This week your basket contains: SWEET CORN, zucchini, cucumbers, carrots, beans, cherry tomatoes,TROMBONCINO SQUASH (full shares), eggplant (half shares),  basil, garlic, and tomatoes.

This has been an amazing sweet corn year so far.  Despite a long, wet spring we were able to get it in the ground early in the “planting window” (we shoot for any time from May 15 to June 15).  It germinated well, and it has loved the hot weather spells we’ve had.  Often the earliest varieties we grow only produce smaller and fewer ears than later varieties meaning we give fewer ears to you at the beginning of corn season.  This year, we start right off the bat with a full complement of good-sized ears.  Our latest maturing variety, Silver Queen, is a bit of gamble and in some years, like last year, it never gets enough heat units to produce well.  This year it is 10 feet tall and putting on ears well.  Polly joked that she’ll need a ladder to pick it!  In any case, on the off chance your corn doesn’t get eaten on the cob, you might want to try this recipe.

SUMMER CORN CHOWDER

6 ears sweet corn

6 cups chicken broth

2 cloves of garlic, bruised

1 russet potato cut in ½ inch cubes

2 cups milk

salt and pepper

4 slices of bacon diced

4 medium tomatoes cubed

¼ cup chopped fresh basil

Strip corn from ears and set aside.  Simmer the cobs and garlic in the broth for 10 minutes.  Remove the cobs and garlic, stir in the potatoes and half of the corn kernels and simmer for 10-12 minutes.  Puree and set aside in a bowl after stirring in the milk, salt and pepper.  Cook the bacon in the original pot until fully cooked (approx 6 minutes).  Add the onion and sauté for 10 minutes.  Add the reserved pureed soup and the remaining corn then simmer for 8 minutes.  Stir in the tomatoes and basil and serve.  From Culinate.com

Having lots of fresh veggies on hand for snacking is one of the best things about summer.  This is a quick and easy dip for them.

PEPPERCORN RANCH DIP

2/3 cup buttermilk

1 cup lowfat cottage cheese

juice of 1 lemon (2 Tbs.)

1 tsp. coarsly ground peppercorns

1 Tbs. minced, fresh chives

2 Tbs. fresh chopped basil

1 tsp. fresh thyme leaves

salt to taste

In a food processor combine all ingredients except salt.  Process until a creamy dip is formed.  Season to taste with salt.  Transfer to a bowl and chill.

While the recipe below assumes you will can the salsa, you can just enjoy it fresh and skip the processing.

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 are a “by request only” item.  If you have asked for them in past years, you will have some in your basil bag today.  If you didn’t get any, but would like to, just email us and we will add you to the list.