This week we are harvesting some beautiful okra.  We planted a green variety and a burgundy variety and you will get to enjoy them both this week.  Our favorite way to prepare okra is on the grill.  Grilled okra makes a terrific side dish or an appetizer, either way there are never any leftovers.

  Next week the Crowder peas should be ready and the following week some sugar baby melons and another round of green beans.  Soon to follow is the sweet corn, winter squash and rocky ford cantaloupes.

  Some of our heirloom tomato varieties are showing signs of disease.  We are starting new seeds  to ensure that we have late season tomatoes.  This week we are harvesting some new varieties of tomatoes including the Green Zebra tomato and the Sun Gold tomato.  The Green Zebra is yellow with green stripes and is more acidic, the Sun Gold variety is a golden cherry tomato and has a sweet taste. Enjoy!

This week’s CSA:

Heirloom tomatoes: Green Zebra, Assorted cherry tomatoes, German Johnson (pink), Cherokee Purple (purple with green top)

Okra: Green and Burgundy

Crooked neck Squash

Zucchini                        

Cucumbers

Eggplant: Ping Tung

Bell Peppers                   

Potatoes

Basil

Rosemary

Mushroom Peppers Hot!

Crowder Peas

Sugar Baby Watermelon

Burgundy Okra

Recipes:

Grilled Okra

Ingredients:

Okra

Olive Oil

Cajun seasoning

Salt and pepper

Preparation:

Toss the whole okra pods in olive oil

skewer the pods

sprinkle with Cajun seasoning, salt and pepper

Grill 2-4 minutes on each side, until golden brown

Serve immediately

Eggplant Rolls with Zucchini and Bell Peppers

Recipe Courtesy of Cooking.com.

Rolled food used to be oh-so popular. Instead of rolling up cold cuts and cheeses, try this vegetable dish that is both great looking and can be made ahead.

Nutrition Facts per Serving:

Calories: 47 Fat, Total: 3g Carbohydrates, Total: 6g
Cholesterol: 0mg Sodium: 6mg Protein: 1g
Fiber: 2g % Cal. from Fat: 57% % Cal. from Carbs: 51%

Ingredients

• 1 large (about 1-1/4 pounds), long (about 10-inches) eggplant, cut lengthwise into twelve 1/4-inch-thick slices
• 2 tablespoons plus additional extra-virgin olive oil
• 4 large garlic cloves, minced
• 1 carrot, peeled, cut into matchstick-size pieces
• 1 zucchini, cut into matchstick-size pieces
• 1 yellow bell pepper, seeded, thinly sliced
• 1-1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 tomato, seeded, thinly sliced
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 2 tablespoon minced fresh cilantro
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh mint
• Fresh cilantro and mint sprigs

Preparation

1. Line 2 large baking pans with paper towels. Sprinkle both sides of eggplant slices lightly with salt. Place eggplant on paper towels and let stand until salt draws out water, about 1 hour. Rinse off salt and pat sliced dry.
2. Preheat broiler or grill. Brush eggplant slices with olive oil. Grill or broil until just golden on both sides and tender, turning once, about 8 minutes. Cool.
3. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in heavy large skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and sauté until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add carrot and sauté until almost tender, about 2 minutes. Toss in zucchini, bell pepper and cumin and cook until vegetables are crisp-tender, about 5 minutes.
4. Remove from heat and stir in tomato, cilantro and mint. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Cool.
5. Place eggplant slices on work surface. Divide vegetable mixture among slices, placing vegetables at narrow end of eggplant slices. Roll up eggplant with colorful vegetables peaking out on each end.
6. Transfer to platter, seam side down. Cover with plastic wrap and chill. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead.) Garnish platter with cilantro and mint and serve.

  The fruits of summer are my favorites.  There is nothing better than a full flavored ripe heirloom tomato or the sweet goodness of a grilled Chinese eggplant.  This week we get to have them both!  The Ping Tung variety of eggplant that we grow has a sweet flavor and is not bitter like the larger varieties can be.  Our favorite way to cook these eggplants is to slice them  in half (lengthwise), brush a small amount of olive oil on them (if you use too much oil they will become soggy) and grill them- they are delicious!  While you are at it,throw some of the squash varieties on the grill as well.



Okra blooms

 

Ivy in the corn rows

  The okra blooms are beautifully displayed on each plant, the sugar baby melons are growing with speed and the sweet corn is growing tall.  Our second round of green beans are coming on without any pest problems... so far.  The sweet potato vines have branched out, there will certainly be plenty of sweet potatoes for the fall.  Our winter squash varieties are almost ready for harvesting and our summer varieties of squash are producing amazing amounts.



