Spoutwood Farm CSA Harvest Guide: Week 10- August 8, 2002
On-line Recipe Resources:
For more ideas on how to put all of your fresh Spoutwood vegetables to use try utilizing internet resources. There are countless websites dedicated to sharing recipes, many of them with a health conscious bend. Two of our favorites are www.epicurious.com and www.vegweb.com. Vegweb is the best web resource I have found for vegetarian recipes. It sponsors an exhaustive collection of vegetarian and vegan recipes that are sure to tickle your taste buds. For those of you not so concerned about eating meat and dairy products, www.epicurious.com provides a full range of delicious recipes. Try them out and let us know what you think.
Simple Solutions for Vegetable Abundance:
Moving towards the end of July a lot of our early season crops are still coming on strong. Many of you have been concerned about how to properly use this surplus. If any shareholders would like to share their experiences with others then submit your thoughts to us in writing and we'll include them in future harvest guides. Please let us know your own ideas about vegetable abundance and we'll pass them along to other shareholders.
Swiss Chard: Chard is wonderful cooked and anointed with butter or olive oil and seasonings. Add it raw to salads or chop into stir fries. Some of the leaves are from a variety called "Bright Lights" which have colored stems and veins.
Collard Greens: The best way to prepare collard greens is to steam or stir fry adding oil or butter and seasonings. Some of our shareholders have been praising the taste of raw collards as well. This green is a very humble, very good fare.
Green Cabbage OR Savoy Kilosa Cabbage: Savoy Cabbage is similar to any other cabbage in flavor with just a taste of extra sweetness. The gorgeous, frilly leaves are what sets this cabbage apart from the other members of its family. The green smooth leaf cabbage is just as hardy as the savoy, and it is as full of flavor as its frilly cousin. If you can't use a whole head of cabbage right away just store it on the bottom shelf of your fridge. It should last for a month or more in the right conditions. Be sure to wash your cabbage thoroughly before using. We used an organic deterrent on the cabbage crop to discourage flea beetle activity.
Bell Peppers: Our pepper crop is ripe and coming on strong.
Broccoli: Fresh broccoli can be eaten raw, chopped into green salads, or enjoyed with a dip. Steamed broccoli is a tasty treat. Don't forget about those wonderful stems either. They are delicious roasted or in a stir fry. You may want to peel the tough, lower sections of the stem before eating, but we guarantee that these stems are a treat you are sure to enjoy. The broccoli crop is coming to a close. This will probably be the last of it.
Zucchini: Slice up raw for salads or cook in various ways. Zucchini doesn't store as well as other members of the squash family, so be sure to enjoy this tasty summer treat soon after receiving your share. The zucchini is starting to wind down, though you'll still be receiving some for a couple more weeks.
Yellow Squash: Enjoy this tasty treat sliced raw in salads or include it in your favorite recipes. Yellow squash is great splashed with balsamic vinegar and olive oil and roasted along with other vegetables. It also bakes well., and is a great source of both potassium and calcium without piling on the calories. We're sure you'll enjoy this summer time delicacy.
Patty Pan: Patty Pan squash is terrific grilled or baked in a casserole. For a special treat try stuffing your Patty Pan with buttered fresh bread crumbs that have been sautéed in garlic and fresh herbs. Summer squash dehydrates quickly, so be sure to store in a plastic bag or hydrator drawer in the refrigerator. Cucumbers: We're getting lots of cucumbers each week. Be sure to include them in your salads. There's more to follow in the weeks to come. We're certain you'll enjoy this cooling summer treat.
Tomatoes: The cherry tomatoes are ready to go, but many of the larger varieties still haven't started seriously producing. If you get a tomato that isn't fully ripe set it out on a counter top or in a sunny window sill with the stem side down. With just a little patience your tomato can still reach its peak flavor. Generally we keep the bulk of the cherry tomatoes here to be enjoyed by people working in the field, but some will be included in occasional shares.
Eggplant: This week's share includes a variety called Orient Express, characterized by its long, slender shape. They are a specialty, early harvest breed. We also are getting the first of our black bell eggplants. They may be small this week, but give them a chance. Theyt are just getting started.
