This week your basket contains: RED ONIONS, zucchini, cucumbers, tomatoes, cherry tomatoes, lettuce, beans, sweet corn, basil, and sweet peppers.

While there are still plenty of zucchini, it is nice that they have slowed down a bit. This is the soup we made this weekend that you might have seen on our Facebook page.  There is also a zuke soup recipe on our web site that can be served either warm or cold.

COLD ZUCCHINI YOGHURT SOUP

2 pounds zucchini, sliced

2 cups water

Salt (1 1/2 to 2 teaspoons)

3 cups plain low-fat yogurt

3 tablespoons finely chopped mint

Freshly ground pepper

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1 garlic clove, mashed to a paste in a mortar and pestle, or put through a press (optional)

Place the water in the bottom of a saucepan fitted with a steamer and bring to a boil. Place the zucchini in the steamer, set over the boiling water, cover and steam 15 minutes. Remove from the heat and allow to cool for about 5 minutes. Do not drain the steaming water. Place half the zucchini in a food processor fitted with the steel blade, add 3/4 teaspoons salt, and puree until smooth. Add half the steaming water and pulse until smooth. Scrape into a bowl, and repeat with the remaining zucchini and steaming water, and another 3/4 teaspoon salt. Scrape into the bowl with the first batch. Whisk in the yogurt, the chopped mint, pepper, lemon juice, and optional garlic. Taste and adjust salt. Chill, either in the refrigerator or in an ice bath. Strain the cold soup through a medium strainer into a bowl. Use a rubber spatula to press the soup against the strainer and to scrape the soup off the outside of the strainer, to extract maximum flavor and to get as much soup through as you can. Toss the thinly sliced zucchini garnish with a generous pinch of salt and place in a strainer set over a bowl, or in the sink. Let sit for 15 minutes. The zucchini will soften. Rinse and pat dry. Ladle the soup into bowls and garnish with several slices of zucchini and a sprinkle of slivered mint leaves. Adapted from cooking.nytimes.com 

This is another way to save some of your veggies to be enjoyed later.

CORN AND ZUCCHINI SALSA

3 medium zucchini, cleaned, trimmed, and diced

1 1/2 tsp salt

2 ears  yellow corn, husked, silks removed

4 tablespoons olive oil

2 large tomatoes, seeded and chopped

1 cup fresh lime juice (8 medium limes)

1/2 cup cider vinegar

2 jalapeno chiles, seeded and minced

1/4 cup finely chopped scallions with tops

3 cloves garlic, minced

1/4 tsp freshly ground pepper

Toss the zucchini with the salt and “sweat” for 3 minutes in a nonreactive colander. Rinse and dry.  Coat the corn with 2 teaspoons of the oil and roast on a cookie sheet in a 400 degree oven for 30-40 minutes. Cool. Cut off the kernels and scrape the cobs.  Combine the zucchini, corn, remaining oil, tomatoes, lime juice, vinegar, jalapenos, scallions, garlic, and pepper in a heavy saucepan. Bring to a boil and cook for 2-3 minutes.  Ladle into hot, clean jars. Cap and seal. Process in a boiling-water-bath canner for 15 minutes.  The recipe says it yields 2 pints, but I got 3 with a little leftover. I’m sure it depends on what you consider a “medium” zucchini and the size of your ears of corn and tomatoes.  From Preserving the Harvest by Carol Costenbader

HOT PEPPERS, if you ordered them, will be in the bag with your lettuce.  This is an item we include in your basket ONLY IF YOU ASK FOR THEM.  If you are expecting them and didn’t get any, let us know and we will make sure you are on our list.  If you want to get hot peppers when they are available, just email to let us know.

BLACKBERRIES may or may not be around much longer (not sure how they will respond to this repeat hot spell).  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.