What’s in this Week’s Share?

Veggies:

Shell Peas

English Cucumbers

Tri-Color Bean Mix

Mesclun Mix

Salad Greens

Tomatoes

Fruit:

Blueberries

Strawberries

What’s New on the Farm…

Pick your own Blueberries! Every day from 8 to 6!

Three acres of easy-picking, our cultivated high-bush blues are brimming w/ berries. Varieties include: Bluecrop, Earliblue, BlueRay, Berkeley & Jersey. Containers provided or bring your own. Sold by-the-pound.

Storage, Handling, and Cook Tips…

English Cucumbers:

Store your cucumbers in the vegetable bin of your refrigerator, where they will keep for up to about a week.

After cutting or peeling a cucumber it will deteriorate  much more quickly, even if refrigerated, so use them as quickly as possible.

You don’t have to peel our cucumbers since they are not waxed (unless you don’t like the skin). Just give them a good washing to remove and grit.

It’s a little known fact… that the cucumber was first cultivated in India over 3,000 years ago, but is now grown almost everywhere in the world, including Iceland.

Tomatoes-

Keep tomatoes at room temp for about 1 week (longer if they are not fully ripe). Don’t refrigerate tomatoes.

Damaged or already cut tomatoes will deteriorate very quickly.

Tomatoes can be sauteed, bake, broiled, grilled, or (my favorite) eaten raw. Try sprinkling one lightly with salt and eating it like an apple.

Beans-

String beans are perishable so use them as soon as possible.  If you put them in a a plastic bag in the refrigerator, beans should last for about a week.

Rinse your beans under cold water. To preserve their nutrients and flavor during cooking, trim or cut them after they’ve been cooked. Trim them by lining up the stems on a cutting board and slicing off the ends with a sharp knife.

Blueberries-

Store your blueberries in the refrigerator, preferably covered with plastic wrap.  Wash them only as you use them, as moisture causes the berries to deteriorate much more quickly.

Recipes of the Week…

Marinated Cucumber Tomato Salad

2 cucumbers, peeled and sliced into rounds

2-4 tomatoes, sliced into rounds

1/2 cup thinly sliced red onion

1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1/4 cup red wine vinegar

1 tablespoon sugar

salt and pepper

1 tablespoon slivered fresh basil strips

1 tablespoon chopped parsley

Arrange cucumbers, tomatoes, and onions in a shallow serving dish.  Mix oil, vinegar, and sugar in a small bowl and pour over vegetables.  Season well with salt and pepper.  Cover and let marinate for at least 1 hour and up to 4 hours. Sprinkle with herbs just before serving. (The leftover marinade makes a good dressing for salad greens.) Makes 6-8 servings

From the cookbook From Asparagus to Zucchini

Tomato Basil Salad

1 cup balsamic vinegar

2 teaspoons honey

1/4 teaspoon minced garlic

1/4 teaspoon minced shallot

1 small sprig fresh rosemary

4 medium (or 2 large) tomatoes, cored and cut crosswise into 1/2 inch slices

8 large fresh basil leaves, sliced very finely

salt

freshly ground black pepper

red onion, to taste, sliced as thinly as possible

1-2 ounces Parmesan cheese, very thinly sliced

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil or more to taste

1. Put the balsamic vinegar in a stainless steel or ceramic-coated pot over medium-high heat.  Add the honey, garlic, shallot, and rosemary sprig.  Bring the ingredients to a boil, then reduce to a simmer.  Gently simmer the mixture, uncovered, until it has reduced to about 1/3 cup and is the consistency of syrup, about 20 minutes. Remove the pot from the stove and set it aside to cool. Strain if desired.

2.  Arrange the tomato slices on individual plates.  Scatter the basil evenly over the tomatoes.  Season with salt and pepper to taste. Sprinkle with onion to taste.

3.  Drizzle 1 1/2 teaspoons of the balsamic reduction over each serving.  (Don’t drench the plates; the reduction is concentrated and very flavorful– a little goes a long way) Top each serving with Parmesan slices and drizzle with about 1 tablespoon oil, or more if you desire.  Serve immediately.

From Farmer John’s Cookbook

Mesclun Salad

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1/4 teaspoon sugar

2 tablespoons olive oil

5 ounces mesclun (8 cups)

Whisk together lemon juice, mustard, sugar, and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a large bowl until salt and sugar are dissolved, then add oil in a slow stream, whisking until emulsified. Add greens to dressing and toss to coat. Serve immediately.

from Epicurious.com