2012 CSA week 9
September 19, 20122012 CSA week 9 August 1st
In The Box
1 bunch Sugarsnax Carrots
2 1/2 lbs Tomatoes
1 bunch Basil
1 bunch Flat Leaf Italian Parsley
1 head Garlic
1 bunch Fennel
2 lbs New Potatoes (Red Norland)
3-4 Zucchini
1 bunch Broccoli (PAE and Fremont only)
1 pint Cherry Tomatoes (Hawthorne, Sellwood and Catholic Charities only)
3/4 lb Green Beans (Multnomah, York and Green Micro Gym only)
Hello, As I stood behind the barn at around ten thirty on Monday night packing a late order for a restaurant, I was beginning to regret saying “of course we can do that.” Could we do that? Could I do that? (“just say no”, my crew sounds like a looped Nancy Reagan speech whenever chefs call after the order deadline.) With aching back and dead dog tired eyes the annual and inevitable why? came into play. Sometimes the beauty and necessity of what we do can get lost in the work. Sometimes you have to just kill the engine, get off the tractor and wait. There is a sense of simplicity amongst the chaos, like the eye of a hurricane, where the madness of harvest and irrigation and weeds and harvest appears effortless, superbly choreographed. The simple satisfaction in a loaded truck heading up the driveway, a freshly weeded field or the glimpse of a ripening pepper behind dark green foliage. My crew will surely mock me if they read this, but for me, it’s in the little moments, the lapses when I allow myself to detach, that the why is answered. I love this. I love growing good food. No lettuce in the box this week as we find ourselves between plantings. Our leased acreage is giving us some problems this year and the spinach that we’d hoped to rotate into the boxes over the next couple of weeks is now officially a crop failure. We’ll seed some more at the home farm soon and hopefully have it in the boxes in the early fall. Look for cucumbers, melons, green beans and eggplant starting to show up in the coming weeks. The heirloom tomatoes are a little behind schedule this season and I’m hoping it’s due to the weather and not my decision to prune the tomatoes differently this year. We lost a lot of fruit to sunscald (sunburn for tomatoes) last season and I chose to leave more vines per plant this year to try to create more shade for the fruit. The plants are looking lush and beautiful but the fruit set is later then I’ve seen before. Peppers and eggplant will be ready soon as will some new potato varieties.
Some items are diiffernt for different sites this week. Not usually how we like to pack the boxes, it only adds to the confusion on the packing line. We’ll be sure to see that everyone gets their fair share of everything over the next few weeks.
Enjoy,
Dave, Lori and the crew
CROP NOTES AND RECIPES Jazar wa Kusa (Zucchini and Carrots, a recipe from Egypt) adapted from Mediterranean Vegetables by Clifford Wright
2 large fat carrots, sliced diagonally about 1/4 inch thick 2 zucchini, ends trimmed, sliced diagonally about 1/4 inch thick 1 teaspoon freshly ground cumin seeds S & P to taste 2 Tablespoons olive oil 1. In a large bowl, toss the carrots and zucchini together with the cumin and seaon with Salt & Pepper. 2. Heat the oil in a large skillet over med-low heat and cook the carrots and zucchini until crisply and tender, 25 to 30 minutes, tossing frequently. Serve hot.
Zucchini Frittata 2 lbs summer squash Salt Basil leaves(fistful again) 2 garlic cloves 4 eggs 1/4 Cup oil 1 Cup flour 2 tsp. baking powder 1/2 Cup parnesan/pecorino cheese
The summer squash, green onions, and basil make a wonderful frittata. In the main bowl of a food processor, grate about two pounds of summer squash. Put the squash in a colander and lightly salt. Leave to drain, and put the chopping blade in the food processor. Add a healthy fistful of onions and the leaves from a bunch of basil. Toss in a couple garlic cloves if you have them, and pulse until well chopped. In a big bowl, mix around a cup of flour with a couple teaspoons of baking powder and about a half cup of grated parmesan or pecorino romano cheese. Lightly beat four eggs and a quarter cup of oil (if you’re feeling decadent and there are no vegetarians in the crowd, add a couple spoonfuls of bacon grease). Put the grated squash in a thin clean dishtowel or heavy duty paper towel and squeeze out excess liquid. Combine all the ingredients in the big bowl. You should have a thick, fragrant batter. Pour the batter into a greased 13×9 baking pan and sprinkle a little more cheese on top. Bake at 375 degrees until golden, about 30-45 minutes (it depends on the moistureleft in the squash). When cool, cut into squares and serve.
Concia Zucchini with Mint and Vinegar from Cucina Ebraica by Joyce Goldstein
4 to 6 small zucchini, about 1.5 pounds salt 3 tablespoons chopped fresh basil 2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley 2 large cloves garlic, minced 6 tablespoons olive oil 4 tablespoons red or white wine vinegar
Cut the zucchini into 1/4 inch thick slices, or to prepare it Veneto fashion, cut the zucchini lengthwise into 1/4 inch thick slices. Sprinkle with salt and let stand in a colander for 30 minutes to drain off any bitter juices. Rinse and pat dry. In a small bowl, combine the mint or basil, parsley, and garlic.Warm the olive oil in a frying pan over medium-high heat. In batches, add the zucchini and cook, turning as needed, until golden on both sides, 4 to 5 minutes.Transfer to a shallow serving dish and sprinkle with some of the mint mixture and some of the vinegar. Repeat with the rest of the zucchini, mint mixture, and vinegar. Leave at room temperature for 1 to 2 hours, basting occasionally with vinegar in the dish, before serving.
Sesame Parsley Salad Dressing adapted from Renee’s Garden
1 stalk green garlic or 1 clove garlic, minced 2 tablespoons tahini (sesame seed paste) 1 teaspoon honey 1/4 cup cup lemon juice 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin 3/4 cup olive oil 2 tablespoons freshly chopped parsley 1/2 teaspoon salt freshly ground pepper to taste
Combine all ingredients in blender. Taste for seasoning, adding more salt to taste.
Green Herb Sauce with Walnuts (Salsa Verde con le Noci)
Add the lemon juice or vinegar just before serving. Can be eaten with thinly sliced cheeses, beef or chicken, grilled fish, potato salads, or slices of tomato. Increasing the portion of parsley turns the sauce into a salad.
1 bunch Italian parsley, chopped small handful basil leaves, coarsely chopped 2 T chopped capers 2 garlic cloves, chopped 3 T finely chopped walnuts 1/2 medium fennel bulb, finely chopped 2 anchovies, chopped to a paste, optional extra virgin olive oil lemon juice or red wine vinegar salt and pepper to taste Combine the herbs, garlic, walnuts, capers, fennel and anchovies in a small bowl. Add enough olive oil to create a spoonable sauce. Add the lemon juice or vinegar just before serving. Season with salt and pepper.
GREMOLATA
The sprightly flavors in gremolata, a traditional garnish for osso buco can liven up Lamb Chops with White Beans and can also add zip to other meats, soups, salads, grains such as rice, or even mashed potatoes.
Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh flat-leafed parsley leaves (wash and dry before chopping) 1 teaspoon minced garlic (about 1 large clove) 1 teaspoon freshly grated lemon zest freshly ground pepper to taste
In a small bowl stir together gremolata ingredients and season with salt.
Makes about 3 tablespoons. Each 2 1/2 teaspoon serving about 2 calories and 0 grams of fat (0% of calories from fat)
Gourmet March 1997
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