Summer Share Eight July 9th 2108

Important information:

• Weekly & biweekly share members please note that this is the first week of fruit shares. The fruit share comes in a separate box; it’s the one with the red & yellow peppers on it. The fruit box is to be returned weekly.
• For Park School distribution members: Day camp is in session beginning this week; avoid 3:15-3:45 if possible.

Farm News from Jane
What a week; WHEW… it sure was a test of endurance. Our workers share members were a good testament to that. And not a complaint was heard. And not only did we do the weekly harvest we also harvested, bunched, gathered in and hung garlic. And… Ben with Daniel’s raking assistance mowed and baled all the hay into large round bales. Like I said, what a week. Also, I have almost managed to get all the tomatoes suckered and trellised at the same time. Well for a day or so. The expression, “they are growing like weeds” should be revised to; “They are growing like tomatoes”! They are simple unbelievable!!! I found a few ripe tomatoes in the high tunnel, Sun Golds and Black Cherries. A good shot of Vitamin C as I was working. The sad news is that although we watered the shelling peas the heat was too much for them and they are over mature for picking this week which means on to yellow beans. The heat does affect the vegetables, sometimes beneficially sometimes adversely. Losing the peas is a disappointment but that is why we grow such a variety of things; you can’t expect everything to be a success. Sometimes we try and plant peas again in the fall depending on the weather; time will tell… The head lettuce and the yellow squash are beginning to wane with the heat; but there is more coming!
We have begun to transplant the first of the fall crucifers into the field; Bok choy, broccoli, Brussel sprouts and cabbage. We will also begin seeding the first rutabagas, parsnips, and carrots. Just when you think that summer has begun we are anticipating autumn… The first of the sweet onions were “pulled” today and left in neat rows to dry down the green tops. The Walla Walla variety that we are sharing this week we clipped the tops off so as to fit in the box easier. They are a very mild and very sweet variety; great for sandwiches and salads. They make a nice transition from the green onions we’ve shared. With all the heat they should be sweet! And speaking of sweet I finally have tasted a blueberry that is sweet enough to satisfy me that it’s time to begin picking… So next week perhaps we’ll have the first of those beautiful, nutritious and delicious treats. And they are for everyone not just the fruit share members.
Until next time; enjoy the harvest and the dark new moon sky on Friday. The stars should be awesome!!!

Produce:   Summer squash   Yellow beans   Garlic scapes  

Golden beets   Celery   Walla Walla onions   Cucumbers   

Fruit share:   Sweet cherries

Produce tips:

– The celery can be frozen for soup; no need to blanch. Just cut, bag and freeze.
-Golden beets have a less earthy flavor than the reds. For those who are not beet lovers you may find them a sweet tasty treat!
– This is the last week for scapes. If they have been piling up please try the pesto recipe; it’s yummy!
– Feel free to substitute yellow beans for any of the green bean recipes. It’s more unusual to find yellow bean recipes.

Recipes
GARLIC SCAPE PESTO
8 oz. scapes cut in 1 in. pieces and processed with 1 cup Olive oil, 2 cups Parmesan cheese and ½ cup lemon juice.

GARLIC BUTTER
1/2 cup butter; 2 garlic scapes, minced; 1 Tablespoon parsley; 1/2 teaspoon oregano
Soften butter to room temperature. Combine other ingredients, mixing well. Use with meats, breads, and vegetables. Yields 1/2 cup

CUCUMBER-YOGURT SOUP
1 medium cucumber, pared, seeded, and cut in large cubes (reserve 4 paper thin slices for garnish); 1/2 tbsp minced fresh chives; 1 tbsp minced fresh mint or 1 tsp dried mint, crushed; 1/2 tsp salt; 1/2 cup plain yogurt; 1/2 tsp fresh lemon juice; 1/2 cup dairy sour cream; 1/2 clove garlic, quartered; 1/2 tbsp sugar; Minced mint or mint leaves for garnish
In blender or food processor, place all ingredients except garnish and blend until pureed. Refrigerate until well chilled. Serve with a garnish of cucumber slice on each serving, topped with additional mint. Serves 3.

CUCUMBER MOONS SAUTÉED WITH FRESH DILL
1 cucumber; 1 1/2 tablespoons butter; 1 1/2 tablespoons minced shallots or chopped green onions; 1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill; salt and pepper
Peel cucumber with potato peeler and slice in half lengthwise. Scoop out all the seeds with a spoon. Slice about 1/4to 1/3-inch thick. Heat butter in large, heavy skillet over medium flame. Take care not to let the butter brown, but get it good and hot. Add the cucumbers and shallots and cook, tossing often, until cucumbers begin to get tender, about 4 minutes. Stir in dill plus salt and pepper to taste. Continue to toss and cook until crisp-tender, 1-2 minutes longer. Serve immediately. (Note: The cucumbers in this recipe could also be cut into “hoops”: use a long spoon to scoop the seeds out of a peeled cucumber, then slice it into rounds.) Recipe from MACSAC. Makes 2-3 servings.

