Weekly share May 28th – June 3rd

Summer Squash
Sugar Snap Peas
Garlic Scapes
Swiss Chard
Escarole
Basil
Mesclun Salad Mix

It is garlic scape time again. We have this lovely delicacy for only 2-3 weeks each year and we look forward to them all Spring.  A longish scape will be equivalent to 1-2 cloves of garlic. You can mash them, mince them, or use bigger pieces for some garlic punch. The scape would eventually become the flower bud on each garlic plant. By pulling them out, more energy is put into growing the bulb, making for larger garlic in the end. The scape on its own is tender with a little crunch and a superb garlic flavor without a ton of heat. They will store in a plastic bag in your refrigerator for at least 3 weeks, but can also be pickled using the brine for a basic dilly bean recipe. Other options include making garlic butter (blend the scapes, mix with softened butter and a little salt, then using wax paper make the butter into a log roll, wrap in plastic wrap, freeze, and use as needed.) or garlic scape pesto (check out this website for recipes: http://www.saveur.com/article/-/Garlic-Scapes-Recipes). Feel free to use them as a substitute for garlic in recipes, just add more volume than recipe requires, as the scapes are definitely more subtle than a clove of garlic will be.
We have included some recipes from Joshua McFadden’s Six Seasons, A New Way With Vegetables, a wonderful cookbook that came out last year. Joshua McFadden, a chef based in Portland Oregon, has a wonderful culinary history which included working as a farmer in Maine for a few years. He is one of a small group of chefs that is connecting kitchens with farms by really using a bounty of produce in the dishes, not as side items to protein but as the star of the show. This is the perfect cookbook for us farmers to use. Have a great week and enjoy the share….Brian and Autumn

Hummus with Sugar Snap Peas and Basil

2Amys’ Escarole Salad, My Way

Mediterranean Rice-Stuffed Escarole

Sauteed Greens with Olives (Misticanza) from Six Seasons by Joshua McFadden
The key to this dish is to cook it quickly at high heat so that you can taste each green in your mix.
extra virgin olive oil
4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
¼ tsp dried chiles flakes
10 cups lightly packed torn mixed greens (such as kale, escarole, turnip greens, beet greens, chard)
kosher salt & black pepper
¼ cup Kalamata olives, pitted & halved
2 Tbls lemon juice
Heat a glug of olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook, stirring often, until just beginning to brown, about 2 minutes – don’t let it burn! Add the chile flakes and cook, stirring until fragrant, about 1 minute.
Add the greens a handful at a time, tossing until wilted between additions (if you can, start with the tougher greens such as kale or escarole). Season generously with salt and black pepper and cook until all greens are wilted and softened, about 3 minutes more after your last addition.
add the olives and 2 tablespoons lemon juice and toss to combine. Taste and adjust the seasoning with more chile flakes, salt or lemon juice. Finish with a nice drizzle of olive oil.

Sugar Snap Peas with Mustard Seeds and Tarragon from Six Seasons by Joshua McFadden
I keep all the seasons in check here because what I really want to taste are the delicately sweet snap peas.
1 ½ tsp yellow mustard seeds
¼ tsp cumin seeds
extra-virgin olive oil
½ pound sugar snap peas, strings pulled off
kosher salt & black pepper
1 Tbls unsalted butter
½ tsp finely grated lemon zest
¼ lemon
1/8 cup lightly packed tarragon leaves
¼ cup lightly packed flat-leaf parsley leaves
Put the mustard and cumin seeds in a small skillet over medium heat and toast until the spices become fragrant, shaking the pan so nothing burns, about 4 minutes. Be careful because the mustard seeds pop. Pour them onto a plate to cool.
Heat a small glug of olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the snap peas, season lightly with slat and pepper, and sauté for a minute or two.
Add 1/8th cup water to the pan and quickly cover it. Steam the snap peas for a minute or so, then uncover. The peas should be approaching crisp-tender. Once the water has evaporated, add the butter and the toasted seeds and cook for another minute.
Remove the pan from the heat, add the lemon juice, the tarragon, and parsley. Taste and adjust the seasoning with more salt, pepper, or lemon juice. Serve warm.

Squash & “Tuna Melt” Casserole from Six Seasons by Joshua Mc Fadden
1 ½ pounds firm small summer squash
kosher salt & black pepper
extra-virgin olive oil
4 scallions, trimmed (including ½” off the green tops), thinly sliced
1 tsp fresh thyme leaves
¼ tsp dried chile flakes
two 5-ounce cans oil-packed tuna
1 ½ cups shredded good-quality extra-sharp cheddar cheese
Trim off the end of the squash and halve lengthwise. Salt the squash on their cut faces with 2 teaspoons salt and leave to drain for at least 1 hour or up to 24 hours (if more than 2 hours, transfer to the refrigerator).
Heat a big glug of olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the scallions, thyme, chile flakes, ½ teaspoon of salt, and several twists of black pepper. Cook until the scallions are soft and fragrant but not actually browned, 3-4 minutes. Take them off the heat, and when cool enough to taste, adjust the seasoning with more of any of the spices or the thyme.
Heat the oven to 450 degrees F.
Spread the squash cut side down on a rimmed baking sheet (or two if needed, to avoid crowding). Roast until slightly shrunken and browned on the cut sides, on the way to tender, but not at all mushy. Cooking time will depend on the size and shape of your squash; but for a typical slender 6 “ zucchini, this should take about 15 minutes. (Leave the oven on).
Arrange the squash pieces in a baking dish that will fit them all snugly in one layer, this time cut side up. Distribute the scallions over the surfaces. Flake and crumble the tuna in an even layer over the scallions and then top evenly with chedder.
Return to the oven and bake until cheese is melted and beginning to bubble and brown, 10-15 minutes.
Let cool for about 5 minutes before serving.

Photos 2 & 3 by Alexis Courtney