Good news

  This week has been full of good news.  For those of you that know Mecca and Adam Lowe of Turtle bend Farm, they brought home a beautiful baby boy on July 3,2011.  Silas Jackson Lowe was born on July 1st, he is healthy and happy.
  The other good news is that we are finally harvesting tomatoes.  The first varieties are the larger ones.  We have some weighing 2.5 pounds! 

Ivy with 2.5 pound tomato

This weeks CSA:
Heirloom tomatoes
Cucumbers
Zucchini
Yellow squash
Patty Pan squash
Green Beans
Basil
Bell Peppers
Potatoes

Recipes:

Refrigerator pickles

Ingredients

1 cup distilled white vinegar

1 tablespoon salt

2 cups white sugar

6 cups sliced cucumbers

1 cup sliced onions

1 cup sliced green bell peppers

Directions

1.In a medium saucepan over medium heat, bring vinegar, salt and sugar to a boil. Boil until the sugar has dissolved, about 10 minutes.

2.Place the cucumbers, onions and green bell peppers in a large bowl. Pour the vinegar mixture over the vegetables. Transfer to sterile containers and store in the refrigerator

Tomato Basil Bruschetta

•2 medium beefsteak or heirloom tomatoes, or 4-5 plum tomatoes

•2 large cloves garlic

•1 small handful fresh basil, plus (optional) additional for garnish

•1/4 c extra-virgin olive oil

•salt

•6 slices ciabatta, French, or Italian bread (or any sliced bread)

Preparation:

1.Score an "x" in the top and bottom of each tomato, and submerge tomatoes in a deep bowl of boiling water for about 10 minutes.

2.While tomatoes are sitting, peel garlic and crush slightly. Rub garlic on both sides of each slice of bread, then mince garlic and set aside. Tear basil into small pieces and set aside.

3.Peel tomatoes; the peel should come off easily around the "x" marks to start you off. Seed tomatoes (this is most easily done by hand, although it gets messy) and dice. Mix tomatoes, garlic, and basil together. Add salt to taste, then put entire mixture in a strainer and let drain for at least 5 minutes while you prepare the bread.

4.The bread can be toasted in one of three ways -- under a broiler in the oven, in a toaster oven, or on a grill. (A conventional toaster won't work because the bread is brushed with olive oil and should be toasted flat.) Preheat your chosen toasting method, if necessary.

5.Put olive oil in a bowl and brush both sides of each slice of bread thoroughly. (If any olive oil remains after brushing, add it to the tomato-basil mixture just before serving.)

6.Toast bread on both sides until it is as brown as you desire. Serve immediately with tomato-basil mixture and additional olive oil for topping.

Serves 6 as an appetizer. This recipe can easily be doubled or tripled for a large group. I often make a double batch of the topping and toast bread as I use it, since the topping will keep for a couple days. It's also a good picnic food; simply pack the topping and the toast separately (toast the bread in advance unless you have and want to use a portable grill).