Week #19
- Lettuce – take off the outer leaves as they may be a bit bitter and add lots of dressing!
- Eggplant
- Tomatoes – salad tomatoes (small red and sweet “New Girl”, “Mountain Magic”, “Daffel” and “Cosmonaut” ), Heirloom varieties “Brandywine”, “Hillbilly”, “Yellow Brandywine” and “Cherokee Purple”
- Cherry tomatoes – 2 boxes this week and they are so sweet, like candy! 12 different varieties including three pink ones and a multitude of different grape varieties
- Tomatillos – time to make chili verde, salsa, and the like
- Zucchini – make a ratatouille, simple just slice and layer the zucchini, eggplant, tomatoes, and chop the basil, sprinkle with olive oil, salt and pepper between layers, add gratings of parmesan cheese and bake at 350 for an hour! Everyone loved it and it used up a lot of veggies.
- Cucumbers
- Onions – take a look up when you enter the barn to see the hanging onions. We have never had such a crop! Enjoy them in soup, on the grill, roasted (our new favorite, so delicious and sweet, just like caramel)
- Garlic
- Basil
- Parsley or cilantro
- Beans
- Hot peppers
- Sweet peppers
- Bartlett pears – let them ripen on your counter, they are sweet
- Apples – make some sauce, cider press them, juice them, can them as pie filling.
The summer crunch is on! All the summer favorites are in abundance and it is time to put up for winter. We are canning like crazy and you can too. Mary Kay has been working hard on getting the recipes set for the canning party. She has taken organization to a new level. All of the recipes we will be using are reprinted and quadrupled for easy use on the big day. We have extra canning experts lined up to help us that day (my college friends Jay (whom many of you will remember from years past) and Ellen his wife). There is still room to sign up, but it is filling fast. You should plan on being her the whole day on September 13. You will harvest your veggies and make your recipe with the help of others.
We are trying to get a break from the farm and will be in and out most of the week. We will split our trip between the cascades and the beach as we come back to harvest on Wednesday and then take off again. We can use all the help people can offer so we can get done quickly and be on our way.
Fall and winter crops got in this week. Chinese cabbage, radicchio, purple sprouting broccoli, overwintering cauliflower and more got in the ground this week. Juvencio harvested three beds of onions and the cousins helped with another two beds. We had harvest helpers Patrick and Chloe from last week putting up screws and taking down and prepping garlic to make room to hang the abundant harvest. The onions and shallots this year are enormous and are some of the most healthy veggies to come from the garden. We will be eating them through next April.
The winter squash is getting ready to harvest. We will not take them off the vines until early October but some of the varieties are huge already. The “pink banana” squash is over 10# and many plants have 5- 10 squash per plant. We will have to build a good root cellar this year to house all the overwintered goodies.
Once back from our vacation we will have to attack the hoop houses. The furthest hoop house will be planted in winter and fall crops by the end of the month. We will put in beets, carrots, daikon (my personal favorite), escarole, lettuce, kale, chard and green onions. The planting never stops until the end of October once we have our garlic in and we can rest (a tiny bit).
Enjoy the bounty!
Maryanne’s Tian of Basil
- 2 medium- small zucchini, thinly sliced
- 4 bunches basil, 4 cups loosely packed fresh basil, stemmed and coarsely chopped
- 3-4 ripe tomatoes, thinly sliced
- ¾ cup or less shredded kasseri, gruyere or Swiss cheese,
- ¼ cup or less fruity extra virgin olive oil
- Salt and pepper to taste.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Oil a shallow (about 2 inches deep) ovenproof serving dish. Place the zucchini slices over the bottom and press chopped basil leaves firmly over the zucchini (the basil will cook down the way spinach does).
- Arrange the tomato slices over the basil. Then scatter the cheese evenly over the tomatoes, drizzle with olive oil and back about 35 minutes, until hot through and cheeses are melted
Allium Galette
This recipe may sound a bit complicated but after making it once I think you’ll find it quick, easy and versatile. Alliums – all those wonderful members of the onion family including spring onions, green garlic, leeks, whistles, ramps and shallots – are at the heart of this dish. I saute whatever alliums are in season, add a few other veggies and herbs, the egg and a bit of cheese to bind it together, and surround the whole thing with a giant free form pie crust. YUM!
