CSA 2023 Spring Week 8

Written by

Becca Lagarcha

in

This week’s CSA share brings you the very best from our farm, as well as two partners!

Frog Song Organics

Green Beans

Cantaloupe

Celery

Sweet Red (cured) Onions

Parsley

Yam Fingerling Sweet Potatoes

Summer Squash Mix

Little Pond Farm

Cherry Tomatoes

Organic Aqua Fresh

Aquaponic Lettuce

Quick Pickling

Long hot days call for one of summer’s most refreshing treats: pickled veggies! They’re tasty and a great way to preserve the abundance of cucumbers, tomatoes, beans, and squash from our farm and your garden. Quick pickling is a method that preserves your haul for around two months in the fridge. It’s different from canning; the veggies won’t develop the deep flavor that comes from fermentation, but with quick pickling, they only need to marinate a few days in the brine before serving.

Brine 101

A basic brine is equal parts vinegar and water, but you can adjust the ratio to your preference. Any basic vinegar is game — white vinegar, apple cider, white wine, and rice vinegar. Just steer clear of aged or concentrated vinegars like balsamic or malt vinegar.

How to Quick Pickle Any Vegetable

Ingredients:

  • 1 pound fresh vegetables, such as cucumbers, carrots, green beans, summer squash, or cherry tomatoes
  • 2 sprigs fresh herbs, such as thyme, dill, or rosemary (optional)
  • 1 to 2 teaspoons whole spices, such as black peppercorns, coriander, or mustard seeds (optional)
  • 1 teaspoon dried herbs or ground spices (optional)
  • 2 cloves garlic, smashed or sliced (optional)
  • 1 cup vinegar, such as white, apple cider, or rice
  • 1 cup water
  • 1 tablespoon kosher salt, or 2 teaspoons pickling salt
  • 1 tablespoon granulated sugar (optional)

Equipment:

Chef’s knife and cutting board

2 wide-mouth pint jars with rings and lids

Canning funnel (optional)

Instructions:

  1. Prepare the jars by washing in warm, soapy water and rinsing well. Set aside to dry, or dry completely by hand.
  2. Wash and dry the vegetables and prep (i.e. peel the carrots, trim the end of beans, cut into desired shapes and sizes).
  3. Add the flavorings. Divide the herbs, spices, or garlic you are using between the jars.
  4. Pack the vegetables into the jars, making sure there is a 1/2 inch of space from the rim of the jar to the tops of the vegetables. Pack them in as tightly as you can without smashing.
  5. Make the brine. Place the vinegar, water, salt, and sugar (if using) in a small saucepan over high heat. Bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve the salt and sugar. Pour the brine over the vegetables, filling each jar to within 1/2 inch of the top. You might not use all the brine.
  6. Remove air bubbles. Gently tap the jars against the counter a few times to remove all the air bubbles. Top off with more brine if necessary.
  7. Seal the jars. Place the lids on the jars and screw on the rings until tight.
  8. Cool and refrigerate. Let the jars cool to room temperature. Store the pickles in the refrigerator. The pickles will improve with flavor as they age — try to wait at least 48 hours before cracking them open.

Recipes

Cantaloupe Gazpacho

Ingredients:

2 cups cantaloupe, peeled and cubed

1 cucumber, peeled and cubed

1 sweet pepper or red bell pepper, diced

½ sweet red onion

½ cup cherry tomatoes

1 ¼ teaspoons salt

2 teaspoons red wine vinegar

¼ bunch fresh basil

freshly cracked pepper, for garnish

Instructions:

  1. In a blender, combine all ingredients except basil. Blend very well until extremely smooth. Strain into an air-tight container and allow to chill in the fridge for at least an hour (this can be made the day before serving as well).
  2. When ready to serve, portion the chilled soup evenly into bowls, then garnish with freshly picked basil. Served alongside prosciutto or one of our FSO pastured sausages takes this tasty, refreshing dish up a notch. Enjoy!

Summer Corn and Squash Chowder – adapted from lifemadesimple.com

Ingredients:

  • 4 strips FSO pastured bacon – cooked, chopped into bits
  • 1/2 large sweet yellow onion – diced
  • 2 ribs celery – finely diced
  • 3-5 ears sweet corn – cut off from the cob
  • 1 large zucchini – cut into quarters lengthwise, then sliced (can substitute with the squash mix from this week’s CSA share!)
  • 1 large yellow squash – cut into quarters lengthwise, then sliced
  • 4 cloves garlic – minced
  • 5 cup chicken broth – low sodium
  • 4 red potatoes – peeled and cut into 1/4-inch cubes
  • 1 1/4 tsp kosher sea salt
  • 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
  • 1/2 tsp paprika
  • 1/2 tsp dried parsley
  • 1/4 tsp thyme
  • 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
  • 2 cup half and half – or whole milk

Instructions:

  1. Set a large Dutch oven or stock pot over medium heat. Add bacon and cook crisp, about 5 minutes.
  2. Add onion and celery, cook for 3 minutes, then add corn and continue cooking for an additional 4 minutes. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.
  3. Pour in chicken broth and turn heat up to medium-high. Once the mixture is simmering, add the potatoes along with the salt, pepper, paprika, parsley, thyme and cayenne. Reduce heat to medium and cook for 10 minutes before adding the zucchini and yellow squash.
  4. Once the zucchini and yellow squash has been added, cook until the potatoes are fork tender and the zucchini and squash are fully cooked, about 10-12 minutes.
  5. Transfer 2 cups of chowder to a food processor or blender. Puree until silky smooth, about 1-2 minutes. Return the mixture to the pot and add the half and half. Stir to combine, then remove from the heat.
  6. Let the chowder sit for 10 minutes before serving.

 

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