July 20 - CSA Journal

So what’s happening on the farm this week?

Week 7: It has been a pretty busy week here despite the crummy weather – we are clearing fields and getting ready to plant fall plantings of peas, carrots, and summer plantings of lettuce mix, more beans, and whatever else we can get in the ground. Sadie and Christine had a great time playing on the beach. Sadie had fun wiggling her toes in the sand, looking for crabs and clams on the shore and splashing the water. She also enjoyed her 5 am walks with her momma along the shore in the ergo on momma’s back, where she quickly fell asleep. The drive was not too bad it took about 5 hours – a big thanks to Adam and Tammy and CSA members who came to help while we were away.

The zucchini and summer squash are so tender you can eat them raw. We stir-friend them both together last night with a little olive oil and tamari and yum! We cook them el dente. The corn is starting to tassel out and we should have corn in a couple of weeks – the first ever grown on our farm. We are pretty excited. The cucumbers and cherry tomatoes we should have in another week or so. The weather has put a damper on somethings – we will not have any lettuce for about 3 weeks, at this point it looks like no melons or ground cherries this year. On the other hand the tomatoes, green beans, tomatillos and potatoes are looking good. The eggplant is starting to produce more and the hoophouse peppers are getting big. It does not feel like the end of July – if feels like the end of May/June. The weeds are a bit crazy but we are actively trying to get them under control.

Meg and Jim our next door neighbors and the great farmers of the raspberries will have raspberries available at pickup for the next week or two and then again in the fall. The pints are $5.00. We also have wool roving for sale from our sheep. It is $18 for 6 ounces.

Thanks for being part of our farm! Peace, Adam Farris, Christine Bourque, and Sadie Farris

What’s in the share this week: Carrots, Fresh-Pulled Garlic bulbs, Summer Squash, Zucchini, Oriental Eggplant, Cabbage, Squash Flowers and maybe beet greens

www.blueheronfarm-vt.blogspot.com CHECK US OUT ON THE WEB and LEAVE COMMENTS TOO:

Eggs for sale
We have the pretty girls’ eggs for sale – these are free-range, certified organic chicken eggs with the brightest yellow yolks you ever seen. $5.00 a dozen.

Lending Library
Has new books in it. Please feel free to borrow books – just sign them out on the sign out sheet.

RECIPES

How to cook Zucchini and Yellow Squash-
Zucchini and Yellow Squash are very versatile vegetables. You can slice it thin and sauté with butter or olive oil. You can cut thinly and layer in a pan with some cheese and other veggies or meat and bake like a lasagna. You can cut it in half and stuff it with cheese, potatoes, egg, etc. You can even eat it raw. Also, you can slice it in half or cut into circles and grill it. My mom like to dice it up and add it to eggs in the morning. You can also shred it and freeze it and use it later. There are so many recipes for it, I could go on and on. The Vermont Health department reports that zucchini and summer squash are good sources of Vitamins A and C, magnesium, potassium, and dietary fiber. Zucchini help maintain healthy vision, keep the immune system strong, and help maintain heart health. We have enclosed a few interesting recipes. We hope you enjoy it. Note: You can substitute Yellow Squash for Zucchini and vice versa in all these recipes.

Zucchini Yogurt Multigrain Muffins (from allrecipes.com)

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup whole wheat flour
3/4 cup oat flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
3 eggs
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
1 cup plain yogurt
1 cup white sugar
3/4 cup honey
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup shredded zucchini
1 cup shredded carrots
1/2 cup chopped pecans (optional)
1/2 cup raisins (optional)
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Lightly grease 24 muffin cups. In a bowl, sift together the all-purpose flour, whole wheat flour, oat flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and nutmeg. In a separate bowl, beat together eggs, vegetable oil, applesauce, yogurt, sugar, honey, and vanilla. Mix the flour mixture into the egg mixture. Fold in the zucchini, carrots, pecans, and raisins. Scoop into the prepared muffin cups. Bake 18 to 20 minutes in the preheated oven, until a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes before transferring to wire racks to cool completely.

Chocolate Zucchini Cake Recipe (from Simply Recipes)The great thing about adding zucchini to this chocolate cake is that the zucchini makes the cake moist and light.

2 1/2 cups regular all-purpose flour, unsifted1/2 cup cocoa2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda1 teaspoon salt1 teaspoon cinnamon3/4 cup soft butter2 cups sugar
3 eggs2 teaspoons vanilla2 teaspoons grated orange peel2 cups coarsely shredded zucchini1/2 cup milk1 cup chopped walnuts or pecansGlaze (directions follow)

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Combine the flour, cocoa, baking powder, soda, salt, and cinnamon; set aside. With a mixer, beat together the butter and the sugar until they are smoothly blended. Add the eggs to the butter and sugar mixture one at a time, beating well after each addition. With a spoon, stir in the vanilla, orange peel, and zucchini. Alternately stir the dry ingredients and the milk into the zucchini mixture, including the nuts with the last addition. Pour the batter into a greased and flour-dusted 10-inch tube pan or bundt pan or regular cake pan. Bake in the oven for about 50 minutes (test at 45 minutes!) or until a wooden pick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in pan 15 minutes; turn out on wire rack to cool thoroughly. Drizzle glaze over cake. Glaze: Mix together 2 cups powdered sugar, 3 Tablespoons milk, and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Beat until smooth. Cut in thin slices to serve. Makes 10-12 servings. Note: You can also make these in muffin tins and you can leave out the nuts
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Zucchini Bread or muffins (from allrecipes.com)

3 eggs
1 cup vegetable oil
2 cups white sugar
2 cups grated zucchini
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 cups all-purpose flour
3 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F ( 165 degrees C). Grease and flour two 8x4 inch loaf pans. In a large bowl, beat eggs until light and frothy. Mix in oil and sugar. Stir in zucchini and vanilla. Combine flour, cinnamon, soda, baking powder, salt and nuts; stir into the egg mixture. Divide batter into prepared pans. Bake for 60 to 70 minutes, or until done.

Zuchinni wrapped in tortillas (we made this last night, very tasty, we made some lentils on the side too)

1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 teaspoon mustard seed (optional)
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 small red onion, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
4 cups grated zucchini
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
salt to taste
4 (10 inch) flour tortillas
4 fresh chives
1/2 cup sour cream (optional)

In a medium size wok or saute pan, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add mustard and cumin seeds. As they begin to pop, lower the heat and add the onion and ginger. Saute until onions are soft and light pink in color. Add the shredded zucchini, increase the heat slightly. Stir frequently until the zucchini gets soft and well-cooked, approximately 5 to 10 minutes. Stir in the chili powder, pepper, clove, cinnamon and salt. Warm the tortillas and place the tortillas on a flat surface. Place 1/4 of the zucchini filling in the center of each tortilla. Roll up each tortilla and tie it closed with a chive. You can serve the wrap with a dollop of sour cream on the side, it makes for a well rounded wrap!