In Your Share This Week
- Celery
- Corn
- Cucumbers
- Eggplant, Japanese
- Lettuce
- Onions
- Summer Squash
- Tomatoes
Crop Notes
Corn, Spring Treat: We have adopted a variety that has been bred specifically to thrive in cooler spring temperatures (which corn does not like). I know it seems odd to be talking about spring temperatures in reference to your August corn…but this was seeded in our greenhouse the first week of May, and went out into the fields about a week and a half later. Yes, talk of transplanting corn is quite the faux pas depending who you ask- but we find that it gives us a more even and healthy stand of corn, which most importantly allows us to run our cultivation equipment through it aggressively and often. Keepin’ that corn weed-free as possible is the key. This variety produces smaller sized ears that are a soft yellow, but the flavor is amazing. We pick our corn first thing in the morning to keep it cool and make sure all the sugars stay intact. We also strive to pick the corn at its peak- we go through each planting every few days and pick only the winners, which also ensures you get a sugary sweet, juicy ear of corn rather than a starchy, chewy bummer. Even if you like corn on the cob or boiled corn…try at least a few bites of this corn RAW before you cook it! I love raw sweetcorn so much that I always feel like its a bit of a shame to cook it…and this is one of those farm-fresh crops that you can really taste the difference from what you will find at the grocery store. Keep your corn in the fridge until you’re ready to enjoy it.
Onions, Tropea: You all have seen Tropea onions in the share several times so far, but starting this week they are being harvested and treated as a ‘storage’ or ‘cured’ onion rather than a fresh onion- which means they can live on your counter or in the pantry rather than in the refrigerator. Although Tropeas are not bred with the intention of storing for long periods of time (a yellow onion can do 6-9 months under proper storage conditions), they will store for a few months (2-3) once cured. Now that the onions have matured in the fields, the outer skins are becoming papery and the tops are dying and falling down. When we see this happening we begin to pull the entire plants out of the ground (roots, bulbs, tops, and all) and bring them into our greenhouse to cure. The tops continue to dry, the outer skins tighten, and the necks dry up and seal shut. We can then trim the tops off and continue to store and distribute them unrefrigerated. I always look forward to the point in the season when what was once the bustling greenhouse full of transplants transitions into a curing house for the summer. In addition to pulling tarps over the greenhouse to create cool, shady conditions for the onions to cure, we clean and blow out all the overhead irrigation lines, remove the emitters and stash them away until next year, and shut down the water for the season. Although onion harvest is always a huge project, the transition of the greenhouse is a simple yet symbolic change that signals the goodbye to spring and summer transplanting and the onset of late summer. Its a lot like cresting the peak of a huge rollercoaster…so much slow uphill climbing and anticipation, and now we’re slowly rolling over the top and getting ready for the big exciting downhill!
Squash: Whew our squash field has been smashing yield projections these past few weeks! We do thank you for supporting local farms and eating whats ripe and abundant- which has meant plenty of squash. Thats part of the joy of eating local- generally about the time you run out of ideas and inspiration on how to prepare a certain crop, its done for the season. We predict that squash will start to slow down, and want to say thank you for giving lots of our squash a home! We grew a new golden variety of zucchini this year, and while we like the way it looks, tastes, and yields…we have noticed that it has been struggling in storage whilst it’s green and striped counterparts look great. Apologies if you have watched your golden zucchini go bad quickly- its not you, its the squash!
Tomatoes: Another farm-fresh crop thats so delectable when its at its peak. We intentionally planted our tomato crop late this season, knowing that the long-term forecast was for a cool and wet spring. Tomatoes do not thrive with too much moisture or low night temperatures- they definitely prefer t-shirt weather. Although we have been fortunate and are keeping our fingers crossed for a blight-free year, all the wild temperature swings and random rains don’t typically add up to happy tomatoes. At any rate, we have the very first wave of fruit ripening in our tomato field, and the plants are looking healthy and happy. I am going to be totally real with you…tomatoes taste the best later in the summer, long after we have cut the plants off from water and plenty of good, sustained heat spurs the plants to produce fully ripened, sweet and complex tasting fruit. The first tomatoes of the year are certainly the most exciting (because, hey…tomatoes!!!) but they generally don’t have the fullness of flavor that late summer tomatoes do. And whats up with the constant temperature swings from 70’s/80’s up to 90-something and then back down again???
