- Green Beans and Yellow Wax Beans
- Crimini or White Button Mushrooms (from River Valley Ranch)
- Fresh Shallots
- Zucchini and Summer Squash
- Italian or Curly Parsley
- Garlic Bulbs
- Green Cabbage
- Arugula
- Cucumbers
- Green Tomatoes
- and maybe the first Basil
- Nectarines
- Blackberries
- Blueberries
- Golden Plums
Notes from the Farm Kitchen
And the heat wave continues! In a typical summer our tomatoes don't start to show signs of ripening until the first or second week of August. This year we started spotting the odd ripe one here and there about 2 weeks ago. Frankly, given this heat, I'm surprised we aren't swimming in ripe tomatoes right now. From the look of things, it won't be more than 2 weeks before we start picking significant quantities of ripe ones. Anyway, I guess when it comes to homegrown tomatoes, patience is the key, even during a heat wave.
In the meantime, we've enjoyed cooking with tomatoes in their green stage. I recommend firing up the grill and slicing up all of those lovely zucchini and green tomatoes this week. The recipe below is simple and delicious. More adventurous cooks might want to save their green tomatoes for desert. Really! Green tomatoes tend to take on the flavors of other ingredients in a recipe, so they can be used in cakes, muffins and crisps. One of my favorites is a delicious Green Tomato Spice Cake from last year's newsletter in which the tomatoes could be mistaken for apple pieces. If you are wondering about the nutritional content of green tomatoes, you might be suprised to find out that they have as much Vitamin C and beta-carotene as ripe tomatoes. They also contain respectable amounts of calcium and potassium.
Speaking of swimming in vegetables, you should see the zucchini and cucumber plants! I've never seen anything like it. While the lack of rain this summer poses all kinds of challenges, it does actually help us in one significant way. Most plant diseases that show up in mid-summer thrive on the surface of damp leaves. Dry weather creates conditions that are very inhospitable to the types of diseases that can damage yields of zucchini and cucumbers. As long as their leaves stay relatively dry, the plants (whose roots are watered by drip irrigation) will keep making flowers and cranking out fruits. Is this another reason to start praying for more rain?!
All jokes aside, these two wonderful summer vegetables form the foundation of many of our meals right now, and I encourage you to have fun and to think creatively when it comes to taking advantage of the bounty. (see recipes below) If, however, you find yourself with more zucchini than you can handle, consider freezing some for use this fall and winter. All you have to do is slice into 1/2-inch slices, blanch in boiling water for 2 minutes, transfer to a bowl of ice water to cool, drain, and then seal in a freezer bag. An even easier way to freeze zucchini is to grate it raw and put it directly into a freezer bag. Once thawed, it works perfectly for baking.
Moving on to making the most of your cucumber bounty, it goes without saying that freezing cucumbers is probably not the wisest move. What's the obvious answer? Pickles! Now before you start groaning and wondering where on earth you will find the time to make pickles when it's been two weeks since you've had time to make your bed (ok, maybe that's just me), take a deep breath and say these three words. Easy Refrigerator Pickles. They're quick and delicious. Here is Matt's mom's recipe: Stir together 1 1/2 cups vinegar, 1 1/2 cups sugar and 1 1/2 tablespoons of salt. Slice 3 cucumbers and 2 shallots paper thin and place in a jar. Pour the liquid over and refrigerate. The pickles will keep for weeks.
This Week's Recipes
Cucumber Lime Mint Agua Fresca
Aguas frescas are non-alcoholic fruit drinks enjoyed in many parts of Latin America. This one is delicious and wonderfully refreshing.2 good sized cucumbers, ends trimmed, but peel still on, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup lime juice from fresh limes
1 1/4 cup packed mint leaves (about a large handful), woody stems removed
1/2 cup sugar
Approximately 1 1/4 cup of water
Put ingredients in blender, add enough water to fill 3/4 of blender. Hold the lid on the blender and purée until smooth. Place a fine mesh sieve over a bowl and pour the purée through it, pressing against the sieve with a rubber spatula or the back of a spoon to extract as much liquid out as possible. Fill a large pitcher halfway with ice cubes. Add the juice. Serve with sprigs of mint and slices of lime.
Zucchini-Mushroom Tacos
1 pound small mushrooms, left whole or cut in half2 teaspoons dried oregano
2 tablespoons olive oil
coarse salt and ground pepper
4 medium zucchini, cut into 2-by-1/2-inch sticks
4 medium shallots, quartered
12 (4 1/2-inch) corn tortillas
6 ounces (1 cup) Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
1/2 cup fresh salsa
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees. On a large rimmed baking sheet, toss mushrooms with 1 teaspoon oregano and 1 tablespoon oil; season with salt and pepper. On another rimmed baking sheet, toss zucchini and shallots with remaining teaspoon oregano and tablespoon oil; season with salt and pepper.
- Place both sheets in oven. Roast, tossing occasionally, until vegetables are browned and fork-tender, about 20 minutes (zucchini may cook faster than mushrooms).
- Meanwhile, in a small skillet over medium-high heat, warm tortillas according to package instructions (they should be lightly browned but still soft). Wrap loosely in a clean kitchen towel to keep warm.
- To serve, fill each tortilla with mushrooms, vegetable mixture, shredded cheese, and salsa.
Grilled Green Tomatoes with Parsley Mayo
from www.marthastewart.com
These are excellent as a side dish, but you could also turn them into a meal by serving the grilled tomatoes, the mayo, and some arugula on a toasted baguette.
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup coarsely chopped fresh parsley
1 small garlic clove, minced
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
3 green tomatoes
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
Coarse salt and ground pepper
Heat a grill or grill pan to medium-high. Clean and lightly oil hot grill. In a food processor, combine mayonnaise, parsley, garlic, and lemon juice, and process until parsley is finely chopped and sauce is smooth (add 1 to 2 teaspoons water if needed). Cut green tomatoes into 1/2-inch-thick slices, brush with vegetable oil and season with salt and pepper. Grill until lightly charred and softened, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Transfer to a platter and spoon sauce over top.
I wash a lot of eggs these days. While I'm washing I'm often thinking about what crops need to be weeded, what to make for dinner, which child needs a bath most desperately, etc, etc. But sometimes all I'm thinking about is how beautiful the eggs are. Does that sound ridiculous? I love the fact that no two eggs are alike, despite the fact that most of our eggs are laid by one breed of chicken. From chocolate brown to ivory to almost-white, the range of hues is amazing. Maybe you're thinking that I've spent too much time in the sun, but I think you have to take your artistic inspiration where you can find it, and for me that's right here on the farm!
green peppers, potatoes, green beans, carrots, beets, sweet corn, basil and more!
