CSA Members 2005: Newsletter Archive

Dear Members,

This week we are gearing up to sell veggies at the annual Seattle Tilth Harvest Fair. The fair is on Saturday, September 10th from 10am-4pm at the Good Shepherd Center in Wallingford. In addition to the farmers market, all sorts of other activities are taking place. If you're headed up to Seattle on Saturday, please stop by and say hello.

As for veggies, today we bring you our first tomatoes! Orange Blossom is the variety name; it is a mild, low-acid tomato that is wonderful for sandwiches, slicing, and all sorts of tomato purposes.

While I'm on the subject, I will mention that tomatoes are best stored out of the fridge to ripen, and in the fridge if they're ready and you will not eat them right away. The varieties we grow are not for shelf life so much as flavor, so they won't hold for more than a few days if they are fully ripened. Eat them up!

This is also the season's first celery. Take advantage of cool evenings to try a tasty soup recipe.

The peppers are jalapeños and Anaheims. The jalapeños tend to be spicy, while the Anaheims are milder. This week's veggies are the perfect summer meal. Make a salad from the lettuce, tomatoes and grated carrots. Slice up one of the sweet onions and sauté it with olive oil, Anaheim pepper, summer squash, and a sprig of basil, then toss with parmesan, salt and pepper. Serve over pasta. Slice carrots in half lengthwise, add a tablespoon of butter, cover and steam. Viola! Simple tasty dinner.

One of our members recommended to me the website Epicurious.com. It is filled with back issue recipes from magazines, as well as many others. If you are stuck for a recipe, try it out!

Enjoy,

Oven Fried Zucchini Sticks

ingredients

• Oil cooking spray (the recipe calls for canola, but I would use olive myself)
• 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
• 1/2 cup all purpose flour
• 2 Tbsp cornmeal
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp freshly ground pepper
• 1 1/2 lbs zucchini or squash, cut into 1/2 by 3 inch sticks
• 2 egg whites, lightly beaten

procedure

Preheat oven to 475°. Coat a large baking sheet with cooking spray. Combine flours, cornmeal, salt and pepper in a large sealable plastic bag. Dip zucchini in egg white, shake in bag to coat, and arrange, not touching, on a baking sheet. Coat all exposed sides with cooking spray. Bake on center rack for 7 minutes. Turn the zucchini and coat any floury spots with cooking spray. Continue to bake until golden and tender, about 5 minutes more. Serve hot.

Farmer's shortcut alternative: Skip the flour cornmeal mix. Instead, use seasoned bread crumbs that are finely ground. Use whole eggs (we only live once!). Heat refined safflower oil (high heat tolerance) on the stove top and pan fry for a minute or two, until golden and soft. Flip, fry, and remove when golden, then place on a paper towel or paper bag. Press lightly with paper towel to remove excess oil (cool slightly first!). Yum!

Eating Well, August/September 2005

Eggplant, Tomato & Goat Cheese Sandwiches

ingredients

• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 large garlic cloves, minced
• 1 12-inch-long piece baguette, cut horizontally in half
• 1 small eggplant, cut lengthwise into six 1/2-inch-thick slices
• 2 tomatoes, cut into thin slices
• 3 ounces soft fresh goat cheese (such as Montrachet)
• 12 fresh basil leaves

procedure

Prepare barbecue (medium-high heat) or preheat broiler. Combine oil and garlic in small bowl. Let stand 5 minutes.

Brush cut sides of baguette and both sides of eggplant slices and tomato slices with garlic oil. Grill cut sides of baguette until toasted, about 2 minutes. Transfer baguette, cut side up, to plates. Season eggplant and tomatoes with salt and pepper. Grill eggplant until cooked through, about 6 minutes per side; transfer to plate. Grill tomatoes until warmed through, about 1 minute per side; transfer to plate.

Spread goat cheese on bread, dividing equally. Overlap eggplant slices, then tomato slices on baguette halves, covering completely. Garnish with fresh basil leaves. Cut each sandwich diagonally into 4 sections and serve.

Bon Appétit, August 1995 (from Epicurious.com)