FarmShare C.S.A Newsletter week of July 30th, 2013
This week’s share:
Fruit
White Peaches
Blueberries
Veggies
Butter and Sugar Corn
Pickling and Slicer Cucumbers
Summer Squash and Zucchini
Salad Mix
Head Lettuce
Tomato
Storage, handling and general cooking tips:
Peaches
Driving down rt. 88 past the Applecrest orchards one thing is for sure, the peach trees are chock full of these tasty gems, and are ripening as we speak! Our peaches are packed with major nutrients including vitamin A, vitamin C and potassium. They are an excellent source of fiber and the juice of peaches is considered a magnificent moisturizer. Eaten fresh, baked in a pie, or grilled to bring out more sweetness this versatile treat won’t last long on your kitchen counter
Storage and Handling
Peaches bruise easily, so when testing for ripe-ness use your whole hand, not just one finger. Leave peaches out, on the counter. If they need to ripen more, place in a closed paper bag. Once ripe, store in the crisper bin of your refrigerator where they’ll keep for up to five days. Peaches can also be frozen. Peel and slice them, lay them on a baking tray and stick in the freezer for a few hours until they’re frozen through. Transfer the peach wedges to a resealable plastic bag and freeze until ready to use. They’ll keep at least 6 months (longer in a free-standing freezer) and are perfect to use in baking.
Cook tips
Eat these guys fresh, rinsed and wiped to remove fuzz. Or bake into a crumble. Or put in your morning cereal. Or serve with almond essence infused whipped cream as almonds are a close cousin to peaches. Delicious in savory dishes as well, you can grill them and put in a salad, can be made into a chutney alongside your pork or beef, or preserve them to be enjoyed mid-winter. There are endless options.
Corn
Corn is quintessential Americana, synonymous with BBQs, Summertime, and Grilling. There isn’t a red-checkered tablecloth on a picnic table that won’t see a bowl of these steaming ears. Sweet corn is not only tasty it also contains fiber, protein, vitamin C, thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, magnesium and phosphorous. Fun fact: there is one silk for every kernel of corn, on average there are 800 kernels in 16 rows on each ear of corn. Here at Applecrest we grow about 5 acres of corn, which at the height of the season will remove about 40 tons of carbon dioxide from the air, talk about goin’ green!
Storage and Handling
Corn can be stored in its husk up to four days in the refrigerator but it will be at its sweetest the closer it is to the day it was picked. Corn can also be frozen. Boil your ears of corn for 4-6 minutes, cool in an ice bath, cut kernels off the cob, store in air tight container (bag or tupperware works), and stick in freezer. You’ll thank yourself on a cold February night, when you can taste these sun kissed kernels alongside your meatloaf and mashed potatoes.
Cook tips
Corn can be grilled, boiled, or roasted. Easily eaten directly off the cob, added to a salad, or frozen for later use.
Cucumbers
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.
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.
Recipes
Oma Wagner’s Corn Dish
If you have leftover corn and a love for bacon, you’ve got a thing or two in common with the Wagner’s! This dish is all about personal preference and can be served alongside dinner, or alone, or with your once-over-easy eggs for breakfast.
Ingredients:
3-6 leftover ears of corn, boiled 3-5 minutes
3-6 slices of bacon
Directions
- Boil corn 3-5 minutes so still crunchy
- Set aside to cool
- Cook bacon in large frying pan until crisp, one strip of bacon per ear of corn
- While frying bacon, slice corn kernels off the cob
- Once bacon done, remove from pan and drain drippings into jar, leaving enough in pan to sauté corn.
- Add corn to frying pan and sauté on low to medium heat
- Add crumbled bacon before corn turns brown and continue to sauté until corn is cooked to personal preference. Some of us like it crispy, some of us like it right before crispy. Taste as you go along until perfect!
