BUG Farms CSA Week 14 (B) Newsletter

Greeting BUG Farm Friends!

 Another bountiful August Week is upon us! I realized I haven't been giving you many giant zucchini recipes lately, and if you haven't already recieved one of these beauties, you will be this week : ) Don't let the size intimidate, they are very versatile creatures in the kitchen. I will give you a few ideas for using these vegetal giants shortly : ) In other news, read below:

Farm Fresh Goat Cheese Available with Shares!
I am so excited to be able to offer delicious aged and fresh goat cheeses crafted by Randy Ramsley at Mesa Farm in Caineville, UT. Randy and his farm hold a very dear spot in my heart since I learned the ropes of organic market farming while spending my first summer out of college as an intern there. He has a lovely herd of milk goats that he integrates into his sustainable vegetable and fruit farm. The cheeses he crafts from their fresh raw milk are heavenly- nothing is better than a thick slice of his feta topped with a fat tomato slice and some purple basil. His aged Tomme is prized by the french tourists who come to his farm just east of Capitol Reef National Park. Here are the details:

Cheese Pricing: 

• Chevre....$5.25 for 5 oz package
• Tomme....$9.50 per 1/2 round (approx 1/2 lb)
• Feta........$12.00 per lb (minimum 1/2 lb order).
• Yogurt.....$1.75 per 6 oz cup

I am happy to announce that Randy's cheese will be available for the rest of August deliveries!  Please email me your order for August 13rd (Week 15 A) by this Sunday, August 19th.  For payment please leave a check or cash in your cooler, or mail a check made out to Backyard Urban Garden Farms

Jam for Jars, and Jam for Donations!

Thanks to the many of you who have already traded me jars for jams, I have put a lot of them to good use thus far! The offer of 1 pint of preserves for every 6 mason jars is still open, just refer to past newsletters with specific instructions, they still hold. I have a jam inventory update though. We ran out of the plum jelly, apricot chutney, and Regular sugar cherry jelly but I just made a lovely batch of Ginger Peach Jam! So, if you don't have jars, we are asking for a $5  donation per pint of preserve. And we would love the jar back when you finish off the tasty goods, whenever that happens : )

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Week 14 Share Includes:

1 bag Tomatoes( again, a few tomatillos may sneak in as well)

1 bag Radish Microgreens

1 bag Basil

1 bag Beans (Green, Wax, Royal Burgundy)

1 bunch Beets

1 bunch Carrots

1 bunch Kale

1 bunch Summer Savory

Zucchini

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Grain Share: Full Shares: Buckwheat   Half Shares: Corn Flour

Check out these 10 Reasons to Eat Buckwheat for some Grain Education and some Buckwheat Recipes : )

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Heirloom Bean Share: French Green Lentils! Robust, earthy flavor and beautiful deep fall-green color make French green lentils - also known as lentilles du Puy - one of the world's finest legumes. Use in soups, salads and side dishes; try French lentils roasted in the oven, rather than watching a pot on the stovetop.

Lentil Salad with Tomatoes and Chevre

Cook lentils in medium pot of boiling salted water until just tender, about 25 minutes. Drain well. Combine vinegar, shallot and mustard in large bowl. Gradually whisk in oil. Season with salt and pepper. Add lentils. Let stand until cool.Add cucumber, tomatoes, onion, dill, parsley and garlic to lentils. Season with salt and pepper. Cover; chill 1 hour.

Crumble goat cheese over salad and mix gently to combine.

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Fruit Share: Red Haven Peaces and Nectarines! (The nectarines are in very limited supply, so enjoy them this week! Also they may need a few days to ripen fully)

Fresh-Peach Drop Cookies I made these at lunch on Tuesday, and they were a big hit! This calls for some peach jam, why not use some of the stuff I have made!

• 2 cups all-purpose flour, plus 2 tablespoons
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 stick (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 2 large ripe peaches, peeled, pitted, and cut into 1/4-inch dice (about 1 3/4 cups)
• 1/3 cup peach jam or preserves
• 2 tablespoons fine sanding sugar
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Cook's Note

These cookies are best the day they're baked. They will soften at the edges after a couple of days, but they'll still taste delicious.

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Recipes, Etc...

Zucchine Gratinate

(serves 4-6)
Adapted from Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking

3 small zucchini, scrubbed clean
4 tablespoons olive oil
1 large clove garlic, chopped
1/2 cup onion, chopped
1 lb fresh tomatoes, chopped and juice used
1/4 teaspoon marjoram, chopped
1 tablespoon parsley, chopped
salt
pepper
2 tablespoons Parmesan, freshly grated

1. Preheat oven to 400F.
2. Cut the zucchini into very thin rounds about 2mm thick.
3. Put the 2T olive oil and the all the garlic into a saute pan and turn on to medium heat. Add all the zucchini slices as soon as the olive oil is hot – don’t let the garlic brown. Cook uncovered, stirring occasionally until all the zucchini are limp. Turn off the heat and set pan aside.
4. In a small saucepan put in the remaining oil and the onion on medium heat. Cook until the onion becomes transparent. Add the tomatoes and marjoram. Cook uncovered for 15 to 20 minutes or until the tomatoes and the oil separate. Off the heat stir in the parsley and adjust for seasoning you will likely need at least a few pinches of salt. Remember the zucchini isn’t salted and you will soon be adding them together so you don’t want to under salt it.
5. In a bake and serve dish add a little bit of the tomato sauce to the bottom of the pan about a 1T. Spread half the zucchini in an even layer and cover with half of the tomato sauce and half of the Parmesan. Repeat the layering again ending with the cheese.
6. Place the dish in the top of the oven and bake for 20 minutes. Allow to settle for 10 minutes before serving.

Stewed Zucchini with Feta and Mint

(serves 4)

In a large dutch oven over medium low heat sweat the onion in the olive oil until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cumin and sweat for another 3 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste and let cook for 2 minutes to get the flavour going. Add the zucchini, tomatoes and a tablespoon of salt, stir until well coated. Cook on medium low heat until it starts to lose moisture and becomes visibly "soupy", about 15 minutes. Turn the heat up to medium and simmer for another 15 minutes.

Reduce heat back to low and crumble in feta, and herbs, cook on low for 10 minutes serve hot as a side dish, over pasta or stirred into quinoa.

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That's all for this week, enjoy the good food!

Sharon