Weekly Share June 22nd – 28th

Frisee
Red Gold Potatoes
Genovese Basil
Candy Onions
Summer Squash (Alexandria or Zephyr)
Cucumbers (Marketmore or Beit Alpha)
Russian Kale or Spigariello

It’s the Summer Solstice, the longest day of the year; which means from here on out days will get a bit shorter, although we have a few months till it becomes noticeable. This is a big transition period here on the farm. After the solstice, we begin seeding our long season fall and winter crops. Next week we will begin trays of cabbage, broccoli, brussel sprouts, and cauliflower. Then a few weeks later seeding trays of all the bunching greens, radicchio, and other fall chicories. At the same time as we think about and begin our fall crops we are just beginning our Summer harvest, every week we will add a new crop or variety and within a month we will be inundated with cucumbers, beans, tomatoes, tomatillos, peppers of all from padrons to sweet varieties, eggplant, okra, chiles, and melons. July to September is filled with non-stop harvest. Over the coming week we will have our big garlic harvest, yay, it looks fabulous this year as well as, seed our later succession of dent corn and dry beans. Summer has begun and we are looking at a good and hot one.
Speaking of summer, our potato and cucumber crops are doing great, which makes us very happy as our tomatoes are coming on later than usual and the onion crops are filled with difficulty. Each year there are crops that do great and others that struggle. The potatoes and cucumbers have been enjoying the rainy hot weather we have gotten over the past few weeks. We are happy to offer them in the shares earlier than usual (for us) along with some delicious basil. We have included a load of recipes. The frisee salad that combines bacon, frisee, and potatoes is also delicious with additions of olives, hard-boiled egg, tuna, or tomatoes. We often make this pasta dish, sometimes without the green beans, as it is a super quick, easy, and so satiating. The squash recipes below were included last year, but we thought they were worth reposting as they are perfect for summer weather and interesting ways to use squash. Enjoy the share…..Brian and Autumn
Frisee Salad With Bacon
Farro and Cucumber Salad
Cucumber Basil Egg Salad
Pasta With Green Beans And Potatoes With Pesto
Zucchini Salad With Raisins and Pine NutsThe New Book of Middle Eastern Food pg.87 by Claudia Roden
The combination of raisins and pine nuts was brought by the Arabs all the way to Spain and Sicily.
1 lb Zucchini
4 Tbls Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
2 Tbls Pine Nuts
2 Tbls Black or Gold Raisins or Currants
1 clove Garlic, crushed and chopped
Salt and Pepper
2 tsp dried mint (optional)
Juice of ½ Lemon, or more
Saute the Zucchini quickly in the oil with the pine nuts, raisins, and garlic. Add salt and pepper and dried mint, if using, and cook, stirring, over moderate heat until the zucchini slices are just tender. Serve hot or cold with lemon juice squeezed over the salad.
Fried Zucchini Slice with YogurtThe New Book of Middle Eastern Food pg.86 by Claudia Roden
For this Arab and Turkish way of serving zucchini, the vegetables may be deep fried, grilled, or broiled.
1 lb Zucchini, cut into slices lengthwise
Olive or vegetable oil
Salt
1 ½ cups plain whole-milk or thick strained greek-style Yogurt
Deep-fry the zucchini in hot oil till lightly browned, turning the slices over once, then drain on paper towels and sprinkle lightly with salt. Alternatively, brush the slices with oil and grill or broil them. Serve hot or cold with yogurt spread over each slice.
Variations: The yogurt may be flavored with crushed garlic, mint, or dill.
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