With the recent rain everything is growing beautifully... including the weeds.  This week we are working on controlling the weeds, we are trellising the last round of tomatoes and preparing areas for the fall vegetables that will be planted in August.
  This week we are harvesting Arugula.  The leaves have holes in them due to pests, but the flavor is great.  We originally were not going to include the arugula in the CSA box  however, we have not been able to keep it on our table at the farmers market. I decided to let you decide if it's too "organic" for you or not.  Arugula is a spicy salad green, herb or vegetable, according to the recipe.  My favorite arugula recipe is a simple arugula salad with a vinegarette.  Another new edition to yor box is french green beans.  These green beans are smaller in size than last weeks Blue lake variety. 
  The tomatoes are ripening and you can expect them in your box next week.  We have found several tomatoes that are at least 2 lbs each!  The cucumber, eggplant, zuchinni,melon and okra blossoms have sprouted and the sweet corn is growing tall.

Kellog Beefsteak Tomatoes

This week's CSA:
French green beans
Arugula
Summer Squash (Yellow and patty pan)
Cabbage
Potatoes
Basil
Swiss Chard
Bell Peppers

Recipes:

Pasta with Arugula and Goat Cheese Sauce

from A Complete Menu Cookbook for All Occasions by Brother Victor-Antoine d’Avila-Latourrette 4 servings

a bunch of fresh arugula

4 springs fresh parsley

1 8 ounce container low-fat yogurt or sour cream

1/3 cup goat cheese, crumbled

S and P to taste

1 pound fusilli noodles

Grated parmesan cheese, as garnish

1. Before preparing sauce, fill a large casserole with water, and bring the water to a boil.

2 Wash and clean well the arugula and parsley. Dry thoroughly. Trim and chop both the arugula and the parsley.

3. Place the arugula and the parsley in a food processor. Add the yogurt or sour cream, goat cheese, salt, and pepper. Blend the ingredients thoroughly. Keep the sauce at room temperature until ready to use.

4. Add a pinch of salt to the boiling water, and cook the fusilli noodles following the instructions on the package. When the noodles are cooked, drain them, and place them in four serving dishes. Pour the sauce evenly over the top of each serving and add some cheese to each dish. Serve immediately.

Classic Green Beans Almondine

1 1/2 lbs. green beans

4 oz. almonds

2 tbsp. butter

Salt and pepper

Saute almonds in butter until lightly browned; do not burn. Steam the green beans. Toss with almonds and season with salt and pepper before serving.

Mom's Summer Squash Recipe

prep time: 5 minutesCook time: 10 minutes

Ingredients:

2 lbs squash and/or zucchini, sliced

1 green bell pepper, seeds removed, sliced

2 smallish tomatoes or one large tomato, peeled and cut into wedges

1/2 yellow onion, peeled and sliced

1 clove of garlic, chopped

Olive oil

5 or 6 slices of cheese - jack or cheddar

Basil, either dry or chopped fresh

Salt and pepper

Method

1 Put onion, garlic, squash, bell pepper into a large saucepan with a couple of tablespoons of olive oil. Put on high heat and brown the vegetables slightly to develop flavor. As you are browning, sprinkle either dried basil or chopped fresh basil on the vegetables. When vegetables are slightly browned, remove from heat, add the slices of cheese, and cover the pan.

2 In a separate stick-free fry pan, put the tomatoes and cook at medium hi heat for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. You want to let the juice from the tomatoes evaporate some. After 5 minutes, add the tomatoes to the rest of the vegetables and stir. Salt and pepper to taste.

Make-your-own Potato Chips

Soaking the potato slices briefly in salted water helps release the starches from the potatoes, which ensures they will fry up crisp. Just be sure to pat them dry before frying. Note that sweet potatoes will take longer to fry than the other varieties, about 5 to 7 minutes per batch. Be sure to prepare your seasoning blends before you fry the potatoes; you want it ready as soon as the chips come out of the oil.

4 medium potatoes

2 tablespoons kosher salt

4 cups peanut or canola oil

Seasoning blend (from choices below or one you make yourself)

Using a mandolin, food processor or a knife, slice the potatoes into thin rounds. Slice them as evenly as possible. Rinse the potatoes under cool running water.

Place the slices in a large bowl, then add enough cool water to cover. Add the salt, stir to dissolve, then let sit for 30 minutes.

When ready to cook the chips, place the oil in a large saucepan. Heat over medium until the oil reaches 325 degrees.

Drain the potatoes and, working in batches, use a towel to pat the slices dry. Carefully add a quarter of the slices to the oil and fry until golden brown, about 3 to 5 minutes depending on the thickness of your slices. Use a slotted spoon to remove the potatoes from the oil and set on a paper towel-lined plate to drain.

Sprinkle with one of the following seasoning blends (or your own):

Truffle herb: Drizzle the potato chips with 2 teaspoons truffle oil, then sprinkle with ½ teaspoon salt mixed with 1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme and 1 teaspoon minced fresh rosemary.

Five-spice: Mix ½ teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon five-spice powder and 1 tablespoon powdered sugar.

Chocolate: Mix 1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder and 1 tablespoon powdered sugar. Also can add a pinch of cinnamon and a pinch of cayenne.

Parmesan pepper: Drizzle the potato chips with 1 tablespoon melted ghee, then sprinkle with 2 tablespoons powdered (canned) Parmesan cheese mixed with 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper.

Makes 6 servings.d: Serves 4.