BARBECUED SWEET ONIONS
1 sweet onion, peeled and quartered; 1 small lemon, quartered; 2 tsp minced parsley; 2 Tbsp butter; lemon pepper, to taste
Place onion in small iron skillet or a large sheet of aluminum foil. Squeeze lemon over onion and add lemon piece to onions. Add parsley and butter. Season with lemon pepper. If using foil, fold edges of foil together to seal tightly. Place skillet or foil pouch on grill over medium heat. Cook until onion is soft, about 15 minutes. Stir pan or turn pouch occasionally. Serve hot as side dish. Makes 2 servings.
Variation: Sprinkle grated Parmesan cheese over cooked onion prior to serving.

GREEN BEANS WITH CARAMELIZED ONIONS
2 pounds green beans, stem ends snipped off; 2 tablespoons butter; 2 medium onions, sliced as thinly as possible; 1 cup chicken stock; 1/2 tablespoons sugar; 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar; salt and pepper to taste
Cook beans in boiling salted water until crisp-tender, 2-4 minutes. Drain; immerse in ice water. Drain again and let stand to dry. Melt butter in skillet over medium flame. Stir in onions and cook them slowly until very wilted and deepened in color, about 15 minutes. Boil stock in a saucepan until reduced to 1/4 cup; stir in sugar and vinegar. Stir in onions. Simmer until slightly reduced. Combine onions and green beans; heat through. Season with salt and pepper. Makes 8 servings.

ITALIAN-STYLE SWEET ONIONS AND PASTA
2 lbs. sweet onions, sliced; 1/4 c olive oil; 1/3 c water; 1/4 lb. pancetta, slivered; Salt and black pepper, to taste; 2 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley; 1 lb. bucatini or fettuccine; 1/2 c shredded Parmesan
Sauté onions in hot oil in a large skillet 1 minute. Add water. Cover and cook over low heat 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add water if needed to keep from sticking. Add pancetta. Season with salt and pepper. Cook, uncovered over medium heat, stirring, until mixture turns light golden color. Stir in parsley. Cook pasta until al dente. Reserve 1 cup cooking water, and then drain pasta. Add pasta to skillet; mix. If sauce is too dry add a bit of the pasta water. Serve hot with Parmesan on the side. Makes 8 servings

GREEN BEANS WITH LEMON VINAIGRETTE
2 tsp minced fresh parsley; 2 Tbsp lemon juice; 1 Tbsp plain, unsweetened yogurt; 2 tsp chopped chives or green onion with green top; Salt and black pepper, to taste; 1/3 c canola oil; 1 lb. fresh green beans, trimmed
Combine parsley, juice, yogurt, chives, salt, pepper, and oil in jar with tight-fitting lid. Shake vigorously. Chill. Blanch green beans 4 minutes; plunge in ice water to stop cooking. Drain. Toss green beans with vinaigrette. Makes 6 servings

GREEN BEANS WITH CARAMELIZED ONIONS
2 pounds green beans, stem ends snipped off; 2 tablespoons butter; 2 medium onions, sliced as thinly as possible; 1 cup chicken stock; 1/2 tablespoons sugar; 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar; salt and pepper to taste Cook beans in boiling salted water until crisp-tender, 2-4 minutes. Drain; immerse in ice water. Drain again and let stand to dry. Melt butter in skillet over medium flame. Stir in onions and cook them slowly until very wilted and deepened in color, about 15 minutes. Boil stock in a saucepan until reduced to 1/4 cup; stir in sugar and vinegar. Stir in onions. Simmer until slightly reduced. Combine onions and green beans; heat through. Season with salt and pepper. Makes 8 servings.

MARINATED YELLOW BEAN, CELERY AND RADISH SALAD
1 lb. fresh yellow beans; 1 small onion, sliced; 1 cup oil; 1/2 cup cider vinegar; 1/4 cup wine or herb vinegar; 1 tsp dry mustard; 1 tablespoon dry basil; salt, pepper to taste; 2 stalks celery, finely sliced; 4 to 6 large radishes, sliced
Trim and steam yellow beans for 10 minutes, until they are tender but still very firm. Add onion to beans. Combine oil, vinegars and seasonings and pour over beans. Chill for several hours, stirring the beans at least once during the marinating process. Just before serving, combine beans with celery and radishes and serve on a bed of salad greens.

