What’s in this week’s box?

Veggies:

Pickling Cucumbers

Carrots

Scallions

Red Russian Kale

Bright Lights Swiss Chard

Green Beans

Head Lettuce

Greenhouse Tomatoes

Zucchini & Summer Squash

Fruit:

Blueberries

Storage, handling and general cooking tips…

Carrots

Storage- Remove the leafy green tops, leaving about an inch of stems (greens can be saved for use in pestos and spreads!) Refrigerate dry, unwashed carrots in a plastic bag for two weeks or longer.

Handling-Carrots fresh from the farm generally don’t need to be peeled, but should you decide to peel them, the nutrient loss is negligible.  Peel carrots or scrub them well with a stiff brush just before using.  Trim off any green spots, which can taste bitter.  When slicing or chipping carrots for cooking, be sure to make all the pieces relatively the same size.  With their tapered shape this can be a challenge, but your efforts will ensure an evenly cooked dish.

Cucumbers

Storage-Most supermarket cucumbers are usually waxed to keep them from drying out during the trip from wherever they were grown.  Our cucumbers will dehydrate faster than a waxy cucumber so be sure to get them into the refrigerator right away.  If you store unwashed cucumbers in a sealed plastic bag in the vegetable crisper bin, they’ll hold for at least a week.  Cucumbers store best at around 45 degrees F, but refrigerators are usually set cooler than this.  Keep cucumbers tucked far away from tomatoes, apples, and citrus fruits, as these give off ethylene gas that accelerates cucumber deterioration.

Handling- You can do a lot of fancy things to the skin of a cucumber, and when it is young, fresh, and unwaxed, it really only needs to be thoroughly washed.  However, if the skin seems touch or bitter you can remove it; if they seeds are bulky, slice the cucumber lengthwise and scoop them out.  Scoring the skin of a cucumber with a fork or citrus zester gives it attractive stripes and may help release any bitterness.  Slice, dice, or cut a cucumber into chunks according to specifications given in your recipe.

Scallions

Store in a jar filled with inch or two of water. Stand scallions in jar, cover whole thing with a plastic bag and keep in fridge-last about a week.

Green Beans

This tasty bean is among one of the only ones that can be enjoyed fresh, plus it packs a punch full of benefits! Green beans are an excellent source of folate, fiber, and  potassium. Surprisingly, green beans are also full of cancer fighting carotenoids. Toss it in with your salad, stir fry with some oil, or steam to go along with your chicken and rice.

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.

 

Cooking Greens (Kale, Swiss Chard, Beet Greens, Bok Choi)

 Storage- Keep dry, unwashed greens in a sealed plastic bag in the refrigerator. Thicker greens will keep up to two weeks, but tender ones like beet greens should be eaten within a week.

 Handling- Just prior to use, swish leaves in a large basin of lukewarm water. After any grit has settled to the bottom, life the leaves out carefully. Additional rounds of washing may be necessary. If the sink has dirt in it or if you sample a leaf and it tastes gritty, the greens probably need to be rinsed again.

 How you prepare greens for cooking can make or break a dish. It’s fine to leave the stems on small baby greens, but many greens (choi, chard, kale) have thick stems that cook more slowly than the leaves. If stems are not removed, you wind up with either soggy greens or raw stems. Fold each leaf in half and slice out the stem De-stem several leaves, then stack them up and slice them diagonally into 1 inch-wide ribbons. If you want to use the stems in your dish, slice them a quarter inch thick and begin cooking them before you add the greens.

 

Tomatoes

The sun-loving tomato’s arrival could mean only one thing—Summer is definitely here! This delectable, heart healthy summer fruit, beyond being a palate pleaser is fantastic in so many ways. Tomatoes can be eaten raw, stewed, sun dried, in soup, as a snack, with balsamic vinegar and fresh mozzarella, chopped into salsa, on sandwiches and burgers. The possibilities are endless.

FYI-Tomato paste will remove chlorine from hair, especially if you have blond hair and the recent heat wave has turned you into a pool diving mermaid and your locks are now greenish.

Did you know that tomatoes are thought to originate in Peru where their Aztec name “xitomatl’ means “plump thing with a navel”.