3 cups alliums including some greens, chopped
8-10 Nicoise or Kalamata olives
butter/olive oil
2/3 cup parmesan
2-3 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
1 teaspoon minced lemon zest
1/2 cup dry white wine (optional)
1-2 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup cream or crème fraiche
1/4 cup chopped parsley (or other herbs)
salt and pepper
1/2 to 1 cup soft goat cheese (about 4 oz)
Almost any greens and/or mushrooms are a great addition to this dish. Saute them separately, allow to cool for 10 min, then add in with the olives at the end.
Thinly slice and wash the alliums then saute them in butter or olive oil for 5-10 min. Add thyme and 1/2 cup of water. Stew over medium heat stirring frequently until alliums are tender- about 5-10 min more. Add the wine and continue cooking until it’s reduced, then add the cream and cook until it just coats the leeks and a little liquid remains. Season with salt and pepper. Remove from heat and add olives, parmesan, and lemon zest. Let cool 10 minutes, then stir in all but 1 tablespoon of the beaten egg and most of the parsley & herbs.
Preheat the oven to 400. Roll out the dough (see below) for one large or six individual galettes. Spread the leek mixture on top, leaving a 2-inch border around the edge. Crumble the cheese over the top then fold the dough over the filling. Brush with reserved egg and bake until the crust is browned, 25-30 minutes. Remove, scatter the remaining parsley over the top, and serve.
Galette Dough
Based on a recipe from Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone
2 cups all purpose or whole wheat pastry flour
1/2 teaspoon of salt
1 tablespoon sugar
12 tablespoons cold unsalted butter cut into small pieces
1/3-1/2 cup ice as water as needed
Mix the flour, salt and sugar together in a bowl. Cut in the butter by hand or using a mixer with a paddle attachment leaving some pea sized chunks. Sprinkle the ice water over the top by the tablespoon and toss it with the flour mixture until you can bring the dough together into a ball. Press it into a disk and refrigerate for 15 min if the butter feels too soft.
I always roll the dough out onto lightly floured parchment paper because it makes then it doesn’t stick! To form a galette, roll it out on a lightly floured surface into a 14-inch irregular circle about 1/8th inch thick. Fold it into quarters and transfer it to the back of a sheet pan or a cookie sheet without sides. Unfold it. It will be larger than the pan.
I usually make savory galettes, but this dough is also wonderful wrapped around sweet summer fruit for dessert.
Zucchini and Chickpeas
adapted from Mediterranean Vegetables by Clifford Wright
2 T olive oil
1 pound young zucchinis, trimmed and sliced about ½ inch thick
16 oz can chickpeas, drained
2 large garlic cloves, chopped
S & P to taste
2 T finely chopped fresh parsley leaves
Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat and cook the zucchini, chickpeas, garlic, salt and pepper until the zucchini are slightly soft, about 20 minutes. Toss with the parsley and serve hot or at room temperature. Makes 4 servings
Easy Zucchini Soufflé By Dave Holt (habanero_holt at yahoo.com)
Sauté:
2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
5 zucchinis, 6-8″ in length, sliced ¼” width
3 cloves garlic, pressed 5 scallions, diced
Soufflé:
6 eggs, size large
¾ cup sour cream
½ cup grated mozzarella cheese
½ cup grated monterey jack cheese
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pepper
½ teaspoon cardamom
Preparation:
Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
Prepare a 9×9 ceramic or glass baking disk with a light coating of extra virgin olive oil.
Soufflé Preparation:
Beat eggs and sour cream with a medium sized whisk until thoroughly mixed (This aerates the soufflé and allows us to skip the step of separating whites & yolks – thereby making this an “easy” soufflé). Add cheeses and seasonings and mix well with whisk. Add processed sauté mixture and mix well with whisk. Pour soufflé mixture into baking dish and place in oven, center rack. Bake for one hour at 325 degrees, or for forty minutes using a convection oven (soufflé is done when middle of soufflé has risen to same height as the periphery). Let cool for 10 minutes to set up before cutting and serving.
Serving Suggestions:
Serve with a dollop of sour cream on top of each serving.
Aunt Joan’s Zucchini, as remembered by Julia
1.5 pounds summer squash, mixed or all one variety
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 Tablespoons olive oil
some chopped fresh basil
grated fresh parmesan cheese
salt and pepper
Thinly slice the summer squash. Heat oil over moderate heat in medium-large frying pan. Add the minced garlic, and let cook for just a few seconds, don’t let it brown. Then add the squash, spreading out in the pan so it can all cook evenly. Once the first layer is browned up a bit, stir it around the pan, letting the still-uncooked squash hit the oil below for a little browning. You can add a bit more oil at this point if you like. Add some salt and pepper to taste. Once it’s all cooked (7-12 minutes), remove to a serving dish and top with the fresh chopped basil and the parmesan. Serves 3-4
Pasta with Zucchini, Lemon, Pine Nuts, and Herb adapted from The Greens Cook Book
1 pound corkscrew pasta (gemelli, rotelli, etc.)
