Week 10, July 27th and 30th

Cucumbers

Cucumbers are such a treat. Crisp and watery, the perfect refreshment for summer. I generally eat 4 or 5 during harvest. I typically take on the raw food harvest diet during the summer months: (peas), green beans, cucumbers, peppers, melons, tomatoes and the occasional carrot, although field cleaning them is a little trickier.

So your cucumbers are squashed in this bed between the corn/pumpkins and the zucchini/summer squash. Needless to say, it is a little tight, but it helps to shade out the weeds and to make harvesting like a game of twister. Between their green color and the canopy of leaves, they hide well and can make the daily trip to the cucumber patch a little backbreaking. But they are worth it!

I grew 3 kinds of cucumbers this year:

cross country pickling (squat, green) Good for pickling, relish, slicing--a standard pickling type poona kheera (yellow) Good for pickling, relish slicing and cooking--an Asian variety

diva (smooth, slenderer and green) Good for slicing--a specialty seedless, non bitter variety

Thought I would give you an update on that blue ribbon costata romanesca zucchini I've got growing out there! I may need some help bringing that in in the fall!

A few notes on GREEN BEANS:

*They store better unwashed, however be sure to wash them before you eat them. After these heavy rains, they are a bit splattered with dirt.

*I have extra for sale this week! $2/#

*I may have a free PYO row open for this week only, but ask me at pick up.

Yoga and Lunch

Sunday, Aug 7th!

Join shareholders Gabrielle Copeley and Kendall Scott as they lead you through a healthy stretch and meal.

Fliers in the Community Barn--Bring a friend!!!!

This week has flown by! I have found myself several times this year being so thankful for this place. As I go out to take photos for the weekly blog, I tend to be crawling through the plants truly immersed, surrounded by the sound of buzzing bees and healthy plants. Such a movement of activity and life. I was harvesting green beans on Sunday afternoon (a gorgeous day) and could hear the voices of folks in the raspberry patch. I peaked over and saw 2 families there. Babies on backs, toddlers giggling and chasing each other. Milo, the cat, zipping through the berries, his little bell jingling. The ducks playing in their pond. Simon chewing on his favorite bone. And the ruby red berries hanging from the branches. All was right in my world.

This Week's Loot: Carrots, Scallions, cucs, zucs, beets, lettuce, celery, sage and mint, oh yea, and green beans!

Next Weeks' Loot: Lettuce, potatoes, green beans, cucs, zucs...peppers?

Recipes:

Chilled Cucumber Soup (there are TONS of these recipes online, check to see which one you like best!)10 cucumbers
1/2 cup chopped parsley
6 scallions, chopped
2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1 quart buttermilk
1 pint yogurt
Salt and freshly ground pepper

Peel cucumbers and cut them in half, scraping out seeds. Sprinkle the cucumbers with salt and let them stand 30 minutes. Drain excess water.
Chop the cucumbers coarsely and put the pieces in the blender along with scallions, dill, lemon juice, buttermilk, and yogurt. Blend at high speed. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Chill well before serving. Read More http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Chilled-Cucumber-Soup-15056#ixzz0usjPdhZa

Viennese Cucumber Salad

Adapted from Gourmet, December 2004
Makes about 4 cups
2 lbs of cucs

1 tablespoon salt

1/3 cup white-wine vinegar

1/4 cup water

2 teaspoons sugar

1 garlic clove, forced through a garlic press

1 teaspoon dill seed, you can use dill weed too, just use a bit more
Score cucumbers lengthwise with a fork and slice thin, preferably with slicing disk of a food processor. In a large bowl toss cucumbers with salt and let stand 1 hour.
In a small saucepan bring vinegar and water to a boil with sugar, garlic, and dill seed, stirring until sugar is dissolved, and let dressing cool. In a colander drain cucumbers and rinse under cold water.
Drain cucumbers well, squeezing out excess liquid. In a bowl combine cucumbers with dressing and marinate, covered and chilled, at least 1 hour and up to 6 hours. (After about two hours cucumber skin will discolor, but there will be no effect on flavor.)

Week 13--The Mark of Fall

So here it is Tuesday 1:30 and I haven't even finished harvest yet! Loads of new fruits are ripening up in the garden. Hope you guys enjoy them as much as i enjoy growing them!!!

Okay and I also admit, I am running a little late--regrouping after our little trip away this weekend, canoeing!