Storage

Tomatoes bruise easily, so handle them with care. Wash and dry your tomatoes before storing. Unless you’re planning to store your tomatoes for over a week, a windowsill, counter-top or bowl, stem side down, works fine. If you know you won’t use them in the next few days, then lower temperatures (a cool entryway) will help to preserve the fruit. Contrary to our common practice in the US, storing in a refrigerator is not otherwise recommended, as the cooler temperatures can reduce flavor and cause mushiness and mealyness. Your fresh-picked tomatoes will last longer on the kitchen counter than store-bought ones anyways, which are probably a few days old when you get them.

 

Zucchini & Summer Squash

 Storage– Un-waxed farm-fresh zucchini and summer squash respire through their skins, so they need to be refrigerated as soon as possible. Store them unwashed in a perforated plastic bag in the vegetable bin, or refrigerate them in a sealed plastic container that you’ve lined with a kitchen towel. In the refrigerator they keep for about a week and a half.

 Handling– Rinse under cool running water to remove any dirt or prickles; then slice off the stem and blossom ends. According to the specifications of your recipe, slice the vegetable into rounds, quarters, or chunks.

Handle zucchini with care as they are easily damaged.

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!

 

Lettuce, Salad Greens and Mesclun:

Storage- Store unwashed lettuce, greens 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 wilt quickly, so make sure they are good and 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.

Handling- Salad greens are fragile, so make sure to be gentle with them.  For lettuce, slice the head at the base to allow the leaves to separate from each other.  Tear your leaves into smaller more manageable pieces for use.  Lettuce, greens and mesclun mix can be washed by swishing them around in a basin of cold water.  If you see a lot of dirt settling in the water, wash them again, until they’re nice and clean.  The best way to dry your greens is in a salad spinner if you’ve got one, or if not, you can always pat them dry with a towel.

Cook Tips- Salad greens taste great lightly braised or stir-fried, but keep an eye on them, as they cook very quickly.

Try adding salad greens into sandwiches, tacos, burritos, omelets, or whatever else you can think of!

Salad greens are a great addition to quiches, lasagna, and other baked dishes, wanna green up your pizza? It’s great on top, right after you pull it out of the oven.

Our mesclun mix isn’t that spicy: a combination of peppery arugula, mustards, mizuna and some tat soy. These greens are great as a pizza topping, on top of an egg and toast, or simply added to your daily salad.

 

Eggs:

Store- Our producer, Pete & Gerry’s, recommends storing the eggs in a refrigerator, reason being that they wash their eggs before sending them to market. This makes them slightly more porous and in turn the eggs age a little faster.

FYI-You may be wondering why there is a discrepancy between eggs and refrigeration around the world. Well, we did too and did some research. In the US, industry standards are to wash the eggs before sending them out, in order to lower the risk of transmitting diseases. That’s not to say that local small scale egg producers’ eggs aren’t clean, but they probably haven’t been subjected to a pressure wash.

Recipes of the Week!

Take a fancy foodie picture with your Applecrest fruit and veggies? Let us know and post it on Facebook or Instagram or Twitter with #applecrest !

• Lasagna with Kale, Zucchini
• Baked Panko Zucchini Fries
• Greek Stewed Potatoes, Green Beans and Zucchini
• Sesame Green Beans and Carrots
• Lentils & Carrots with Swiss Chard (GF)
• Quick Pickled Carrots and Cucumbers
• Carrot Cake Kale Chips
• Croatian Chard and Kale (Blitva)
• Blueberry Kale Smoothie
• Mini Pistachio Blueberry Galettes

 

Lasagna with Kale, Zucchini

Ingredients

• 12-16 kale leaves, stems removed
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• 1 small zucchini, about 1/2 lb., chopped
• 28 oz. can crushed tomatoes
• Salt and pepper
• 12 lasagna noodles, no-boil or cooked
• 3 cups cottage cheese
• 1 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese
• 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
• 2 Tbsp fresh herbs – basil, oregano, thyme, parsely
• 1 cup mozzarella cheese, topping

Directions

Boil the kale leaves in salted water for about a minute.  Then place on paper or clean dish towel and roll and squeeze dry. Set aside until ready to layer.

Saute the garlic, zucchini, onion in olive oil for 5-7 minutes, or until opaque. Add the crushed tomatoes and let simmer another 4-5 minutes. Set aside until ready to layer.

In a mixing bowl, combine the cottage cheese, mozzarella cheese, Parmesan cheese and the chopped fresh herbs. Set aside until ready to layer.

Preheat the oven to 350.

Layer in a lasagna pan, or a 9×13 baking dish…noodles, cheese, kale, sauce…repeat. Top with the remaining 1 cup mozzarella cheese.

