CSA For August 20th!

Every year I think I say it's a weird growing year...but this year seems to be the oddest yet!  It was striking that at Saturday's Global Market there were no cucumbers and no tomatoes!  In the middle of August!  I shared a picture on our Facebook page of the pumpkin patch, which is all foliage, finally some huge flowers but very little pumpkin!  A number of our Facebook friends responded to the picture; one said she's hardly had any zucchini, another said the fruit is rotting before it's big enough to pick!

We've got another great local product to share with you this week!  Penny's Perogies are handmade by a retired lady named Penny.  What we love (aside from the fact that they are yummy) is that Penny cooks hers - so all you have to do is thaw and fry or microwave, what ever your preference.  I love skipping that step where I boil perogies before frying!  I've got an order sheet from Penny, so if you'd like to order bring your cash or cheque to me, we'll get you on the order list and we'll get them delivered to our CSA pick up in a couple of weeks!

The summer squash are finally taking off for us!  Last year's members may recall that at this time last year, everyone was getting a couple or three interesting summer squash in the boxes, than regular zucchini were available quite freely!  Not this year!  We've waited a while and they are not filling in rapidly.  But, they're coming!  There's lots of great ideas out there on the web for zucchini and other summer squash!  I like this version of zucchini tacos (or taco-stuffed zucchini boats) made with turkey!  We've done this: replace lasagna noodles with thin-sliced zucchini for a low-carb version of lasagna!  This could be gluten-free, depending on your fillings!  This morning, just found this recipe for smashed yellow squash casserole - looks easy and yummy!  Everyone has Crookneck squash today, a lovely creamy version.  Farmer Man likes it sliced in the rounds and coated in cornmeal and Cajun spice then fried!  Here's a recipe for beer battered Crookneck!  And sneak some zucchini in your desserts: zucchini coconut chocolate chip cookies sounds great!  Full Shares have a Moroccan squash, with the green netted skin.  It's a little firmer than zucchini, good on the BBQ and awesome stuffed!

We love it when we get emails in the dead-of-winter from members still eating our produce!  Shared on the Facebook page a great idea for freezing zucchini for winter stews, sautes, muffins and breads: grate and pack into a one-cup measuring cup.  Turn out the cups upside-down onto a wax paper lined cookie sheet.  Fill the cookie sheet with these cups of grated zucchini, then freeze.  After, the frozen 'pucks' can be stored in a freezer bag or container for grab-and-go baking or cooking!  Here's the Facebook page here.

Beans are still on the menu this week: the pole beans and Romano beans are just coming on strong, the purple are just finishing!  Loved this idea for a bean, gouda cheese crescent roll - great for those upcoming school lunches!  If you're a DIYer, like doing things from scratch in the kitchen...here's a nice recipe for the crescent rolls!  Book mark that recipe for crescent rolls for something special for Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner!  The Romano beans, like Dragons Tongue, are flat, wide pods; meaty but tender.  It's Jacob's Cattle we've picked, a bean we've saved the seed of for three years now.  Left to mature until late in the fall, the seed inside is excellent for baked beans, soups and stews.  We're taking some of them early as a snap bean.  It does have a bit more of a 'string' along the spine, so as you're snapping them pull the string!  Try this recipe for a great bean side dish!  We've also got some big old pole beans - Blue Lake is the variety.  Don't let them scare you with their size - they're really quite lovely!

Amanda and Ed have come up with nice (!) onions, cucumbers and herbs again.  I was kind of surprised by the number of CSA members not familiar with summer savory!  It's an awesome herb - here's a great article on it here.  While you're checking out the link..check out the rest of the blog Edible Manhattan - lots of great tips on growing and cooking, particularly in small spaces!  And I think that today Evelyn and Menno may be making a visit.....

Now, this next recipe has nothing, absolutely nothing, to do with what we grow but it sounds yummy!  Next cool day, we're trying this Gouda and Bacon Mac and Cheese!  Thought we'd share it with you!

So, in the baskets today:

FULL SHARES:  Mixed onions, cucumbers, snow peas, Red Sails lettuce, 3 lbs. Norland red potatoes, Romano beans, pole beans, zucchini, golden zucchini, 2 Crookneck squash, Romanesque and Moroccan squash, Swiss Chard, carrots, herb Summer Savory.

PART SHARES:  Mixed onions, cucumber, shelling peas, Red Sails lettuce, 2 lbs. either Norland red or Carlton white potatoes, Romano beans, zucchini, golden zucchini, two Crookneck squash, carrots, herb basil.

SINGLE SHARES:  Onion, cucumber, edible pod peas, Red Sails lettuce, mixed Romano, pole and purple beans, zucchini, two Crookneck squash, carrots, oregano.