t break them apart.

Layer half the pasta in a large casserole, top with squash, then remainder of pasta. Pour sauce over, carefully poking through with knife to make sure sauce is settling throughout. Top with panko. Bake at 400 until bubbly and crumbs are golden, about 25 minutes.

 

 

Beet-Chocolate Cake and Zucchini Cake
Zsa Zsa’s Corn Oysters
Corn Pesto
Cucumbers
Swiss Chard Fritters

Zucchini (or any summer squash) Pizza Casserole (from Taste of Home)

• 4 cups shredded unpeeled zucchini
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 large eggs
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
• 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese, divided
• 1 pound ground beef
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 1 can (15 ounces) Italian tomato sauce
• 1 medium green or sweet red pepper, chopped

Directions

• 1. Preheat oven to 400°. Place zucchini in colander; sprinkle with salt. Let stand 10 minutes, then squeeze out moisture.
• 2. Combine zucchini with eggs, Parmesan and half of mozzarella and cheddar cheeses. Press into a greased 13×9-in. or 3-qt. baking dish. Bake 20 minutes.
• 3. Meanwhile, in a large saucepan, cook beef and onion over medium heat, crumbling beef, until meat is no longer pink; drain. Add tomato sauce; spoon over zucchini mixture. Sprinkle with remaining cheeses; add red pepper. Bake until heated through, about 20 minutes longer.
• 4. Freeze option: Cool baked casserole; cover and freeze. To use, partially thaw in refrigerator overnight. Remove from refrigerator 30 minutes before baking. Preheat oven to 350°. Unwrap casserole; reheat on a lower oven rack until heated through and a thermometer inserted in center reads 165°.

*Do not skip the salting and draining of the squash! You can freeze the “crust” after baking and then top and bake when you are ready. I pressed the zucchini out in a large sheet pan for a thinner “crust”. Use whatever cheese you want, add sausage, pepperoni, mushrooms…whatever you want – it’s your pizza!

I don’t really know how much rain we got in that storm on Tuesday, but it was A LOT! The ponds are recharged and everything grew exponentially the next day. The guys got the last portion of netting up over the blueberries and spend a little while ushering the Robins out, lest they be trapped inside with your fruit! One year we had an Oriole get trapped, which we realized when we noticed the Coopers Hawk sitting on top of one of the posts. Naturally, the hawk took off when we came near and we rescued Mr. Oriole. The birds are always the first to know there is any ripe fruit. The Cedar Waxwings, Bluebirds and Robins cause the most damage, and we don’t mind sharing a little, but you’d be amazed what they can plunder in so little time.

I was scouting a field for, um, stuff (insert artifacts) after the rain and found some wonderful animal tracks. The tiniest faun prints were next to the mother’s…you cannot believe how small they are! I also came across some super cute kitten tracks (mom’s were there too) on the black plastic. No pic when I looked on my phone…I may go back for it. Anyway, nice to know mama Bobcat had a successful litter! I’ve been bringing the dog with me to startle off any “scarier” animals. While I love me a bear, I really don’t want to run into her and her cubs…nor do I wish to have a face-to-face with Mr. Bear! If you were wondering, I found nothing in that field in the way of artifacts; but I did observe the main crop of potatoes blooming 🙂

Eat well,

Geneviève Stillman