This week your basket contains: spring onions, zucchini, cucumbers, tomatoes, cherry tomatoes, SWEET CORN, kale, beans TOMATILLOS, and Swiss chard.What a difference a week makes!  Last Tuesday we had only 13 Lbs. of beans. On Friday we had 70 Lbs. but today we had over 150 Lbs. of beans. Here are some ideas for using them all.

GARLIC BEANS WITH FILBERTS

1/2 lb. beans, cut to 1-2 inch pieces

2-3 small carrots, chopped

1 small onion, chopped

2-3 cloves garlic

1/2 cup chopped filberts

1 Tbs. olive oil

1 Tbs. butter

salt to taste

Heat olive oil and butter in a heavy frying pan.  Sauté onions and garlic until the onions are translucent.  Add carrots, chopped nuts (almonds or walnuts can be substituted for filberts) and salt.  I tend not to use much salt when I cook, but this is one recipe where I use more than usual.  The effect you are shooting for is for the nuts to take on a salted, roasted taste.  Cook for 3-5 minutes.  Add the beans and cook stirring until they take on a dark green color.  This recipe is also great with snow peas instead of green beans.

GREEN BEAN SALAD WITH PROSCUITO

1 Lb. green beans

4 Oz. prosciutto cut into thin strips

2 Tbs. red wine vinegar

1/4 tsp. kosher salt

1/8 tsp. ground white pepper

3 Tbs. olive oil

½ medium onion chopped

1 Tbs. fresh basil

1/2 cup shavings of Parmesan cheese

Cook beans in a pot of salted water until tender; approx. 5 minutes.  Drain and rinse with cold water.  Allow to dry.  In a large non-stick skillet add prosciutto and onion.  Cook over high heat until onions are translucent and prosciutto starts to crisp.  In a large bowl, combine the vinegar, kosher salt and white pepper.  Whisk in the oil.  Add the prosciutto mixture and the basil and mix well.  Add the beans and cheese shavings and toss gently.  Serve immediately.  Adapted from 1999 Food and Wine Recipes.

The zu-nami continues!  This recipe is excellent.  We thought it was even better the next day.

GREEK TAVERNA ZUCCHINI WITH LEMON

4 zucchini

3 garlic cloves

large pinch of salt

large pinch dried oregano

juice of ½ lemon

4 Tbs. olive oil

freshly ground pepper

15 olives

Slice zucchinis in half lengthwise then cut into large chunks.  Bring a pot of salted water to a boil, add zucchini and cook 10-15 minutes or until quite soft.  Drain.  Crush the garlic in a mortar in pestle with the salt, then rub it into the cut surfaces of the zucchini.  Sprinkle with oregano, lemon juice and olive oil.  Season with pepper.  Garnish with the olives and serve at room temperature.  Serves 4.  From The San Francisco Chronicle Cookbook vol. 2 

Salsa de Chiles Chipotles

Roasting the garlic and tomatillos in this salsa give it a wonderful and unique taste.

• 6-8 fresh tomatillos, husked and washed
• 2 large cloves garlic, unpeeled
• 1-3 canned chiles chipotles, seeded
• salt to taste

To roast the tomatillos and garlic, lay a sheet of aluminum foil to cover ½ of the bottom of a heavy skillet set over medium heat.  Lay the tomotillos on the foil for approximately 10 minutes, turning as needed until they are blackened in places and soft.  While doing this, place the garlic in the skillet, but off the foil, and turn as needed until the garlic is soft.  Allow the garlic to cool, slip off the skin and mince the cloves.  Place the tomatillos, garlic, and chipotles in a blender or food processor and puree.  Scrape into a sauce dish and, if needed, add 2 Tbs. of water to adjust the consistency.  If a smokier, and hotter, flavor is desired, stir in 1-2 tsp. of the sauce from the canned chiles chipotles.

Adapted from Authentic Mexican by Rick Bayless.

HOT PEPPERS are almost ready.  This is an item we include in your basket ONLY IF YOU ASK FOR THEM.  If you were on the list last year, we will automatically give them to you.  If you want to get hot peppers when they are available, just email to let us know. 

BLACKBERRIES ARE COMING ON.  Especially after this hot spell, blackberries will be ripe and ready for the picking.  You are more than welcome to come out and pick all you want for free.  Just email us to let us know when you will be coming so we can keep an eye out for you and we can point you in the best direction.

POLLY HAS AMAZING FLOWERS RIGHT NOW.  She can make you a beautiful bouquet for only $7 that will have 20+ stems and will come with your veggie basket whenever you want them.  Just email to order!

DO YOU HATE PLASTIC BAGS?  If so, help us reduce our use of them by buying reusable produce bags.  We have bought a large supply of mesh bags that we will pass along to you at our cost ($2 each).  We will write your name on them and if you return them to us in your basket we will use them instead of plastic.  We recommend at least 4 per family.  Just email to order.