Week #15; Tomato Care

Ripe (top) and less ripe tomatoes (bottom).

We are heading into peak tomato season.  Ripe tomatoes are delicious but highly perishable so let’s talk about how to take care of the ones you receive.

Ripeness:  Each delivery, we pack a mix of ripe and less-ripe tomatoes so you can stretch them through the week.  In the photo above, the top tomatoes are ready to eat.  The bottom tomatoes can ripen at room temperature for a few days.

Storage:  Tomatoes retain their best flavor and texture when stored at room temperature, no lower than 55 F.  I encourage you to spread your tomatoes on plates so you can watch them.  Eat first the ripest ones or any showing flaws.  
However, you should refrigerate your tomatoes if they are fully ripe and you don’t expect to eat them right away.  It is better to sacrifice a little flavor and texture than to let your tomatoes spoil.  Also, fully ripe tomatoes are less sensitive to chilling injury.

They will need washing: Expect to wash your tomatoes.  We handle the ripe tomatoes as little as possible to avoid bruising.

(Left)  The yellow arrow shows small inconsequential flaws that will grow with time.  Eat now.
(Right) The purple arrows show leaf residue bits stuck to the tomato.  Wet the tomato and the residue will come right off.

This week’s pepper ID

Left; everyone gets one bell pepper (top, blocky) and one frying pepper (bottom, slender).
Right; everyone gets one ‘purplish’ bell pepper, somewhere on this spectrum of shades.  They are absolutely gorgeous as they ripen from purple to pale purple to orange to red.

Veggie List & Veggie Notes
Week #15, August 26/27, 2021
– Weekly shares
– EOW/ purple
– Sampler/ sun

Sweet corn, 8 ears
Red watermelon
Plum tomatoes
Slicing tomatoes
(About 4 lb total, all in one bag)
Red peppers, ~2, bell or frying
Purplish bell pepper, 1
Zucchini &/or yellow squash, a few
Cucumber, 1 – 2
‘Expression’ onion, 1
Cilantro, 1 bunch
Jalapeno chile (hot), 1
Garlic, 1 bulb

Next week’s box will probably contain tomatoes, peppers, and lots of summer veggies.

Peppers – The red and purple peppers are all sweet this week.

Jalapeno (small, dark green) – This is a hot chile.

RECIPES from DEB

Visit our 2020 Recipe Log or our 2019 Recipe Log.

Zucchini & Tomato Tian with Olives

Adpated from Deborah Madison’s “The Savory Way”
Makes 4 servings
Takes about 20 minutes to assemble and 35 minutes to bake.

One nice thing about this dish is that it can be served warm or at room temperature, so on a hot summer day it can be be baked in the cooler morning for serving later. It’s also a great brunch dish, served accompanied by scrambled eggs with cheese.

about two tablespoons of olive oil
1 onion, peeled and thinly sliced, pole to pole (1 1/2 to 2 cups slices)
2 garlic cloves, peeled and slivered
2 tablespoons chopped fresh herbs (parsley, sage, rosemary, thyme) if available or 1 1/2 teaspoons dried thyme or herbes de Provence
salt and freshly ground pepper
1 1/4 pounds zucchini or summer squash sliced into thin rounds
1/2 pound plum tomatoes, sliced into rounds
4 black olives (like Kalamata) pitted and sliced into quarters

Heat the oven to 375°. Lightly oil a shallow baking dish that holds about 6 cups. Warm a scant tablespoon of the oil in a skillet and cook the onions over medium heat until they are softened, about 5 minutes. Transfer them to the dish, and add half the herbs. Warm another tablespoon of oil in the same skillet and cook the zucchini with a little salt, stirring frequently, until it starts to color. Add the rest of the herbs, and distribute the zucchini over the onions in the baking dish. Tuck in slices of tomato and olives, and drizzle the remaining olive oil over the top. Cook covered for about 25 minutes, then uncover for another 10 or so to evaporate the juices.
.
.

Tomato Hand Pies

Makes 4-5 large pies
Takes about about an hour not counting chilling time for the crust. Instead of a homemade crust you could make these with store bought puff pastry; instead of pleating the edges, a flop-over and crimp style is recommended – something like this.

Pie crust:
1 1/2 cups flour (unbleached white or whole wheat)
good pinch salt, unless you’re using salted butter
2 teaspoons sugar
1/2 cup butter, either salted or un- (1 stick, 8 tablespoons)
1 tablespoon vegetable shortening or lard
1 tablespoon sugar
2-4 tablespoons cold water

Filling:
3-4 Roma tomatoes, or 2-3 slicing tomatoes
1/4 to 1/3 cup pesto
4-6 ounces mozzarella or Provolone, grated (a generous cup of grated cheese)
4-6 tablespoons cup grated Parmesan
egg wash: 1 egg beaten with a splash of water

Make the crust: measure the flour, salt and sugar into the bowl of your stand mixer (my favorite method), your food processor, or a mixing bowl. Slice the butter and shortening over the top and combine with the flour mixture, using the paddle attachment of the mixer, by pulsing the processor, or using a pastry blender, 2 knives or your fingers, until you have a crumbly mixture with no butter lumps bigger than currants. With the mixer or processor running, or while stirring with fork, drizzle in the water by tablespoons, until the mixture just starts to come together in clumps. Stop before you have one big ball. Turn the crust out onto a floured surface and knead lightly to bring it together. Gather it into a ball, flatten into a disk, wrap (in plastic, wax paper, one of your reusable snack/sandwich bags), and chill for about an hour, and up to 2 days.

Assembly: If the dough has been chilling, get it out of the fridge about 15 minutes before you want to roll it out, to soften just a bit.

Slice the tomatoes and arrange them on paper or dish towels to drain. Grate the cheeses.

Heat the oven to 400° and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.

