P I C K L I S T
BROCCOLI - CUKES - SUMMER SQUASH - ZUCCHINI -
PARSLEY - CELERY - KALE - TOMATOES!
EDGEWATER UPDATE:
Whoosh! Summer is flying, and we are just steam rolling right into July and all of the abundance that comes with. This week the cucurbit field picked up speed and went right into over drive. It’s pretty cool how well this planting timed its heavy production with the end of strawberry season (kudos to Ray on seeding and timing). About 3 days ago I called for a mayday while pulling bushels of summer squash, cucumbers and zucchini from the field. Prior to that call I was sweeping the field solo while the crew picked strawberries. And this past week I gave a shout that this is no longer a one farmer job. By the 4th hour of picking and the conclusion of my recent audio book, I rang Ray, “bring on the crew, I can no longer keep up with the yield.” The next day, Roy, Cardi and Jalina showed up to harvest with me and I could finally move through cucurbit stress.
Another event as we move from the strawberry field into literally any other field, is bearing witness to the destruction of the lettuce crop. Dang! The deer in Cornish are truly having a feast! We knew this was going to happen, and it happened. Currently, we are all kicking ourselves for not putting up an electric fence.
But let’s move away from all the mini farming crises and celebrate the wins. The broccoli is INCREDIBLE. Mike hollered at us last week and said, I got some broccoli for ya. What he failed to mention is that he did not have some broccoli, he had mountains worth of broccoli that was ripe for harvest. The crew picked the broc just in time. Right when it is at its peak. If we sat any longer on it, it would have turned yellow and brown. But this is damn near the finest broccoli crop I've seen in 3 years. ENJOY!
FARMY FOODIE PRO-TIPS:
Big ups to Mitchell Davis- friend/neighbor/chef, for the following recipes to complement this week’s CSA. He is the best- his meals are primo, & to catch up more with him, check out his substack: https://kitchensense.substack.com/
Chopped Broccoli Salad
Every time I serve this salad, someone asks for the recipe. This week I’m saving you from asking. The only thing you might not already have on hand is the fried onions or shallots. I get them in any Asian store and keep them in the freezer at all times. You can use French’s or Durkee fried onions. You can also fry your own. Or leave them out. If you are making the salad in advance, stir in the fried onions just before serving.
Makes 6 to 8 servings
1/2 cup pumpkin seeds or sunflower seeds
2 or 3 large broccoli crowns
1/2 small red onion, finely chopped
2 or 3 spring onions, finely chopped
2 stalks celery, finely chopped
1/2 cup dried cranberries, chopped
1/2 cup plain, thick yogurt, Greek-style or regular
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 small bunch fresh parsley, leaves only, finely chopped
Juice of 1 lemon
1 tablespoon maple syrup
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/3 cup fried onions or shallots (optional)
Spread the seeds out on a small tray and toast in a 300°F. oven for about 10 minutes. Don’t let them burn. Meanwhile, chop the broccoli finely by cutting each stalk and crown vertically into “slices,” then cutting them horizontally to dice. If the stalks are long and tough, peel them with a vegetable peeler before chopping. As you work, don’t worry if the florets disintegrate. Just gather everything up into a large mixing bowl. To the same bowl, add the red onion, spring onions, celery, cranberries, and toasted seeds, and toss to combine. Add the yogurt, olive oil, parsley, lemon juice, maple syrup, cumin, salt, and pepper, and mix well. If serving immediately, add most of the fried onions, if using, reserving a few to garnish the salad. If preparing more than an hour or two in advance, stir in the fried onions, if using, just before serving.
Gâteau Invisible de Courgettes
The “invisible cake” is popular in France, where it’s usually a sweet apple dessert made from impossibly thinly sliced apples barely held together by a light batter and baked until the apples almost disappear, hence the name. A savory version with summer squash has been making the rounds of French social media this year. I gave it a try, adjusting the ingredients slightly to my taste, adding some white miso to bump up the umami. It makes a nice appetizer or vegetarian entrée with a savory yogurt, tahini, pesto, or tomato sauce on the side.
Makes 6 to 8 servings
2 medium-sized, firm zucchini and/or yellow squash
2 large eggs
1/3 cup whole milk
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon white miso (optional)
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves or 1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 clove garlic, grated to a paste on a Microplane
2 garlic scapes, finely chopped (optional)
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons chickpea flour or additional all-purpose flour
3 or 4 ounces feta, crumbled
6 oil-cured, sun-dried tomatoes, coarsely chopped, or a handful of pitted green or black olives,
halved
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a standard loaf pan and line with parchment. Using a mandoline or a sharp vegetable peeler, slice the zucchini into long strips as thinly as possible. You want the squash to be so thin it disappears as it cooks. Set aside. In a large mixing bowl, beat the eggs with the milk and miso, if using, until blended. Add the salt, thyme, garlic, and scapes, if using, and beat until smooth. Stir in the all-purpose flour and chickpea flour just until blended. Add the sliced squash to the bowl and really mix well so that the slices are coated with the batter. They have a tendency to stick together, so keep separating them. Tongs help. Add the crumbled feta and chopped sun-dried tomatoes or olives, and toss well so they are evenly distributed.
Pour this mixture into the prepared pan, patting down the squash slices so they are nicely compact. Tap the pan a few times on the counter to help things settle. Bake in the preheated oven for about 45 minutes, until the loaf has set and lightly browned, and the squash is soft when poked with the tip of a knife. Cool to room temperature in the pan on a rack. Run a knife between the parchment and the pan and invert onto a serving plate. Carefully remove the parchment and chill before serving. Slice with a sharp knife.