• Lettuce
• Broccoli
• Zucchini
• Last of the sugar snaps
• First of the snap beans!! Green and purple
• Bunching onions or Willamette sweet onions (great pickled or on the grill)
• Kale or chard
• Herbs (parsley or dill or basil)
• Beets
• Garlic
It is hard to know what to do with this weather, I guess just admit that we have no control. Vegetables are growing, but slowly and those that would ripen quickly are not with cool nights and rain in JULY! The lettuce seems to love this weather so salad is a must. Members seem tired of this crisp green and although we could give 3-4 heads a week people are leaving it behind. Since we don’t get verbal or written feedback much we use leftovers as our guide.
Cucumbers and beans are on the verge of being plentiful and they can’t come on quick enough. We are anxious to switch gears to summer vegetables. The tomatoes are hanging on the vine with no signs of turning from green to yellow or red. Peppers are blooming but very little fruit. Nothing we can do about this slow and dreary summer.
We tilled up 7 new beds in the main field and we are waiting to get water set up to get them planted. We are going to put in more lettuce (we plant weekly for a continuous harvest of lettuce), bunching leeks, cabbage (Savoy and green storage), and more. We replanted the corn (as the seeded beds got eaten by starlings and red wing black birds) Juve and Pascal managed to get the tomatoes strung up and thistle weeded. Pascal also attacked the Brussels sprout beds and gave them room to grow. I managed to get the cukes up on their trellises and pulled the thistle from their beds. It is just a constant struggle to get ahead of the weeds and keep the crops going up and not out. We are back on the beds that we started on when Pascal first arrived 4 ½ weeks ago.
Harvest helpers have been great, willing to work pulling weeds when the veggies are brought in quickly. We are happy to see many new members join us for the harvest as well as members who have been with us for years. There are still over 20 opportunities to help with the harvest, so please do sign up and lend a hand.
Make sure to mark your calendars for the canning party and the harvest festival September 10th and October 16th respectively.
We welcomed 4 new goats last week. Ha cha cha and her daughter Buela are both proven milkers and both Nigerian dwarf goats. The buck, B-52 and his side kick Tucker are also dwarves who will hopefully work their magic and give us little kids in December. They are very friendly and quite fat. Diego will take Buella and Tucker to the fair in two weeks and Luna will take Mia and Epi. Keep your eye out for some newly shorn goats and for the kids practicing their moves.
Zuke Soup
2 lbs. zucchini
2 Tbsp. butter
1/3 c. chopped onions or shallots
5 c. chicken broth
½ tsp. cumin
½ tsp. chili powder
¼ c. corn meal
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1 c. sour cream
Peel and roughly chop zucchini, reserving ½ a zuke to slice into paper-thin slices. Melt butter, cook onions or shallots until wilted. Add chopped zucchini, broth, cumin and chili powder. Bring broth to a boil, whisk in corn meal. Cook until soft. Puree. Before serving, reheat and thin if necessary with water. Whisk in half of the sour cream, garnish with zuke slices. If you wish, this can be served cold, chilling instead if reheating. Serve remaining sour cream at table as a garnish.
ZUCCHINI FLAN WITH TOMATO SAUCE (9/25/03)
1 large onion, chopped
1 1/2 Tablespoons olive oil
4 eggs
1/2 cup milk
salt and freshly ground white pepper to taste
a pinch of nutmeg
about 4 large zucchini, very thinly sliced
For the sauce
1 to 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 Tablespoon olive oil
about 6 medium tomatoes, peeled and chopped
salt and pepper to taste
1 to 2 teaspoons of sugar
1 to 2 tablespoons coarsely chopped black olives
1 to 2 tablespoons caper, squeezed to remove excess vinegar
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Fry the onion in the oil over medium heat until very soft and golden, stirring often. Set aside to cool.
Beat the eggs lightly with a fork, then beat in the milk and add salt and white pepper and nutmeg. Add
the fried onions and the zucchini and mix well.
Pour into a well greased 10-inch flan mold or baking dish. Bake for 30 minutes, the cover the dish with foil and bake for 1 more hour until the flan is firm.
Meanwhile, prepare the sauce. Fry the garlic in the oil, stirring, until lightly colored. Add the tomatoes, salt, pepper, and sugar and simmer for 20 minutes until the sauce is thick. Add the olives and capers and cook for a few more minutes.
Serve the zucchini flan with the sauce pored over.
Zucchini Feta Pancakes
Published August 17, 2010
Makes 6 servings as an appetizer
Ingredients
• 1 pound zucchini, shredded
• 3/4 teaspoon salt (divided)
• 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt
• 3 tablespoons chopped mint leaves
• 1 small garlic clove, pressed
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese (3 ounces)
• 1/2 cup thinly sliced green onions (4 to 6 green onions)
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• Vegetable oil, for frying
Instructions
Place zucchini in a cheesecloth-lined strainer, and toss with 1/2 teaspoon salt. Let sit 20 minutes, then twist to wring out all possible liquid.
Meanwhile, mix together the yogurt, mint, garlic and remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt; set aside.
Place the drained zucchini in a bowl and toss with the egg, feta, green onions, flour and pepper. In a skillet, heat 1/4 inch oil over medium heat. When hot (drop a bit of zucchini in to test; if it sizzles, it’s hot), make pancakes using a 1/4-cup measuring cup filled three-quarters full (3 tablespoons) with zucchini mixture. Press down lightly, if needed, to form chubby pancakes 2 1/2 inches in diameter. Cook until well-browned, about 7 minutes, then flip and cook on the other side. When pancakes are lightly browned on the second side, remove and place on a plate lined with paper towels to drain. Repeat with the remaining batter, adding more oil to the pan if needed. The pancakes will be delicate while hot, but will firm up upon standing. Serve with a hefty dollop of the yogurt topping.
To make in advance, place the cooked and cooled pancakes in the freezer for 1 hour, until par-frozen. Stack in a sealed container. To reheat, place a tray of the frozen pancakes in a preheated 350-degree oven (no need to thaw first), and cook until they begin to sizzle (10 minutes). Serve with the yogurt topping.
BEETS AND CARAMELIZED ONIONS WITH FETA
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard (preferably whole-grain or coarse-grain)
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
3/4 teaspoon salt
5 tablespoons olive oil
1 lb onions (2 medium), quartered lengthwise, then cut crosswise into 1-inch pieces
2 (15-oz) cans small whole beets, drained and quartered (or halved if very small)
3 oz crumbled feta (1/2 cup)
1/4 cup pine nuts (1 oz), toasted and coarsely chopped
Whisk together vinegar, mustard, pepper, and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a large bowl, then add 3 tablespoons oil in a slow stream, whisking until combined well.
Cook onions with remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt in remaining 2 tablespoons oil in a 12-inch heavy skillet over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until golden brown, 18 to 20 minutes. Add onions to dressing, and then add beets and cheese, stirring gently to combine. Serve sprinkled with pine nuts.
Gourmet
September 2003