Recipes, produce information and forum for Zoe's Garden Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) members. Zoe's Garden offers CSA subscriptions in the Park City, Heber, Salt Lake, Ogden & Lindon areas. Our purpose is to provide the freshest naturally grown produce possible by delivering it to our local members within a day of picking.

Tuesday, August 31, 2010

Fuzzy Vegetables and Fruit For All

Zoe's Garden Large Share for August 31, 2010

Above: The more oval shaped tomatoes are
 the San Marzano Tomatoes
 while the heirloom tomatoes are round,
 but different sizes and colors.

Above: The Thai basil has purple flowers,
 while the Sweet basil is all green.

Above: On the left is the Chinese Yellow Cucumber
 and on the right is the Chinese Fuzzy Melon.

Above: At the front is the Chinese Snow Broccoli,
 top right is the blue kale, top left is the cabbage.
Small Share:
Yellow Onion
White Onion
Beets
Green Zucchini
Crookneck Squash
Pattypan Squash
Zephyr Squash
White Radishes
Sweet Basil
San Luzano Tomatoes
Salad Mix (Spicy)
**Includes Frisee, Arugula and other strong flavored greens
Virginia Peaches
Chinese Yellow Cucumber

Medium Share:
All of the Small Share
Baby Bok Choy
Blue Kale
Golden Zucchini
White Pattypan Squash
Flying Saucer Pattypan Squash
Extra Squash
Raspberries

Large Share:
All of the Medium Share
Blackberries
Extra Squash, mixed varieties
Eight-Ball Zucchini
Chinese Green Beans
Chinese Snow Broccoli
Chinese Purple Eggplant
Chinese Fuzzy Melon
Thai Basil
Heirloom Tomatoes

Note: Don't be fooled the Chinese Fuzzy Melon is not a melon, and can be prepared much like zucchini.

"Once heard that fuzzy melon is rarely found outside the Asian markets. If you do get it, try to consume it fresh and avoid storing it. The longer it is stored, the more its pleasant flavour will be lost. Before cooking, rub off the skin of the fuzzy melon with a small knive lengthway, its hairy skin is too thin to be removed by a peeler. Then cut it into slices or cubes. Because of its mild flavour, the melon is usually stir fried with meat, shrimps, ginger and shallots."-Taste Hong Kong

Have a great week!
Jessica

Wednesday, August 25, 2010

Straight from the Farmer: Tomatoes

Photo Courtesy of  the Redd Blog
Hi Everyone!

The heirloom tomatoes are really starting to ripen and will continue to be a part of your share in the upcoming weeks. Some are firm and some have really ripened. We did pick everything fresh so I would recommend that you enjoy the softer tomatoes first. Lastly, the flavor of your tomatoes is best preserved by not refrigerating them.

"Refrigeration is the enemy of the tomato as it nullifies flavor and turns the flesh mealy. The culprit is a compound called Z-3 hexenel, which accounts for the tomato's scent and taste. The development process which turns tomato's linolenic acid to the Z-3 that makes our mouth and nose sing is hindered by cold. If you must refrigerate a tomato, take it out about an hour before using it to let it return to room temperature to revive any lurking Z-3." --explanation provided by about.com:homecooking.


Hope you enjoy!

Tuesday, August 24, 2010

Eat Your Greens


**See that bright green bumpy item in the front of the picture above? That is the Chinese Bitter Melon.
 
So...another beautiful summer night. The crickets are chirping and my laptop is fighting with all of the salad greens for space on the kitchen table.