Herbs: This weeks share includes some fresh basil sprigs as well as fresh sage. Try combining basil with tomato in any dish and we're certain that you won't be disappointed. Sage is wonderful in sausage, stuffing, or served with a cheese.
Flowers: This week's arrangement includes phlox, Joe pye weed, blue vervain, golden rod, tansy, and Queen Anne's Lace. Despite its bad reputation, golden rod is rarely the cause of allergic reactions. More often it is ragweed that causes the problem, but the more visible golden rod is left to take the fall.
Gratin of Summer Vegetables in Herb Pesto
thanks to shareholder Christina Appel for this week's recipe
| Pesto: | |
Main Course: |
| ¾ Cup olive oil, plus coating | 2 medium zucchini (about ¾ lb.) | |
| 1/3 Cup grated Parmesan cheese | 2 medium yellow squash (about ¾ lb.) | |
| 2 Tblsp. pine nuts | 1 lb. tomatoes | |
| 3 garlic cloves, peeled | 3 onions, thinly sliced | |
| 1 ½ ounces basil, flat-leaf parsley, cilantro, or mint | salt and pepper to taste |
Directions:
Heat oven to 350*. Wipe the zucchini and squash with damp paper towels and cut them into uneven ¼ inch chunks. Toss them into a large bowl. Core the tomatoes, cut them into chunks, and add them to the zucchini and squash with the onions, salt, and pepper. Brush an 8 inch by 11 inch gratin or baking dish with olive oil. Make the pesto. Tear the herb leaves from the stems, discarding the stems and, if you like, reserve some sprigs for decoration. Puree the herb leaves, garlic, cheese, and pine nuts in a food processor with 2 to 3 tablespoons of olive oil. Gradually add the remaining oil with the blades turning so that the sauce emulsifies. It should be a rather loose consistency, thinner than mayonnaise but thicker than salad dressing. Season it to taste with salt and pepper. Add the pesto to the vegetables and toss so they are well-coated with sauce. Spread them in the baking dish and bake until they are very tender and brown, 40 to 50 minutes. Decorate the vegetables with herb sprigs if you like, and serve the gratin hot or at room temperature.
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Spoutwood Farm CSA Core Group Meeting
Sunday, August 25th, 4:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m.
The CSA Core Group is the governing body of the Spoutwood Farm CSA. Core Group members make decisions about the farm and its operating procedures. The Core Group also helps to establish CSA policies. All shareholders are invited to become members of the core group. Those who came to the last core group meeting were treated to a wonderful time topped off by a delicious meal. The Core Group benefits from increased member involvement, and you would benefit from the meeting as well. Come on down and learn all about what goes on behind the scenes at the Farm. All meetings end with a scrumptious potluck supper, insuring that all present have a chance to sample the bounty they’ve helped bring about. An interesting time is sure to be had by all.
To RSVP: email csa@spoutwood.com or phone 717-235-6610
(not required, but it helps us with planning)
Attack of the squash
people
by Marge Piercy
And thus the people every year
in the valley of humid July
did sacrifice themselves
to the long green phallic god
and eat and eat and eat
They’re coming, they’re on
us,
the long striped gourds, the silky
babies, the hairy adolescents,
the lumpy vast adults
like the trunks of green elephants.
Recite fifty zucchini
recipes!
Zucchini tempura; creamed soup;
sauté with olive oil and cumin,
tomatoes, onion; frittata;
casserole of lamb; baked
topped by cheese; marinated;
stuffed; stewed; driven
through the heart like a stake.
Get rid of old friends: they
too
have gardens and full trunks.
Look for newcomers; befriend
them in the post office, unload
on them and run. Stop tourists
in the street. Take truckloads
to Boston. Give to your Red Cross.
Beg on the high roads:
please
take my zucchini, I have a crippled
mother at home with heartburn.
Sneak out before dawn to drop
them in other people’s gardens,
in baby buggies at churchdoors.
Shot, smuggling zucchini into mailboxes, a federal
offense.
With a suave reptilian glitter
you bask among your raspy
fronds sudden and huge as
alligators. You give and
give
too much, like summer days
limp with heat, thunderstorms
bursting their bags on our heads,
as we salt and freeze and pickle
for the too little to come.
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