Roll out the dough and cut it into 4 or 5 rough squares, each approximately 6 inches. Brush each square with some of your egg wash, and spread some pesto in the center. Arrange about 3 tablespoons of the mozzarella over the pesto, and top with as many tomato slices as will fit. Seal the pies by pleating the edges, brushing with more egg wash as necessary to make them stick. Use 2-3-inch round cookie cutter to cut a center opening. Sprinkle Parmesan over the top. Bake for 20-25 minutes until the cheese is melted and the crust is nicely browned.
.
.

Photo by Taste of Home

Creamy Cucumber Salsa

Adapted from Taste of Home
This mildly spicy salsa has the sour cream mixed in, rather than served alongside.
Makes about 2 cups
Takes about 20 minutes

2 cups chopped cucumber, peeled and seeded
1/2 cup chopped seeded tomato (cut the tomatoes in half and squeeze to remove the seeds)
1/4 cup chopped onion, purple or white
1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and finely chopped – leave seeds in for more heat, or omit for less
1/4 cup chopped cilantro, leaves and tender stems only
1 garlic clove, minced or put through a press
1/4 cup sour cream
1 tablespoon lemon or lime juice – or a combination
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
optional: 1/4 teaspoon seasoned salt, or Old Bay
Tortilla chips for serving

Combine the cucumber, tomatoes, onion, jalapeño, cilantro, and garlic in a medium bowl. Whisk the sour cream and lemon juice together, add the spices, and pour over the vegetables. Mix well, and serve with tortilla chips.
.
.

Calabacitas

Calabacitas translates to zucchini, but in New Mexico it’s most frequently this mixture of corn, zucchini, onions, and cheese. It’s great as a side dish, and can also be used as an enchilada filling.
Makes 6 servings
Takes about 25 minutes

1 tablespoon butter
1 medium onion, chopped fine
1 clove garlic, minced or put through a press
2-3 medium zucchini squash, cubed
optional – 1 jalapeño pepper, seeded, minced
salt & freshly ground pepper
kernels cut from 2-3 ears of corn – 2 1/3 to 3 cups
1/3 cup half and half
generous 1/2 cup Colby or cheddar cheese, shredded

Melt the butter in a large skillet. Add the onion, and cook over medium heat until the onion softens, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, zucchini, and jalapeño if using, season with salt and pepper, and continue to cook until the zucchini is starting to soften, 5-10 minutes. Add the corn, cover, and cook until the corn is softened, another 5 minutes. Stir in the half and half, top with the cheese, cover, and turn off the heat and let stand a few minutes to melt the cheese
.
.

Photo by Elise Bauer

Homemade Corn Relish

From Simply Recipes, the author recommends this relish on hot dogs, which sounds delicious to me.
.
.

Linguine with Summer Peppers & Sausage

This quick pasta from Epicurious with peppers and sausage serves two but is easily doubled!
.
.

Photo by Heidi Swanson

A Really Great Coconut Corn Salad Recipe

This corn salad from Heidi Swanson’s venerable vegetarian cooking blog, 101 Cookbooks, sounds exotic at first, but really plays up the familiar flavors of buttery corn.
.
.

Photo by Angie Mosier

Creamed Corn–Stuffed Tomatoes

by Virginia Willis, from Edible Tulsa | Edible Communities
These stuffed tomatoes can be made gluten free. The recipe is by Virginia Willis, and there’s a whole section of tomato recipes on her website, including another version of stuffed ones.
.

Week #14; Hanging in there.

Nothing on our farm is longer than a row of beans.  Really, time suspends while we slowly work our way down a row.

Folks, we are in the second half of our May – October season.  From our perspective, it’s been a very productive growing season so far.  The crops are abundant and high quality, primarily because rain has been sparse.  Wet weather encourages plant diseases, dry weather discourages them.  Irrigation consumes Steve’s time and energy in a dry season but the effort pays off.  Pay attention to how flavorful the tomatoes, peppers, corn and melons are this week.  Those crops soak up sunshine.

We are short-handed right now.  Let’s face it, I hired too many students this spring and now they’ve left us.  I have hired two new farmhands (they are both great!) but we need to find one or two more people to return to our typical size crew.  As you know from the news, this is a widespread problem.  Many, many businesses are looking for employees.

Honestly, this is a new problem for us.  I rarely have trouble finding good people to hire.  But the world is different right now.

Hats off to our hardworking crew!  Everyone has pitched in, working longer days than usual.  None of us can bear to leave beautiful crops in the field after investing the effort to grow them.  Once we’re back to a full crew, we’ll be able to relax a bit and enjoy our work more.
Thanks for reading.
Beth

Pepper ID

From top, jalapeño chile (hot), red frying pepper (sweet), and 2 red bell peppers (sweet).

Let’s review this week’s peppers.  Everyone gets about 3 red peppers, a mix of blocky bell peppers and slender frying peppers.  Expect to receive an occasional ‘suntan’ pepper – one that’s partly red and partly green.  Occasionally we pick these by accident but sometimes we need to harvest before the peppers are fully red to keep them from spoiling.  Fully ripe red peppers are fairly fragile.

Storage:  Refrigerate.

Bell versus frying peppers:  Bell peppers have thicker walls, which makes them more suitable for roasting and peeling.  Frying peppers have lower moisture, which means they will fry more readily in hot oil.  And are so fragrant while frying!

Uses:  Bell and frying peppers can be used interchangeable in raw and cooked dishes.  Both are good for stuffing.  Some people like to stuff cored peppers, some prefer to split each pepper, lay the halves flat, then fill with stuffing and bake.

Heat:  Check our newsletter each week for information about whether the peppers you receive are sweet or hot.  Bell and frying peppers are both sweet.  However, some of our hot chile peppers look deceptively like a small frying pepper.  Each week, we’ll tell you what to expect in your box.  We encourage you to keep pepper deliveries separate if you have unused peppers from a previous delivery still in your fridge, so you remain confident in your pepper identification.  Or eat them all right away!

