FarmShare C.S.A. Newsletter week of July 23rd, 2013
This week’s share:
Fruit
Blueberries
Musk melon aka Cantaloupe
Veggies
Pickling Cucumbers
Purple and Yellow Beans
Garlic
Radishes
Summer Squash and Zucchini
Salad Mix
Tomatoes
Storage, handling and general cooking tips:
Musk Melon or Cantaloupe
This popular fruit is chock full of benefits. Vitamin A, Vitamin C and potassium make sure your eyes, immune function, and nervous system are taken care of, as well providing stress relief benefits to the heart.
Storage and Handling
Store cut melons in the refrigerator. Keeping the seeds in will help keep the melon moist. This melon will taste much better if brought to room temperature before eating. We do not recommend freezing.
Cook tips
Eat this sweet fruit freshly cut, in fruit salad, or sliced and on the grill it to bring out even more flavor.
Garlic
Garlic is a member of the lily family and a close relative to leeks and onions. It is famous for its strong flavor, but should also be recognized for its many healthy components. Garlic lowers blood triglycerides and cholesterol. It contains sulfur constituents that lower risk of oxidative stress and damage to blood cells and blood vessels. It is an amazing anti-inflammatory and lowers blood pressure. It will also help you ward off vampires at midnight, tigers when going through a mountain pass, and werewolves in the woods. Find yourself dreaming about garlic in your house? Might mean you’re in luck!
Storage and Handling
Store in an uncovered container in a cool, dark, place away from sunlight. Fresh garlic will keep for around a month. Separate and peel cloves before using. When cooking with garlic, in order to receive maximum health benefits, let cut or crushed garlic sit before adding it to dishes. Most health benefits come from raw garlic, but if added towards end of cooking, garlic will still add bonus points to your well-being score!
Cook tips
Add to any dish to increase flavor. Rub cut garlic on pork chops before roasting. Chop into hummus. Wrap in tin foil and roast in oven to make delicious, sweet, smooth garlic spread.
Pickling Cucumbers
These little guys pack quite the punch! They contain not only vitamin b1, b2, b3, b5, and b6 but also folic acid, vitamin c, calcium, iron, magnesium, phosphorous, potassium and zinc. And they’re 95% water. And they are a naturally low calorie food. And they contain valuable phytonutrients. To top the list off: they’re a known wrinkle and cellulite combatant! So slice ’em, dice ’em, lay ’em on your eyes, theses refreshing green buggers can’t resist being helpful.
Storage and Handling
The best way to store cucumbers is surprisingly, not in the fridge! Cucumbers are very temperature sensitive, especially if kept below 50 degrees. Cucumbers can be damaged by cold and become watery, pitting on the side, and accelerated decay. Stick them on your counter but keep them away from tomatoes, melons, and bananas which give off ethylene gas which will cause the cucumber to spoil faster.
Cook tips
Although usually eaten raw or pickled, cucumbers are delicious in light soups and even better braised. Slice off the skin or leave it on, its all about preference.
Purple and Yellow Beans
Storage and Handling
Store unwashed fresh beans pods in a plastic bag kept in the refrigerator crisper. Whole beans stored this way should keep for about seven days. Wash in cold water right before using. Trim and cut the ends off right before using.
Cook tips
Use raw beans for dipping, (we love it with hummus) or in with your salad. Build a composed Salad Nicoise and combine with boiled potatoes and tuna. Marinate in your favorite dressing and saute with garlic to make a tasty side for dinner.
Blueberries
Storage and Handling
Blueberries are delicate and fickle, be gentle with them. Keep your fresh blueberries refrigerated, unwashed, in their container. They should last up to two weeks. Water on fresh blueberries hastens deterioration, so do not wash before refrigerating. Blueberries are highly perishable so do try to use them as soon as possible.
Zucchini and Summer Squash
Storage and Handling
Handle zucchini and summer squash with care as they are easily damaged. Store in a plastic bag in the refrigerator crisper drawer four to five days and do not wash until just before you are ready to use it. At the first sign of wilting, use immediately. Softness is a sign of deterioration.
Cook tips
Zucchini is wonderful steamed, sautéed, grilled or stuffed and baked. You can also cut uncooked zucchini into strips and serve it as an appetizer, or dice and grate it into a salad. Overcooked zucchini will end up as mush. To salvage it, make soup!
Tomatoes
Storage + Handling Tips
Tomatoes bruise easily, so handle them with care. They are best stored at room temperature, out of direct sunlight, stem-side down. Keep them away from your bananas and onions to avoid decay and icky taste. Never refrigerate tomatoes! The cold renders tomatoes mealy and flavorless. Eat them within a few days.
You can also freeze tomatoes. There is no need to peel or blanch them beforehand. Once thawed, the tomato skins will slip easily off. Simply rinse and dry the tomatoes thoroughly, then place in freezer bags. You can suck any air out of the bag with a straw. Frozen tomatoes are great for cooked dishes.
Fresh tomatoes are yummy sliced and layered with mozzerella cheese, basil, olive oil and salt. They work wonders for burgers, wraps, pastas and salad.
