Welcome to the 13th share of the Pitchfork & Crow CSA! Here’s what’s in the share this week:
- Carrots
- Basil
- Salad Mix
- Summer Squash
- Mixed Cucumbers – Slicers, lemons, and picklers
- Fennel
- Green Beans
- Shishito Peppers – Just the first handful of of these delicious little ‘roulette’ peppers. Some are hot, most are not. New to shishitos? We love them blistered in hot oil like in this recipe.
- Broccoli
- Mixed Tomatoes – slicers and mixed pints
- Mixed Melons – just one this week, but more to come
- Gravenstein Apples
Now that the heatwave has broken, it’s beginning to feel like fall might show up any day. I’m sure the summer weather isn’t done with us just yet, but the cooler mornings this weekend have been a nice reprieve. It even actually rained! Jeff was a trooper scrambling around at 4am rolling up car windows and hauling in the trailer of straw bales and turning off irrigation.
The weather shift has me thinking it’s time to make a plan for filling our pantry shelves for the winter. We have some staples like tomato sauce and pesto (for the freezer) that I try to make sure are well stocked from the summer’s bounty. I attempted to start the tomato saucing saga this past week, but we ended up turning the cooked tomatoes into soup instead. It was delicious and about as seasonal as it gets. Luckily there’s plenty of time yet to stock up.
Enjoy the vegetables and we’ll see you next week!
Your farmers,
Carri Heisler and Jeff Bramlett
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Here are a few recipes to get you inspired:
Fennel and Zucchini Soup with Warm Tomato Relish
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
- 2 cups diced fresh fennel (from 1 large bulb), fronds chopped and reserved
- 1 cup trimmed diced zucchini
- 1 cup chopped onion
- 1/4 teaspoon fennel seeds
- 2 cups low-salt chicken broth
- 3/4 cup grape tomatoes, quartered
Heat 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil in large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add diced fennel, zucchini, onion, and fennel seeds. Sauté until fennel is translucent, 4 to 5 minutes. Add broth; bring to boil. Cover; reduce heat and simmer until vegetables are tender, about 15 minutes. Puree in blender until smooth; return soup to saucepan. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Meanwhile, heat remaining 1/2 tablespoon olive oil in medium skillet over medium heat. Add tomatoes and sauté until just heated through, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from heat. Mix in 1 tablespoon chopped fennel fronds; season relish with salt and pepper. Serve soup with relish.
From Epicurous via http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/fennel-and-zucchini-soup-with-warm-tomato-relish-364537
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Cucumber-Basil Egg Salad
- 6 hard-cooked eggs, diced (2 cups)
- 3/4 cup seeded, diced cucumbers (about 1/2 cucumber)
- 1/4 cup minced shallots
- 1/2 cup sliced green onions (green part only)
- 3 tablespoons lightly packed chopped fresh basil
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
Gently combine the eggs, cucumbers, shallots, green onions, and basil in a medium bowl. Stir in the mayonnaise, salt, and pepper.
Store in the refrigerator for up to three days
From Epicurious by Janice Cole , http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/cucumber-basil-egg-salad-364869
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Cucumber Apple Pickle
- 1/2 pound Japanese or Kirby cucumbers
- 1 1/4 teaspoons fine sea salt
- 1/2 Fuji or Granny Smith apple
- 2 cups water
- 1/3 cup rice vinegar (not seasoned) or cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon very thin matchsticks of peeled ginger
- 1/4 cup sugar
- Pinch of Korean hot red-pepper threads (optional)
Slice cucumbers crosswise 1/8 inch thick and toss with sea salt. Let stand 30 minutes, then rinse well and squeeze out excess liquid with your hands.
Halve apple half lengthwise and cut out core. Slice crosswise 1/8 inch thick.
Toss apple with cucumbers and remaining ingredients and marinate, chilled, turning occasionally, at least 1 day.
From Epicurious via Gourmet by Lillian Chou, http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/cucumber-apple-pickle-351891
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pitchfork & crow 