Categories
*In the box

In the Box: Summer, Week #8

Veg Share*
Zucchini – several pieces
Cucumbers – 2-3 pieces
Swiss Chard – 1 bunch
Cippolini Onions – 1 bunch
Broccoli – 2-3 pieces
Garlic – 1 large or 2 medium heads
Beets – 1 quart
Batavian – Green & Red- 2 baby heads
*Contents of the share may fluctuate over the week.

Fruit Share
Peaches – 1 bag
Apricots – 1 bag
Blackberries -OR- Blueberries

Herb Share
Rosemary
Oregano

Milk Not Jails Dairy Share
Dairy share pick up is weekly. Don’t forget your milk!

Beyond the bountiful harvest, a few friendly reminders:

CSA BBQ Sat, July 28th 4pm
Join your fellow CSA’ers for an evening barbeque at Sunnyside Gardens Park! Bring your friends and family, grilling items and a dish to share. Please RSVP by July 25th.

Lewis Waite Farm CSA Extras
Order your Lewis Waite extras now and have your burgers and brats in time for the CSA BBQ! Order deadline is Sunday, July 22nd for delivery on July 26th.

Milk Not Jails Monthly Specials
It’s time again to make your à la carte dairy purchases from Milk Not Jails. Milk, yogurt, butter, ice cream and more! Order and pay online. Deadline is Monday, July 23rd at 5pm for delivery on August 2nd.

Categories
Recipes

Tzatziki; Cucumber Yogurt Dip


recipe via About.com; image via Joy in Creating.


For the strained Greek yogurt, just pop up to any Greek store in Astoria or possibly a Turkish place around here and I think you will find it. It is super thick so it holds up to the watery nature of the cucumber without the dip getting runny. Serve with warm large pita rounds that have been cut into trianbgles and brushed with oregano and olive oil.

Ingredients
3 tbsp. olive oil
1 tbsp. vinegar
2 cloves garlic, minced finely
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. white pepper
1 cup greek yogurt, strained
1 cup sour cream
2 cucumbers, peeled, seeded and diced
1 tsp. chopped fresh dill

Method
1. Combine olive oil, vinegar, garlic, salt, and pepper in a bowl. Mix until well combined.

2. Using a whisk, blend the yogurt with the sour cream.

3. Add the olive oil mixture to the yogurt mixture and mix well.

4. Add the cucumber and chopped fresh dill.

5. Chill for at least two hours and garnish with a sprig of of fresh dill just before serving.

Categories
Recipes

Simple Cucumber Beet Soup

recipe & image via About.com


Ingredients
1 lb sliced beets
1 cup buttermilk
1/4 cup sour cream
1 small seedless cucumber, peeled and quartered
1 hard-cooked egg, peeled and quartered
1 tablespoon chives
Salt to taste

Method
1. Place beets in bowl of a food processor and whirl until smooth. Add remaining ingredients and puree until velvety. Adjust seasonings. Chill.

2. Garnish with a cucumber slice and chives, if desired.

Categories
Recipes

Beet, Cucumber, & Sweet Onion Salad with Dijon-Honey Dressing

recipe via Epicurious


Ingredients
6 medium beets, trimmed
1 large English hothouse cucumber, unpeeled, cut into 1/4-inch-thick rounds
1/2 sweet onion (such as Maui or Vidalia), halved lengthwise, thinly sliced
4 teaspoons honey
4 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
1 1/2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1/3 cup corn oil

Method
1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Wrap each beet in foil, enclosing completely. Place on rack in oven and bake until beets are tender when pierced with fork, about 1 hour 30 minutes. Cool in foil. Peel beets, then cut each into 6 slices.

2. Arrange beets, slightly overlapping, on half of large platter. Arrange cucumber slices on other half. Scatter onion in center. (Can be made 4 hours ahead; chill.)

3. Whisk honey, vinegar, and mustard in small bowl to blend. Gradually whisk in oil. Season with salt and pepper. Drizzle over vegetables.

Categories
Recipes

Cucumbers with Scallion Oil


recipe & image via Goldilocks Finds Manhattan


Ingredients
1-2 lbs. cucumbers, sliced to your liking
4 scallions
1 clove of garlic
1 inch piece of ginger
1 cup of olive oil
1 teaspoon kosher salt

Method
1. In a food processor combine scallions, ginger, garlic and oil and salt. Process until completely blended, then bring to simmer in a small pot. Cook for 1-2 minutes.

2. Pour 4-5 tablespoons of scallion oil over cucumbers.

3. You will have leftover scallion oil. Use it with abandon!

Categories
Recipes

Cool Beet & Cucumber Soup

A friend made this soup for me. It sounds a little involved, but not having been the chef, it definitely tasted worth the effort! Perfect for a hot summer day.

Ingredients
1 small beet bunch, with greens
water to cover
1 tbsp salt
1 tbsp sugar
3 cups buttermilk
1 cup yogurt, kefir or sour cream
2-3 lemons juiced
1/4 cup pickle juice
lots of cracked pepper
1/2 long english cucumber 1/4″ dice
1 bunch scallions minced
1/4 cup minced fresh dill

Method
1. Cut greens from the beetroot and wash both well to remove any dirt.

2. Peel beets, quarter and thinly slice. Place in a pot and cover with cold water by 1-inch. Bring to a boil, add salt, partially cover and reduce heat.

3. Simmer until the beets are just tender.

4. While the beets are simmering, finely shred the beet greens with their stems. Once the beets are tender, stir the greens and sugar into the pot. Cover and turn off the heat. Let stand 10 minutes.

5. Uncover and cool to room temperature, then chill thoroughly before proceeding. [This step can be prepared up to 2 days in advance, or frozen for 1 month.]

6. In a large bowl, combine the beets, greens and cooking water with buttermilk, yogurt, lemon and pickle juice.

7. Season with salt, cracked pepper, sugar or more lemon to taste.

8. Chill the soup at least one hour.

9. Add cucumbers, scallions, and dill and taste one more time to adjust the seasoning.

10. Serve in chilled bowls.

Yield: 4-6 servings

Categories
What the veg?

Cucumbers

Cucumbers are a vegetable related to a gourd, in the same family as the watermelon, zucchini, pumpkin, and other types of squash.  Most are thin skinned and juicy with a crisp texture and a delicate flavor.

Nutrition
Cucumbers are a very good source of Vitamin C and the mineral molybdenum. They are also a good source of vitamin A, potassium, manganese, folate, dietary fiber and magnesium and contain the important mineral silica.
The flesh of cucumbers is primarily composed of water but also contains ascorbic acid (vitamin C) and caffeic acid, both of which help soothe skin irritations and reduce swelling. The cucumber’s skin is rich in fiber and contains a variety of beneficial minerals including silica, potassium and magnesium.

Storage
Store in a plastic bag and place in the refrigerator for up to a week.

Cooking tips
Cucumbers can be sliced, diced or cut into sticks. They do not need to be peeled. The seeds are also edible (and nutritious), though many recipes call for removing them. They are easiest removed by cutting the cucumber lengthwise and using the tip of a spoon to gently scoop them out.

Substitutions
Japanese or English cucumber

Equivalents
1 small to medium =  1 cup chopped
1lb = 2 1/2 to 3 cups peeled, sliced/chopped, or 2 medium

Recipes