This week your basket contains: zucchini, cucumbers, tomatoes, cherry tomatoes, BEANS, carrots, sweet peppers, onions, and garlic.

We have been asked why we don’t have more salad greens in the baskets.  We would like to, and in fact have tried to grow them for you.  Unfortunately, we have had a very difficult time with the heat this year.  Temperatures in the 90’s and above suppress germination, and when they have germinated the small lettuces have been difficult to keep alive after transplanting.  We have also seen lettuce go to seed before they were large enough to harvest.  All in all very frustrating for us.  We will keep trying the lettuce (we have some coming on nicely) and will get them to you as soon as we can.  We know there is milder temperatures in the near future and that bodes well for us as well.  For our own meals, we have been more salads based on cucumbers and tomatoes (what one friend calls Israeli salad).  We cube both the cukes and the tomatoes, add avocado and/or grated or minced carrot, basil, salt a& pepper and just about any other veggie we have on hand.  You can add a few pine nuts or walnuts and fresh mozzarella as well.  We use a simple balsamic vinaigrette for dressing and have really been enjoying them. 

Hurray for beans!  We are really happy to have a new crop for you this week.  With these early beans, this is the first recipe we make.  We gave this recipe for peas, but we love it so much want to pass it along again.

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 PROSCIUTTO

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.

If you are having tomatoes back up on you (I’ve heard it does happen) or just want a quick and easy tomato sauce, this is the recipe for you!

VERY EASY TOMATO SAUCE 

I just quarter the tomatoes (any that don’t get eaten within four or five days), cherry and sungold tomatoes I leave whole, quarter an onion or two and place these in a baking dish. Then I peel and add four or five garlic cloves, fresh basil, rosemary, etc. and drizzle a couple of tablespoons of olive oil all over everything. Then I roast it all in allow oven – 300 to 325 degrees, for three or four hours or until everything is mushy. Once it’s cooled, I dump it all in the food processor and voila! thick rich roasted tomato sauce. The most recent batch included a smallish fennel bulb and a coarsely chopped eggplant. The roasting seems to bring out the natural sweetness of those delicious tomatoes. 

EGGS ARE BACK! We’ve made arrangements with a local pastured egg producer to provide eggs for our subscribers. We will be able to deliver you eggs at $6/dozen (available in multiples of 3 eggs).  If you were on the order list last year we will just send along your standing order.  If you were not on last year’s list or want to change or cancel your order, just drop us an email.