Preservation:  Peppers are easy to freeze.  They do not require blanching.  Simply cut into pieces and freeze in a bag or container.  They will be soft when thawed but without sacrificing flavor.

Veggie List & Veggie Notes
Week #14, Aug. 19/20, 2021
– Weekly shares
– EOW/ green

Sweet corn, 7 or 8 ears
Watermelon, orange or yellow
Slicing tomatoes, ~3.5 lb
Red peppers, bell or frying (sweet), ~3 depending on size
Green beans, ~2/3 lb
Cucumbers, 1
Zucchini &/or yellow squash, 2 – 2.25 lb
Expression yellow onion, 1 or 2
Cilantro, 1 bunch
Jalapeno (small, dark green, HOT) – This chile is spicy.
Garlic, 1 head

Next week’s box will probably contain sweet corn, tomatoes, peppers and more.

Sweet corn – Bugs are low this week!  Yeah!  You’ll receive a mix of large and small ears.  All are the same variety, planted on the same day.  The small ears are from a section of the field that didn’t get as much irrigation.

Watermelon – Please refrigerate this week’s melon, even before cutting.  They are ripe.  Plan to eat within one week.

Cilantro, jalapeno and garlic – We’re sending these together so you can make fresh salsa with your tomatoes!

RECIPES from PHOEBE

Visit our 2020 Recipe Log or our 2019 Recipe Log.

Grilled Corn & Black Bean Salad

This zesty salad is a great make-ahead lunch or grilling side dish. You could even serve it as a dip with tortilla chips! It will keep well in the fridge for about 3 days.

Serves: 6
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 15 minutes

Ingredients

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 teaspoon lime zest
1 garlic clove, grated
1 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper, optional
1 1/2 cups cooked black beans, drained and rinsed (1 14-oz can)
1/2 cup fresh cilantro leaves, stems minced, divided
1/4 cup diced onion
1 red bell or frying pepper
4 ears fresh corn, husked

1. At the bottom of a large bowl, whisk together the olive oil, lime juice and zest, garlic, salt, cumin, coriander, and cayenne. Fold in the black beans, cilantro stems, and onion and set aside to marinate while you grill the veggies.
2. Preheat a grill or grill pan to medium-high heat. Place the whole pepper on the grill and grill, turning every 3-5 minutes, until char marks form on all sides. Remove the pepper from the grill, wrap it in a kitchen towel, and set it aside for at least 5 minutes to steam and soften.
3. Place the husked corn on the grill and grill, turning every 3 to 5 minutes, until all sides of the corn are cooked and light char marks form.
4. Remove the corn from the grill and slice the kernels off the cobs. Unwrap the grilled pepper and remove the stem and seeds. Dice the pepper and add it to the bowl with the black beans. Fold in the corn kernels and the cilantro leaves. Season to taste and serve.

.
.

Turmeric Black Pepper Tofu and Green Beans

I always like to try new things, so there aren’t a lot of recipes that I make again and again. One notable exception is Ali Slagle’s Turmeric-Black Pepper Chicken with Asparagus from The New York Times Cooking, which I’ve made often over the last year+. This recipe is a summery, vegetarian riff on hers, made with tofu and green beans instead of chicken and asparagus. If you’re not a tofu person, feel free to use a pound of chicken thighs instead. Refer to the original recipe for the cooking times.

Serves: 3-4
Prep time: 35 minutes
Cook time: 20 minutes

Ingredients

14 ounces extra-firm tofu, cut into 1-inch cubes
1/4 cup water
1 tablespoon honey
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 1/2 teaspoons turmeric
1/3 cup raw cashews
1 tablespoon coconut oil, divided
8 ounces green beans, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
1 teaspoon rice vinegar
Sea salt
Cooked rice, for serving

1. Press the tofu: Line a large baking sheet with a clean kitchen towel or paper towel and arrange the cubed tofu in a single layer across it. Cover the tofu with another towel or paper towel, and place another baking sheet on top. Weigh down the second baking sheet with something heavy – books, a cast-iron skillet, etc. Set aside to press for at least 30 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, prepare the sauce: In a small bowl, whisk together the water, honey, black pepper, and 1/2 teaspoon sea salt. Set aside.
3. In a large bowl, whisk together the cornstarch, turmeric, and 1 teaspoon sea salt. When the tofu has been pressed for at least 30 minutes, remove the top baking sheet and towel and add the tofu to the bowl with the turmeric mixture. Toss to coat.
4. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-low heat and add the cashews. Cook, tossing, until the nuts are fragrant, about 5 minutes. Remove them from the skillet and set aside.
5. Add 1/2 tablespoon coconut oil to the skillet and raise the heat to medium. Add the green beans and cook, stirring only occasionally, for 5 minutes, until the beans are just tender and bright green. Remove from the pan and set aside.
6. Add the remaining 1/2 tablespoon coconut oil to the skillet. Add the turmeric-coated tofu in a single layer and cook without stirring for 2 minutes. Toss and cook for another 2 minutes without stirring. Toss and cook for 2 minutes more.
7. Stir the green beans back into the pan and pour in the honey-black pepper sauce. Cook, stirring, for 2-3 minutes, until the sauce thickens. Turn off the heat and stir in the rice vinegar and toasted cashews. Season to taste and serve with rice.

.
.

Marinated Tomato Salad

This fork-and-knife tomato salad is a great way to showcase summer tomatoes. If you have fresh herbs like mint, basil, or oregano on hand, they would be a delicious finishing touch.

