Wk 19, Sep 23

Tomatoes

Onion

Potatoes

Basil

Arugula

Beets w/greens (fall crop)

Cucumbers

Squash

Kale- lacinato, red russian, or backyard bounty lacinato/collard

cabbage – portuguese leaf cabbage (SE only)

green  beans – (Farm only)

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Recipes for Cukes, Basil, and Eggplant

Recipes featuring CUCUMBERS, EGGPLANT and BASIL

Cucumber and Red Quinoa Soup

By Deborah Madison, from the Deborah Madison collection

2 large cucumbers, peeled and roughly chopped

1 quart yogurt (I prefer a rich, whole-milk yogurt)

3 handfuls hers (dill, parsley, lovage, mint or cilantro)

3 Tbsp. olive oil, plus more for quinoa and for serving

1 tsp. salt, plus more for quinoa

Zest of two and ½ lemons, divided

Juice of one lemon

2 ½ cups water

1 cup quinoa, cooked (or rice or faro)

Freshly ground pepper

1. First, fill a blender jar with the chunks of cucumber. Then pour in the quart of yogurt. Whirl away until green and smooth. Pour most of it in a bowl and set aside.
2. Add the herbs to what’s left in the blender jar. Also pour in the olive oil and a scant teaspoon of salt. Purée until flecked with green, then add it to the rest of the soup.
3. Stir in the finely grated zest of two lemons and the juice of one. Taste for salt and lemon, adding more of each if needed. Refrigerate, preferably overnight so the flavors can build.
4. Bring the water to a boil and cook the quinoa. Then, while it’s warm, toss it with a little olive oil and season it with salt, pepper, and remaining lemon zest. Let it cool.
5. To serve soup, ladle it into cups or bowls, adding a tablespoon or two of quinoa to each serving. Drizzle a few drops of olive oil over the surface, and there you are.

Basil Pesto

2 cups fresh basil leaves

1/3 cup pine nuts or walnuts

2 peeled garlic cloves (or equal amount of finely chopped garlic scapes)

1/2 cup grated parmesan or romano cheese

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil (or a little more if needed to blend well)

Salt and pepper to taste

Process all ingredients in a food processor or blender. Toss with one pound of your favorite, freshly cooked pasta. Pesto is also great as a dip with crackers or spread on slices of baguette bread. Also delicious on grilled chicken.

Oven-Roasted Ratatouille

From the book Talking With My Mouth Full by Bonny Wolf

2 bell peppers (any color), stemmed, seeded and cut into thick strips

3 small eggplant (or 1-2 large), stemmed and cut into 1 inch pieces

1 medium yellow squash (or 2-3 small), stemmed and cut into 1 inch pieces

1 medium zucchini (or 2-3 small), stemmed and cut into 1 inch pieces

¼ lb green beans, halved

1 cup mushrooms, thickly sliced

1 medium red onion, cut into ½-inch rings

5-10 (or more!) cloves garlic, peeled and halved

Olive oil

Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Handful of fresh herbs (basil, rosemary, thyme, marjoram, oregano – any combo)

2 medium tomatoes, any variety, cut into wedges

1. Preheat oven to 500 degrees.
2. Place bell peppers, eggplant, yellow squash, zucchini, green beans, mushrooms, red onions, and garlic in a large roasting pan. Toss with the olive oil, salt, and freshly ground black pepper. Strew sprigs of fresh herbs over the mixture.
3. Roast the vegetables until almost tender, about 30 minutes. Stir occasionally. Add the tomatoes and stir. Roast another 10 minutes or until the vegetables are fork tender. Serve warm or at room temperature. Serves 4-6.

Baba Ganoush (Eggplant Dip)

By Carrie Floyd, from the Culinate Kitchen collection

This Middle Eastern classic makes a great appetizer. Taste as you go with the lemon juice; I like this dip really lemony, but you might prefer a little less tang.

4 medium eggplant, globe or Italian (to yield 2 cups cooked eggplant

3 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped

¼ cup tahini (see note)

2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil

Salt to taste

Juice of 2 to 3 lemons

Chopped parsley for garnish (optional)

1. reheat the oven to 425 degrees.
2. Prick the eggplant with a fork. Place them on a baking sheet and roast for about 30 minutes or until soft and squishy but not burned. Remove from the oven and let cool.
3. Cut the eggplant in half and scoop out the roasted flesh; chop coarsely. Discard the skins.
4. Purée cooked eggplant to a smooth consistency in a blender or food processor. Add garlic, tahini, olive oil, a pinch of salt, and the juice of two lemons; mix until blended. Season to taste with extra salt and lemon juice.
5. Serve as a dip for raw sliced veggies or pita bread, or as a sandwich spread.

Note: Tahini is a purée of roasted sesame seeds. Look for it in a jar or can at your grocery store; it’s usually housed with Middle Eastern foods or on the same shelf as other nut butters, such as peanut butter.

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Wk 16, Sep 16

Purple Cauliflower (SE only)

Rainbow Carrots

Collards

Lettuce Mix

Tomatoes

Chard

Cucumbers

Summer squash

basil

fresh cilantro

potatoes

Sweet peppers (SE only)

hot peppers (farm only)

red or white onion

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Wk 14, September 2

Seasons are a changin’! This week’s box has both the summer abundance and a sprinkling in of cooler weather crops.

Baby beets with tender greens

collards (SE Pickup)

kale, red russian (Farm Pickup)

pac choi

tomatoes (Farm pickup)

arugula (SE pickup)

lettuce (farm pickup)

cucumbers

basil, lemon or sweet

squash

garlic

green bean

cranberry shelling bean

sweet pepper

hot pepper

radish

onion

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