July 28th Harvest....

tomatoes

cucumbers

zucchini

green beans

onions

garlic

sage & basil

Beat the summer heat with this easy recipe - Sesame Garlic Cucumbers with Green Onion Vermicelli!

For the Sesame Garlic Cucumbers:

1 cucumber
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1 tablespoon light soy sauce
1 tablespoon finely minced garlic
2 teaspoons sugar
1 teaspoon salt

Method:

Cut the cucumber into about 4-5 pieces. Crush the cucumbers with your hands by pushing down on them. You can also use a cleaver or other flat metal object to crush the cucumbers. Crushing the cucumbers gives the dressing more surface area to penetrate, but if you’re into being nice and neat feel free to chop the cucumbers into 1 inch pieces. Put the cucumber pieces in a bowl and sprinkle the 1 teaspoon of salt and toss. Wait about 15-20 minutes for the water to be drawn out and then rinse and drain the cucumbers.
Add the sesame oil, soy sauce, garlic and sugar to the cucumbers and gently toss. Taste and salt if necessary.

For the Green Onion Vermicelli Recipe:
1 bunch of green onions sliced
2 tablespoons of olive oil
1 tablespoon finely minced ginger
1 tablespoon finely minced shallot
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon sesame oil
salt to taste
2 bricks of rice vermicelli (or any rice noodle)

Method:
Cook the vermicelli according to the package instructions, drain and cool. Heat the 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a small pot on high heat until the oil is shimmery but not smoking. Add the green onions and ginger. Be careful, the oil will bubble and there will be steam! Take the pot of the burner and let cool before adding the soy sauce and sesame oil. Taste and add salt if needed. Toss the vermicelli with the green onion oil. If the noodles are too dry, add a bit more soy sauce. Top with sesame garlic cucumbers and  Enjoy!



Harvest for July 21st

zucchini

wax/green beans

tomatoes

Swiss chard

garlic

onions

Thai basil

Harvest for July 14th

blueberries!

green/wax beans

snow/snap peas

lettuce

chard

zucchini

garlic

basil 

Blueberry Vinaigrette Recipe:   (....serve drizzled over lettuce greens with fresh blueberries, peach slices and blue cheese crumbles....) Mmmh WOW!!!!

1/2 cup fresh blueberries (set aside a few for the salad)
1 small clove garlic, crushed

1  small green onion chopped

1 tsp Dijon mustard
3 tablespoons good vinegar
1 tablespoon honey
2 - 4 tablespoons olive oil

salt & pepper to taste

In a blender, whiz most of the berries, garlic, onion, vinegar, honey and mustard and until berries are liquefied. Drizzle the olive oil through the top while the blender is running until the desired consistency and mouth feel are achieved. Season with salt and pepper.

*After resting a few minutes, the dressing becomes quite viscous, almost jelled.  

Sauteed Swiss Chard Stems with Cream and Pasta Recipe: (Chicken would make a nice addition to this recipe)

1 lb Swiss chard, yielding 2 cups of chopped ribs (set aside the leaves)

1/4 cup (half a stick) butter

3/4 to 1 cup heavy cream

2 cloves crushed garlic (more or less according to taste)

4 tablespoons basil chopped

Enough dry pasta to make about one quart of cooked pasta (use rice pasta if gluten-free is required)

Salt and pepper

1.Separate the ribs from the greens. Chop the greens and set aside. Cut the ribs into 1/2-inch to 1-inch pieces. Blanch the ribs in lightly salted boiling water for 3 minutes.

2. Melt butter in a saucepan on medium heat. Add the drained, blanched ribs and simmer for 4 minutes. Add heavy cream, garlic and greens and cook until cream reduces by two-thirds.

3. While the cream is reducing, cook up your pasta according to the pasta's package directions.
4. Mix creamed chard with pasta and top with basil. Season lightly with salt and freshly ground pepper.
Serves four.



July 7th Harvest!

peas
leek blossoms!

green & wax beans

lettuce

green onions

fresh garlic

chard

thyme, oregano & sage

Snap peas~ snap peas are delicious sweet peas inside of a sweet juicy pod. They are best eaten whole in it's pod, especially raw if you can, they may also be cooked anyway you want to consume them!... nothing beats a fresh snap pea! NOTHING!!!! 

Snow peas~ Snow peas are a flat crispy pod with tiny little peas inside. You eat them whole as well as the snap pea and they are excellent raw or stir-fried or.... in anything!

Grilled Snap Pea Recipe:

Ingredients-

1 quart sugar snap peas

1 tablespoon olive oil

8 green onions cut in half length wise.

1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme

sea salt to taste
*option: garnish with leek blossoms

Directions

1. Preheat the grill to medium.
2. Wrap all the ingredients except leek blossoms in a single layer inside a tin foil-made pouch. (Be sure to seal it so it steams and cooks faster). 
3. Grill  8 -12 minutes until tender but firm... or however you like! *Garnish with fresh leek blossoms!