Hello everyone, Jess here. What was I saying last week about the weather seeming to be settling a bit? Well, I stand corrected, as the summer heatwaves are still apparently going strong! I’m sure Jonathan and Samuel are tiring of hearing me thank them for farming, especially in the raging heat. The whole team does it with a smile and such an amazing attitude. I am most grateful for the hard work that goes into each morsel in the CSA box. What better way to honor the hard work of our farmers than to do the best we can with our food once it arrives at home? I only hope that through this blog I am able to help in that process. The process doesn’t stop there, by reading this blog and sharing your comments and ideas, you help to ensure no veggies go unloved for future members of the farm family as well. Good stuff!
Let’s take a look at how this week’s bounty was enjoyed in the Anderson household.
- butter and sugar corn
- Corn on and off the cob throughout the week
- If you have time and desire, soak up some corn husks for fresh Tamales, or make Corn Cob Jelly with the cobs!
- sugar beets
- string beans
- steamed and enjoyed throughout the week
- tomatoberries and sungold tomatoes
- snacked on as-is
- in salads
- if overwhelmed with your tiny tomato bounty, try roasting them, it makes a great side dish.
- salad cucumbers
- sliced and given to kids as snacks
- in salads
- heirloom patty pan squash
- Patty Pan Squash “Steaks”
- zucchini squash (green and golden varieties)
- shredded and used in death by chocolate zucchini bread, zucchini brownies, chocolate chip zucchini muffins, and a zucchini banana bread
- the remaining shredded zucchini slated for a toss with some sort of Greek Yogurt based slaw dressing- stay tuned
- crookneck summer squash
- steamed in butter (my oldest son’s fave)
- sautéed with peppers onions and tomatoes for Taco Tuesday
- 2 still with us
- beefsteak tomatoes
- chopped up for Taco Tuesday, some sautéed with peppers onions and summer squash
- some still on the counter, I’m thinking Farmer Jamie’s Tomato Pie
- classic peaches
- enjoyed as-is- if the peaches aren’t going as fast in your house, try this one suggested by fellow Springdellian Mira G.- grilled peaches are awesome!
- genovese basil
- some still in the vase
- Warm Lentils with Roasted Beets and Swiss Chard
- Pesto topping some of the Patty Pan squash “steaks”
Small shares include corn, beets, zucchini, golden zucchini, summer squash, squash bombs, beefsteak and cherry tomatoes, string beans, cucumbers, peaches and basil.
squished peaches
- enjoyed as-is
- nectarines
- enjoyed as-is
- salad mix
- side salads
- shredded for Taco Tuesday
- a bed for egg salad
- rainbow chard
- eggs
- In egg salad, many zucchini baked goods this week (see above)
- In egg salad, many zucchini baked goods this week (see above)
The flowers are always a lovely addition. My mother particularly marveled over the white Lisianthus or “Poor Man’s Rose”, of which her wedding bouquet was made many years ago.
All other veggie scraps composted unless otherwise noted.
Tacos are always a great way to enjoy your bounty. This week’s taco spread had tomatoes, corn, lettuce, a sauté of summer squash, peppers onions and tomatoes, and Springdell ground beef. My basic seasoning base is usually 1 part cumin to 3 parts chili powder, and then to-taste from there.
We had a simple seafood Wednesday this week, with a pan-fried filet of Jordan Brother’s flounder, sliced cukes and leftover Taco Tuesday saute. My focusses were elsewhere in the kitchen…
Elsewhere, because my little guy wanted to make “dessert for dinner” and needed a sous chef. Our dinner was followed up with another dinner of Green Apple French fries/pickle with strawberry jam ketchup accompanied a sweet take on the Springdell burger! The burger consisted of Vanilla Wafers, chocolate chunk cookies, shredded coconut and I think frosting, but I’m not entirely sure… Best not to ask in this case.
Egg salad with herd nerd SPICE. My favorite lunch at present, it’s quick, easy and delicious.
This warm lentil concoction with roasted beets was a hit with my beet loving friends. I’m not sure if my non- beet loving family would have enjoyed it, as it didn’t stick around long enough to find out. Springdell had an issue with their farmstand fridge this week so I missed the goat cheese in this recipe, but that would have taken it completely over the top.
My Scotch Bonnet peppers came from the Springdell seedlings I grew in the Community Garden. They made for a great Jerk Marinade!
Here is the Jerk Marinade recipe that I tried. It went on some of the sirloin tips and summer squash “steaks” below. It was sweet and flavorful, not nearly as spicy as I thought it would be with 2 peppers. Next time I’ll throw all the seeds in.
I’ve been reading a lot about cauliflower “steaks”, so I decided to experiment with a similar idea using the Patty Pan squash and a jumbo squash bomb. I tried one inch and half inch cuts, jerk marinade (see earlier post below), herd nerd SPICE, and garlic butter combos. We all liked different ones. Springdell jerked beef sirloin tips were our plan B in case the squash didn’t work out, but there were no leftovers!
I don’t know if I have much of a “recipe” here, as how you like your “steak” is a personal preference. The thicker Patty Pans take longer to cook through than a Squash Bomb, and hold up better as well. If you like the “well done” taste of a grilled squash, you can cut them on the thinner side. It’s all about the spice and the sauce with these. Ours were great with pesto, garlic butter, and even jerked. The nutmeg and sweet spicy flavor of the jerked squash was pretty righteous.
The sirloin tips were grilled up as a “plan B”, in case my squash steak experiment went awry. There was no need for the plan B, however, everything disappeared.
I had another bake fest, cooking up zucchini breads, chocolate chip zucchini muffins, and zucchini brownies.
The zucchini brownies were taken to my son’s piano recital and disappeared fast. You may recall from this week’s “Show” that the Death By Chocolate Zucchini Bread came from my friend Cyndi M. We have yet to try it but I’ll let you know how it goes! The second one is gluten-free and comes from fellow Springdellian Alissa W. Here is the original recipe. In Alissa’s adaptation, she cut back on the sugar and swapped 1/2 the flour for almond meal. If chocolate isn’t your thing, try this other GF suggestion from Alissa for a Lemon Zucchini Bread! Lovely options for your zucchini stores! I still have a good amount of shredded zucchini in the bowl, I’m planning a little more baking and a slaw, so to be continued.
The boys in this house can’t resist a good chocolate chip muffin, even if there’s green stuff in it. Seriously, I left this pan for a minute to wash my hands, and came back to find two missing. The tin was still hot!
Photo by Tessa M.
Here is a yummy suggestion from fellow Springdellian Tessa M. If you have extra large, overgrown zucchini (or the jumbo squash bomb), try slicing them thinly and breading them like eggplant. Tessa even made hers gluten-free!
As always, thanks to all of you for reading, and thanks to all of you who check in with your ideas and experiences! See you back here soon for the next “Show” of the week!