CSA News: Week 17- September 7 to September 13

This Week’s Share

• Basil
• Beans, Dragon’s Tongue and/or Romano
• Carrots
• Chard
• Corn
• Cucumbers
• Eggplant, Bell and/or Orient Express
• Garlic
• Onions, Copra (Yellow Storage)
• Summer Squash

On Rotation:

• Tomatoes
  

Share Notes

• Basil: Basil is bountiful this time of year. Don’t let any go to waste by making a batch of one of the pesto  recipes below. Then fill up an ice cube tray with the pesto, place the ice cube tray in the freezer, and once pesto cubes have frozen completely dump them out of the tray into a freezer storage container/bag. Take out basil cubes out to thaw as you need them. One cube is enough for one to two servings. Pesto can be frozen for up to 6 months with cheese added, or up to year with no cheese added.

Recipes

Basil Recipe

Whole Wheat Fettuccini with Vegan Basil and Chard Pesto, Toasted Walnuts, and Tomatoes
Recipe from http://en.petitchef.com/

Note: If you prefer a non-vegan version replace the nutritional yeast and miso with parmesan cheese. Also you can double/triple/quadruple the pesto ingredients and save some for using later on sandwiches, in salad dressings, as a marinade etc.

1/2 cup chard leaves, packed
1/2 cup fresh basil packed
1 cup walnuts, toasted
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
1 tablespoon white miso
2 garlic cloves
1/4 cup olive oil
Juice of one lemon
1/2 teaspoon sea salt, or to taste
Freshly ground pepper to taste
Water as needed
8 oz whole wheat fettuccini
1 cup toasted walnuts, chopped
1/2 pound tomatoes, diced (or if cherry type sliced in half)

In a food processor, combine chard, basil, walnuts, yeast, miso, garlic, oil, lemon juice, sea salt and pepper to taste and process until smooth, adding a water to smooth out, and more if a thinner consistency is desired. Set pesto aside. Cook pasta according to package directions in a large pot of salted water, and when done cooking, reserve about 1/3 cup of pasta water, and drain pasta. Place pasta back in the pot, and combine with the pesto, walnuts, and tomatoes, along with enough water to thin out pesto to a smooth consistency on the pasta. Place on a serving plate and serve! Serves 3.

Basil Pesto
Recipe from Francesca Benedetti (CSA Coordinator at SIO)

2 cups basil, large stems removed
3-4 cloves garlic
1/3 cup toasted pine nuts, cashews, sunflower seeds, or pecans
1/4-1/2 cup olive oil (how much depends on your preferred pesto consistency)
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon lemon juice (optional)
salt and pepper to taste

Put basil and garlic in a blender or food processor and pulse until coarsely chopped. Add the toasted nuts and pulse a few more times. Now pour the olive oil in relatively slow with the blender processor going until a paste is formed. Add the Parmesan cheese and continue adding oil (up to 1/2 cup) until your desired pesto consistency is achieved. Add alt and pepper to taste. You may also add in 1-2 tablespoons lemon juice near then end for a more tangy flavor Makes approximately 1 cup. Great on pasta, sandwiches, vegetable dishes, corn on the cob, toast, and many more things.

Corn Recipe

Corn and Tomato Pie
From Gourmet Magazine (August 2009)

Note: Pie can be baked 1 day ahead and chilled. Reheat in a 350°F oven until warm, about 30 minutes.

Ingredients for the Crust:

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 3/4 teaspoon salt, divided
3/4 cup stick cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes, plus 2 teaspoons melted
3/4 cup whole milk

Ingredients for the Filling:

1/3 cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 1/2 pounds tomatoes, peeled
2 cups corn (from about 4 ears of corn), coarsely pureed in a food processor, divided

Whisk together flour, baking powder, and 3/4 teaspoon in a bowl, then blend in cold butter (3/4 stick) with your fingertips or a pastry blender until is resembles coarse meal. Add milk, stirring until mixture just forms a dough, then gather into a ball.

