The rain was so refreshing and revitalizing! Usually rain makes us hunker down but, after many weeks of dry weather, the rain was a galvanizing force. Inspired by the life-giving rain, we are going forward with some experiments with new crops for the fall. We're going to plant a quarter-acre of decorative sunflowers, as well as dill, chicory, pea vines, rosemary and a few other things that will be ready in the fall.
The share this week will be a little less bulky but with some exciting, fun stuff:
Strawberries: They are back! After many weeks without any berries our plants are ripening fruit again and still setting lots of flowers, so we will have fruit in the weeks to come. The berries are bigger this time around.
Beets: We grow three types of beets: red, golden, and chioggia. They can all be used in the same manner. We grow the red because they are classic and incredibly potent and flavorful. The golden and chioggia are grown for their special aesthetic beauty. We will be picking all three varieties this week.
Candy Onions: These sweet onions are sizing up incredibly well for us.Use them like you would walla walla onions. Excellent raw or sauteed.
Cilantro: A staple of Indian and Mexican cuisine, cilantro also makes a great addition to sandwiches and salads. Cilantro has a very strong flavor that allures some and repulses others. My regrets if you find yourself in the second camp. I am in the first camp, but it took years of smaller doses of it for me to develop the affinity that I have for cilantro.
Summer squash: Sometimes I eat squash and I think "I could live without this." Other times, I am enraptured by it. Summer squash has a relatively short season here in the Puget Sound so it is important to seize this moment when the plants are young and producing exquisite fruits to prepare your favorite dishes and experiment with new ones. I made squash sauteed with torpedo onions on Monday and it was the best thing I ate all week. Try to eat them within a couple of days of getting the share if you can.
Squash blossoms: In addition to harvesting the squash we harvest the blossoms from the plants. The blossoms are the male flowers which won't turn in to squash. One delicious way to prepare these is to stuff them with ricotta and fry them. Here's a recipe for that, with a tomato sauce for dipping:
Ingredients
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 1/4 teaspoon hot red pepper flakes
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 1/2 pound plum tomatoes, finely chopped
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/2 teaspoon sugar
- 1 cup whole-milk ricotta (preferably fresh)
- 1 large egg yolk
- 1/4 cup finely chopped mint
- 2/3 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, divided
- 12 to 16 large zucchini squash blossoms
- 1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
- 3/4 cup chilled seltzer or club soda
- About 3 cups vegetable oil for frying
- Equipment: a deep-fat thermometer
Preparation
Make tomato sauce:Cook garlic and red pepper flakes in oil in a 2-quarts heavy saucepan over medium heat, stirring, until garlic is golden, about 30 seconds. Add tomatoes, water, sugar, and 1/2 teaspoon salt and simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until thickened, 25 to 30 minutes.
Prepare squash blossoms:
Stir together ricotta, yolk, mint, 1/3 cup parmesan, and 1/8 teaspoon each of salt and pepper.
Carefully open each blossom and fill with about 2 rounded teaspoon ricotta filling, gently twisting end of blossom to enclose filling. (You may have filling left over.)
Whisk together flour, remaining 1/3 cup parmesan, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and seltzer in a small bowl.
Heat 1/2 inch oil to 375°F in a 10-inch heavy skillet. Meanwhile, dip half of blossoms in batter to thinly coat. Fry coated blossoms, turning once, until golden, 1 to 2 minutes total. Transfer with tongs to paper towels to drain. Coat and fry remaining blossoms. (Return oil to 375°F between batches.) Season with salt. Serve with tomato sauce.
Cooks' note:
Tomato sauce and ricotta filling can be made 1 day ahead and chilled. Reheat sauce before serving.