Grilled Corn and Avocado Salad with Cilantro Vinaigrette
Serves 4
5 Ears Corn, husk removed, brush with olive oil and grilled until tender crisp, remove corn with sharp knife
2 Avocado’s, diced and sprinkled with lemon juice to prevent browning
2 C. Tomatoes, diced
1 Small red onion, finely diced
¾ C. Feta, crumbled
1 ½ C. cucumber, skin on and chopped small dice
Add to a large bowl and refrigerate until ready to use.
Cilantro Vinaigrette
6 T. Olive oil
2 T. Sherry vinegar
1 t. Garlic powder
2 T. Fresh cilantro, minced
½ t. Salt
10 Grinds of fresh ground pepper
When ready to serve salad, add the dressing and gently toss.
Sweet and Spicy Cucumber Slices
1-1/2 lbs cucumber (about 3 medium), peeled, halved lengthwise & thinly sliced
2 tsp kosher salt
1/2 c rice vinegar, seasoned or regular
1/2 c water
3 Tbs sugar
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
2 Tbs minced red onion
Place cucumber slices in a colander sitting over a bowl, sprinkle with salt and toss well. Let sit for 1 hour refrigerated. Toss the cukes a few times while they drain as well. While cucumber slices are draining, prepare marinade below.
Combine vinegar, water, sugar and red pepper in a small saucepan; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cook until reduced to a 1/3 cup (about 10 minutes). If for some reason you boil for too long, just add a little water until you have 1/3 C. Remove reduction from heat and add onion. Let mixture cool to room temp.
When cucumbers are done resting, pat them dry with a few paper towels and then combine with the vinegar reduction. This can be served immediately, but for best results refrigerate until well chilled.
Summer Squash Sauté
Ingredients
- 1-2 pounds summer squash and/or zucchini, cut into matchsticks
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt plus more
- 1/4 cup sliced almonds
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 garlic cloves, sliced
- 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 1/4 cup finely grated Parmesan
- Freshly ground black pepper
Preparation
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Place squash in a colander set in the sink or over a large bowl and toss with 1 teaspoon salt. Let squash stand 10 minutes, then squeeze well to remove as much excess moisture as possible (do not rinse).
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Meanwhile, toast almonds in a large dry skillet over medium heat, tossing occasionally, until lightly browned, about 3 minutes. Transfer to a plate; let cool.
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Heat oil in same skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and red pepper flakes and cook, stirring often, until fragrant but not browned, about 2 minutes. Add squash and cook, tossing occasionally, until crisp-tender, about 5 minutes. Fold in Parmesan and season with salt and pepper. Fold in almonds.
Baked Zucchini Fries
About 1 lb. zucchini
1/2 c. Italian-seasoned panko bread crumbs
1/4 c. grated Parmesan cheese (the crumbly stuff, not shreds)
2 eggs
Preheat oven to 425. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and spray with non-stick cooking spray. Set aside.
Combine bread crumbs and Parmesan cheese. Set aside.
Whisk 2 eggs together in a shallow pie plate and set aside.
Cut the ends off the zucchini and then cut the zucchini in half so you have two short, stubby pieces. Set one piece on its end and cut it in half lengthwise. Cut that half in half, making 2 planks. Repeat with the remaining halves (so you’ll get 16 planks per zucchini).
Stack 2 planks on top of each other and cut into strips. Thicker strips will yield “meatier” fries with more zucchini flavor while thin strips will be crispy and taste virtually nothing like zucchini. When all the fries are cut, blot the pieces with a paper towel.
Working with a small handful at a time, dip the zucchini sticks in the egg, shake them to remove any excess, and then roll them in about 2-3 tablespoons of bread crumbs at a time, adding more as needed; you just don’t want to work with all the bread crumbs at once because they’ll soak up moisture from the egg and won’t stick to the zucchini. Place the coated strips on the prepared baking sheet and repeat until all the zucchini strips have been coated.