Bake at 350 for 40-45 minutes, or until cheese begins to golden on top. Let cool slightly before serving.

 

Baked Panko Zucchini Fries

from Babble.com

1 cup panko (Japanese bread crumbs)

3 teaspoons Lawry’s seasoning salt (or to taste)

1 cup all purpose flour

2 eggs, beaten

2 medium zucchini or yellow summer squash, cut into french fry strips

1. Preheat oven to 350 F.
2. Stir together the panko with the Lawry’s salt and place the mixture on a shallow plate. Place the flour on a separate shallow plate. Pour the beaten eggs into a bowl.
3. Dip the zucchini sticks in the flour, followed by the egg mixture and, finally, the panko bread crumb mixture. The bread crumbs should completely coat the zucchini.

3. Place the coated zucchini on a baking sheet and bake for approximately 25 minutes, until golden brown and crispy.

 

Greek Stewed Potatoes, Green Beans and Zucchini

6-8 servings—Dairy-free

Ingredients

1 Tbs. olive oil

1 large onion, chopped

2 large baking potatoes (+1 lbs.), peeled and cut into 1/2-inch chunks

2 medium zucchini, halved lengthwise and cut into 1/2 -inch chunks

16-oz. pkg. frozen cut green beans, thawed

28-oz. can diced tomatoes

1/2 tsp. dried oregano

1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

1/4 cup chopped fresh dill

1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. freshly ground pepper

4 oz. feta cheese, cut into chunks (1 cup; optional)

IN LARGE POT, heat oil over medium heat. Add onion and cook, stirring often, until softened, 3 to 4 minutes.

Stir in potatoes until well combined. Add 1/2 cup water. Bring to a simmer, then cover and cook until potatoes are halfway tender, about 10 minutes.

Stir in zucchini, green beans, tomatoes (with liquid) and oregano. Return to a simmer, cover and cook until vegetables are just tender, about 15 minutes.

Stir in parsley, dill, salt and pepper. Ladle stew into shallow bowls and sprinkle some feta over each serving if desired.

Sesame Green Beans and Carrots

From Veg Kitchen

Serves: 4

• 6 tablespoons vegetable stock or water
• 1 large carrot, halved lengthwise and sliced thin on a diagonal
• 1/2 pound green beans, sliced on a diagonal to match carrots
• 2 medium scallions, sliced on a diagonal
• 1 tablespoon shoyu or natural soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon dark sesame oil
• 1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds

Add the stock to a wok or stir-fry pan and heat to boiling over high heat. Add the carrot and beans. Cover the wok and cook for 3 to 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are just tender and the liquid has just about cooked away.

Stir in the scallions and remove the wok from the heat.

Add the shoyu and oil to the vegetables and toss to coat them thoroughly. Add the sesame seeds and toss again.

 

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 cup yellow onion, finely chopped
• 1 cup organic carrots, thinly sliced (about 3-4 carrots)
• 1 tsp fresh organic thyme leaves
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
• 1 1/2 bunches of organic Swiss Chard (about 12-14 large leaves)
• 2 cups *soaked and cooked lentils

Instructions

1. Chop Swiss chard, separating the stems from the leaves.
2. In a large skillet or wok, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add the chopped chard stems, onion, carrots and thyme. Season with salt and pepper.
3. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the chard stems and carrots begin to soften (about 4-5 minutes).
4. Add chopped chard leaves and cover to allow to wilt, making sure to stir occasionally (about 5 minutes).
5. Add cooked lentils and stir to combine.
6. Add a squeeze of fresh lemon juice, if desired.
7. This is wonderful paired with blackened cod, roast chicken or grilled grassfed steak.

Notes

 

Carrot Cake Kale Chips

From Fragrant Vanilla
Makes about 8 cups

3 cups finely shredded dried coconut
1 tsp sea salt
1/4 cup lucuma powder (or 3 Tbsp your choice of  liquid sweetener such as agave nectar)
1-2 Tbsp maple syrup or raw agave nectar or raw honey (depending on how sweet you want them)
1 large carrot, cut into chunks
1 Tbsp cinnamon
1 inch chunk fresh ginger (or 2 tsp dried)
1 tsp cardamom
2 tsp pure vanilla extract
filtered water
1/2 cup finely shredded dried coconut
1/2 cup finely shredded carrot
1 large bunch kale, washed and torn into bite sized pieces

In a high speed blender, combine the coconut, sea salt, lucuma powder, maple syrup, carrot, cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, vanilla and process until smooth using the tamper of your blender to press it down into the blade. Add filtered water, a few Tbsp at a time until a smooth mixture a little thinner than nut butter consistency is formed. Place the kale in a large bowl, and pour the coconut mixture over it. Add shredded coconut and shredded carrot. Use hands to massage mixture into the kale, coating all the pieces entirely. Place the kale on 2 teflex lined dehydrator sheets, and dehydrate* for about 8-12 hours (overnight) until dry. Enjoy!

