Lots more heat and humidity and, finally, the rain. We’ve been needing it here as carrots, beets and other crops in our un-irrigated lower field have barely grown in a week. Hopefully they don’t explode from this drenching! With the rain and cooler weather coming, we hope to round out our season with some nice greens and other frost-loving veggies like parsnips and Brussels Sprouts. And you won’t believe the size of the pumpkins! They seem to have swollen without the needed rain. Must be that rich soil left over from last year’s pastured chickens!
IN YOUR SHARE THIS WEEK:
Butternut Squash–4+ lbs.
Tomatillos–1.5 lbs. (can be used like green tomatoes OR use the salsa recipe below)
Summer Leeks
Potatoes–1.75 lbs.
Carrots
Garlic
Cucumbers
Thyme, other fresh herbs and flowers
Squash and Leek Lasagna (from EatingWell.com)
This recipe calls for a 2 lb. butternut squash. You could probably use half of the one you got this week. I also omitted the pine nuts, just because I didn’t have them, but I’m sure they would add nuttiness to this lightly sweet, delicious lasagna.
Ingredients
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10 oz. lasagna noodles
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2 Tb. butter
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4-5 medium leeks, pale green and white part only, thinly sliced
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½ cup flour
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4 cups milk
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1 tsp. dried thyme (or 2 tsp. fresh)
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1 tsp. salt
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¾ tsp. nutmeg
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½ tsp. black pepper
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2 lb. of squash (such as butternut or sugar dumpling), peeled, seeded and grated with a box grater or the grating attachment on a food processor
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6 oz. Parmigiano-Reggiano, grated
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¼ cup toasted pine nuts
Directions
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Preheat oven to 350 F, coat a 9 x 13 in. baking dish with cooking spray.
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Boil noodles until not quite done (about two minutes less than package directions), drain, return to pot and cover with cool water.
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Melt butter in sauce pan over medium heat. Add leeks and cook, stirring often until soft, about 6 min. Sprinkle flour over leeks, cook, stirring constantly for 2 min.
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Add milk in a slow stream to leeks and flour, whisking constantly, until thick and bubbling, 8-10 min. Whisk in thyme, salt, nutmeg and pepper. Remove from heat.
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Assemble lasagna in the prepared dish by layering: 1/3 of noodles, 1/3 of sauce, half the squash, 1/3 of the cheese, half the remaining noodles, half the remaining sauce, all the pine nuts, all the remaining squash, half the remaining cheese, all the remaining noodles, all the remaining sauce, all the remaining cheese.
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Cover with parchment and foil and cook for 50 min. Uncover and bake until bubbling and lightly browned, about 30-45 min. Let stand for 10 min. before serving.
TOMATILLO SALSA–Ball “Blue Book” Guide to Preserving
*These are the directions for canned salsa. If you are just making it fresh, you do not need to process it in a hot water canner. It can be used right away or refrigerated. This recipe makes 2 pints. You might not have quite enough tomatillos, but it should still work with the other ingredient amounts.
- 5.5 cups husked & chopped tomatillos (about 2 lbs.)
- 1 cup chopped onion
- 1 cup chopped green chili peppers
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 Tbs minced cilantro
- 2 tsp cumin
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp red pepper
- 1/2 cup vinegar
- 1/4 cup lime juice
Combine all ingredients in a large saucepot. Bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer 10 minutes. Ladle hot salsa into hot jars, leaving 1/4 inch headspace. Adjust two-piece caps. Process 15 minutes in a boiling water canner.
Wilder Farm 