This week’s share:

Fruit

Jersey Mac and Paula Red Apples

Yellow and White Peaches

Blueberries

Raspberries

Melon

Veggies

Garlic

Corn

Cherry Tomato mix-Sungolds, Black Cherry, Washington Cherry, Gold nugget

Green beans

Head Lettuce

Lettuce Mix

 

Storage, handling and general cooking tips:

Raspberries

Take care when handling your raspberries – they are very fragile and perishable. If you do not plan to eat your berries today, store them unwashed in your refrigerator on a plate. Raspberries will keep in the refrigerator for one or two days. When you are ready to enjoy your berries, give them a gentle wash and pat dry. To help prevent spoilage, keep berries out of the sun and do not leave out on the counter for more than two hours.

Raspberries freeze very well. Wash them gently and pat dry with a paper towel. Arrange them in a single layer on a cookie sheet and place them in the freezer. Once frozen, pop them in a labeled freezer container. They will keep for one year.

Raspberries are chock full of vitamins C and K as well as antioxidant and anti-inflammatory phytonutrients. Add some berries to your morning yogurt or pancakes!

Apples

Storage and Handling

Apples should be kept uncovered or in a perforated plastic bag in the refrigerator. Warm temperatures will cause apples to lose their crispness and flavor, so if they are kept out of the refrigerator, make sure it is in a cool, ventilated place far from direct sunlight. To prevent cut apples from turning brown, sprinkle with lemon juice or soak them in a bowl of ½ cup water and 2 tbsp lemon juice.

Melon

Storage and Handling

Melon can keep up to a week, whole and uncut, into your fridge. IF your melon has been sitting in your car and its a hot day, let it cool off before sticking it right into the fridge, as the drastic temperature change will cause the fruit to spoil faster. Melons can be eaten cut up, wrapped in salty, cured meats, in fruit salad, or even sliced and grilled.

Peaches

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. 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.

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.

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.

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 for 45 minutes to an hour to make delicious, sweet, smooth garlic spread.

 

Corn

Storage and Handling 

Corn is best when eaten right away, before the sugars turn to starch, and diminish its sweet taste. This is mostly true for eating corn right off the cob, but after 4 days, corn will still be edible and tasty enough to cook with. Corn should be refrigerated with the husks still on. The husks will preserve that milky moisture in the kernels. Keep them in the crisper drawer without any strong smelling foods, as corn will easily absorb those odors.

Cook tips

Try eating your corn raw – when it’s fresh like this, it’s yummy! My kids love to pick an ear off the stalk, shuck it in the field, and chomp away. To cook your corn, boil it in water for about 4-6 minutes, depending on how soft you like it. Last night, I cooked it for just 3 minutes then let it steam in the pot until the rest of dinner was ready a few minutes later. It was perfectly cooked and just popped off the cob! Corn is best when eaten simply: boil, slather with butter, and sprinkle with salt. Do you twirl your corn and eat around the cob or lengthwise like a typewriter? In our family, I’m the typewriter.

Corn is also delicious grilled. Pull back the corn husks without removing them fully, remove the silks, then pull the husks back up and soak for at least 15 minutes in water. Grill corn in its husks (maybe brush some pesto on the corn before pulling up the husks), turning occasionally until charred about 20 minutes.  Corn is super versatile. Think: creamed corn, corn bread, corn chowder, salsa, succotash, or as a topping to salad.

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.

Green beans

Storage + Handling

Store dry green beans in a perforated plastic bag in the refrigerator. They are best eaten soon after picking, but can keep for 5 days or so. Wash beans thoroughly in cool water before eating.

Beans can be cooked whole, cut crosswise, diagonally, or French-cut (sliced along the length of the bean). Many say that preparing beans with a French-cut yields the most tender and sweet taste. Perhaps that’s true, but remember that beans retain the most nutrients when cooked uncut. Green beans are rich in protein, fiber, iron, and Vitamins C and A. They are also high in beta carotene, which is most commonly associated with carrots. Some say you can lower your cholesterol levels by 12% just by eating a cup of beans a day!