8 ounces small, firm green or golden zucchini
1/2 c. mixed fresh herbs: Italian parsley, marjoram, basil, chervil, hyssop, oregano, lemon thyme and others (I used basil and thyme, but oregano and marjoram are also good. Avoid tarragon in this dish.)
1 lemon
6 T. virgin olive oil
5 T. pine nuts
1onion or 3 shallots, thinly sliced then roughly chopped
4 t. tiny capers, rinsed in water
2 sun-dried tomatoes, cut into narrow strips (I used 8 halves)
Salt & Pepper
Parmesan (grated, fresh)
Slice the zucchini diagonally into pieces about the same thickness as the pasta (matchstick size, 1/8″ or so). Line up the slices and cut them into narrow matchsticks. Each one will be tipped with green or gold. Make a selection of fresh herbs from those suggested in the ingredients list. Pull the leaves off the stems and chop them, but not too finely. Include any flowers, such as the purple flowers of the basil or pink thyme blossoms. With a vegetable peeler, remove a thin strip of peel from the lemon and cut it into fine slivers. (I grated the peel.) Heat 2 T. olive oil in a small pan and add the pine nuts. Cook them until they begin to color; then add the shallots. Cook the two together over medium low heat until the shallots are soft and the pine nuts are brown. Transfer them to a wide bowl and add the rest of the oil, the capers, lemon peel, sun-dried tomatoes and herbs. Season with salt, freshly ground black pepper and 1/2 teaspoon or so lemon juice to taste. Add salt to the boiling water, drop in the zucchini and cook it about 1 minute. Scoop it out, shake off the water, and add it to the bowl with the other ingredients. Next, cook the pasta, scoop it out and add it to the bowl as well. Toss with a pair of tongs, so that the noodles are coated with the oil and herbs. Serve with the cheese passed separately. For a wine, serve a sauvignon blanc. Serves 2-4.
Baked Summer Squash with Pesto Crumbs
from More Recipes from a Kitchen Garden by Renee Shepherd
This can be served as a whole meal, over wild rice and garnished with toasted pecans.
3 lbs. Mixed summer squash
3 Tbs. butter
1 Tbs. olive oil
1/4 cup half-and-half
3/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
1/4 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg
1/4 tsp. mace
1 tsp. sugar
2 tsp. finely chopped fresh rosemary
1/4 cup finely chopped cilantro
2 shallots, minced
4 scallions, finely chopped
½ cup Pesto Bread Crumbs Recipe(see below)
Preheat oven to 400F. Lightly oil a 2 ½ to 3 quart casserole dish with cover. Trim squash and cut into large chunks (about 1 ½ inches). Arrange squash pieces in casserole and set aside. Melt butter and olive oil together in a small saucepan. Remove from heat and add remaining ingredients, blending thoroughly. Pour sauce mixture over squash, tossing until squash is coated. Cover casserole and bake 40 minutes. Toss squash gently and spoon juices and seasonings from the bottom of dish over squash. Sprinkle with bread crumbs and bake uncovered for 10 minutes longer, until squashes are tender when pierced with a knife.
Calabrian Bruschetta
from Verdura by Viana La Place
4 small Asian eggplants
Extra-virgin olive oil
3 ounces provolone or caciocavallo cheese
6 thick slices country bread
2 garlic cloves
3 red tomatoes, cored and thinly sliced
Extra-virgin olive oil
Trim the eggplants and slice them 1/4 inch thick. Arrange the eggplant slkices on a lightly oiled baking sheet and brush them with olive oil. Bake the eggplant slices in a preheated 376 degree oven for 10 minutes. Turn the slices over, brush with oil, and cook for another 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and set aside.
Using the large side of a four sided grater (or a potato peeler…), grate the cheese into long, thin strips.
Grill or lightly toast the bread. Rub with the cut side of the garlic cloves and drizzle with olive oil.
Place a few slices of eggplant on each bruschetta, top with some sliced tomato, and sprinkle a little shredded cheese over the top.
Place the bruschette under a preheated broiler and broil until the cheese melts. Serve immediately.