Dig It

As August comes to a close, it’s time for me to start thinking of soil tests and cover crops and leaving the farm for the winter. But it’s hard to concentrate on all of that when the house is filled with the smell of cucumbers and cantaloupe!

The cucumbers were hard to start, with seeds not germinating and plants slow to grow, and the melons were planted rather late. But for the past couple of weeks, I’ve given out four or five cucumbers to every subscriber, and last week began what I hope will be a regular harvest of melons lasting through the rest of the summer season. Because I had no experience growing cantaloupe, I told my dad to pick out what we should plant. He chose two varieties: the two- to three-pound Isabella and the five-pound Ambrosia, both from Burpee’s. The smaller variety doesn’t slip off the stem like a ripe cantaloupe should, so it’s been hard for me to harvest them before the fruits split open in the field. The larger variety, however, has been a breeze to grow and pick, and is super delicious to boot.

The contents of Week Ten’s box: zucchini or summer squash, spaghetti squash, eggplant, cucumbers, one green bell pepper, two pints cherry tomatoes, one quart heirloom tomatoes, one pint tomatillos, one sandwich-sized Ziploc bag basil and one quart okra, for those who requested it.

The contents of Week Eleven’s box: cucumbers, eggplant, one green bell or ancho pepper, one pint cherry tomatoes, one quart heirloom tomatoes, one pint okra (for everyone), one bunch onions (one red, one yellow), one bunch carrots, one sandwich-sized Ziploc bag basil and one cantaloupe or watermelon for about half of the subscribers.

After the jump, the recipes that I sent out. Click images to enlarge.

Recipes – Week Ten

Herbed Spaghetti Squash (from foodnetwork.com)

Ingredients:

1 small spaghetti squash, about 2 ¼ pounds

2 ½ tablespoons butter

2 ½ tablespoons finely chopped mixed soft herbs, such as basil, parsley or sage

½ teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
2. Using a sharp knife, cut the squash in half lengthwise and place, cut side down, in a baking dish. Add water to reach ½-inch up the sides of the dish, and cover with aluminum foil. Bake for 45 minutes, until the squash is easily pierced with a paring knife.
3. Turn squash over and cover with foil again and continue to cook for another 15 minutes, until the squash is very tender.
4. Remove from the oven, uncover, and allow to cool slightly. Using a spoon, remove the seeds and discard. Using a fork, gently pull the strands of squash away from the peel and place into a mixing bowl.
5. Heat a skillet. Add the butter, spaghetti squash, herbs, salt and pepper and toss thoroughly but gently to heat and combine.

Serves 4.

Tomatillo Rice (from whatscooking.us)

Ingredients:

2 cups long grain rice

2 tablespoons canola oil

½ pound tomatillos

½ medium onion

2 garlic cloves

1 jalapeno pepper, seeded

1 teaspoon chopped fresh basil

2-3 cups chicken broth

Directions:

1. In a medium sauce pan, fry rice, stirring constantly, in canola oil until it starts to turn golden brown.
2. In a blender, mix together tomatillos, onion, garlic, jalapeno and basil with 1 cup chicken broth. When blended and smooth, add the rest of the broth.
3. Pour sauce over rice, mix well and bring to a boil.
4. Mix again and reduce heat to low. Cover and let simmer for 10-15 minutes, stirring lightly every 5 minutes, until the liquid has been absorbed and the rice is tender.

Stuffed Tomatoes with Cucumbers and Feta (realsimple.com)

Ingredients:

4 heirloom tomatoes (about 2 ½ pounds)

2 small cucumbers, chopped

½ cup crumbled Feta (2 ounces)

2 tablespoons Italian vinaigrette

kosher salt and pepper

Directions:

1. Cut off the top of each tomato and scoop out and discard the pulp and seeds.
2. In a bowl, toss the cucumbers and Feta with the vinaigrette and ½ teaspoon each kosher salt and pepper; spoon into the tomatoes.

Serves 4.