The easiest way to prepare beans is to steam them. First trim the ends of the beans. I like to have my son do this step. He just snaps the ends with his fingers. It gets him involved in the meal and he ends up eating a few along the way! Next, steam the beans for about 8 minutes, or until they have turned bright green and are just tender. Drain and place in a bowl to toss with butter and salt and pepper.

Many people like to stir-fry green beans. This method retains more nutrients than other cooking methods. Stir fry beans with garlic and some cherry tomatoes for a beautiful and tasty side dish. Whatever cooking method you choose, remember to cook beans as little as possible, using the least amount of water possible, as beans release nutrients into the water. If you boil your beans, why not re-use the bean water to cook rice and thereby regain some of those nutrients?

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.

Salad Greens

Storage and Handling

Store unwashed lettuce or mesclun in a plastic bag in the refrigerator. To store lettuce or greens that you have already washed and dried, roll the leaves loosely in a kitchen towel, put the towel in a plastic bag, and place the package in the vegetable crisper bin.  Wet greens will spoil quickly, so make sure they are truly dry before refrigerating them.  If you have a salad spinner, wash and spin the greens before refrigerating them.  Eat mesclun mix within three or four days, and use lettuce within a week.

Salad greens bruise easily, so be sure to handle them gently.  For lettuce, slice the head at its base with a sharp knife and let the leaves fall open.  Discard any damaged or leathery outer leaves and tear large leaves into bite sized pieces.  Both lettuce and mesclun mix can be washed by swishing them around in a basin of cold water.  If a lot of dirt collects in the water, wash them a second time.  Dry the greens in a salad spinner, or if you don’t have one, place them loosely in a mesh bag or thin towel, then go outside and swing them around your head.

Recipe

Risotto with Corn, Tomatoes and Basil

adapted from whatscookingamerica.net

Ingredients:

3 ears fresh corn shucked and silk removed

Tomato-Basil Mixture (see recipe below)
3 1/2 cups to 4 cups chicken broth
3 tablespoons butter
1 shallot or small onion, minced
1 cup Arborio Rice
1/3 cup dry white wine
1/3 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
1 tablespoon butter
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Preparation:

Prepare Corn: Choose a pot large enough to hold the amount of corn you want to cook, with room for water to cover the corn. Cover pot and bring water to a boil on high heat. Add husked corn ears and continue to cook on high heat (covered or not) three to four minutes or until kernels are very hot. Immediately remove from heat and place in ice cold water to cool; remove from water when cool. Using a sharp knife, slice the corn kernels off the cob into a large bowl. You should have about 1 1/4 cups corn kernels; set aside.

 

Prepare Tomato-Basil Mixture: Set aside until ready to use.

Tomato-Basil Mixture:
1 cup chopped  cherry tomatoes
2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons torn fresh basil leaves, divided
Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper

In a bowl, combine the tomatoes, olive oil, and 2 tablespoons of the basil. Season with salt and pepper; set aside.

 

Prepare Risotto:

 

In a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, bring chicken broth to a slow, steady simmer.

In a large heavy 4-quart pan over medium heat, heat butter; add shallot or onion and sauté for 1 to 2 minutes or until soft (be careful not to brown the onions).

Add the Arborio rice. Using a wooden spoon, stir for 1 minute, making sure all the grains are well coated (toasting the rice in melted butter keeps it from getting mushy). Add the white wine and stir until completely absorbed. Add the hot chicken broth (1/2 cup at a time), stirring frequently. Wait until each addition is almost completely absorbed before adding the next 1/2 cup, reserving about 1/4 cup to add at the end. Stir frequently to prevent sticking.

Risotto doesn’t need constant attention during its 18 minute cooking time. You’ll just need to check on the pan every few minutes, give the rice a stir to keep it from sticking, and add more stock.

After approximately 18 minutes, when the rice is tender but still firm, add the reserved broth. The rice is done when it is tender, but firm to the bite. Turn off the heat and immediately add corn kernels, Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, and remaining 1 tablespoon butter, stirring vigorously to combine with the rice. Add salt and pepper to taste. Remove from heat.