Radishes
Storage and Handling
Remove radish leaves if they are still attached. Store the unwashed greens in a loosely wrapped plastic bag in the vegetable bin of your refrigerator. Because of their high water content radishes deteriorate quickly. Store them dry and unwashed in a plastic bag in the refrigerator. Most radishes should keep for a week. Scrub radishes well to remove any lingering dirt. Trim off the stems and rootlets. Slice, chop, or mince the roots or leave them whole.
Cook tips
Radishes are known for their spicy taste, which surprisingly is kept mostly within their skin. Peel before cooking if you want a milder flavor. Try small, young radish leaves in salads, they are perfectly edible and have an earthy taste similar to watercress. Sliced or grated, raw radish can be added to salads and slaws. In Europe it is common to eat raw, room temperature, sliced radishes with butter on bread.
Recipes
Bean, Cucumber, and Tomato salad
Ingredients:
a bunch of fresh wax and purple beans (around 3-4 cups) steamed, cooled, and cut into 1″ pieces
1 cucumber (2-3 picklers) peeled (or not) and sliced
2 tomatoes sliced into wedges
2 tbsp minced sweet onion
1 tsp raw sugar
2 tbsp rice vinegar
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1/2 tsp yellow miso
Directions:
In a bowl big enough to fit all ingredients, mix sugar, both vinegar’s, miso and onions. Stir until sugar is dissolved. Add in beans, cucumbers and tomatoes. Toss well. Let sit at least 30 minutes tossing occasionally.
Baked Summer Squash
makes 6 servings
1 1/2 – 2 pounds summer squash (such as zucchini, or yellow crookneck squash)
1/4 cup olive oil
1/3 cup bread crumbs
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/4 cup chopped mixed fresh herbs such as basil, thyme, parsley and oregano
Preheat oven to 350° F. Remove stem ends and slice squash cross-wise in 1/4″-thick rounds. Toss with olive oil.
In a small bowl, combine bread crumbs, Parmesan, salt and pepper. Arrange half the squash rounds in bottom of a 9″ by 12″ rectangular baking dish, or similar. Sprinkle with half the bread crumb mixture. Arrange remaining squash on top and sprinkle remaining bread crumb mixture.
Cover baking dish with foil and bake in oven for 30 minutes. Remove foil and bake another five minutes.
Top with chopped herbs and serve.
Bibb and Radish Salad With Buttermilk Dressing
If you’ve got some Bibb lettuce squirreled away from weeks passed, use that! If not, the lettuce mix we’re giving you this week will work just as well.
Serves 4
Ingredients
- 4 ounces country bread, cut into 3⁄4-inch pieces (about 2 cups)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- kosher salt and black pepper
- 1/2 cup buttermilk
- 3 tablespoons mayonnaise
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
- 1 clove garlic, finely chopped
- 1 head Bibb or Boston lettuce, torn (about 6 cups)
- 4 radishes, thinly sliced
- 1 shallot, thinly sliced
Directions
1. Heat oven to 400° F. On a rimmed baking sheet, toss the bread with the oil and ¼ teaspoon each salt and pepper. Bake, tossing once, until golden, 7 to 9 minutes. Let cool.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, mayonnaise, parsley, garlic, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Add the lettuce, radishes, shallot, and croutons and toss to coat.
Thai-Inspired Cucumber Salad with Roasted Spiced Chickpeas
(3 servings)
Dressing
- 1/2 cup seasoned rice vinegar
- 1.5-2 tablespoons natural cane sugar, to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon fine grain sea salt
Salad
- 2 medium field cucumbers
- 1 red pepper, diced
- 1 cup diced red onion
- 1/4 cup roughly chopped cilantro
- 1/4 cup chopped roasted peanuts, for garnish
- Roasted spiced chickpeas (click for recipe
Chick Peas
- 1 (15-oz) can chickpeas (or 1.5 cups cooked)
- 1/2 teaspoon olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon fine grain sea salt
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon chili powder
- 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/4 teaspoon cumin
- 1/8 teaspoon ground turmeric
Instructions
- 1. Whisk dressing ingredients together in a small bowl and adjust to taste. Feel free to add more sweetener if you prefer. Set aside.
- 2. Peel cucumbers, slice off the ends, and slice in half lengthwise. Scoop out the seeds with a small spoon. Slice halves into 1/8-inch “half moons” and toss into a large bowl. If your cucumbers are really big you can slice the half-moons in half as well.
- 3. Dice the red pepper and red onion and add into bowl. Roughly chop cilantro and add into bowl. Pour in all the dressing and toss to combine. Let this salad sit for about 30 minutes in the fridge, tossing every 10 minutes or so to help the dressing soak in.
- 4. Meanwhile, prepare the roasted chickpeas (if desired).
- 1. Preheat oven to 400F and line a medium baking sheet with a couple pieces of paper towel.
- 2. Rinse and drain the chickpeas and place onto paper towel. Add a couple paper towels on top and roll the chickpeas around until completely dry. This helps them crisp up in the oven.