WARM YELLOW WAX BEANS IN BACON VINAIGRETTE
2 lb. yellow wax beans, 3 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil, 4 oz. thickly sliced bacon, 2 tbsp. sherry vinegar
10 oz. cherry tomatoes, 1 small shallot, 2 clove garlic, c. chopped basil, kosher salt, freshly ground pepper
Cook the beans in a large pot of salted boiling water until crisp-tender, about 5 minutes. Drain the beans and cool them under cold, running water. Once cooled, drain the beans well and pat them dry. Transfer the beans to a large bowl. In a large skillet, heat the olive oil. Add the bacon and cook over moderate heat, stirring, until golden, 7 to 8 minutes. Remove the skillet from the heat and stir in the vinegar, tomatoes, shallot, garlic, and basil. Scrape the bacon vinaigrette over the beans, season with salt and pepper, and toss to evenly coat. Serve warm. Recipe from delish.com

YELLOW BEETS AND GREEN BEAN SALAD
1/2 pound crisp green beans with the ends snipped; 3 medium-size yellow beets, diced; 1 teaspoon minced fresh tarragon; 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley; 5 ounces plain low-fat yogurt; 1 tablespoon tahini (sesame seed paste); 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice; 1 garlic clove, crushed; Salt and freshly ground pepper
In a saucepan, cook the green beans in rapidly boiling water for 7 minutes or until they are tender but crisp. In a separate saucepan, cook the beets until they are tender. (You may cook both in the microwave according to your oven’s instructions if you prefer.) Cool rapidly under cold running water and peel the beets. Combine the beans with the beets, the tarragon, and half the parsley in a medium-size serving bowl. Mix well but gently. In a small bowl, combine the yogurt, tahini, lemon juice, garlic, and salt and pepper to taste. Mix well. Stir the yogurt mixture into the green bean mixture and garnish with the remaining parsley. Serve immediately. Serves 4 Recipe from Herbal Soups, Salads, Breads and Sweets.

ORANGE BORSCHT
4 medium-size beets peeled and coarsely grated; 5 cups beef stock; salt; freshly ground black pepper to taste; 2 cups tomato juice; 2 1/2 cups orange juice; yogurt; chopped chives
Bring grated beets to a boil in beef stock which has been seasoned to taste with salt and pepper. Turn down heat and simmer, covered, for 30 minutes. Add tomato juice. Puree mixture in electric blender, then add orange juice, mixing well to combine. Refrigerate for several hours. Serve with a dollop of yogurt and chopped chives. Yield: approximately 10 cups

HONEYED BEETS
¼ cup honey; 1 tbsp vinegar; 1 lb. cooked, sliced beets; 1 tbsp butter; 1/2 medium onion, sliced and separated into rings
In a saucepan blend honey, vinegar and 1 tbsp water. Add butter, beets and onion rings. Simmer until heated through, stirring occasionally. Do not overcook as onion rings should remain crisp. Serves 4.

WARM GOLDEN BEET SALAD WITH GREENS AND ALMONDS                                                                                1 bunch beets, both tops and roots, olive oil, Salt and freshly ground black pepper, 4 cloves garlic, minced, 4 ounces goat cheese, crumbled, 2/3 cup toasted almond slivers.
Heat the oven to 425°F. Line a 9-inch square baking pan or cake tin with a big square of foil, large enough to complete enclose the beet roots. Lightly rinse the beet roots to remove any really clumpy dirt and pat them dry. Place them in the foil square and lightly drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle generously with salt and pepper. Fold up the foil and crease to seal. Bake the beets for 60 minutes or until they can be just pierced with a fork. Set aside to cool. Meanwhile, chop the beet greens into bite-size ribbons. Discard the stalks between the roots and where the leaves start but chop the leaf ribs along with the leaves. Rinse thoroughly to remove all traces of dirt and grit. In a large skillet, heat a drizzle of olive oil over medium heat and add the garlic. Cook on low for about 5 minutes or until the garlic is golden and fragrant. Add the chopped leaves and stir to coat with the garlic. Cook on medium-low for about 10 minutes or until the leaves are soft and tender. Remove from the heat. When the beets are cool, rub them with a paper towel to remove the skin. Then chop into bite sized pieces and toss with the cooked greens, goat cheese, and almonds. Taste and season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve warm or cold. (This also makes an excellent pressed sandwich filling, especially with some extra goat cheese.)

