This week your basket contains: onions, zucchini, cucumbers, tomatoes, cherry tomatoes, eggplant, beets, beans, garlic, basil, and sweet peppers.While it seems like just about everything in the garden is being eclipsed by the bean harvest, we are always on the lookout for ways to make use of our summer squash.  This recipe works especially well with the round varieties (perfectly round Ronde de Nice or the scallop-edged patty pan types).

STUFFED SQUASH

3 medium to large summer squash (zucchini or patty pan)

1 medium onion

4 large cloves garlic

1 medium carrot, diced

4 stalks celery, diced

1 cup mushrooms, chopped

1 tsp. salt

2 Tbsp. olive oil

2 cups rice, cooked (basmati gives a nice flavor)

6 oz. cream cheese, cubed

Pepper

Grated Parmesan

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Cut the squash in half and scoop out as much of  the flesh as possible (this can be tricky with the patty pans).  Chop the insides.  Sauté the onion in the oil until it starts to brown.  Add the minced garlic, mushrooms, carrot and celery and cook a few moments more.  Add the squash flesh and the salt and cook on fairly high heat until most of the liquid has evaporated.  Remove pan from heat and stir in the cream cheese cubes.  Cover for a few minutes to soften the cream cheese.   Stir in the rice and pepper.  Taste and add salt if necessary.  Fill the squash shells and place in an oiled 9×14-inch baking pan.  Sprinkle with parmesan.  Add water to cover the bottom of the pan about 1/4 inch deep.  Bake, with the dish covered with foil, for 30 minutes.  Uncover and bake for another 5-10 minutes until filling has browned a little.   Inspired by  New Recipes from Moosewood Restaurant

Speaking of beans, in addition to freezing* the ones you won’t be able to use this week, this recipe is an amazing way to preserve the harvest.

TARRAGON or BASIL GREEN BEANS

6 cloves garlic, sliced

36 black peppercorns

3 lbs young, tender snap beans, trimmed, if necessary, to 4 inches

6 tarragon sprigs or 12 basil sprigs

3 ½ cups white wine vinegar

3 ½ cups water

2 Tbs. pickling salt

Into each of 6 sterile pint mason jars, put 1 sliced garlic clove and 6 peppercorns.  Pack the beans vertically into the jars, adding 1 tarragon sprig or 2 basil sprigs to each jar.  In a non-reactive saucepan, bring to a boil the vinegar, water and salt.  Pour the hot liquid over the beans, leaving ½ inch headspace.  Close the jars with hot two-piece caps.  Process the jars for 5 minutes in a boiling-water bath, or pasteurize them for 30 minutes in water heated to 180-185 degrees, F.  Store the cooled jars in a cool, dark place for at least 1 month before eating the beans.

* To freeze beans, blanch in hot water until bright green (purple beans will turn green), rinse in the coldest water possible and pat dry.  Pack into freezer bags and place in freezer.

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 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 can make you a beautiful bouquet for only $7 with 20+ stems and will come with your veggie basket whenever you want them.  Just email to order! 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.