July 23rd Newsletter

NICK’S FARM REPORT

July 23, 2010

Another hot one this week, hardly remarkable for the middle of July, but we are glad to finally get a little rain. The major push has been to consolidate the irrigation so all the recent plantings and seedings can get some of that good H2O, while staying on top of the harvest and other cultivation jobs.

One lucky stroke we are thankful for finding this year is that our fields have a fairly minimal weed seed bank. This means that the concentration of weed seeds in the soil that we tilled is low, and compared to other fields we have worked in, we have a lot less hand weeding and hoeing to do. The current theory is that since the field we are working has been in alfalfa for decades, the wide variety of weeds we would normally finds has over the years been pushed out by the more tenacious perennial grasses and clover. What this means for us is more time for planting and harvesting!

One fruit of the garden that is coming on in a big way for us is cucumber (“cukes” in the business), so hopefully you feel taken care of in that department. Of course, the zucchini is coming in distressingly large quantities as well. In fact, at our market in Rogers Park there is loose talk of organizing a summer squash-aganza type celebration, including such delights as singing squash-o-grams, and ding-dong-ditching the local businesses with a gift basket of zucchini. We’ve included a recipe for cool zucchini-buttermilk soup and several cooling cucumber recipes below to head off this kind of behavior.

Also, I do recall receiving a few requests for such as pickling cucumbers, of which the garden is still providing a plentitude. Please feel free to call or email anytime if there is something you would like to arrange to receive a quantity of for your canning and preserving needs.

Another big deal for the operation this week was securing out egg license, which allows us to sell eggs at farmer’s markets. Over the last couple of weeks, we have been adding a some eggs to the bags according to what the chickens have been able to provide (they are still laying slowly). Now we are able to sell the eggs at market and start recouping the costs of feeding the layers for the last twenty weeks. A big thank-you goes out to all our CSA members, whose early-season investment made the chicken project possible. We will provide more eggs to the CSA as the season progresses!

In the CSA Bag This Week:

Red Ace Beets – To store, cut or twist off tops of beets. Store tops and bottoms in plastic bags in your fridge. The beet greens are delicious cooked as you would any other green, and I’ve included a recipe for beet-orange salad below.

New potatoes –Store in a cool, dry place, and use within the next week or two.

Green Beans – Remove the stem ends, rinse well, and boil or steam until tender. Store in your fridge for about a week.

Basil – Place your basil in a glass of water on the kitchen counter, cutting the stems fresh each day. Since basil does not keep well after being cut and wetted, we do not usually wash the basil thoroughly, so you will want to do this before you use it. This might be a good week to make pesto (see below).

Broccoli – Broccoli is a vegetable that matures all at once, which is why we’ve included it the past few weeks. I made “broccoli-green chips” last night by chopping and sautéing the greens in a heavy skillet with olive oil and salt until crisp and a little bit brown. Delicious! To store, place in a plastic bag in the fridge.

Summer Squash – To beat the heat, try the chilled summer-squash-buttermilk soup recipe below!

Suyo cucumbers

Slicing cucumbers – Cucumbers are plentiful during the heat of the summer, which is convenient, as they are renowned by many cultures as a cooling food. I’ve included a few recipes below that should help you beat the heat in the kitchen. Cucumbers can also be sliced into water jugs or glasses and are used as garnishes on many mixed drinks (who knew that cucumbers got around so much?).

Beet salad with orange-basil vinaigrette

Salad:

2 c. beets

½ c. finely chopped red onion

1 orange, peeled, sectioned and chopped into bite-sized pieces

Prepare the beets in one of two ways:

Suggested by my mother: Scrub the beets well and place in a baking pan covered in foil. Roast at 350°F until tender. Cool, peel (the peels should slip right off) and slice.

-or-

Suggested by Ann from the Glenwood Market: Peel the beets and grate them raw.

Vinaigrette:

1 c. olive or canola oil

Juice of 1 orange

¼ c. white wine or red wine vinegar

Salt and pepper to taste

1 tsp. chopped basil leaves

Combine ingredients for vinaigrette.

Combine beets with chopped orange, onion, and vinaigrette to coat, and chill for at least one hour. Serve cold or at room temperature.

Basic Pesto Recipe

2 c. fresh basil leaves, packed

1/2 c. freshly grated Parmesan- Reggiano or Romano cheese

1/2 c. extra virgin olive oil

1/3 c. pine nuts or walnuts

3 garlic cloves, minced

Salt and pepper to taste

Combine basil, nuts, and garlic in a food processor and pulse a few times. Slowly add the olive oil while the food processor is on, then add the grated cheese and pulse a few times more. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Pesto can be tossed with pasta, used as a topping for chicken and egg dishes, or spread on sandwiches. Yum!

Curried Zucchini Buttermilk Soup

1 tsp. olive oil

1 c. onion, chopped

4 c. zucchini, unpeeled and chopped

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. pepper

1/8 tsp. red pepper flakes

1 tsp. ground cumin

1 tsp. curry powder

2 1/2 c. chicken or vegetable broth

11/2 c. Buttermilk

1. In a large saucepan, heat oil over medium heat and cook onion until soft, stirring occasionally.

2. Add zucchini and salt, reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and cook, stirring occasionally, until zucchini is tender, about 20 minutes.

3. Add black pepper, red pepper flakes, cumin, and curry; increase heat to medium-high and cook about 1 minute. Add broth and cook about 1 minute more.

4. Working in batches, puree zucchini mixture in blender or food processor. Pour into large, non reactive bowl, and stir in buttermilk. Let cool, then cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least four hours. Serve cold.

What do I do with Cucumbers?

Cold cucumber yogurt soup (from the Moosewood cookbook)

4 cups peeled, seeded, chopped cucumber

2 cups water

2 cups yogurt

1 clove garlic

Several fresh mint or basil leaves

1 tbsp. honey

1 ½ tsp. salt

Fresh dill to taste

Puree everything together in a blender. Serve cold! Serves 4-6 people.

Cucumber smoothie (lassi in India, where it is highly regarded as a cooling drink)

Combine about 1 peeled, chopped cucumber with about 1 cup plain yogurt and 1 tsp. salt in a blender or food processor, and blend until smooth. Season with pepper, honey or sugar, and/or fresh herbs (such as dill, mint, or basil).