Weekly Share List:
Small Share:
Red Marble Onion
Yellow Onion
White Onion
Black Beauty Zucchini
Striped Zucchini
Zephyr Squash
Crookneck Squash
Papaya Squash
Sunburst Pattypan Squash
Mixed Greens (spicy)
Triple Crown Blackberries
Thai Basil
Mixed Heirloom Tomatoes (various colors)
Medium Share
White Pattypan Squash
Cucumber
Green Eight Ball Zucchini
Artichokes
Arugula
Large Share
Cabbage
Amaranthus Leaf
Extra Salad Mix
Extra Tomatoes
Extra Thai Basil
Yellow Eight-Ball Zucchini
Extra Squash (mixed variety)
Chinese Bitter Melon

Wednesday, August 18, 2010

Sweet Summer Selections: Berries and Sweet Corn

Good Morning,

Small Share:
• Salad Mix (Spicy)
**Includes Frisee, Arugula and other strong flavored greens
• Sweet Corn (2 ears)
• Thai Basil
• Tomato
• Yellow Onion
• White Onion
• Red Marble Onion
• Chester Blackberry
• Cylindra Beet
**This is a longer beet, similar to a carrot shape.
• Green Zucchini
• Eight-Ball Zucchini
• Pattypan Squash
Medium Share:
• All of the Small Share
• Sweet Corn (6 ears total)
• Light Green Eight-Ball Zucchini
• Crookneck Squash
• Black Beauty Zucchini
• Zephyr Squash
*These squash are multi-colored yellow on top and light green on the bottom
• Shingiku Greens
• Extra Thai Basil
Large Share:
• All of the Medium Share
• Cabbage
• Amaranthus Leaf
• Baby Bok Choy
• Sweet Corn (12 ears total)
• Red Raspberries
• Extra Blackberries
• Extra of the following varieties of squash/zucchini squash
     o Papaya Squash
     o Extra Pattypan Squash
     o Yellow Eight-Ball Zucchini
     o Crookneck Squash
     o Zephyr Squash
     o Black Beauty Zucchini
     o Mediterranean Zucchini
     o Starship Pattypan Squash
• Extra Thai Basil
• Shingiku Greens

Corn: Please contact me by email if you have any critters/insects in your corn. David did not think there were insects in the majority of them, but he did not want to open everyone’s corn to find out.

Boxes: Do you forget to bring your boxes back? To prevent forgetting my boxes at home I have been bringing reusable bags to my share pick up site, and leaving the boxes there. If you ever forget to return your box, please return it the next week.

Note: If you have multiple boxes at home, please bring them to your site the next time you pick up your share.

Update: Last week there were not raspberries in the small share. I apologize for the miscommunication.

Missing Produce: Sometimes between all of the things David and I are trying to accomplish on share drop-off days our wires get crossed. I hope this happens very rarely, but if you feel like your box differs from the list I have posted, please call or text (801)557-3800 specifying your name, phone number and share pick-up site information and I’ll do my best to get it straightened out a.s.a.p.

Blog Feedback: Thank you for being members of the Zoe’s Garden CSA. Our goal is to offer this blog as a resource, and therefore we need your feedback. Please email me at produce@zoegarden.com if there are other things you would like to see on the blog, if there are too many postings coming into your email inbox, or any other suggestions.

Member Suggestion: If you have anymore apricots left one member recommends dropping them in a pot of hot water for just a few seconds, and then the skin will easily fall off. She then discards the skins and pits and mashes the rest of the apricot. You can freeze the mashed apricots, add it to yogurt and cereal, used in dressings or desserts.

This week I will be trying to create a Thai inspired dish using the Thai basil, zucchini, onions and cabbage.

From our garden to your kitchen, happy eating.
Jessica

Tuesday, August 10, 2010

Apricot and Basil Salad Dressing

Photo Courtesy of Elana's Pantry


Ingredients:
•1 fresh ripe apricot, pitted
•1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
•1/2 tbsp maple syrup or agave nectar
•2 tbsp olive oil
•1 tbsp chopped fresh basil or 1 tsp dried basil

Preparation:
Combine pitted apricot, vinegar and syrup in blender, and whirl until blended. With blender running, slowly add oil until thick and smooth. Stir in basil.