Ping Tung eggplant



This Week's CSA:             



Sugar Baby Melons

Ping Tung Eggplant

French Green Beans

Zucchini

Potatoes

Yellow Squash

Patty Pan Squash

Cucumbers

Cabbage

                           Heirloom Tomatoes
                           Basil 

 

 Recipes:

Cold Cucumber Soup

Ingredients
3 medium seedless cucumbers, peeled and chopped

3/4 cup(s) thinly sliced green onions

1 tablespoon(s) lemon juice

1 teaspoon(s) lemon zest

1 teaspoon(s) sea salt

1/2 teaspoon(s) freshly ground pepper

1 1/2 cup(s) vegetable broth

1/2 cup(s) sour cream

---

Directions

1. Place cucumbers, green onions, lemon juice, lemon zest, sea salt, pepper, and vegetable broth in a blender or food processor and puree.
2. Stir in sour cream and chill until very cold, about 1 hour.
3. Serve topped with additional chopped cucumber, green onion, and lemon zest.

Tomato Pie

Ingredients:

4 tomatoes, peeled and sliced                     

10 fresh basil leaves, chopped

1/2 cup chopped green onion

1 (9-inch) prebaked deep dish pie shell

1 cup grated mozzarella

1 cup grated cheddar

1 cup mayonnaise

Salt and pepper

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Place the tomatoes in a colander in the sink in 1 layer. Sprinkle with salt and allow to drain for 10 minutes.

Layer the tomato slices, basil, and onion in pie shell. Season with salt and pepper. Combine the grated cheeses and mayonnaise together. Spread mixture on top of the tomatoes and bake for 30 minutes or until lightly browned.

 



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).

     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.

 

Green Beans and Peppers

 This week we are busy trellising tomatoes to ensure that the plants grow tall and strong.  A few yellow pear tomatoes have ripened and the rest are soon to follow.  This week our green beans are ready to be harvested as well as some of the pepper varieties.
  Each week we attend the Sandy Springs farmers market, one of the things that we are most known for is our basil.   Each week the Basil must be cut several times to prevent flowering, so you get to reap the benefits...more basil.  I  cut the stems long so that you can use the basil as a table centerpiece, in case you don't use it all in your cooking.
  My favorite way to use a patty pan squash is to stuff it.  I am including an Italian style recipe this week to incorporate some of that wonderful basil.  I am also including our favorite potato recipe- it's simple and delicious!

 
This week's CSA:
Green Beans
Summer Squash (patty pan and yellow crooked neck)
Cabbage
Potatoes (red pontiac new potatoes)
Baby bell peppers
Basil
Jalapeno peppers

Recipes:

Patty Pan Squash Stuffed with Basil Orzo

2 Patty Pan squash

Olive oil

1 cup orzo, cooked and cooled

2 tbsp whole milk ricotta cheese

2 tbsp Romano cheese, grated

6 fresh basil leaves, chopped

¼ tsp sea salt

1/8 tsp black pepper

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Trim the stem off the squash to create a flat surface. Coat them in olive oil and place them stem side down in a baking dish. The bake time will vary greatly depending on the size of the Patty Pan. I had two, one smaller than the other. The smaller cooked in 30 minutes and the larger took 40 minutes. Insert a fork in the flesh to ensure that it is tender and remove from the oven. Set aside until cool enough to handle.

In a bowl mix together the orzo, cheeses, basil, salt and pepper. Set aside.

Using a small paring knife carefully cut the top off of each squash. Gently scrape out some of the seeds using a spoon to create a bowl to hold your filling. Scoop half of the filling into each squash. Return to the oven and bake 5 to 7 minutes longer until everything is heated through. Makes 2 side dish servings.

Roasted new potatoes:
Baby new potatoes
Fresh garlic
Onion
Olive oil
Salt and pepper
  Wash your baby potatoes ( if you find a potato that is much larger than the others cut in half), arrange on a baking sheet add Fresh garlic cloves,chopped onion, drizzle with olive oil, salt and pepper to taste.  Roast in oven at 400 degrees F for 15- 20 minutes, until golden brown.

Rain

  We finally got rain!  We have an irrigation system, however nothing is more effective than rainwater.  The tomatoes are filling out and more blooms are popping out each day.  The green beans are almost ready and the squash is getting hard to keep up with.

This week we are including peaches from Beech Creek Farm in Buchannan,GA.  Beech Creek Farm follows the same organic growing methods as our farm.

