CSA 2023 Summer Week 3

Italian Basil
Seminole Pumpkin
Japanese Eggplant
Bicolor Okra
Sweet Habanero Peppers
Florida Pears
Kennebec Potatoes
Malabar Spinach
Grape Tomatoes (Watsonia Organic Farms)

It’s Basil season! Here’s a few tips to keep your Summer Week 3 delivery fresh. We recommend this countertop method because it should keep the basil fresh for around two weeks AND smells lovely! 🙂

Below we share our focaccia recipe – topped with grape tomatoes, basil, and sweet Habaneros, this bread is the bomb!

You’ve probably started to noticed veggies from partner-grower Clem’s Organic Gardens in previous shares, like heirloom tomatoes and carrots. Farmer John visited Clem’s farm to learn more about his methods and geek out on sharing regenerative best practices. Clem’s soil is something to tout: For seven years he’s been nurturing his soil with compost and wood chips. At the risk of oversimplifying, basically, the result is some pretty amazing dirt. His carrots are hand harvested and packed with all the nutrients the fertile soil provides, and his tomatoes are grown directly in the dirt with the help of the “lower and lean” method and greenhouse. Watch Farmer John’s video of his visit here. You’ll learn why we trust him and pick up a few things to try at home in your own gardens.  Another partner, Watsonia Organic Farms, provided the grape tomatoes in this week’s share. These sweet lovelies were the inspiration behind the Buddha bowl recipe below. We’d love to see your own kitchen magic! Tag us on IG at frogsongcsa. 🙂

Poached Egg Buddha Bowls with Grape Tomatoes

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup wheat berries
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon thinly sliced fresh mint leaves
• 1 tablespoon fresh basil leaves
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• 1/2 cup quartered grape tomatoes
• 1/2 cup ricotta cheese
• 2 tablespoons Greek olives
• 2 large eggs

Instructions:

• Place wheat berries and 2-1/2 cups water in a large saucepan; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, covered, until tender, about 1 hour. Drain; transfer to a bowl. Cool slightly.
• Stir in oil, lemon juice, mint, salt and pepper; divide between 2 bowls. Top with tomatoes, ricotta cheese, herbs, and olives.
• To poach each egg:
  • Bring a pot of water to a gentle boil, then salt the water. Crack eggs into a small cup.
  • With a spoon, begin stirring the boiling water in a large, circular motion.
  • When the water is swirling like a tornado, add the eggs. The swirling water will help the egg white wrap around itself as it cooks.
  • Cook for about 2 1/2 to 3 minutes.
  • Using a slotted spoon, remove the egg (or eggs) to each of the bowls.
• Drizzle with additional oil and sprinkle with more pepper.

Seminole Pumpkin Crisp

Ingredients for the topping:

• 1 1/4 cups oats

• 1 cup flour**

• 1 cup pecans, roughly chopped

• 1 cup coconut sugar or brown sugar

• 1/2 tsp. cinnamon

• 1/2 tsp. nutmeg

• 1/4 tsp. salt

• 1 stick butter, room temperature

Ingredients for the filling:

• 1 seminole pumpkin (4 cups roasted)

• 1 1/2 cups full-fat coconut milk

• 1/2 cup coconut sugar or brown sugar

• 1 tsp. vanilla

• 1/2 tsp. nutmeg

• 1/2 tsp. cinnamon

• 1/4 tsp. salt

• 1 tablespoon coconut oil

• 2 tablespoons melted butter (optional
  

Instructions:

1. Heat the oven to 350.
2. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Slice the pumpkin in half. Remove the seeds and pulp. Bake 45 minutes, or until the skin begins to blister. It’s done when it can be easily pierced with a fork. Set aside to cool.
3. Combine the oats, flour, pecans, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt in a bowl. Slice the butter into 8 pieces over the top of the bowl. Using a pastry blender or two butter knives, cut in the butter until it’s well-distributed and the mixture becomes coarse and crumbly. It should look like beach sand and shells.
4. Once the pumpkin has cooled, peel it and slice it into chunks. Measure out about 4 cups of the pumpkin into a bowl (save the rest for another use). Smash it with a fork. Add the coconut milk, sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. Mix well.
5. Oil a cast-iron skillet with 1 tablespoon coconut oil.
6. Pour the filling into the skillet. Sprinkle the topping evenly over the top. Drizzle the melted butter over the top.
7. Bake for 35 minutes, or until it’s golden brown and the edges are bubbly.
8. Serve warm, topped with ice cream and freshly grated nutmeg.

Tomato Basil Focaccia

Ingredients

Dough:

• 3 cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for dusting
• ½ cup Semolina, plus extra for dusting
• 2½ tsp active dry yeast
• 2 tsp sugar or honey
• 2 tsp salt
• 1 tbsp olive oil plus extra for greasing
• 1¼ cups lukewarm water ( add 2-3 tbsp more as needed)

Toppings:

• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 10-12 basil leaves
• 6-7 grape tomatoes, halved
• 4-5 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 2-3 sweet Habenero peppers
• ¼ cup cheese, crumbled
• 5 olives, sliced

Instructions:

• Proof the yeast: In a small bowl, mix the yeast, lukewarm water, and sugar. Allow the yeast to bloom for 5-6 minutes or until you see the yeast becoming frothy. Once bloomed, add in the olive oil.
• Prepare the dough: In a large bowl mix the flour, semolina and salt. Then gradually pour in the yeast and olive oil mixture and start mixing with a spoon until the mixture comes together. When the mixture gets hard for the spoon to mix, then start kneading the dough with your hands in a circular motion, helping the yeast mixture evenly incorporate into the dough. Certain flours may require more water, so add more water, if needed, slowly 1 tbsp at a time. I used 1½ cups water. Keep doing this till the mixture comes together as a sticky dough.
• Knead the dough: Sprinkle some flour onto a clean surface and knead the dough vigorously for 10 minutes. Just keep rolling, pushing and folding the dough over and over till you have a soft, smooth, and spongy dough. Add a little flour in between if the dough starts to stick to your hands, but don’t dry the dough out by adding too much. This will help the gluten develop and make the dough more elastic.
• First dough rise: Grease a bowl with some olive oil and then shape the dough into a ball and place it in the bowl. Cover with cling wrap and let rest in a warm place for 45 minutes or until double in size.
• Shape the dough: Stretch the proofed dough into the shape of your baking dish. Flour your work surface to ensure it doesn’t stick while you’re shaping it.
• Prepare the dish: Grease your 13″ x 9″ baking dish with olive oil and sprinkle some semolina. Then, add in your dough, using your fingers to guide it towards the edges so it fills up the whole pan. Now, pour the topping olive oil over the dough.
• Make dips and wells: Use your fingers to gently press into the dough like a piano to make lots of rough dips and wells.
• Add the toppings: Add chopped garlic followed by basil, cherry tomatoes, cheese and olives. Sprinkle more basil and other herbs of choice on top.
• Second dough rise: Now cover the dish again with a damp towel to retain humidity. Let it rest in a warm place and allow to rise for another 30 minutes.
• While the dough is rising, preheat the oven to 425oF/220oC.
• Bake: Gently press the toppings into the dough to ensure that are nicely embedded into the dough. Now, bake the focaccia for 20-25 minutes until golden brown. As soon as you take it out from the oven, brush with olive oil for extra shine and let it cool for 10-15 minutes on a mesh rack.
• Serve warm and enjoy as a snack or slice it in between and enjoy as a sandwich with your favorite filling!