This week your basket contains: carrots, Swiss chard, basil, cucumber, summer squash, tomatoes, beets, peppers, garlic, CIPOLLINI ONIONS, and cherry tomatoes. 

Our bush beans have finished, and the pole beans are still about a week away from harvest (our timing was a bit off).  We also expect to (finally!) have sweet corn for you next week.  We are also seeing pumpkins turning orange, so it is time to plan for our PUMPKIN PICK-UP WEEKEND.  October 19^th and 20^th are set aside for you to come out to the farm to choose your carving pumpkin (included as part of your subscription), tour the gardens, press apples for cider, have a potluck lunch and socialize with other subscribers.  We will be making pizza including our signature PUMPKIN PIE PIZZA (a perennial favorite).  We look forward to seeing you then.

We find ourselves with too few cabbages (from our summer planting) for a full week of harvest but too many to feel good about just tilling them in.  If you would like a few cabbages for making sauerkraut drop us an email and we will send some along to you.

This is a great salad.  We skip soaking the squash because our squash are so fresh.  You can also use feta cheese instead of parmesan and substitute basil for parsley.

INSALATA DI ZUCCHINE

1 pound very thinly sliced zucchini

salt and freshly ground pepper

12 large slivers parmagiano cheese

juice of 1 large lemon

fresh Italian parsley leaves

6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Remove their ends and soak the zucchini in a bowl of cold water with a little coarse salt added for half an hour to remove bitter taste. Drain the zucchini, rinse them under cold running water, pat dry with paper towels, and use a mandoline or truffle cutter to thinly slice them. Place the zucchini in a crockery or glass bowl and season with the lemon juice, olive oil, salt, and pepper. Mix well. Refrigerate, covered, for at least half an hour.  When ready, transfer the thinly sliced zucchini to a serving platter, arrange the cheese slivers on top, serve with the Italian parsley leaves. Adapted from Bugialli’s Italy

This is another great way to utilize your summer squash:

ZUCCHINI AND PEPPER ENCHILADA FILLING

2 Tbs. olive oil

1 ½ cups minced onion

6 medium cloves garlic, minced

¾ tsp. salt

1 large bell pepper, minced

5 small (6 inch) zucchini, diced

1 ½ tsp. ground cumin

1 tbs. dried basil

1 ½ tsp. dried oregano

Cayenne and black pepper to taste

1 1/3 cups (packed) grated jack cheese

Heat the oil in a large and deep skillet. Add onion, garlic and salt and sauté over medium heat for 8-10 minutes until onion is soft. Add the bell pepper, zucchini and seasonings. Stir and cook over medium heat another 5-8 minutes until the squash is tender.  Remove from heat and stir in the cheese. Allow to cool for a few minutes before filling the tortillas (approx. 10- 12).  Adapted from The Enchanted Broccoli Forest.

MORSHAN

(North African Chickpeas and Swiss Chard)

¾ lb. swiss chard leaves, stemmed, washed and torn

2 cloves garlic

½ tsp. salt

1 tsp. ground coriander seeds

1 small red chile

2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

½ c. minced onion

2 tsp. tomato paste

1 cup cooked chickpeas

¾ c. vegetable broth

1 lemon, cut into wedges

Steam or blanch Swiss chard until tender, about 5 minutes.  Set leaves in colander to drain, squeeze out excess moisture, and coarsely shred.  Crush garlic in a mortar with salt, coriander seed and red chile until a thick crumbly paste forms.  Heat olive oil in a medium skillet over medium heat.  Add onion; saute until pale golden, about 3 minutes.  Add garlic paste and tomato paste; stir them in oil until sizzling.  Add Swiss chard, chickpeas and broth; cook, stirring occasionally, 10 minutes.  Remove from heat and let stand until ready to serve.  Serve warm, at room temperature, or cold, with lemon wedges.  Serves 4.  Adapted from Mediterranean Cooking by Paula Wolfert.