Serves: 2-4
Prep time: 20 minutes, plus 3 hours marinating

Ingredients

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 cup sherry vinegar
1 garlic clove, grated
2 1/2 tablespoons minced onion
1 teaspoon herbes de Provence
1 teaspoon sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 1/2 pounds fresh tomatoes, sliced into 1/2-inch-thick rounds (about 3 large)
2 tablespoons pine nuts
2 tablespoons crumbled feta cheese
Crusty bread, for serving

1. In a small bowl or liquid measuring cup, whisk together the olive oil, vinegar, garlic, onion, herbes de Provence, salt, and several grinds of pepper.
2. Arrange the sliced tomatoes on a large platter or baking sheet and pour the dressing on top, making sure to generously dress each tomato. Loosely cover with foil and refrigerate for 2 1/2 to 3 hours.
3. Before serving, heat a small, dry skillet over low heat and add the pine nuts. Toast, stirring often, for 2-3 minutes, until fragrant.
4. Uncover the marinated tomatoes and transfer to a serving platter, leaving any juices behind. Top with the toasted pine nuts and feta and serve with crusty bread.

.
.

Watermelon Cucumber Salad

From Smitten Kitchen

This sweet and savory salad would be so refreshing on a hot day! Deb calls for Persian cucumbers, but you can feel free to substitute the cucumber from this week’s box. I recommend slicing it in half and scooping out the seeds before adding it to the salad.
.
.

Summer Squash Pasta with Brown Butter & Goat Cheese

From How Sweet Eats

This recipe calls for a mix of zucchini and summer squash, but you could easily use all summer squash – including pattypan squash – instead of the zucchini. Just be sure to cut all the squash to about the same size and thickness. Feel free to omit the basil.
.
.

Creamed Corn

From Spoon Fork Bacon

A classic, comforting side dish for when you have lots of summer sweet corn.

Week #13; An eventful week

Raul trains new employee Scott to harvest eggplant.

Wow, our summer crops are abundant right now.  We began green bean harvest with the expectation of 3/4 lb for each CSA box but ended up with 1.4 lb per box.  That’s double!  The tomatoes are growing strongly and we’re happy to have ripe red peppers so early.  Getting everything harvested and washed has kept us busy.

Last Thursday started with a bang.  Literally.  We heard an enormous crash just before the work day began.  A pickup truck had run off the road and broken a utility pole, cutting off power along our country road.  The driver and passenger were shaken but apparently OK.  It took all day for the utility crews to dismantle and replace the damaged pole and wires.  We’re pretty stranded without power or water.  We emptied the coolers, packed the produce into your CSA boxes, loaded them onto our trucks, and sent them off to you.  It’s what we had planned to do anyway!

We hosted two groups on Saturday.  A small farm equipment company set up a field day just as our contract labor crew packed up (in background).

Each year, we hire a contract labor crew for two or three days to weed our carrot fields.  Thirty-five to forty workers arrive and finish the job in six to eight hours.  We’ve worked with the same group for several years and realize that we would not be able to grow our winter storage crops without them.  We could manage smaller plantings ourselves but not fields large enough to supply carrots to our local customers through the winter.

Steve explains how he has set up one of our cultivation tractors.

In the afternoon, we hosted a field day for Tilmor, a small equipment company that Steve admires.  They’ve put together a nice suite of weed-control tools designed for small farms.  They demonstrated some of their equipment, then everyone looked over our cultivation equipment.  The rigs are pretty similar, but Steve had to cobble ours together over the years, cutting and welding the bars himself.  Then we all walked around the farm until thunderstorms drove us out of the fields.

We are glad for the rain we received over the past few days.  It’s been an unusually dry summer for our farm, so we’re grateful for the rain and the reprieve from irrigation.
Beth 

Veggie List & Veggie Notes
Week #13
– Weekly shares
– EOW/ purple
– Sampler/ moon

Sweet corn, ~8 ears
Slicing tomatoes, ~4 lb
Red peppers, bell or frying, 2 or 3 depending on size
Green beans, 1.4 lb!
Eggplant, 1 large or 2 small
Cucumbers, ~3
Zucchini &/or yellow squash, a few
Red onion, 1 or 2
White or yellow onion, 1 or 2

Next week’s box will probably contain sweet corn, green beans, tomatoes, peppers, melons and more.

Sweet corn – This is a nice batch of corn, with very few bugs at the tips.

Red peppers – All the peppers this week are sweet, not hot.  Everyone gets red bell peppers (blocky) &/or red frying peppers (long, slender).  Both types can be eaten raw or cooked.  Frying peppers have lower moisture and (as the name implies) are well suited to frying in hot oil.  

Green beans – We guessed that we would have 3/4 lb for you this week, but our field yielded almost double!  If you have extras, blanch the beans lightly, then freeze for winter.

Cucumbers – Enjoy this batch of cukes.  We’re not sure if we’ll have this abundance again this year.  We’ve sent a lot of cucumbers this season but that’s what happens during abundance!  This particular field has been amazing but is on the verge of exhausting itself.  Our next cucumber planting will be ready soon but it’s a lot smaller.

White or Spanish onion (white or yellow, respectively) – Everyone gets one of these types.  Both are relatively mild onions, good for salads or cooking.

Red onion – We’re sending a second type of onion this week, so you have enough to use with the other produce.  These red onions will fry nicely, unlike the sweeter white or Spanish onions.

RECIPES from DEB

Visit our 2020 Recipe Log or our 2019 Recipe Log.

Roasted vegetable sauce

Here’s versatile sauce recipe that takes advantage of late summer bounty. It freezes well, and since it’s relatively fat-free, can be enriched later on with additions such as sausage or cream!
Takes just a few minutes of chopping, 1 hour to roast
Makes 3 cups to 1 quart of sauce.

