This week your basket contains: new potatoes, carrots, snap peas (half shares), broccoli, cucumber, snow peas (full shares), lettuce, zucchini, and spring onions.

In the past few years we have become very fond of Mokum carrots.  They germinate well (carrots are notoriously difficult to get to germinate), grow quickly and well in our soil, and, most importantly, they taste great.  If you don’t eat them all raw as snacks, try this recipe.

EAST INDIAN CARROT SOUP

1 onion, chopped

½ Tbsp. vegetable oil

6 medium carrots, shredded

½ tsp. crushed red pepper flakes

½ tsp. curry powder

1 bunch cilantro, finely chopped (divided)

3 cups canned chicken stock

¼ cup lime juice

Sauté the onion in the oil until barely turning brown.  Add the carrots, red pepper flakes and curry powder, and saute about 2 minutes.  Add half the cilantro, chicken broth and lime juice.  Simmer until the carrots are tender but still have definite shape.  Tir in the rest of the cilantro just before serving.  More red pepper flakes and salt may be added while cooking.  Serves 4.  From Fooday.

One week after telling you that we try to keep the summer squash small, they have gone a bit nuts and gotten closer to zucchini bread size.  This is our favorite recipe for zucchini bread. 

LONNIE’S CHOCOLATE ZUCCHINI CAKE

½ cup soft butter

½ cup cooking oil

2 eggs

1 ½ cup sugar (can be reduced)

1 tsp. vanilla

2 ½ cups flour

1 tsp. baking soda

½ tsp. Salt

½ cup chocolate chips

½ cup buttermilk

4 Tbs. cocoa

2 cups grated zucchini

¼ cup chopped nuts

1 tsp. cinnamon

Mix oil, butter, eggs, sugar, vanilla and milk together.  Add cocoa, baking soda, cinnamon and salt.  Mix well. Add flour and mix well.  Add zucchini, chocolate chips and nuts and mix. Divide the batter into 2 well greased loaf pans or one well greased 13 x 9 in baking dish. Bake at 350⁰ for 45 minutes or until a tooth pick poked into the center of the loaf comes out clean. 

This is another great way to serve summer squash.

GRILLED SUMMER SQUASH MARINADE

3-4 Tbs rice wine vinegar

1 tsp salt

3 cloves garlic, pressed or minced

chopped fresh herbs

dash of Worcestershire sauce

½ cup olive oil

Place garlic and salt in bottom of a bowl and mash together with a fork.  Add vinegar, Worcestershire and herbs, mix well.  Whisk in olive oil.  Cut squash lengthwise and toss in marinade.  Let sit at least 20 minutes.  Grill over hot coals until browned on both sides.  Place grilled squash back into the bowl containing the remaining marinade before serving.