In
one bag: Tomatoes
In another bag: Sweet Red & Yellow Peppers Onions Garlic Summer Squash Tomatillos
and finally:
Lettuce New Zealand Spinach
Sorrel
Basil Parsley
Maybe:
Jalapeño or Serrano Peppers Okra
I sure do love a
cloudy Tuesday morning with no rain!
The cool weather is
just great and the greens are responding to it wonderfully. Some of our summer regulars are on vacation
for a little while. The green beans gave
out early, probably in response to the stress of that 9 inches of rain awhile
back. Eggplant are taking a break,
gathering their strength to bloom and fruit again. But Okra is starting to produce. Right now I only have enough to give to a few
of you at a time, so I’ll alternate weeks.
The green okra is Star of David – it holds tenderness for a long time,
is less slimy, but has a slightly prickly exterior, until cooked. The red is a new variety for us – gorgeous,
tho a little more slimy.
Next week we’ll
have sweet corn, and probably some melons.
Carrots and beets are coming soon, too.
Tomatillos are new
this week. They are an excellent
addition to a homemade salsa. We’ve also
enjoyed them sautéed with summer squash and sweet peppers. They are authentic to Central American
cuisine. Have fun with them.
If we don’t get to
see you when we drop your basket off, please advise whether you like hot
peppers or not. We have them in GREAT
abundance, and the hotter ones will be coming along a little later in the
season.
As for all this
beautiful basil – if you haven’t already, I recommend you make some pesto. Pesto is a flavorful paste of basil, garlic,
nuts, cheese, and olive oil. Traditionally,
in Italy,
they put it on pasta, but it’s great on potatoes, on toast, on grilled or
roasted veggies. It’s good. It freezes well, too. Here’s a nice basic recipe for Pesto:
2 cups fresh
basil leaves, packed 1/2 cup
freshly grated Parmesan or Romano cheese
1/2 cup extra
virgin olive oil 1/3
cup pine nuts, walnuts, or Brazil nuts
3 medium sized
garlic cloves, minced Salt and
freshly ground black pepper to taste
In a food processor, chop the cheese, nuts,
and garlic, not too fine, but nicely chopped.
Take them out of the processor, and put in the basil. Process the basil to a very fine chop, then
combine the cheese mixture with the basil and olive oil in another bowl. Add salt and pepper to taste, then toss on
pasta and enjoy. Alternately, pack it
into a freezer bag and freeze it for later.
We hope you enjoy your basket – and have a great week!
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