You will need about 6-8 cups of assorted vegetables; here are suggestions:
5-6 tomatoes, depending on type & size, chopped (peeling and seeding optional)
1-2 onions peeled and quartered
2-4 cloves of garlic, peeled
1-2 red bell peppers
1 carrot, scrubbed and cut into chunks
1 summer squash, cut into chunks
2 tablespoons of olive oil
salt & freshly ground black pepper
a handful of your choice fresh herbs, rinsed and large stems removed

Heat the oven to 375°. Combine your vegetables in a baking pan – a glass 13 x 9 x 2 works well for this. Add the olive oil and salt and pepper and toss well. Roast for one hour until everything is nice and soft and starting to caramelize. Remove from the oven and cool. Scrape everything into a food processor, and pulse to puree. Add the herbs and pulse to chop them. Taste and adjust seasoning. You could also do this by transferring the roasted vegetables a deep bowl and pureeing with an immersion blender. Chop the herbs and add them.
.
.

Zucchini, or Eggplant, or Summer squash, Parmesan

One way to use your roasted vegetable sauce is in this zucchini, or eggplant, or summer squash, Parmesan!

2 pounds zucchini, eggplant, or summer squash – or some of all three!
2-3 tablespoons of olive oil
1 cup of ricotta cheese
1 egg
a few grates of nutmeg
grated zest of half a lemon
4-6 ounces grated mozzarella (OK to sub other cheese)
salt & freshly ground black pepper
3 cups roasted vegetable sauce
1/2 cup grated Parmesan or Asiago cheese

If using zucchini or summer squash, cut it into long planks. If using eggplant, cut into rounds, place them in a colander and sprinkle with coarse salt. Let stand for about 30 minutes, then pat dry and proceed. Heat the oven to 425°. Pour about 2 tablespoons of the oil into a rimmed baking sheet. Lay your vegetable slices on the sheet, flipping them to get them nicely coated with oil, and adding more oil as necessary. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, place in the oven, and roast until tender. Remove from the oven and cool. Turn the oven down to 375°.

Meanwhile, mix the ricotta, egg, nutmeg, lemon, and grated mozzarella – you’ll want about 2 cups of filling. Season with salt and pepper.

Spread a generous cup of sauce in a 2-qt. shallow baking dish, and arrange a layer of vegetables on top. Blob the filling in and spread it out – OK if it’s not perfect! Add another layer of vegetables, and top with a thick layer of the remaining sauce.

Bake the dish for 20-30 minutes, until firm and bubbling around the edges. Top with the grated Parmesan and bake anther 10 minutes. Let rest for 10 minutes before cutting. Serve with garlic toast!

Prepared this way the dish is gluten free, but for more traditional breaded vegetables in your Parmesan, use the method from the Love and Lemons zucchini chips from the week 6 newsletter!
.
.

Creamy Cucumber Salad

3 medium cucumbers, peeled if desired, seeded and sliced
one small red or white onion, thinly sliced (about 1/3 cup onion slices)
1 teaspoon coarse salt
1 tablespoon white vinegar
1/4 cup sour cream
1/4 cup mayonaise
1 TBLS sugar
ground black or white pepper to taste

Place the cucumbers and onions in a colander and sprinkle with salt. Let stand 15 – 30 minutes. Pat dry, and transfer to a bowl. Mix the vinegar, sour cream, and sugar, and pour over the cucumbers and onions. Add the pepper, mix well, and chill.
.
.

Photo by DebsLunch

Scattered Sushi Rice Salad

From Molly Katzen.
www.molliekatzen.com/recipes/recipe.php?recipe=sushi_salad 
I have always been more of a fan of the sushi rice then the fish, so this Mollie Katzan recipe suits me perfectly! A fun way to serve it is to place small scoops on slices of cucumber or zucchini, and sprinkle with sesame seeds for a cool summer appetizer.
.
.

Photo by Lauren Rudersdorf

Sweet Corn Risotto with Corn Cob Both & Cherry Tomatoes

From our July 22, 2020 newsletter at www.tipiproduce.com/2020wk10/. Scroll down to get to the recipe.
While we are still in the midst of corn and tomato season, it’s a great time to bring back this recipe from Lauren, from last summer. I have to say, agreeing with Lauren, definitely one of the best things I ate last summer!
.
.

Photo by Sara Kate Gillingham

Succotash Salad

From Kitchn
www.thekitchn.com/recipe-succotash-salad-recipes-from-the-kitchn-192297
Green beans work perfectly in this recipe, and chopped tomatoes can fill in for cherry. Succotash is also good served warm and you can add bacon to make it a meal!
.
.

Photo by Nora Taylor

Roasted Eggplant Curry with Chickpeas

From Nora Cooks
www.noracooks.com/chickpea-and-eggplant-curry/ 
A simple vegan curry with eggplant, red peppers, and garbanzo beans.
.
.

By Linda Bladholm

Cucumber Raita

From Epicurious
www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/cucumber-raita-104741
You can serve the eggplant curry with cucumber raita. If we get mint in the boxes it’s great in this, but it’s just as good without!

Week #12; So much bounty

Tomato field at dusk

Sweet corn and melons ready to pack in the CSA boxes.

Our cucumber, squash and sweet corn fields are burgeoning right now.  Usually our cucumber plants slow down and cukes become precious in August, with just one or two per box.  It will happen eventually but, for now, this field is amazingly productive.  Right now, we are able to donate generously to Second Harvest Food Bank.  They take our excess produce and swiftly get it to food pantries and into meals for the needy.  Nothing goes to waste.

Folks, take a moment to savor these abundant crops.  This is the epitome of summer.  If the sweet corn this week is too much for your household, steam the entire batch then cut the corn from the cobs and freeze it.  You’ll be glad to have blocks of frozen corn to drop into tomato soup or stews or casseroles later.  Last week, we delivered one tomato in each CSA box.  This week, we have 3 lb per box!  What an upswing!  The tomato fields are in great shape and we should have a steady supply for the rest of the summer.

