CSA Week 7, 2022

CSA Week 7

The plan for week 7: corn, summer squashes, zucchini, tomatoes, blueberries, radishes, onions, pepper, Yukon Gold potatoes

Looks like onions and peaches will be happening soon! This is such great summer weather for grilling squashes or anything really. For me, when I am hurried and don’t want to use the oven (oh wait, mine is broken), everything seems to become ratatouille or stirfry, possible involving some kind of pasta.

When my oven was working last, I made a lovely squash frittata. So simple. So good hot, room, or cold, breakfast, lunch or dinner.

Summer Squash Frittata

• 3 Tbs butter or olive oil
• about 4 cups or so assorted zucchini and yellow squash, chopped (I quarter the squash the long way and then slice no more than thick
• 1 small onion chopped
• 7-12 eggs, lightly beaten
• 1/2 cup sour cream or ricotta
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• many grinds of pepper
• shredded basil leaves or any fresh herbs are nice addition
• 1/4-1/2 cup shredded parm or other cheese you love

Heat butter or oil in a 10-inch ovenproof skillet sauté zucchini, squash, and onion, until tender. Whisk together eggs, sour cream or cheese, S & P, herbs and pour over veggies in skillet. I like mine to cook on the stovetop for a few minutes to get it set up quicker (“starving” people here in the evenings), then pop in 350° oven for 15 minutes or as long as it takes to set up and not be runny in the center.

Summer Squash/zucchini Soup, yet another version

• • • 3-4 summer squash
    • 1 qt chicken or favorite broth to barely cover (you can use water, but adjust seasoning accordingly)
    • package of instant grits (plain instant oatmeal or something to thicken)
    • one stalk Egyptian Walking Onion
    • 1/2 tsp curry powder
    • 1/2 tsp ground mustard
    • 1/2 tsp garlic powder (too hot and lazy to walk out to field and get a new bulb)
    • fresh black pepper
    • dash cayenne
    • 1/4-1/2 tsp smoked paprika
    • pretty sure I tossed in some turmeric and a spot of very hot paprika – whoa
    • 1/2 cup cream

Wash, trim and cut up the squash, you are going to blend it in the end, so it does not have to be pretty. I always quarter squash the long way and then 1/2″ slice. Prepare alliums. In appropriate size pot, add the vegetables and broth/stock. Stir in all the spices, heat and then simmer until squash is very tender. Turn off heat. Stir in instant grits package. “No self–respecting southerner uses instant grits. I take pride in my grits.” Well, with the use of “magic grits” this soup took 20 minutes start to finish, while drinking a glass of Pinot. But I digress. Let the grits soften for a few minutes. Blend with immersion blender until mostly pureed looking. Add cream and blend for a few more seconds. Taste test. Enjoy hot or cold.

Vegetarian Chili
Quick Lemon Summer Pasta
Zucchini Recipes
Summer Tian

We get a lot of questions about the weather and the farm, naturally. Last week’s heat, which was not unusual per Glenn’s farm journal he has kept for the past 40 years, affects the blooms of squash plants and the fruit set of peppers and artichokes. In the heat. squash plants will put out only male blossoms, no female blossoms, and therefore not produce fruit. Glenn and I observed this truism while scouting the winter squash yesterday…loads and loads of male blossoms. There’s still a good amount of time before we need to worry about the Fall harvest, and perfectly gorgeous days like this will surely trigger the plants into producing female flowers again. I have not made it out to the peppers this week to see if any fruits that set last week dropped off due to the heat. Overall, it’s good and we are so happy to be able to get onto our fields and keep planting. Today they headed out with a huge planting of cole crops, like our red cabbage, storage cabbage and more.

Once again, you are welcome out to the farm to pick a few raspberries or just roam freely. If you do make it out for a visit, please pop in the farm stand or greenhouse and let staff know you are visiting – we don’t actually allow non-CSA members roam the farm and the staff here does not recognize everyone 😉 Also, please be respectful of the rows and assume if there is a plant growing or plastic laid, that you should not step on it. it is very tempting to short cut across a field and march across the rows, but it takes a big stride to do it without stomping on the edge of the plastic or the plants. Thanks in advance!!!

The entire farm is aflutter with Monarchs, Fritillaries, Tiger, Spicebush, and Black Swallowtails, interesting moths (not the Cabbage Loopers, they are not interesting :P) and way too many more to list. While scoping out what trees to cur next, we watched a Great Crested Flycatcher nimbly snatch a moth out of the air – so impressive! This is also a great wildflower time for you anthophiles out there.

Many wonderful things to take in at the farm for all ages.

Eat well,

Geneviève Stillman

Coming up: Peaches, eggplant, garlic, onions…