This weeks CSA:
Peaches
Savoy Cabbage
Winterbor Kale
Summer Squash
Potatoes

Recipes:

Kale & Potato Hash

Ingredients

• 8 cups torn kale leaves
• 2 tablespoons horseradish
• 1 medium shallot, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups cooked shredded potatoes
• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

Preparation

1.Place kale in a large microwave-safe bowl, cover and microwave until wilted, about 3 minutes. Drain, cool slightly, and finely chop.

2.Meanwhile, mix horseradish, shallot, pepper and salt in a large bowl. Add the chopped kale and potatoes; stir to combine.

 3.Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the kale mixture, spread into an even layer and cook, stirring every 3 to 4 minutes and returning the mixture to an even layer, until the potatoes begin to turn golden brown and crisp, 12 to 15 minutes total.

Summer Squash Casserole

Ingredients

6 yellow or pattypan summer squash

1 cup onions, chopped

1 clove garlic, minced

1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped

1/2 stick butter

2 slices white bread

1 medium bowl ice water

1 egg

Salt and pepper

1 cup cracker crumbs, or enough to cover casserole

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Peel and cut squash into cubes. Boil until tender, about 5 to 7 minutes, and drain. Brown onion, garlic, and parsley in 2 tablespoons butter seasoned with salt and pepper. Soak bread in ice water and wring out; chop fine. Add to onion and garlic mixture; cook, stirring, for 2 to 3 minutes. Add drained squash and cook 2 to 3 minutes more, stirring. Remove from heat. Beat egg and add, allowing it to absorb into the mixture. Season with salt and pepper, if needed.

Place in casserole dish or baking pan. Cover top with cracker crumbs and dot with remaining butter. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until the crumbs brown.

Cook's Note: You can refrigerate this dish for up to 2 days before baking, but you should add the bread crumb topping right before you bake.

In the shade

    I am sure that I don't have to tell anyone but... it is HOT!  The recent heatwave in Georgia has been scorching, ensuring this to be the last week for spring lettuce and broccoli .  We have put shade cloth over some of the tomatoes to help shield them from the direct sun. 
All of the summer crops seem to be doing well.  The summer squash are in full swing and tomatoes can be seen on most of the plants.  The next arrival will be green beans, we planted a stringless (snap bean) large variety and a smaller (french-style) green bean. 
This week we are planting sweet potatoes, melons, winter squash and we decided that you can never plant enough tomato plants, so we are adding 2 more varieties.



Yellow Pear Tomatoes



Kellog Tomatoes (orange variety)



Squash

Ivy in the squash plants

              

This weeks CSA share includes:

Summer Squash

Lettuce

Broccoli

Kale

Red Cabbage

Potatoes

Basil

Mint

Recipes

Sauteed Red Cabbage
Ingredients
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil                           
1 small onion, sliced
 1/2 red cabbage, shredded
1/3 cup apple cider vinegar or balsamic vinegar
2 rounded tablespoons sugar

Directions
Heat a skillet over medium high heat. Add oil and onion and saute 2 minutes. Add cabbage and turn in pan, sauteing it until it wilts, 3 to 5 minutes. Add vinegar to the pan and turn the cabbage in it. Sprinkle sugar over the cabbage and turn again. Season with mustard seed, salt and pepper and reduce heat a bit. Let cabbage continue to cook 10 minutes or until ready to serve, stirring occasionally.

Potato Salad with Herbs and Grilled Summer Squash
A cornichon is the French version of a gherkin. You'll find these small, tart pickles in gourmet grocery stores; otherwise, gherkins will work just fine. Or, if you have capers on hand, you may substitute 1 tablespoon drained capers for the pickles. Make up to two hours ahead.
Ingredients
Salad:
2 pounds small red potatoes
3/4 pound yellow squash, cut lengthwise into 1/2-inch slices
Cooking spray
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Dressing:
1/3 cup chopped fresh chives
3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
1 tablespoon chopped fresh tarragon
1/4 teaspoon grated lemon rind
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons water
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons finely chopped cornichons
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper



Directions

1. Preheat grill to medium-high heat.
2. To prepare salad, place potatoes in a large saucepan; cover with water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 18 minutes or until tender. Drain; cut potatoes into quarters, and place in a large bowl. Set aside.
3. Lightly coat squash with cooking spray. Sprinkle evenly with 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon pepper. Place squash on grill rack; grill 2 minutes on each side or until browned and tender. Remove squash from heat, and add to potatoes.
4. To prepare dressing, combine chives and remaining ingredients in a small bowl; stir with a whisk. Pour dressing over potato mixture, tossing gently to combine. Serve salad warm or chilled
.