Around the Farm in Photos
- Our eggplant and peppers with Tithonia flowers as beneficial companion plants. In the background we have several different types of drying corn that we will feature at our winter market and in the winter CSA.
- Future head lettuce for the CSA share and restaurants
- Empty beds which will be sown with winter radishes. Another cover crop of Sudan Grass in the background.
- A very happy winter squash field interspersed with beneficial flowers. The vines are beginning to yellow as the fruit ripens…it will be ready for harvest not very long from now!
- Remember getting dill in your share? We let the rest that we didn’t use go to flower as an insectary bed.
- Tropea onions curing in the greenhouse.
- Future sweet peppers!
- Empty beds awaiting fall crops with some joi choi in the background under cover (more about what the covering is and does for us next week)
- Our tomato field has a grown a lot since the last time we photographed it! The plants are laden with green fruit…
- This is where your corn came from!
- What will be part of our overwintering kales in front of some cucumbers that are approaching their golden years. Two very different seasons right next door to each other.
- Our high tunnels have thick, healthy stands of summer buckwheat cover crops to help provide organic matter for the soil and to suppress summer weeds before being tilled in to make way for winter salad greens.
- A very lush stand of Sudan Grass as a cover crop. It will get over 6′ tall!
Recipes from the Archives
Katherine is taking a week off and we are bringing back some of our favorite recipes from seasons past. We thought we would focus on Summer Squash and Cucumbers just in case you were running out of ideas! Celery and corn inspiration also included.
Summer Squash Recipes:
Zucchini and Corn Fritters (panfried)
Raw Summer Squash Salad with Toasted Almonds and or Basil
Summer Squash “Butter” with Herbs
Rigatoni with Pesto and Browned Zucchini
Summer Squash with Lentils, Parsley and Bacon
Cucumber Recipes:
Cucumber, Watermelon, Tropea Onion Salad with Feta and Black Olives
Cucumber Salad with Peanuts and Sesame
Schmorgurken (German Braised Cucumbers)
Spiced Red Lentils with Cucumber Yogurt
Cucumber Salad with Smashed Garlic and Ginger
Celery Recipes: Celery and Chickpea Salad
Corn Recipe: Caramelized Corn with Fresh Mint
Zucchini and Corn Fritters (panfried)
Addictive!
Yields about 14 – 16 4-inch fritters
1&1/2 lbs zucchini or any summer squash
2-3 ears of corn
3 tablespoons finely diced Torpedo onions
2 eggs
1/3 cup cold water
1/3 cup flour (of any kind)
Salt and Pepper
¼ teaspoon ground cumin
2 tablespoons oregano, parsley or basil, chopped (optional)
Olive oil for frying
Grate the zucchini/squash on the large holes of a grater onto a clean kitchen towel. Sprinkle with some salt and let it rest while you gather and prep the remaining ingredients.
Wrap the zucchini in the towel and wring as much liquid out of it as possible, discarding the liquid.
Cook the ears of corn in boiling water for just a minute or two. Cut the kernels off the cob. If you do this in a large bowl the kernels will be pretty much contained and not fly all over the kitchen.
In a medium bowl whisk the eggs with the water and flour and then add the drained zucchini, onion, corn, cumin and freshly ground pepper. Add herbs if you’re using any. Mix well and taste and adjust seasoning.
Add a scant tablespoon of oil to a large skillet. Place the pan over medium-high heat. Spoon about 2 tablespoons (about a ¼ cup) of batter into the pan. Depending on the size of your pan you should be able to fry about 3-5 at once. Flatten them a bit with the back of a spatula and cook until the fritters are golden brown on each side, 4 to 6 minutes.
Raw Summer Squash Salad with Toasted Almonds and or Basil
I am not generally a fan of raw zucchini or summer squash but this salad I like. The toasted almonds are key to the success, offering a nice crunchy contrast to the soft vegetables.