*If you do not own a dehydrator and raw is not a concern, you can bake them in a 200 degree oven for 4-6 hours on a lined baking sheet, or until dried.

From Everblossom Farm

Ingredients

• 14 ounces Swiss chard, kale, mustard, turnip or radish greens, etc, stems removed
• 1/2 cup chopped Italian parsley
• 1/4 cup chopped cilantro
• 1/4 cup chopped dill
• 1 1/2 teaspoons grated nutmeg (I didn’t measure; just grated a lot directly into the processor)
• 1/2 teaspoon granulated sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• freshly cracked pepper
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 2 large eggs
• 3 ounces crumbled feta cheese (1/2 cup)
• Olive oil or grapeseed oil for frying
• Lemon wedges, for serving (optional)

Instructions

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, add greens and simmer for 5 minutes. Remove from pot and drain well, patting leaves dry with a paper or kitchen towel.
2. Place chard in food processor with herbs, nutmeg, sugar, salt, pepper, flour, garlic and eggs. Pulse until well blended. Fold in feta by hand.
3. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large sauté pan over medium-high heat. When oil is hot, spoon in 1 heaping tablespoon of mixture for each fritter (you should be able to fit three fritters per batch).Note: Stick to cooking three at a time. I find these fritters a little tricky to flip, and the key is to make sure that you have space to flip but also to make sure the fritters are golden and crisp before flipping.Press down gently on fritter to flatten. Cook 1 to 2 minutes per side, until golden brown. Transfer to a baking sheet lined with paper towels. Add another tablespoon oil to pan and repeat. Serve warm, with lemon wedges (optional).

Blueberry Kale Smoothie

From Oh She Glows

Ingredients:

• 1 cup original Almond Breeze
• 2 leafs kale
• 1 very ripened banana
• 1 Tbsp. flax
• 1 handful blueberries

Blend until smooth and enjoy!

 

Mini Blueberry Pistachio Galettes Recipe

From I am A Food Blog
makes 8 mini galettes
prep time: 30 minutes
bake time: 45 minutes
total time: 1 hour 15 minutes

Dough

• 1/4 CUP PISTACHIOS
• 1/2 CUP PLUS 1 TABLESPOON ALL-PURPOSE FLOUR
• 1 TEASPOON SUGAR
• 1/4 TEASPOON KOSHER SALT
• 1/8 TEASPOON GROUND CINNAMON
• 1/4 CUP (1/2 STICK) CHILLED UNSALTED BUTTER, CUT INTO PIECES

Filling

• ABOUT 1 CUP BLUEBERRIES
• 1/2 TABLESPOON CORNSTARCH
• SCANT TEASPOON FRESH LIME JUICE
• 1 TABLESPOON SUGAR
• 1 TABLESPOONS MILK, HALF-AND-HALF, OR HEAVY CREAM
• RAW SUGAR, TO SPRINKLE, IF DESIRED

Preheat oven to 375°F. Roughly chop the pistachios. In a large bowl, combine the pistachios, flour, sugar, salt, and cinnamon. Cut in the butter until mixture resembles coarse meal with a few pea-size pieces remaining.

Drizzle with 2 tablespoons ice water and mix, adding another splash of water if needed, until dough comes together. Divide into eight balls and pat into disks. Wrap in plastic and chill at least 1 hour.

In a bowl, toss the blueberries, cornstarch, lime juice, and 1 tablespoon of sugar in a large bowl.

Roll out the disks of dough on a lightly floured surface and carefully transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet. Mound blueberries in center and fold edges over, overlapping slightly. Brush dough with milk and sprinkle with sugar, if desired.

Bake galette until crust is dark golden brown and filling is bubbling, 35-45 minutes. Let cool before serving. Enjoy with ice cream, if desired!

As a reminder, part of the fun of being a member of a CSA is collaborating with your community, so always feel free to post cooking suggestions or feedback on recipes that we post, or favorite recipes of your own that you’d like to share.