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Six Steps to Dinner

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Just six steps to prepare this delicious meal. Everyone has time for a healthy meal made in six steps!
Procedure: Wash. Slice. Layer. Drizzle. Sprinkle. Roast.

You are skeptical? I can make my recipe sound more professional.

Ingredients: 1 large eggplant, some patty pan squash, 1 bell pepper, some tomato

Procedure:

(1) Wash the vegetables.
(2) Slice the vegetables to your preferred size, keeping the dimensions about the same so they will cook evenly.
(3) Layer in a baking dish. I tried to make mine look pretty!
(4) Drizzle with EVOO (extra virgin olive oil).
(5) Sprinkle with freshly ground sea salt (because it is not processed salt) and freshly ground (organic) peppercorns.
(6) Roast in a (convection) oven. Or baking is fine. Or use a grill.

When the eggplant is fork tender, you are ready to eat. I like to sprinkle feta cheese on top of this dish when serving. It enhances the flavors and (again) looks pretty.

If you want to be less precise, just chop the veggies like this.

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Oh, Dear. It appears I ran out of sweet, bell pepper and tomato for this dish. These items are just becoming available. Soon there will be plenty in your CSA Box, we trust.

After a two-week course of cantaloupe and honey dew melons, I believe they are all gone. The first two waves of beans are gone also. Perhaps the third wave will provide some product which will not need to be thrown away due to dampness disease. So sad.

In your box next week look for potatoes, cabbages (red and green savoy), beets, carrots, cukes, sweet bell pepper (green but some starting to turn colors), a variety of patty pan squash, zucchini (green, yellow, or Italian), okra perhaps, and eggplant (either traditional or Japanese).

What Day Is It?

Really? What day is it? Sometimes we get so wrapped up in what needs to be done in the garden that we forget what day it is. Today, however, I am just trying to put the date on this Blog Post, add pictures, and attempting to type without putting two spaces after the end of each sentence. I am told this is the proper method of communication on the internet nowadays; but as a previous copy editor, I am accustomed to having two spaces after the ending punctuation. I wonder if I can ever break the habit?

Robert is dealing with the garden. It seems the dampness and disease have overtaken the beans totally. We can only hope that a later wave will produce for us. Still, I am glad that everyone got beans at least once over the last two weeks of CSA Box deliveries.

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The melons are not as sweet as some years. I am not sure why–“just the year” is the best answer I can give. The insect pest population on the eggplant appears to be under control for the moment. Please check out the recipes for our easy methods of preparing eggplant. We do not recommend lengthy prep routines. We certainly do not have time for that as your CSA Farmers! And I suspect our CSA Members do not have the time either.

We roasted some of the first largest okra. I told Robert they were the size to be used for a “crafting project.”  But after a drizzle of olive oil, a sprinkle of ground sea salt and pepper, and some time in the oven, they tasted wonderful. Roast to your desired degree of “doneness.” Very quick, very easy, and no slime!

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In your veggie box this week look for eggplant, sweet peppers, cabbage, patty pan squash, zucchini, beets, carrots, cukes, Yukon Gold potatoes, and perhaps okra. Those members who were not offered a “melon pickup opportunity” last week, will also receive either a cantaloupe or a honey dew. Melons are a delicate fruit–meaning when they are ready, they are ready. This is why we called or emailed most members to come for them last week.

I hear–no, I feel thunder and just got a flash flood warning on my weather radio.  We do have a berm between our gardens and Cane Creek, however, they are located in “bottom land” which means all of the water runs off the mountain and into the fields.  This is good in dry periods, but not so wonderful in a wet period. I think I shall eat some of that melon in the refrigerator. It tastes pretty good to me!

 

Eggplant, Beans, Peppers, Melons

Our eggplant are being ravaged by insect pests who love the rains we have been receiving.  We do not usually peel the skin of our eggplant, but it will be necessary until we are able to get rid of this insect population. We are trying several organic controls to eliminate this scourge.

Each year there are blue ribbon crops and lessor crops. This is why we plant in waves and attempt to grow our 90 varieties of vegetables. This manner gives us more opportunities for success  BTW, there is nothing wrong with an ugly eggplant, zucchini or cuke—just peel off the skin and blemishes.

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The mornings of recent bring a heavy fog settled over the valley which means dampness longer than we would prefer. The patty pan, zucchini and cucumbers may begin to show the results of this moisture; but the beans, in particular, are suffering from the excess moisture. When coupled with no chance to dry out in between the rains, quality can suffer. We threw away the first pickings as a result. We are searching and culling during the harvest and CSA Box packing, but you will need to do the same as you prepare your beans.  They will look nice when you receive them, but do not attempt to “hold” them for several days as I suspect they will deteriorate rapidly due to the stressors to which they are being exposed. ONE month ago, we were pleased to get some rainfall after seven weeks of none.  How quickly situations change on the farm . . .

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I like to roast patty pan squash with their “caps” on–meaning I cut off the top, fill the cavity, and replace the cap. Or one could cover the dish with foil. I stuff them with a combination of onion, green bell pepper, carrots, and the flesh of the squash mixed with a drizzle of EVOO and freshly ground sea salt and peppercorns.  Roast or bake until fork tender. The patty pan squash become even sweeter when prepared in this manner.  They are delicious either hot or cold! Our CSA Members know from experience, that we attempt to harvest our squash when they are small; but if you are fortunate enough to get larger patty pans, this is the recommended manner of preparation. However, any size can be made into this recipe. Roasting will increase the sweetness of every vegetable from beans and eggplant to squash and zucchini and potatoes. Do not be afraid to experiment! Also, if using animal protein in the stuffing mix (ground beef, chicken, bison, turkey), please cook the meat first and then add it to the mix.

The cantaloupe and honey dew melons are ripening. I do not like putting either cantaloupe or honey dews into the boxes as it makes the weight entirely too heavy for me to enjoy my day. Thus, they will be in a separate box with sign indicating how many to take. Or they may be in a bag along side your CSA Box. You may even get an email saying to go to your pickup site to get some melons. Please do not hesitate! Melons will be available for a short time–rather like the Cadbury Eggs–only healthier!

In your CSA Box this week look for green beans, Yukon Gold potatoes, green or red cabbage, carrots, sweet green bell pepper, cucumbers, a variety of patty pan squash, green and yellow and Italian (stripped) zucchini, eggplant, cantaloupe, and perhaps honey dew melons and okra!