GOLDEN BEET AND SUNFLOWER SEED SALAD

2 1/2 lb. medium golden beets, 1/2 cup raw (not roasted) sunflower seeds (2 1/4 oz), 2 tablespoons finely chopped shallot, 2 1/2 tablespoons cider vinegar, 3/4 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, 1/4 teaspoon sugar, 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, 6 oz sunflower sprouts or baby mesclun (6 cups)
Put oven racks in lower third and middle of oven and preheat oven to 425°F. Trim beet greens, leaving 1 inch of stems attached. Tightly wrap beets together in double layers of foil to make packages (2 or 3 per package) and roast in middle of oven until tender, 40 to 45 minutes. Unwrap beets and cool slightly. While beets roast, toast sunflower seeds in a pie plate or a small baking pan in lower third of oven, shaking occasionally, until seeds are golden, about 10 minutes. Whisk together shallot, vinegar, salt, pepper, and sugar in a small bowl, then add oil in a stream, whisking. When beets are cool enough to handle, slip off and discard skins. Cut beets lengthwise into 1/4-inch-thick slices and gently toss with 3 tablespoons vinaigrette in a bowl. Toss sunflower sprouts and half of sunflower seeds with remaining vinaigrette in another bowl. Arrange beets on 6 salad plates and top with dressed sprouts. Sprinkle salads with remaining sunflower seeds. Cooks’ note: Beets can be roasted, sliced, and dressed 1 day ahead and chilled, covered.
Recipe from Epicurious.com

GOLDEN BEET SLAW
1/4 cup olive oil, 2 tablespoons red-wine vinegar, 1 teaspoon orange zest, 1 tablespoon orange juice 3/4 teaspoon coarse salt, 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper, 1 1/2 pounds golden beets, peeled and cut into matchsticks, 3 scallions, sliced, 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
Peel beets with peeler and then cut into matchsticks. Whisk together oil, vinegar, zest, orange juice, salt, and pepper. Toss with beets, scallions, and cilantro. Serves 6; recipe from Martha Stewart Living

SLOW-COOKED THIN-SLICED SUMMER SQUASH SHOWERED WITH HERBS
2 pounds mixed summer squash; 3 tablespoons olive oil; 1/2 cup simmering water; sea salt and freshly ground pepper; 1/3 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley; 2 tablespoons chopped marjoram or oregano or torn basil leaves
Slice the squash 1/4 inch thick. Heat the oil in a wide skillet. Add the squash and cook over medium-low heat, flipping the squash in the pan every 3 or 4 minutes until it’s tender and golden, about 20 minutes. Add the water and continue cooking until none remains. Season with salt and pepper and shower the herbs over all. Slide onto a platter and serve. SERVES 4 TO 6 Recipe from Local Flavors.

GREEK SUMMER-SQUASH GRILLED PIZZA
Prep: 20 min.; Ready In; 20 min.
1 # whole-wheat pizza dough, ½ cup roasted red pepper hummus, 2 cups thinly sliced summer squash, 1 cup crumbled feta cheese ½ cup slivered fresh basil, Ground pepper for garnish
Preheat grill to medium-high. Roll dough into a 12-inch oval on a lightly floured surface. Transfer to a lightly floured large baking sheet. Bring the dough, hummus, squash and feta to the grill. Oil the grill rack. Transfer the crust to the grill. Close the lid and cook until puffed and lightly browned, 1 to 2 minutes. Using tongs, turn the crust over. Spread the crust with the hummus and top with the squash and the feta. Close the lid and cook until the cheese is melted and the crust is lightly browned on the bottom, 2 to 3 minutes more. Return the pizza to the baking sheet. Top with basil and pepper, if desired. Recipe from Eatingwell.com

LEMON-PEPPER LINGUINE WITH SQUASH
Prep 30 minutes; ready in 320 minutes
1 # whole-wheat spaghetti, 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, 1½ tablespoons black peppercorns, coarsely ground, 1 pound thin zucchini, trimmed and very thinly sliced lengthwise, 8 ounces thin yellow squash, trimmed and very thinly sliced lengthwise, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, 1 cup packed soft fresh herbs, such as dill, parsley, chives and/or basil, coarsely chopped, ½ cup finely grated Cacio de Roma or Manchego cheese, plus more for serving, 2 tablespoons lemon zest, 3 tablespoons lemon juice
Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat. Add spaghetti and cook for 2 minutes less than the package directions. Reserve ¾ cup of the cooking water, then drain. Return the pasta to the pot. Meanwhile, heat oil and butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add pepper and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add zucchini, squash and salt. Cook, gently stirring occasionally, until just softened, 3 to 4 minutes. Transfer the zucchini and squash to the pot with the pasta. Add the reserved pasta water, herbs, cheese, lemon zest and juice. Stir gently to combine. Serve with more cheese, if desired. Recipe form Eatingwell.com