Edemame Soybeans--These delectable beans are a little bit of work, but oh so worth it. Remove the pods from the plant and boil them in salt water for about 7 minutes, or until soft. Slide the pod through your teeth and "suck" out the beans (don't eat the pod!). I also like to sprinkle olive oil and garlic over them after they are cooked so you get this flavor as they pass through your teeth.

Melons--The yellow ones are a Honeydew called Orange Honey. It has firm flesh and is sooo sweet!

The netted ones are a muskmelon called Halona. They also have softer orange flesh and are super sweet too!

Coming soon--small red-fleshed watermelon called Little baby Flower

Cucumbers are tomatoes are all you can eat this week. Meaning no need to weigh. Feel free to take up to 10# of each for canning and freezing.

Cucumbers with pasta

This can be made ahead of time, put in the frige and then brought to room temp just before tossing with the pasta

1# cucs

salt and pepper

white wine vinegar

1.5# ripe tomatoes

1/2 cup chopped onions

1 tsp minced garlic

2 Tbs chopped parsley

1 Tbs chopped basil

1/4 cup olive oil

1 # spaghetti

parmaseam cheese

Seed cucs and dice into 1/4 pieces. Toss with 1/2 tsp salt and 2 Tbs vinegar. Let sit for 30 minutes., then drain. Dice tomatoes and combine with thte cucs, onions, garlic, herbs and olive oil. Taste and add more items as needed. Toss the mixture with pasta.

Week 12--The Half-Way Mark

The end of August already! I can't believe it. The gardens went from full and lush to fall very quickly. It some ways I am not ready, but I know there are good things in store like sweet melons and squash...and cooler nights.

Garlic Harvest was abundant and they should serve us well into the winter. This week, onions will come out of the field too...now I just have to find a place to dry them! Both onions and garlic take about 4 weeks to dry. Either can be eaten "fresh" or "green". But curing them in a cool, dry place allows their skins to cure and will allow for long time storage. Hope you are enjoying the bounty!

SAVE THE DATE!!! (I did change it)

Pick Your Own Pumpkin and Potluck.

October 17th from 10am-1pm.

A wagon ride into the pumpkin patch and then enjoy a nice lunch!

This week's Loot: Purple Majesty Potatoes, red onions, garlic, summer squash, cucs, zucchini, corn!, lettuce (sorry inside may be slightly bitter), tomatoes, green cabbage, cilantro, dill

Next Week's Loot: Carrots, Beets, Cucs, Zucs, Summer Squash, Lettuce?, Corn?

Spicy Bean and Cucumber Salad

2 c cooked beans

1 c finely chopped cucumber

1/2 c finely chopped onion

2 Tbs fresh cilantro

2 Tbs red wine or cider vinegar

2 tsp fresh chili pepper (or jalapeno) or 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper

1 tsp honey

1/2 tsp salt

Mix all ingredients together. Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours.

Summer Food

A large pinch of saffron threads
1/2 cup olive oil
7 ounces red or yellow cherry tomatoes
4 ounces green beans
1 zucchini, diced
3 ounces freshly shelled peas (or frozen if fresh are not available)
2 garlic cloves, chopped
2 fresh rosemary sprigs
1 1/2 cups arborio rice
3 1/2 cups vegetable broth
1/4 cup slivered almonds, lightly toasted

Put the saffron in a bowl with 1/3 cup hot water and set it aside to infuse.
Heat half the oil in a heavy-based skillet over high heat and add the tomatoes. Cook for 2 minutes, shaking the skillet so that the tomatoes soften and start to split. Use a slotted spoon to remove the tomatoes from the pan and set them aside. Add the beans, zucchini, and peas and stir-fry over high heat for 2 to 3 minutes. Set the vegetables aside with the tomatoes until needed.
Add the remaining oil to the skillet with the garlic and rosemary and cook over low heat for 1 minute to flavor the oil. Add the rice to the skillet and cook, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes, until the rice is shiny and opaque. Add the broth and the saffron water to the skillet. Stir, then increase the heat and let the liquid reach a boil. When the broth is rapidly boiling and little holes have formed in the rice, reduce the heat to medium and let the liquid simmer gently for about 20 minutes, until almost all the broth has been absorbed.
Scatter the cooked vegetables over the rice, cover the skillet tightly with foil, and cook over low heat for 5 minutes so that the vegetables are just heated through. Sprinkle the almonds on top to serve.