To test the risotto for proper consistency, spoon a little into a bowl and shake it lightly from side to side. The risotto should spread out very gently of its own accord. If the rice just stands still, it’s too dry, so add a little more stock. If a puddle of liquid forms around the rice, you’ve added too much stock. Spoon some liquid off, or just let the risotto sit for a few more seconds off the heat to absorb the excess stock.

Fold in the prepared Tomato-Basil Mixture. Transfer risotto to warmed serving plates garnished with the remaining basil leaves, and serve immediately

Makes 4 servings as a main dish and 8 servings as a side dish.

Balsamic Pork Medallions with Grilled Peaches

adapted from The Novice Chef

Serve this along rice, potatoes, or with a salad to make a complete summer meal. This can also be prepared directly on the grill, as opposed to on the stovetop with a grill-pan.

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large shallot, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon sugar
2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary
1 teaspoon dijon mustard
cooking spray
1 lb pork tenderloin, cut into eight 1 inch slices
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

 

2 fresh peaches, halved

Directions:
Heat oil in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Add shallot and garlic; saute 3-4 minutes. Add balsamic vinegar, sugar, rosemary, and dijon mustard. Mix until combined. Simmer balsamic vinegar mixture until reduced to 1/2 cup.

Sprinkle both sides of pork with salt and pepper. Heat a large grill pan over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Place pork in pan; cook 2 minutes on each side, or until an instant read thermometer reaches 140 degrees. Remove pork from grill pan and place on a serving platter. Pour balsamic reduction over pork, cover with foil, and let rest for 5 minutes while you cook the peaches in the still hot grill pan.

Spray the grill pan with a little more cooking spray and add peach halves to pan. Cook 1-2 minutes on each side. Slice each half, into 3 wedges and serve alongside pork.

Cucumber, Tomato, and Feta salad

Ingredients:

1 cucumber, quartered lengthwise and thinly sliced
1 cup halved cherry tomatoes
1/2 cup cubed feta cheese
1/2 cup Kalamata olives
1 tablespoon vinegar or lemon juice
3/4 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
Sea salt, to taste
Ground pepper, to taste

In a small bowl, toss cucumber with cherry tomatoes. Add feta cheese and a handful of pitted kalamata olives. Drizzle with a little vinegar or lemon juice and olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Serve over a bed of mixed greens, in a wrap, or as a dip with warm pita bread.

Easy Melon Sorbet

Adapted from Martha Stewart

This super easy sorbet will have you wondering why you never made homemade sorbet in the first place! This can be made with any melon.

First, cube a melon and freeze it in a food-storage bag. When you’re ready to make sorbet, place frozen melon in the food processor, and puree. You may need to add water to smooth. Add sugar to taste, and puree again. Serve immediately, or store in the freezer in an airtight container up to 2 weeks.

Whole Wheat Apple Muffins
Adapted from King Arthur Flour

These dark, crazy moist muffins will keep well for several days, and the brown sugar on top, adds a crunchy touch, perfect for those of you who know that the lid is the best part.

Yield:12-18 muffins depending on size

1 cup (4 ounces) whole wheat flour
1 cup (4 1/4 ounces) all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon cinnamon
1/2 cup (1 stick, 4 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup (3 1/2 ounces) granulated sugar
1/2 cup dark brown sugar, packed, divided
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 cup (8 ounces) buttermilk or yogurt
2 large apples, peeled, cored, and coarsely chopped

Preheat the oven to 450°F. Grease and flour 18 muffin cups and set aside.

Mix together the flours, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon, and set aside. In a separate bowl, cream the butter and add the granulated sugar and 1/4 cup of the brown sugar. Beat until fluffy. Add the egg and mix well; stop once to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl.Mix in the buttermilk gently. (If you over-mix, the buttermilk will cause the mixture to curdle.) Stir in the dry ingredients and fold in the apple chunks.

Divide the batter evenly among the prepared muffin cups, sprinkling the remaining 1/4 cup brown sugar on top. Bake for 10 minutes, turn the heat down to 400°F, and bake for an additional 5 to 10 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean. Cool the muffins for 5 minutes in the tin, then turn them out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

 

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