CSA 2023 Spring Week 11

Here’s what our team is preparing for your CSA share this week!

• Celery
• Cilantro (Clem’s Organic Gardens)
• Cucumbers
• Japanese Eggplant
• Sweet Red (Cured) Onions
• Yellow Peaches (Watsonia Organics)
• Bonita Sweet Potatoes
• Watermelon
• Yellow & Green Zucchini

Our partners

This week’s CSA share includes fresh and tasty items from two partner-growers a bit farther north. How does that work? Well, first we carefully vet our partners to find those who share our values and standards. We pick up the produce ourselves using a refrigerated truck to ensure what arrives to your kitchen is the freshest, highest quality possible.

Last July during the vetting process we visited the peach orchards of The Watson Brothers in South Carolina, and – wow! Their fruit is grown with tons of organic compost just like our orchards and loves the conditions of the peach capital of the US. The “Early 8 Ball” variety this week is a super flavorful ‘cling’ peach that we’re especially proud to include in this week’s share. Below is a recipe for a refreshing watermelon-peach salad that combines some of the best of our farm’s harvest this week with the best of theirs.

Your cilantro comes from Clem’s Organic Gardens, a farm growing certified organic vegetables just outside of Brevard, NC. By using organic practices, caring for the soil, and emphasizing quality of their produce, their small-scale organic farm meets (ok, exceeds!) our standards. Here’s more information about all our partners. We love that by supporting these like-minded farmers we give you, our beloved CSA members, more diversity in your weekly share – together we truly are building a more sustainable food system!

Check out our cilantro pesto recipe below, or if you prefer to hold onto yours for a few more weeks, here’s some storage tips:

1. Prepare the herbs by snipping off the bottom of the stems. Make sure the leaves are completely dry.
2. Put the herbs in water by filling a jar or a water glass partially with water (just enough to cover the stems and not touch the leaves!) and place the stem ends of the herbs into the water in the jar.
3. Cover and store. This means that if you’re storing the herbs in the refrigerator, cover loosely with a plastic bag. Cilantro loves cool temperatures and should be stored in the refrigerator. It’s different than basil, which doesn’t like the cold and prefers room temperature.

FSO time hack: wash cilantro, coarsely chop, and store in a paper towel-lined airtight container in the refrigerator for easy access during the week. If you can’t use the cilantro before it wilts, all is not lost! Bring it back to life by submerging it in ice-cold water for a quick pick-me-up.

Recipes

Watermelon Peach Salad – adapted from whatsgabycooking.com

Ingredients:

• 1 small seedless watermelon, cut into 1 inch cubes or melon balls
• 1 shallot, finely chopped
• 4 tablespoons torn mint plus extra for garnish
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper to taste
• 1 sheet fresh feta cheese, cut into ½ cubes (about ½ cup once cubed)
• 2 yellow peaches, sliced
• 3 cucumbers, sliced into ½ inch thick rounds

Vinaigrette

• 4 tablespoons olive oil
• 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 3 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 shallot, finely chopped
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper to taste

Instructions:

1. Combine the watermelon, shallots, and mint in a large bowl with the olive oil. Season the mixture with salt and pepper and toss to combine. Transfer to a fridge and let marinate for at least 1 hour, up to 3 hours.
2. Remove from the fridge and add the sliced peaches, cubed feta, cucumbers and toss to combine. Transfer to a serving platter, drizzle with the vinaigrette and season with salt, pepper and extra mint.
3. In a small bowl whisk together the vinaigrette ingredients and drizzle over the salad. Season to taste, adjusting as needed.

Zucchini Bread – adapted from cookieandkate.com

Ingredients:

• Optional: ¾ cup roughly chopped raw walnuts or pecans
• ⅓ cup melted coconut oil or extra-virgin olive oil
• ½ cup honey or FSO cane syrup
• 2 eggs
• ½ cup milk of choice or water
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon + more to swirl on top
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• ½ teaspoon fine-grain sea salt
• ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1 ½ cups grated zucchini (1 small-to-medium zucchini—gently squeeze out excess moisture before stirring it into the batter)
• 1 ¾ cups white whole wheat flour or regular whole wheat flour

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 325°F. Grease a 9” x 5” loaf pan to prevent the bread from sticking. If you’ll be toasting the nuts, line a small, rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper for easy cleanup.
2. Toast the nuts: Once the oven has finished preheating, pour the chopped nuts onto your prepared baking sheet. Bake until the nuts are fragrant and toasted, about 5 minutes, stirring halfway.
3. In a large mixing bowl, combine the coconut oil and honey. Beat them with a whisk until they are combined. Add the eggs and beat well. (If your coconut oil solidifies on contact with cold ingredients, simply let the bowl rest in a warm place for a few minutes, like on top of your stove, or warm it for about 20 seconds in the microwave.)
4. Add the milk, baking soda, cinnamon, vanilla, salt and nutmeg, and whisk to blend. Switch to a big spoon and stir in the zucchini (be sure to squeeze excess moisture out of the zucchini first). Add the flour and stir just until combined. Some lumps are ok! Gently fold in the toasted nuts now, if using.
5. Pour the batter into your greased loaf pan and sprinkle lightly with additional cinnamon. If you’d like a pretty swirled effect, run the tip of a knife across the batter in a zig-zag pattern.
6. Bake for 55 to 60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean and the center of the loaf springs back to the touch. Let the bread cool in the pan on a wire rack. Use a serrated knife to cut individual slices.
7. This bread is moist, so it will keep for just 2 to 3 days at room temperature. Store it in the refrigerator for 5 to 7 days, or in the freezer for up to 3 months or so. I like to slice the bread before freezing and defrost individual slices, either by lightly toasting them or defrosting them in the microwave.

Cilantro Pesto

Ingredients:

• 2 cups of cilantro
• 2 garlic cloves
• ¼ cup pine nuts
• ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
• ½ a lemon, juiced
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon black pepper
• ¼ cup shredded Parmesan cheese

Instructions:

• Pick the cilantro leaves off the stems and set the leaves aside.
• Peel and mince the garlic.
• Toast the pine nuts for 1 minute on medium-high heat until browned and set aside.
• Into a blender, add the olive oil, pine nuts, lemon juice, salt, pepper, minced garlic, and Parmesan cheese.
• Blend on the lowest setting for 15 seconds.
• Place the cilantro inside the blender until smooth, about 15 seconds.
• Transfer the cilantro pesto to a bowl or jar and serve as desired.