- 3. Add the chickpeas into a medium mixing bowl and stir in the oil until coated. Now stir in the rest of the seasonings.
- 4. Discard paper towel and line baking sheet with parchment paper. Add chickpeas back onto the baking sheet.
- 5. Roast at 400F for 20 minutes. Give the pan a gentle shake to stir the chickpeas and roast for another 15-20 minutes, until golden and lightly charred on the bottom. Roast for a full 40 minutes if you prefer them on the crispy side, but keep an eye on them as oven temps vary.
- 6. Cool for 5 minutes or so and then top on the salad. They will lose their crispness quickly so these are best enjoyed immediately. You can also freeze the chickpeas once fully cooled and reheat them in the oven for 5 minutes or so to bring back the crispness.
- 5. Portion into bowls and top with peanuts and optional roasted chickpeas. Serve immediately.
Zucchini Pickles
Makes one large jar.
3 medium zucchini (1 pound / 16 oz / 450 g), thinly sliced
1 medium white onion, thinly sliced
3 shallots, thinly sliced
1 1/2 tablespoons fine grain sea salt
1/4 cup (small handful) fresh dill sprigs
1 small fresh red chile pepper, very thinly sliced
1/2 tablespoon yellow mustard seeds
3/4 cup / 180 ml cider vinegar
3/4 cup / 180 ml white wine vinegar
1/3 cup / 1.75 oz / 50g natural cane sugar
Toss the zucchini, onion, shallots, and salt together in a colander and place over a bowl to catch the liquids. Cover the bowl and refrigerate for at least a couple hours. Toss once or twice along the way. You’re aiming to get as much liquid out of the zucchini as possible. When you’re finished draining the zucchini, shake off any water. At this point you want the zucchini as dry as possible. Place in a 1 liter / 1 quart jar along with the dill, chile pepper, and mustard seeds.
Combine the ciders and sugar in a small saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a simmer, stirring until the sugar dissolves, and continue to boil for a few minutes. Pour the liquid over the zucchini and seal the jar. Let cool, then refrigerate. The pickles are good for a week or so.
Blueberry Crumble Pie
Adapted from Bon Appetit
Ingredients
Crust
- 1 1/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour plus more for surface
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) chilled unsalted butter, cut into 1/2″ cubes
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
Filling and Topping
- 2/3 cup plus 3 tablespoons sugar
- 2 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest plus 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 5 cups (1 pound 10 ounces) fresh blueberries
- 3/4 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
- 3 tablespoons (packed) light brown sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, cooled slightly
- special equipment:
Use a 9″-9 1/2″-diameter glass or metal pie dish. You will need pie weights or dried beans to bake the crust.
Preparation
CRUST
-
Pulse 1 1/4 cups flour, butter, and salt in a food processor until mixture resembles coarse meal with some pea-size pieces remaining. Drizzle 3 tablespoons ice water over mixture. Pulse until moist clumps form, adding more water by teaspoonfuls if mixture is dry. Transfer dough to a lightly floured work surface. Divide into 4 equal pieces. Working with 1 piece at a time, use the heel of your hand to smear each portion of dough twice in a forward motion to distribute butter. Gather all 4 dough pieces into a ball. Flatten into a disk, wrap in plastic, and chill dough until firm, at least 1 hour. DO AHEAD Dough can be made up to 2 days ahead. Keep chilled.
-
Roll out dough on a lightly floured surface to a 13″ round. Transfer to pie dish, gently pressing dough onto bottom and up sides of dish. Fold overhang under and crimp edges decoratively. Pierce bottom of crust in several places with a fork, then chill until firm, about 30 minutes.
-
Line a large baking sheet with foil and place on a rack in middle of oven; preheat to 375°. Line crust with parchment paper or foil and fill with pie weights. Bake until crust is set, about 20 minutes. Carefully remove parchment and pie weights. Bake until crust is pale golden, about 12 minutes longer. Transfer crust to a wire rack; let cool.
FILLING AND TOPPING
-
Whisk 2/3 cup sugar, cornstarch, and lemon zest in a large bowl. Add blueberries and lemon juice; toss gently to coat and evenly distribute. Let filling stand, tossing occasionally, until berries release their juices, 20-30 minutes.
-
Whisk flour, remaining 3 tablespoons sugar, light brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt in a medium bowl. Add melted butter; mix topping with fingertips to blend.
ASSEMBLY
-
Preheat oven to 375°. Spoon blueberry filling into crust, then sprinkle topping over. Bake pie until filling is bubbling and topping is golden, about 1 hour 15 minutes. Cover with foil after 30 minutes if browning too fast.
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Let pie cool on a wire rack. DO AHEAD Can be made 8 hours ahead. Let stand at room temperature.
As always, if any questions, always feel free to email us or give us a call!
All the Best,
The FarmShare Team
Applecrest Farm Orchards
133 Exeter Road, Hampton Falls NH 03844
Tel: +1 603 926 3721
Email: CSA@applecrest.com
Web: www.applecrest.com
Rave reviews for the Baked Summer Squash recipe I tried tonight with my farmshare goodies!