CSA 2017 - Week #7
What a difference a month makes! Gone are the days of CSA boxes filled with greens... The summer harvests are now in full swing with carrots, cucumbers, beautiful gourmet onions, squash, basil and more! Sweet corn will be coming in the shares in the next few weeks, potatoes by the end of the month, and tomatoes will debut in mid-August. We hope you are enjoying the full experience of eating with the seasons! In a world where everything is available to us in an instant, it's a welcome change to pause and enjoy the unfolding of the season's harvests. Anticipation is good, and a reminder that patience is rewarded.
Enjoy this week's beautiful bounty! xo Maggie
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This week in the shares...
Green Cabbage - This is a fresh eating green cabbage, which means that it is full of flavor and moisture! Cabbage can be enjoyed in so many ways - in slaws, stuffed and baked, in soups, salads...Try one of our great recipes this week.
Storage: In an airtight (plastic) bag in the refrigerator. Uses: Raw or cooked. When to use: Within 5 days.
Radicchio - This beautiful leaf chicory is back in the shares this week. Just remember that the bitter flavor mellows and practically disappears when cooked. So if you're a fan of the bitter flavor, stick to eating it raw in salads. If not, try cooking it. Grilling it is currently my favorite technique.
Storage: In an airtight (plastic) bag in the refrigerator. Uses: Raw, Cooked. When to use: Within a week.
Green Batavian Lettuce - This wonderful variety of lettuce grows pretty well in the heat of the summer. It is sturdy and crunchy like Romaine, but it has a slightly softer leaf texture. It's my favorite lettuce variety of all!
Storage: In an airtight (plastic) bag in the refrigerator. Uses: Raw. When to use: Within a week.
Basil - This may be the last week of basil for the season. If you don't want to use it fresh this week, puree it with olive oil and pop it in a jar in the freezer for use later in the year.
Storage: In an airtight (plastic) bag in the refrigerator. Uses: Raw or cooked. When to use: Within 3 days.
Yellow Summer Squash - We're currently experiencing mysterious summer squash and zucchini activity (or lack thereof). The harvests on these plants have slowed to a crawl, which is highly unusual going into the second and third week of fruiting. The plants look ok, but there seems to be a lot more male flowers than female fruits. Cornell Cooperative Extension is going to get involved and we'll let you know if we're able to solve this mystery with their help. In the meantime, we're giving out everything we have, which unforunately, is only one piece per share. Hopefully many more to come in future plantings....
Storage: In an airtight (plastic) bag in the refrigerator. Uses: Raw, Cooked. When to use: Within a week
Carrots - You've been waiting for them patiently and here they are! Wonderful, freshly dug carrots. I know, they are sweeter than candy... Remove the roots from the tops before you store them in your fridge. I don't eat the tops, but some people do...
Storage: In an airtight (plastic) bag in the refrigerator. Uses: Raw/Cooked. When to use: Within a week.
Cucumbers - This is the first week of harvests off our cucumber plants. They taste like summer to me...juicy, crunchy and sweet!
Storage: In an airtight (plastic) bag in the refrigerator. Uses: Raw. When to use: Within a week.
Cipollini Onions - These gourmet onions are also known as "Little Italians". They are known to be super sweet - delicious caramelized or roasted in dishes where their sweetness shines!
Storage: In an airtight (plastic) bag in the refrigerator. Uses: Raw/Cooked. When to use: Within a week.
Recipes
Peach, Basil & Radicchio Salad
Seared Radicchio with (or without) Mozzarella
Easy Roasted Cipollini Onions
Cabbage Slaw with Ginger Tahini Dressing
Braised Cabbage with Carraway
Grilled Cabbage with Spicy Lime Sauce
Tons more recipes, cooking tips and photos from fellow CSA members on our
FACEBOOK CSA MEMBERS PAGE!