Bake for 10-12 minutes in the prepared oven then remove from oven, flip the fries, and bake for another 10-12 minutes or until the zucchini is not soggy and the coating is crisp and golden brown. Serve immediately with marinara sauce or buttermilk ranch. Serves 6-8 as a side dish.
Peach Cobbler Scones
makes 8 scones
3 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup granulated sugar
3 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter, cold and cut into cubes
1/4 cup vegetable shortening, cold and cut into cubes (if you don’t have shortening you can certainly substitute unsalted butter)
1 egg, beaten
3/4 cup buttermilk, cold
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 ripe peach, sliced thin
1/4 cup buttermilk, for burshing
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 400 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
In a mixing bowl, sift together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Cut in shortening and butter until mixture resembles coarse meal. Use your hands to break the fat cutes into the dry ingredients. Some of the fat bits will be the size of peas and some fat bits will be the size of oat flakes. In another bowl, combine egg, milk, and vanilla, and beat lightly with a fork. Add the liquid to flour mixture all at once, stirring enough to make a soft dough.
Turn out onto a floured board and knead about 15 times. If the butter has warmed too much in the making of the dough, shape the batter into a dish, wrap in plastic wrap, and let rest in the fridge for 15 minutes. If the butter is still cool, shape the dough into a disk and, on a well floured surface, roll dough to a little less than 1/2-inch thickness. My dough was about 12-inches long and 10-inches tall. The dough will be rolled just thinner than a biscuit dough that you would cut biscuits from.
Brush half of the rolled out dough with buttermilk. Arrange peach slices, in a single layer, across the buttermilk moistened dough. Sprinkle with half of the cinnamon sugar mixture. Carefully fold the empty side of dough over the peach sliced layer. Press gently together. Add a bit of flour to your hands and press the edges of the dough in, creating more of a rectangle shape than a half circle shape. Using a floured knife, slice dough into eight even pieces.
Place dough on prepared baking sheets, leaving about 1 1/2-inches of room around each scone for spread while baking. If dough has warmed, and feels mushy, place in the fridge for 20 minutes to rechill. Remove from the fridge. Brush each scone top with buttermilk, and sprinkle with remaining cinnamon sugar.
Bake scones for 15-18 minutes, until golden brown and cooked through. Remove from oven and allow to cool for 15 minutes before serving. Scones are best served warm, on the day they’re made, with soft butter.
Peach Blueberry Cornmeal Cobbler
Adapted from The Lee Bros. delightful Simple Fresh Southern
Feel free to also adjust the balance of fruit; for a less-dominating blueberry flavor, use 1 cup less and 1 cup more peaches.
For the fruit
1 1/2 (about 4 cups) pounds peaches, pitted and cut into slices*
1 pint (about 2 cups) blueberries, rinsed and dried
2/3 cup packed dark-brown sugar
2 tablespoons flour
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
For the biscuit topping
3/4 cup (3 1/4 ounces) all-purpose flour
1/4 cup fine stone-ground cornmeal (yellow or white)
3 tablespoons dark brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1/2 cup buttermilk
Preheat oven to 425°F (218°C).Toss peaches with blueberries, sugar, flour, lemon juice, cinnamon and salt in the bottom of a 2-quart ovenproof dish.
Make the biscuit dough: Stir together the flour, cornmeal, brown sugar, baking powder and salt. Cut the butter into the dry mixture with your fingertips, a fork or a pastry blender. Stir in buttermilk with a rubber spatula until a wet, tacky dough comes together.
Plop spoonfuls of the biscuit dough over the filling; don’t worry about covering entire surface. Bake until the cobbler’s syrup is bubbly and the biscuit tops are browned, about 20 to 25 minutes. Let cool slightly and scoop it into bowls. Top with whipped cream, vanilla ice cream, of if you’re having an accidental run-in with this cobbler before noon, plain yogurt.
* Want to peel your peaches? Here’s how: Cut a small “x” in the bottom of each peach. Dip them in boiling water for 30 seconds, and the skins will slide right off.
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