Recipes – Week Eleven

Cucumber and Avocado Soup with Tomato and Basil Salad (from epicurious.com)

Ingredients:

1 large cucumber, peeled, diced (about 2 ½ cups)

2 ½ cups low-fat (1%) buttermilk

1 avocado, quartered, pitted, peeled

4 tablespoons chopped red onion

2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil

½ cup seeded chopped tomato

2 teaspoons fresh lime juice

4 tablespoons plain nonfat yogurt

Directions:

1. Combine cucumber and buttermilk in a blender. Chop ¼ of avocado; set aside for salad. Cut remaining avocado into chunks. Add avocado to blender; then add 2 tablespoons red onion and 1 tablespoon basil. Blend until smooth. Season with salt and pepper. Cover; refrigerate until chilled, about 1 hour.
2. Mix reserved avocado, remaining 2 tablespoons onion and 1 tablespoon basil, tomato and lime juice in small bowl. Ladle cucumber soup into 4 bowls. Dollop each with 1 tablespoon yogurt; top with tomato salad and serve.

Note: This recipe can be prepared ahead. Cover soup and tomato salad separately and refrigerate for up to one day.

Serves 4.

Peanut Butter and Chicken Noodles with Carrot and Cucumber Ribbons (from realsimple.com)

Ingredients:

1 8-ounce package thin rice noodles or sticks

1 2- to 2-1/2 pound rotisserie chicken

2 carrots

1 cucumber

½ cup creamy peanut butter

2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce

Directions:

1. Place the noodles in a large bowl and cover with hot tap water; let soak until soft, 25 to 30 minutes. Drain in a colander or large strainer.
2. Meanwhile, using your fingers, shred the chicken meat, discarding the skin and bones. Use a vegetable peeler to make long stripes of the carrot and cucumber.
3. In a medium bowl, whisk together the peanut butter, soy sauce, and 6 tablespoons water until smooth.
4. Divide the noodles, chicken, carrot, and cucumber among 4 bowls. Drizzle with dressing.

Serves 4.

Mary Beth Allen’s Eggplant and Tomato Stackers

Ingredients:

olive oil

2 yellow onions, diced

salt and ground pepper to taste

2 garlic cloves, minced

5 fresh basil leaves, cut into thin strips

½ tablespoon chopped fresh oregano

1/8 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

1 eggplant, sliced 1/8-inch thick

2 to 3 tomatoes, sliced ¼-inch thick

2 zucchini, halved crosswise, sliced lengthwise 1/8-inch thick

¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
2. In sauté pan over medium-high heat, warm 3 tablespoons olive oil. Add onions, salt and pepper; cook until soft. Add garlic, basil, oregano and parsley, cook 2 minutes more.
3. Rub bottom and sides of 12-inch cast-iron fry pan with oil. Place 4 eggplant slices in single layer in pan; season with salt. Top each with 1 teaspoon onions and 1 tomato slice; season with salt. Top each with 1 teaspoon onions and 2 zucchini slices; season with salt. Top each with 1 teaspoon onions. Repeat layering two more times, ending with zucchini. Drizzle each vegetable stacker with 1 teaspoon olive oil.
4. Bake vegetables 40 minutes. Sprinkle each stack with 1 tablespoon cheese; bake 7 to 10 minutes more. Let rest 5 minutes, then serve.

Serves 4.

Karen Abouraya’s Egyptian Okra with Stewed Beef

Ingredients:

1 pint okra

1 pound stew beef

2 small cans tomato sauce

2 to 4 cloves minced garlic

1 tablespoon vinegar

1 tablespoon cumin

Directions:

1. To prepare the okra, slice off both ends, at the pointed tip and at the neck. Slice in 1/4- to ½- inch pieces. Cover with vinegar and let sit for about 20 minutes. Rinse thoroughly. This helps reduce the slippery coating that many find offensive about okra.
2. Sauté garlic in olive oil. Add stew beef until brown. Add tomato sauce, vinegar, cumin, salt and pepper. Simmer 1 to 1-1/2 hours until meat is tender. Add small amount of water or broth if the stew becomes too thick. After 1 hour, add okra. Sprinkle with lime juice just before serving. Serve on top of rice.