Ripe Apricots and Spicy Greens

Hello,


Small Share:
Yellow Onion
Red Marble Onion
White Onion
Beet and Beet Greens
**The tops of the beets are a sweeter greens
Green Zucchini
Salad Mix (Spicy)
**Includes Frisee, Arugula and other strong flavored greens
Sweet Basil
Tomato
Apricots
**These were picked today and are very ripe. You can dry or freeze them if you will be unable to eat them all right away.
Chester Blackberry
Yellow Pattypan Squash
Zephyr Squash
**This squash is the multi-colored squash with a yellow top and light green bottom.
Red Raspberries

Medium Share:
All of the Small Share
Eight Ball Zucchini
Zucchini
Yellow Zucchini
Yellow Pepper

Large Share:
All of the Medium Share
Turnip Greens
**These are the full stemmed, rougher, more textured leaf greens.
Baby Bok Choy
Cabbage
Artichokes (Small)
Extra Apricots
Extra Salad Mix

If you have any questions about what is in your share please email me at produce@zoegarden.com.

From our garden to your kitchen, happy eating.

Jessica

Friday, August 6, 2010

Stuffed Zucchini

Good Evening Everyone,

So around our house we've been eating a lot of zucchini. How about you? We've had some great pasta with zucchini, made stir fry, added it to salads, and grilled it on the barbecue. About a week ago we also tried stuffing it, which is what David recommended to me for the older zucchinis, especially the Eight-Ball Zucchini.
Stuffed Zucchini 
-8-ball zucchini, regular zucchini, hollowed out, use what you take out in the stuffing mixture.
-1/2 cup of wild rice and 1/2 cup of brown basmati rice cooked in 4 cups of water and 1 1/2 to 2 vegetable boullion cubes. Once the rice is to your liking, strain and keep the broth on the stove while moving the rice into a separate bowl.
Side Note: I soak the basmati rice for an hour prior to remove the phytic acid. If you are interested in learning about soaking grain/legumes check out Nourishing Practices.
-In a separate pan cook 3 chicken sausages. I removed the casing and broke the meat into crumbles as it cooked. Add the meat to the broth pot once fully cooked.
Side Note: This recipe doesn't need meat, or it can be your favorite local, organic meat instead. Your choice.
-Saute onions and garlic in olive oil or in the leftover oil from your meat. Add the sliced leeks and mushrooms after the onions and garlic have had a chance to carmelize. After about 5-7 minutes add everything to the liquid mixture. Simmer for 15 minutes. Add the zucchini extras to this mixture, and strain liquid (saving it for soup). Add mixture into hollowed out zucchinis. Cook zucchini in oven at 350 degrees for 20 minutes or barbecue.
Side Note: The leftover broth, and stuffed zucchini make a great soup for lunches.

Enjoy!

Jessica

Tuesday, August 3, 2010

Artichokes!




Hello Everyone,


Small Share:
Salad Mix (Spicy)
Tomato
Oregano
Nova Red Raspberries
Arapaho Blackberries
Garlic
White Onion
Yellow Potato Onion
Red Marble Onion
Eight Ball Zucchini
Regular Zucchini
Sunburst Scallop Squash
Beets
Beet Greens

Medium Share:
All of the Small Share
Red Fire Lettuce
Malabar Spinach
Extra Eight Ball Zucchini

Large Share:
All of the Medium Share
Amaranthus Leaf
Crookneck Squash
Pattypan Squash
Chinese Green Beans
Artichokes
Extra Onions
Extra Summer Squash
Extra Berries





HAVING A HARD TIME IDENTIFYING WHAT IS IN YOUR SHARE?
CLICK ABOVE TO ENLARGE IMAGES



WEEKLY UPDATE FROM DAVID:
Oregano: Try using the flowers in salads.
CSA FARM TOUR: Did anyone have a chance to attend? What did you think? Email me at produce@zoegarden.com
Above: Spaghetti with Zucchini Squash
Below: Drying vegetables after rinsing.


















From our garden to your kitchen, happy eating.

Jessica