Enjoy the bounty!
Beth & Steve

Veggie List & Veggie Notes
Week #12
– Weekly shares
– EOW/ green

Sweet corn, 9 or 10 ears
Slicing tomatoes, 3 lb
Cherry tomatoes, 1 pint
Bell or frying peppers, 2 large or 3 medium, at least one will be red.
Zucchini & yellow squash, several
Cucumbers, 4
Broccoli, 1 or 2 heads
White onion
Flat parsley, 1 bunch
By site: yellow watermelon OR muskmelon

Next week’s box will probably contain sweet corn, beans, tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, zucchini, onions and more.

Sweet corn – This batch has fewer bugs at the tips.  Take a peak.  If you see anything suspicious, cut off those tips before husking the ear.  They are some bugs but it’s not too batch from this field.
Storage:  Refrigerate, preferably in the husks.

White onion – We begin our transition from sweet onions to stronger onions with this delivery of white onions.  White onions are intermediate in pungency between sweet onions and yellow storage onions.  These mild onions are excellent for salads.  They will fry a bit better than a Walla Walla but not as well as a yellow storage onion.
Storage:  These are fine at room temperature for a few weeks.

Parsley – The herb of the week!  A great addition to salad dressing, tomato dishes or casseroles.
Storage: Cover and refrigerate.

RECIPES by PHOEBE

Visit our 2020 Recipe Log or our 2019 Recipe Log.

Cucumber Salad with Tahini Yogurt

If you like cooking with vegetables and you’re not familiar with Ottolenghi, I highly recommend you check out his cookbooks (Simple is a great place to start!). I got the idea for the sumac onions in this recipe from him. They add a nice complexity to the mixture of cucumbers and parsley here, which is amped up more by the layer of rich tahini yogurt underneath. Can’t find sumac? Don’t worry. This salad is still delicious without it.

Serves: 4
Prep time: 30 minutes

Ingredients

For the salad
1 pound cucumbers (about 2 medium)
1/4 white onion, thinly sliced
3/4 teaspoon sumac
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup fresh parsley leaves
Extra-virgin olive oil
Sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper

For the tahini yogurt
1/2 cup Greek yogurt
1/4 cup tahini
2 tablespoons water, more as needed
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 garlic clove, grated
1/4 teaspoon cumin
1/4 teaspoon sea salt

1. Prepare the cucumbers: Peel the cucumbers lengthwise in a zebra pattern, so that the peeled stripes alternate with stripes of skin. Cut the cucumbers in half lengthwise and use a spoon to scoop out the seeds. Lay each cucumber half cut-side-down and slice it into thin half-moons. Place the cucumbers in a colander in the sink and toss with 1 teaspoon salt. Set aside for 20 minutes.
2. Make the sumac onions: In a large bowl, toss the onions with the sumac, 1/2 teaspoon olive oil, and 1/8 teaspoon sea salt. Set aside while you make the tahini yogurt.
3. Make the tahini yogurt: In a medium bowl, stir together the yogurt, tahini, water, lemon juice, garlic, cumin, and salt. Stir until the mixture is smooth and spreadable. If it’s too thick, add water, 1/2 tablespoon at a time, until it reaches your desired consistency. Spread the tahini yogurt in an even layer on a serving platter and set aside.
4. Pat the cucumbers dry and add them to the bowl with the sumac onions. Toss with the lemon juice, parsley, 1 teaspoon olive oil, and plenty of freshly ground black pepper.
5. Scatter the cucumber mixture evenly across the tahini yogurt. Season to taste and serve immediately.

.
.

Smoky Summer Veggie Pizza

I’ve eaten a lot of corn on the cob and fresh corn salad this summer, so making this sweet corn pizza was a fun way to change things up! Make sure you dice the veggies fairly finely here – you want them to be small enough to cook through while the pizza is in the oven.

Serves: 2-3
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 10 minutes

Ingredients

1/2 cup fresh corn kernels
1/2 small head broccoli, broken into small florets
1/4 green bell pepper, diced
1/4 white onion, diced
1/2 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil, more for drizzling
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
3/4 cup ricotta cheese
1 garlic clove, grated
1 pound fresh pizza dough, store bought or homemade (I like this recipe and this one.)
8 ounces fresh mozzarella, torn
Sea salt
Red pepper flakes

1. Preheat the oven to 500°F.
2. In a large bowl, place the corn, broccoli, bell pepper, onion, olive oil, paprika, and 1/4 teaspoon sea salt. Toss to combine.
3. In a medium bowl, stir together the ricotta, garlic, and 1/4 teaspoon sea salt.
4. Stretch the pizza dough to fit a 14-inch round pizza pan (or similar). Arrange the mozzarella evenly on the dough, leaving a 1/2-inch border around the edges. Scatter the vegetables over the mozzarella and dollop with spoonfuls of the ricotta mixture.
5. Drizzle the pizza with olive oil, and bake for 8-15 minutes, or until the crust and vegetables are lightly browned and any exposed mozzarella is bubbling.
6. Remove the pizza from the oven, sprinkle with red pepper flakes, and serve.

.
.

Greek Salad

From Love & Lemons
Swap white onion for the red and replace the fresh mint with parsley. This refreshing salad is such an easy, flavorful summer side dish!
.
.

One-Pan Farro with Tomatoes

From Smitten Kitchen
This risotto-like farro recipe could pass as a main or a side dish. To use the produce in your box, replace the basil with a sprinkle of chopped parsley.
.
.

Herb Baked Fish with Rainbow Bell Peppers

From Minimalist Baker
A great way to use the parsley, peppers, and tomatoes from this week’s box! If you’re a pepper or two short, feel free to add an extra tomato to the recipe.
.
.

Easy Gazpacho

From Love & Lemons
On a hot summer day, nothing hits the spot like a bowl of gazpacho. Replace the cilantro with the parsley from this week’s box.
.
.

Creamy Corn and Lemon Pasta with Thyme

From The First Mess
If you don’t have fresh thyme on hand, use 1 teaspoon dried thyme instead. Replace the shallots with 1/2 cup diced white onion.

Week #11; The garlic crop is in.

