July 8th CSA Newletter

We seem to be a little topsy-turvy with our harvest as this summer kicks in: Zucchini is almost ready but beets are still heading up. Some tomatoes are ripening while our first summer spinach is almost here. Can’t say I can explain any of this, but it makes for an interesting harvest! I can say that all will come–apparently in its own time.

Because our CSA week is spaced between Tuesday and Friday, members will likely receive slightly different shares. Here is a list of some “for sures” as well as some “possibles.” I’ve added some recipes below to enjoy with this weeks (and last week’s) produce. As always, enjoy…

Head Lettuce

Snow Peas

Salad Mix (with edible flowers)

Spring Onions

Braising Greens (beet greens, Swiss chard OR kale)

Cilantro

(Possibly: snap peas, tomato, pepper, zucchini, garlic scapes, asparagus)

RECIPES:

Snow Pea and Radish Salad With Ginger-Lime Vinaigrette

Ingredients

8 radishes, thinly sliced
1/2 cup chopped scallions
1 tablespoon salt
1 pound snow peas, trimmed (*CSA members received 1/2 lb)
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lime juice
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
Whole-Wheat-Battered Shrimp (you can skip this and just make salad!)

Preparation

Toss radishes and scallions with 1 tablespoon salt in a strainer, and let sit for 15 minutes; rinse and drain. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil; add snow peas. Cook peas until bright green and just tender (2-3 minutes); drain. Fill a large bowl with ice water; plunge peas into ice water, and drain. Combine lime juice, vegetable oil, and ginger in a salad bowl; mix well using a whisk, and add 1/4 teaspoon salt and pepper. Add radishes, scallions, snow peas, and cilantro to bowl with the vinaigrette; toss to coat the vegetables. Serve with Whole-Wheat-Battered Shrimp. —by Mark Bittman

Salad in a Jar

Use a quart mason jar for a large salad or a pint for a small one. Dressing goes on the bottom, along with anything in big pieces, like chopped ham, radishes, carrots or cukes. On top of that, add things like cheese, nuts or croutons that you don’t want to get soaked. On the top add your fresh greens, cut the size you like. When you are ready to eat your salad, shake the jar and pour into a large bowl. The dressing will be last so it won’t soak your salad until you are ready to eat it. Salad in a jar can be made the night before and stored in the fridge.

Savory Roasted Broccoli

Ingredients:

2 heads of broccoli or a dozen side shoots (dried well)

2-3 Tbs. of olive oil or butter

2 cloves of garlic (or garlic scapes-2 chopped in 1 in. slices)

Salt and pepper

Juice of half a lemon (2 Tbs.)

3 Tbs. parmesan cheese

Slivered almonds (optional)

Method:
Cut up broccoli and toss with olive oil, garlic, salt and pepper in a roasting pan. Roast at 375F for about 15-20 minutes, tossing at least once during the roast. Remove when broccoli is just a bit brown but not too crispy. Toss with the lemon and parmesan and enjoy!

Kale Sauteed with Bacon, Scapes and Lemon

From The FarmersKitchen: The Ultimate Guide to Enjoying Your CSA and Farmers’ Market Foods by Brett Grohsgal and Julia Shanks 2011

2 Slices bacon, diced

½ lb kale (or other braising greens), coarsely chopped

2-3 garlic scapes, chopped

¼ tsp chili flakes (optional)

Juice of ½ lemon

Salt and pepper to taste

Heat a large skillet. Add the bacon and cook until the fat starts to render and the bacon begins to brown. Drain off excess.
To the bacon pan, add the scapes and chili flakes, and then the kale. Cook for 3 minutes (cook for 2 min if you use beet greens), or until kale is wilted and tender.
Season to taste with salt and pepper. Squeeze lemon on top just before serving.