3 small or 2 medium zucchini or other summer squash (use the smallest, densest ones you have)
2 tablespoons, finely chopped Tropea onion
1/3 cup chopped toasted almonds
2 tablespoons chopped basil
Juice of 1 lemon (might need a little less so start with ½ a lemon)
Good olive oil
Salt and freshly ground pepper
Trim the squash and depending on what shape/kind they are, you have various options of cutting them. You can use a vegetable peeler which takes some time but gives you lovely, thin ribbons. Or if you have a box grater with a single slicing blade on one side you can use that or you can just use a sharp knife and cut them as thinly as you can by hand.
Put the thinly sliced squash in a colander and toss with a little salt. Let sit for 15 minutes. Gently squeeze out any liquid you can but don’t try too hard or you’ll break down the pieces. Put the squash in a bowl and loosen it up a bit. Add all the remaining ingredients and toss well and taste and adjust seasoning with more lemon juice, salt and/or olive oil.
Summer Squash “Butter” with Herbs
Whenever you have a lot of squash this is the prefect thing to do. Grated, it cooks down quickly, turning into a sweet and savory side dish or spread. Spread it on toast in place of actual butter or add a thick layer in a sandwich with tomatoes and/or soft cheese. You can use it as a pizza topping or a pasta sauce too.
Serves 4 as a side, 2 as more of main with an egg or a hearty salad, etc.
About 4-5 medium zucchini or any kind of summer squash (feel free to use less or add extra — cooking times will vary)
1/4 cup olive oil or butter (I prefer butter in this one)
½ a medium onion, minced
2 tablespoons chopped fresh oregano, mint, basil or parsley
Salt and freshly ground pepper
Squeeze of lemon juice or drizzle of vinegar
Coarsely grate the squash on the large holes of a box grater. Squash is really the easiest thing to grate so it won’t take much time at all. If you feel like it you can sprinkle the pile of grated squash with a little salt and let it sit while you sauté the onions. Even in just a couple of minutes it will release a bit of liquid. Before adding the grated squash to the pan you can then squeeze handfuls of the squash over a sink to release some extra liquid which will speed up the cooking a bit. But don’t worry if you don’t–it will be just fine.
In a deep skillet, heat the olive oil/butter. Sauté the onion for about 3 minutes on medium heat. Add the squash and a few generous pinches of salt and toss and cook and stir over medium to medium-high heat until the squash is nice and soft and almost spreadable, about 15 minutes. If you scorch the bottom, turn the burner down a bit but don’t worry about the browned areas. They will add flavor and be sure to scrape them up and reincorporate. Just before the end of the cooking time add the herbs and incorporate well. Cook another minute or two, taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper and a little lemon juice—you don’t need much but just a little brightens it up nicely.
Rigatoni with Pesto and Browned Zucchini
I like a high vegetable to pasta ratio so use about 3/4 lb of pasta here but by all means make the full pound and cook more squash or vary the ratio. You could also toss use rice or another grain instead of pasta or just dress the browned zucchini with the pesto for a rich side dish.
3/4 lb rigatoni or penne or fusilli pasta
4 medium zucchini or other summers squash, halved lengthwise and sliced into thin half moons
Olive oil
Sea salt
1/2 cup pesto (see below)
Grated Parmesan
Saute squash in some olive oil in a heavy skillet until browned and tender.
Cook pasta in salted boiling water until al dente. Scoop out and reserve 1/3 cup, or more, hot cooking water right before you drain the pasta.
Put the pesto in a serving dish and thin with about 2-3 tablespoons pasta cooking water. Toss in the pasta and sautéed squash. Mix well, taste and adjust seasoning and serve with grated Parmesan.
Pesto
I used to be a purist about pesto and I’m not anymore. I use almonds, walnuts or hazelnuts since I rarely have pine nuts. I use aged, Asiago Stella (an aged Asiago available at Pastaworks and City Market) because it’s much cheaper than Parmesan and still very good. I also use the food processor. And you can scale this up or down very easily. It keeps well in the fridge, topped off with a thin layer of good olive oil, for about a week.