Sweaty, sweaty garlic harvest.  

It’s taken a few weeks but all our garlic bulbs are harvested and drying under cover somewhere on the farm.  It’s a big project, especially because we increased the size of the planting this year.

There’s always some drama about when to begin the harvest.  I watch how the plants are maturing and make the call once I think the bulbs and surrounding papers are ready.  We often begin garlic harvest later than other farms, I think because our winter straw mulch is thick.  Usually we bring the crop in steadily over a few weeks.  With this year’s heat, the garlic matured quickly and we had to finish the harvest in a few long days.

We run an undercutter through the field to lift the bulbs, then shake the dirt off, wash the roots, and move the trimmed plants indoors to dry.  

Most of the garlic is upstairs in our barn loft.  It’s warm, dry and away from light, perfect for curing garlic. We lay the plants on overturned wooden bins that we’ll use for carrot harvest in fall.  We store the bins in the loft when not in use, and they make a perfect surface to cure the garlic.

It’s pretty exciting to see it laid out like this.  We’ll save the largest bulbs to plant this fall for next year’s garlic bulbs.  The smallest bulbs will be planted to harvest as green garlic next spring, but the rest is for you folks!  We’ll start packing garlic in the CSA shares once it’s dry enough to peel.
Thanks for reading.
Beth

Veggie List & Veggie Notes
Week #11, July 29/30, 2021
– Weekly shares
– EOW/ purple
– Sampler/ sun

Sweet corn, 8 or 9 ears
Green beans, ~1 lb
Cucumbers, 3 or 4
Zucchini, several
Green bell peppers, 3
Cherry tomatoes, 1 pint
Slicing tomato, 1
Beets, 2 lb
Walla Walla onion, 1 or 2
Basil, 1 sprig
– Some sites get muskmelon.
– Some sites get yellow watermelon.
– Some sites get red watermelon.

Next week’s box will probably contain melons, tomatoes and more.

Sweet corn – Ears are smaller this week, as we’ve switched varieties.  Many of the ears have bug damage so I offer the same advice as last week.  I suggest cutting off the tips before shucking the corn.  Sweep the trimmed tips into the compost and you will never see the bugs.
Storage. Sweet corn is best when fresh, so we encourage you to eat it asap. Store in the refrigerator, in the husks if you have the room, or husked in a plastic bag.
Cooking.  It is quicker to steam sweet corn than to boil it.
1.) Stand ears of corn upright in a tall pot. Put one inch of water in the pot.
2.) Bring the water to a boil. If the corn is cold when you begin cooking, steam for 5 – 6 minutes. If the corn starts at room temperature, steam for 4 – 5 minutes. The cooking time will vary somewhat depending on how many ears are in the pot. Pay attention to how the corn smells. The scent changes once the corn is ready. Another clue: water will bead on the corn until it is cooked. Don’t overcook it.

Green bell peppers – These first beauties are fragrant and crisp.  One site gets 1 red bell pepper + 2 green bells.  There were a few surprises in the pepper patch!  Everyone else gets 3 green bells.

Cherry tomatoes – Eat soon.  Store in the refrigerator.  Cherry tomatoes are more resistant to chilling damage than slicing tomatoes.

Slicing tomatoes – Everyone gets one tomato!

Beets – Storage:  Cover and refrigerate.  Beet roots will store for months.  Wash well to remove leaf fragments.  For all the cooking methods below, wash and scrub the beets but do not peel.  The skins slip off easily once the beets are cooked and cooled.
Cooking beet roots on the stovetop:  Slice or quarter, cover with water in a pot, and simmer until tender.  This will take from 25 to 45 minutes depending on how large the beet pieces are.  Drain.
Roasting beets in oven:  Wash beets, but do not peel.  On a sheet of aluminum foil, put beets (halved or quartered if large), salt, pepper and a few sprinklings of water.  Seal the foil packet, and roast at 400 oF until tender, about 45 minutes to 1 hour.  Slip off skins once cool.
Microwave:  Slice beets in half and place in a large microwave-proof bowl.  Add ¾ inch water and cover with a plate.  Microwave on high until tender, about 9-20 minutes, depending on your microwave’s power.  Drain and slip off skins.
Uses:  Use cooked beets in cold salads, or dress simply with vinaigrette, onions, salt and pepper.  Beets are also good tossed with sour cream, minced onion, fresh herbs and walnuts.

Basil (one sprig) – There’s minor damage from Japanese beetles this week.  They love basil.

Muskmelons (some sites) – Some are ripe and ready to eat.  Some need to ripen a day or two on your kitchen counter.  Keep at room temperature but refrigerate if not eaten within 2 – 3 days.

Red watermelon (some sites),
Yellow watermelon (some sites) – These are seeded melons.  If uncut, watermelon can be stored at room temperature for a week.  Refrigerate once it’s cut.

RECIPES by DEB

Visit our 2020 Recipe Log or our 2019 Recipe Log .

Burst Cherry Tomato & Corn Galette with Cornmeal Crust

Serves 5-6
Takes about 45 minutes to assemble, not counting chilling the crust, and about 25-30 minutes to bake
This is my riff on a Smitten Kitchen recipe, with more corn, less squash, and a bit of cornmeal adding extra crunch to the crust.

Crust:
1 1/4 cups all purpose flour
1/4 cup yellow cornmeal
2 teaspoons sugar
a good pinch of kosher salt (or use salted butter)
1 stick of butter
1 tablespoon vegetable shortening
3-4 tablespoons cold water

Combine the flour, cornmeal, salt, and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer – or in a large mixing bowl. Slice the butter and vegetable shorting into the bowl, and cut in the shortening until it resembles coarse crumbs using the paddle attachment for the mixer, or a pastry blender, or two knives or your fingers. Switch to a fork if mixing by hand. Drizzle in the water a tablespoon at a time, mixing, until the dough clumps. Shape into a disk, wrap in plastic or wax paper, and chill while you’re making the filling. I use a pastry cloth for rolling out the dough and wrap it in that.