Divide dough in half and roll out 1 piece between 2 sheets of plastic wrap, then lif dough using bottom sheet of plastic wrap into a 12-inch round (1/8-inch thick). Remove top sheet of plastic wrap, then lift dough using the bottom sheet of plastic wrap and invert into pie plate, patting with your fingers to fit (trim any overhang). Discard the plastic wrap.

Preheat the oven to 400°F with rack in the middle. Whisk together mayonnaise and lemons juice. Arrange half the tomatoes in crust, overlapping, and sprinkle with half of the corn, 1 tablespoon basil, 1/2 tablespoon chives, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/8 teaspoon pepper. Repeat the layering with remaining tomatoes, corn, basil, chives, salt, and pepper then sprinkle with 1 cup cheese. Pour lemon mayonnaise over filling and sprinkle with remaining cheese.

Roll out remaining pieces of dough into a 12-inch round in the same manner as before, then fit it over filling, folding overhang under edge of bottom crust and pinching edge to seal. Cut 4 steam vents in top curst and brush crust with melted butter (2 teaspoons). Bake pie until crust is golden and filling is bubbling, 30 to 35 minutes, then cool on a rack. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Eggplant Recipes

An Eggplant Gratin
From Local Flavors by Deborah Madison

2 to 2 1/2 pounds eggplant
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper
1/4 cup olive oil
2 medium or 3 smaller onions, sliced
4 large eggs
1 cup milk or light cream
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
10 large basil leaves, torn into small pieces

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly oil a 2-quart glass baking dish. Cut the eggplant into rounds or slabs a scant 1/2 inch thick. Salt if you wish and set aside while you prepare the rest of the ingredients. Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large skillet, add the onions, and cook over medium heat, turning frequently, until soft and light gold, about 12 minutes. Scrape into a bowl. While the onions are cooking, beat the eggs with the milk; stir in the cheese, vinegar, 3/4 teaspoon salt, and some freshly ground pepper.

If you salted, rinse the eggplant, then wick up the water with a towel. Heat the remaining oil in the skillet. When hot, add the eggplant and immediately turn it in the pan so that all the pieces are coated lightly with the oil. Cook over medium heat, turning occasionally until the eggplant is golden. The will take about 25 minutes in all, but you don’t need to stand over the pan. This is a good window of time to make a quick tomato sauce for the dish or another part of the meal.

Season the eggplant with salt and pepper to taste, then toss with the onions and basil. Put it in the prepared dish and pour the custard over the top. Bake until golden, firm, and puffed, 30 to 40 minutes. Let cool at least 10 minutes before serving.

Summer Squash Recipe

Summer Squash Frittata
From The Vegetarian Epicure by Anna Thomas

1 1/2 pounds summer squash (about 4 1/2 cups chopped)
1 medium onion
3 tablespoons olive oil
6 eggs
Salt and pepper to taste
Basil, crushed, to taste

Cut the summer squash into small dice and chop the onion. Heat the olive oil in a 10-inch skillet and add the onion and zucchini to it. Saute the vegetables, stirring often, until the onions are golden and the zucchini tender.

Meanwhile, beat the eggs lightly with some salt, pepper, and a little crushed basil. When the zucchini in just tender, spread the vegetables around in the pan evenly and pour the eggs over them. Lower the flame and cover the pan. Coo the frittata this way until the eggs are completely set, about 15 to 20 minutes. Check it occasionally to see if it is puffin up in a bubble, in which case pierce it once or twice with a sharp knife.

When the eggs are firm on top, loosen the frittata carefully by sliding a spatula around under it. Then place a plate upside down over the top of the pan like a lid and invert it, dropping the frittata out onto it. Slide it carefully back into the pan with the top side down and brown it for a few minutes. Then turn it out onto a serving plate.  Serve the frittata cut in wedges. It can be served hot, but its best when served at room temperature.