And you can put it on so many things—use it as a sandwich spread; stir it into deviled eggs or a frittata thin it out for a salad dressing . . . . A classic Genovese dish is pasta, boiled potatoes (diced small and cooked right with the pasta) and sauced with pesto. Remember to save a little bit of hot, starchy pasta cooking water to thin the pesto just a bit before tossing with the pasta. You can easily thin too much so start with just a couple of tablespoons of cooking water.
3-4 cups basil leaves, loosely packed
2 smallish cloves of garlic, peeled and roughly chopped
1/4 cup almonds, walnuts, hazelnuts or pine nuts
About 2 ounces of Parmesan or aged Asiago (Asiago Stella available at Pastaworks/City Market)
1/3 cup of good-tasting extra virgin olive oil (or more)
Salt and freshly ground pepper
If you have a mortar and pestle, a strong arm and some time, by all means make the pesto by hand. I almost always now make it in a food processor and it’s very good that way too.
Put the nuts and cheese in the processor and pulse until finely ground. Add the basil, garlic and salt and process until well chopped. Then slowly add the oil. Don’t over process. Adjust for salt and oil. Then store in the fridge until ready to use.
Summer Squash with Lentils, Parsley and Bacon
This is so good! Lentils get overlooked a bit in the summer but I especially love salads with small green lentils in the summer. You can make them ahead of time and then have a robust, room temperature dish for whenever you need it.
1 cup small French green lentils or other small lentils that keep their shape when cooked
Splash of olive oil
1 Onion, diced
4 cups summer squash, cut into small chunks –for zucchini I quarter them lengthwise and then cut them into 1/3-inch chunks (more or less depending on how much you need/want to use)
4 slices bacon, diced
2 ½ tablespoons sherry vinegar or red wine vinegar or a combination (or more to taste)
2 small-ish garlic cloves, crushed and then minced
3 (or more) tablespoons good olive oil
Sea salt and pepper (to taste)
¼ cup chopped parsley
Cook the lentils until tender, about 15-20 minutes (this will vary depending on the kind of lentil you have). You want them to be tender but keep their shape so check frequently.
Drain them and immediately toss them with the vinegar, garlic and olive oil. Set aside.
In the largest skillet you have, heat a splash of olive oil over high heat and add the bacon and onion and sauté for 5-7 minutes, stirring frequently. You want the onion softened and bacon rendered but not crisp. Remove the onions and bacon from skillet and add to lentils.
Add another splash of olive oil and the summer squash and a few generous pinches of salt. Cook the squash over high heat for about 7-8 minutes until browned and beginning to soften.
Add the warm squash to the lentils along with the chopped parsley and the additional olive oil. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and/or vinegar.
Cucumber, Watermelon, Tropea Onion Salad with Feta and Black Olives
–Slightly adapted from Racheleats.com
Sweet, salty, cool, crunchy and full of herbs. This is just a powerfully fun combination.
Serves 4-6
1/3 cup thinly sliced mild red Tropea onion
2-3 tablespoons just barely chopped parsley leaves
About 12 mint leaves, torn a bit
1/4 cup black olives, pitted and cut in half
1 lb watermelon, peeled, deseeded and cut into bite-sized cubes
1 medium cucumber, peeled if skin is tough/chewy, and diced (if the cucumber is quite seedy remove the seeds–this will also prevent the salad from getting too watery)
4 ounces feta, cut in medium cubes or crumbled
3 tablespoons good olive oil
Lime or lemon juice to taste
Freshly ground black pepper
Sea salt (go easy with the salt because of the olive and feta)
Put the watermelon, cucumber, feta, parsley, mint, onion and black olives into a shallow bowl or on a platter. Drizzle with the olive oil, lime juice and some pepper and just a touch of salt. Toss the salad gently so that the feta and melon don’t lose their shape. Taste, and add more lemon or lime juice, olive oil or pepper to taste. Serve immediately.
Cucumber Salad with Peanuts and Sesame
This slightly unusual combination of ingredients and flavors is crunchy, cool, sweet/tart and rather addictive.