Filling:
about 2 tablespoons of olive oil
one large shallot or about 1/3 cup chopped sweet onion, white or purple
the kernals cut from 2-3 ears of corn
2 cups cherry tomatoes OR 2 cups tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and diced – if you want to save your cherry tomatoes for eating!)
big pinch of Kosher or coarse salt
salt and freshly ground pepper
3/4 cup grated cheese of your choice (Swiss is tasty)
2-3 tablespoons basil pesto, store bought is perfectly OK
milk or half & half for brushing
2-3 tablespoons grated Parmesan

Warm the olive oil in deep wide skillet, and add the shallot. Saute a few minutes until softened and then add the cherry tomatoes. Cover, and shake the pan to roll the tomatoes around and listen for them to burst. I find I have to uncover the pan and smush some for them with a spoon. When the cherry tomatoes are mostly burst, add the corn. If you are using diced tomatoes, add corn and tomatoes to the shallots, and then proceed as follows. Cover the pan and cook about 5 minutes until the corn is cooked. Uncover and cook until most of the liquid is evaporated – which might take a bit longer with juicier diced tomatoes. Transfer the filling to a large plate or metal pan and spread it out to cool – you can even stick it in the fridge – so that it won’t melt the crust when you assemble the galette.

Assemble the galette: Heat oven to 375°. On a floured surface – I like a pastry cloth – roll the dough out into a rough circle, as big as you can get it – I think mine was about 16 inches. Transfer the crust to a parchment-lined baking sheet; I used a 14-inch dark colored pizza pan – dark is good for a crisper crust. I fold the dough gently in half, without pressing down, just kind of flop it, then unfold it onto the baking pan. Spread the pesto on the crust, then top with the grated cheese, and the cooled filling. Fold the edges of the crust over the filling, brushing with milk as you go, pleating the edge to make it fit. The center will be open. Brush the crust with more milk, and sprinkle with the Parmesan.

Bake the galette 25-30 minutes, or until puffed and golden brown. Remove from the oven and let stand for 5 minutes. Cut into wedges and serve hot, warm or at room temperature.

Sweet Sour Cold Beet Borscht

Serves about 6
About 40 minutes to prepare, plus time to chill
Based on my grandma Mollie and Mollie Katzen, this is a meatless sweet sour soup that’s a beautiful color.

1 1/2 pounds of beets
3 cups of water
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons lemon juice
3 tablespoons sugar or honey
2 cups buttermilk
Optional garnishes: chopped fresh dill; cucumber – peeled, seeded, and grated; chopped pickles; sour cream

Trim and peel the beets, and place them in medium sauce pan with the water and salt. Bring to a boil, then partially cover and lower the heat and simmer until the beets are tender – about 20-30 minutes. Remove the beets with a slotted spoon, and transfer the water to the container you plan to chill the soup in. Add the lemon juice and sugar to the water. When the beets are cool enough to handle, grate them and add them to the container. Cover and chill until very cold.

When you’re ready to serve, add the buttermilk, and taste for seasoning. Serve with the optional garnishes.

Suitable-for-picnics Macaroni Salad

Takes 30 minutes not counting chilling
Makes 8-10 servings

Salad:
1/2 pound elbow macaroni
3/4 cup frozen peas – or green beans, cut into 1-inch lengths and cooked till tender
1 bell pepper diced
1 carrot peeled and diced
1/3 cup finely chopped sweet onion or purple onion
3 tablespoons chopped parsley, or basil, or dill

Dressing:
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoons sweet pickle relish (recipe in the week 9 newsletter)
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon cider vinegar
A few shakes of hot pepper sauce, like Frank’s, or to taste

Boil the macaroni in salted water until it’s tender. Place the peas (if using) in your colander and pour the hot macaroni over to thaw. Rinse with cold water and allow to drain. Combine the green beans (if using), bell pepper, carrots, and onion in a large bowl. Add the macaroni. Whisk together the dressing ingredients, pour over the salad and mix well. Taste for seasoning, and chill. You might need to add a bit more mayo before serving.
.
.

Photo by Kate

Vegetarian Stuffed Peppers Recipe

From Cookie + Kate
cookieandkate.com/vegetarian-stuffed-peppers-recipe/
This recipe will work equally well with the green peppers we got this week. I really like the technique of roasting the peppers before you stuff them; I had always cooked them in water!
.
.

Photo by Jenn Segal

Corn, Zucchini & Tomatoes with Goat Cheese

Once Upon a Chef
www.onceuponachef.com/recipes/corn-zucchini-tomatoes-with-goat-cheese.html
Walla Walla onion can step in for the shallots.
.
.

Photo by James Ransom

Jennie Cook’s Zucchini Butter Recipe

Food52
food52.com/recipes/23071-jennie-cook-s-zucchini-butter
This recipe has been my go-to for lots of zucchini since it went on Food52 in 2013. Even though it’s called zucchini butter, it can be made dairy-free, and it’s good on toast as shown, folded into scrambled eggs, and can be frozen. Defrost it in December and spoon over a log of goat cheese for a fancy appetizer at your holiday parties!
.
.

By Doreen Colondres

Pasta with Fresh Green Beans, Corn & Basil

From The Kitchen Doesn’t Bite
www.thekitchendoesntbite.com/index.php/recipes/starving/1340-pasta-with-fresh-green-beans-corn-basil
A quick pasta recipe that can be served hot or cold.
.
.

Photo by Loren Runion

Cucumber Cream Cheese Tea Sandwiches Recipe

From The Spruce
www.thespruceeats.com/cucumber-cream-cheese-tea-sandwiches-recipe-765606 
The author of this recipe suggests that several of the tasks in making these sandwiches are suitable for kids, and might even teach geometry!