CSA 2017 - Week #5
It's the first full week of summer and the first week of school vacation for the kids. The little farmer was up, dressed (boots and hat on) and ready to come to work at 7am this morning. We love having him here at the farm working alongside us and our crew. For a seven-year-old, he holds his own quite well and is in farm heaven...
**A note on the blueberries in the shares... This is a first for us, something in the shares that we did not grow. I repeat, these are not our blueberries, but they are Certified Organic, grown on an 80-acre organic blueberry farm in Hammonton, New Jersey. They are hand-picked and grown with care by farmers Elizabeth and Louis Condo. Why are we including them in the shares? Since this is the first year that we did not include strawberries inside the shares, we thought that it would be a treat to give you fresh, organic, local berries, even if they did not come from our farm. Let us know what you think! You're receiving them this week and again in 2 weeks. (This is not the fruit share, this included in the vegetable share.) The fruit share will begin the week of July 17th, just FYI. **
This week's harvest brings some exciting new crops to share with all of you! First up, fennel! If you're not quite a fan of the whole "licorice" flavor part of fennel, don't despair. The flavor mellows (and practically disappears) when it's cooked. The recipe below is delightful. Try it and then let me know how you feel about it. :)
The zucchini plants are now producing like crazy! Fun plant fact! Did you know that a zucchini plant can grow up to 2 inches PER DAY? Each plant will produce heavily for several weeks, up to 10 lbs of zucchini! You'll receive zucchini in your shares for a few weeks straight, followed by a little break, and then another planting will come in. Zucchini is extremely versatile. It's delicious simply steamed and served with butter or olive oil and salt & pepper. Great sliced and grilled, zucchini soup, zucchini bread...
Enjoy this first week of summer and the beautiful bounty of flavors!
xo Maggie
GOT TIPS? Please share your Recipes, Cooking Tips & other ideas for getting the most out of your CSA on our FACEBOOK CSA MEMBERS PAGE! (It's a private group.)
This week in the shares...
Scallions - Also called "green onions". Mellow enough to slice in a salad, grill them whole, toss them in pretty much anything!
Storage: In an airtight (plastic) bag in the refrigerator. Uses: Raw, Cooked When to use: Within 5 days.
Fennel - A special treat. The bulb and the stems are the main parts to eat. Try one of the recipes below!
Storage: In an airtight (plastic) bag in the refrigerator. Uses: Raw, Cooked. When to use: Within a week.
Collards - One of the most nutrient-dense veg on the planet! Some members have been raving about making collard wraps and we tried it last week. So delicious! Don't know what I'm talking about? Try this week's recipe!
Storage: In an airtight (plastic) bag in the refrigerator. Uses: Raw, Cooked. When to use: Within a week.
Radicchio - Radicchio is a leaf chicory, sometimes known as Italian chicory. It is grown as a leaf vegetable with white-veined red leaves. It has a bitter and spicy taste, which I happen to love, so I eat it raw in a salad paired with a creamy, sharp cheese. If you're not a fan of the bitter flavor, it totally mellows when cooked. New to radicchio? Try the grilled recipe below. It is delicious and it will make you crave more...I promise.
Storage: In an airtight (plastic) bag in the refrigerator. Uses: Raw or cooked. When to use: Within 5 days.
Green Romaine Lettuce - The Romaine lettuce loves the hot weather. It's crunchy and holds up well to heavier dressings and toppings. Perfect for Caesar salads.
Storage: In an airtight (plastic) bag in the refrigerator. Uses: Raw in a salad. When to use: Within a week.
Zucchini - I can be a purist at times, and to me, there is nothing simpler and more delicious than slicing the zucchini into rounds, steaming until tender and topping with butter and salt & pepper. The texture is heaven, the flavor sings and best of all, it's dead simple. Fresh ingredients don't need too much fussing with... I have not hopped on the "zoodle" bandwagon, but I've heard that they are delicious too.
Storage: In an airtight (plastic) bag in the refrigerator. Uses: Raw, Cooked. When to use: Within a week
Blueberries from Little Buck Farms
Storage: In the container in the refrigerator. Uses: Raw, Cooked. When to use: Within 5 days.
Recipes
Grilled Radicchio with Balsamic & Shaved Pecorino Cheese
Collards Wraps with Roasted Peanuts & Chicken (or like me, substitute tempeh or tofu for the chicken)
Caramelized Fennel with Lemon & Goat Cheese - a favorite of mine!
Simple! Fennel with Olive Oil & Parmesan
Zucchini with Garlic & Crushed Red Pepper
Zucchini & Cilantro Soup - For those of you who still have last week's cilantro hiding in the fridge...
Tons more recipes, cooking tips and photos from fellow CSA members on our
FACEBOOK CSA MEMBERS PAGE!