Serves 2-3
1 large cucumber, halved, seeds removed and thinly sliced or diced
1 jalapeno pepper, minced (Remove the seeds for a milder salad.)
1 clove garlic, finely minced
½ teaspoon fresh ginger, grated or finely minced
1 lime, zest and juice
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
½ teaspoon fish sauce
2 teaspoons sesame oil
1 teaspoon honey
1 teaspoon toasted black sesame seeds (regular are just fine—the black ones look great but the flavor is very similar)
2 tablespoons salted and roasted peanuts, roughly chopped
1/3 cup roasted, flaked coconut (optional)
Fresh basil, chopped
Place the cucumber slices or dice and hot pepper in a large bowl and toss to mix. In a small bowl whisk together the garlic, ginger, lime zest and juice, rice vinegar, fish sauce, sesame oil, and honey. Drizzle the vinaigrette over the cucumbers and toss until thoroughly mixed. Refrigerate for 30 minutes to allow the flavors to deepen. Before serving add the sesame seeds, toasted coconut (if using) peanuts, and herbs and toss again. Taste and adjust seasoning and serve.
Schmorgurken (German Braised Cucumbers)
I include this favorite of mine again this year, unusual as it is to cook cucumbers here in the US. There are many variations of this dish in Germany and I grew up with this simple, sweet and sour vegetarian one. Often ground beef or small meat balls are added to the mix and sometimes also tomato. The quantities are squishy for this recipe, confirmed by my mother when I called her about the recipe. Just scale up or down to taste and depending on what you have.
Serves 4
Olive oil
2 large or 3 medium cucumbers, peeled and cut in half lengthwise and seeds removed with a teaspoon
½ cup sour cream
1 tablespoon white wine or cider vinegar
2 teaspoons sugar
Salt and lots of freshly ground pepper
2-3 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
Cooked rice for serving
Put your rice on to cook—we grew up eating this over long grain white rice but you could by all means use brown as well.
Cut the halved cucumbers into ½-inch half-rounds. In a large, heavy skillet sauté the cucumber slices in a bit of olive oil over medium to medium-high heat, stirring frequently. They will release quite a bit of liquid, which is great. It will add to the sauce. When they are translucent and softening (about 10 minutes) add the sour cream, vinegar, sugar, salt and pepper. Simmer for about 5 minutes more until the cucumbers are completely tender and the sauce has thickened a little. Add the dill, taste and adjust for salt and pepper and serve hot over rice.
Spiced Red Lentils with Cucumber Yogurt
–adapted from Plenty by Yotam Ottolenghi
Yes, two lentil recipes this week. This may seem like a cool-weather dish but I made a red lentil curry last week with the rest of my homemade green curry paste (from last week’s recipe packet) and loved it in this heat. We ate it barely warm with a generous dollop of cool cucumber yogurt topping and it was delish.
1 cup red lentils
1 small bunch cilantro (stems and roots and all if possible)
½ or ¼ (if it’s a huge one) Walla Walla, roughly chopped
2 1/2 inches ginger
3 cloves garlic
1 mild-ish green chili (like serrano or jalapeno), seeds removed
1½ tsp black mustard seeds
4 tbsp sunflower oil
1½ tsp ground coriander
1 tsp ground cumin
½ tsp ground turmeric
1 ¾ cups tomatoes, peeled and chopped
Salt
¾ cup Greek yogurt
1 cup finely diced cucumber
1½ tbsp olive oil
3 tablespoons butter
1½ tbsp lime juice
Reserved chopped cilantro leaves
Cut the cilantro bunch somewhere around the center to get a leafy top half and a stem/root bottom half. If you don’t have a bunch with roots just use all the stems for this part. Roughly chop the leaves. Put the stem half in the bowl of a food processor (reserve the leafy half), add the onion, ginger, garlic and chilli – all roughly broken – and pulse a few times to chop up without turning into a paste.
Put the mustard seeds in a heavy-based pot and place over medium heat. When they begin to pop, add the onion/cilantro mix and sunflower oil, stir and cook on low heat for 10 minutes. Add the spices and continue cooking and stirring for five minutes longer. Now add the lentils and 1 ½ cups water, the tomatoes and a couple of pinches of salt. Cover and simmer for about 30 minutes, until the lentils are fully cooked.
Before serving, whisk together the yogurt, cucumber, oil and some salt. Stir into the lentils the butter, lime juice and chopped cilantro, taste and season generously with salt. Divide into bowls, spoon yogurt on top. You can serve this over rice if you’d like or enjoy as is.
Cucumber Salad with Smashed Garlic and Ginger
Another salad inspired by Yotam Ottlenghi and his wonderful book Plenty.
This salad is fresh, nutty and delicious and good with most anything this time of year. It needs a little marinating time so start the dressing right away if you have other things to prepare.
If you don’t have a mortar and pestle chop the garlic and ginger as finely as you can and then mash it a bit with some salt on your cutting board with the side of a chef’s knife.
3 tablespoons rice vinegar
2 teaspoons sugar
2 tablespoons olive oil or sunflower oil
2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
½ cup of onion, very thinly sliced
1 ½ inches fresh ginger, peeled and chopped (see headnote)
2 large garlic cloves, peeled, and chopped
1 teaspoon sea salt
2 large or 3 medium cucumbers, washed
1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds
3 tablespoons chopped cilantro
In a medium bowl, whisk together the rice vinegar and sugar until the sugar is mostly dissolved. Whisk in the oils. Add the sliced onion, and toss to coat. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes and for as long as 4 hours.
Now either mash the ginger with some salt in a mortar and pestle until it breaks down a bit and then add the garlic and mash a bit more until it’s a rough paste or put the ginger, salt and garlic on a cutting board and smash with the side of a chef’s knife until well-smashed. Scrape the contents from the board or mortar into the bowl with the onion and dressing. Stir to combine.
Slice the cucumbers in half lengthwise, place them cut-side down on the cutting board, and slice at an angle into ¼ inch slices. Add the cucumber, sesame seeds, and cilantro to the bowl and stir to combine. Let sit ten minutes, then pour off some of the liquid that has accumulated. Stir, season again with salt if desired, and serve.
Celery and Chickpea Salad
Heidi Swanson, the author of the incomparable 101cookbooks blog, comes up with the loveliest combinations. I love her cooking philosophy and her intuition around flavors and textures. This is, in true Heidi style, simple, a bit surprising and delicious–not to mention a nutritious dish. You can skip the Parmesan and add a few more nuts and raisins to make it vegan.
Serves 4-6
8 celery stalks, any strings removed (I just made this with the celery from the share and didn’t remove any strings), cut into thin slices (1/4-inch or so)
1 jalapeno, minced (seeds and membranes removed if you don’t want much heat)
3 tablespoons good olive oil
2 tablespoons lemon juice, more to taste
4 tablespoons grated Parmesan (see headnote for alternative)
1 1/2 cups cooked garbanzo beans, heated (home-cooked is best if you have them)
3 tablespoons golden raisins
1/2 cup chopped almonds, toasted until nice and dark
Salt
½ cup chopped cilantro or parsley or a combination
1/2 cup celery leaves, chopped
Mix together the olive oil, lemon juice, and Parmesan in a small bowl. In a large bowl toss the heated beans with the olive-Parmesan mixture. When well combined, add the celery, raisins, herbs and almonds. Mix again and taste and adjust seasoning, if needed. This salad does not hold very well. It loses its crunch and brightness. You can prep everything ahead of time but dress and toss it right before serving.
Caramelized Corn with Fresh Mint
-inspired by Julia Moskin
This theoretically serves 2 but of course scale up as you like. I eat this whole dish by myself with ease.
Kernels from 3 or 4 ears of corn (or more—this is so good you’ll eat as much as you make I guarantee)
1 tablespoon butter
2 tablespoons minced fresh mint
Salt
Melt the butter in a large skillet over high heat. Add the corn and cook, stirring often, until golden and browned. This will take about 10 minutes. Stir in the mint and sprinkle with salt. Serve immediately.