2019 Week 14 Newsletter

Week 14  |  September 22-28, 2019    |    “B” Week

IN YOUR VEGGIE BOX THIS WEEK:

DRAGON TONGUE BEANS ~ Store these in the fridge in a Green Bag and use within a week. I like to trim the ends off and then steam them for 6 minutes, dunk in ice water bath, and serve with butter, salt and pepper.

MESCLUN MIX ~ store these greens in your fridge in a green bag for longer storage life. Wash just before use. Try to use these within the first 3 days.

RED “B” GRADE ONIONS (extra) ~ store these in your fridge. They will have soft spots that should be cut out before use. Use or freeze these onions within the week.

SWEET HUNGARIAN PEPPERS ~ Store these in the fridge in a plastic bag. Peppers can also be flash frozen. Just throw them in a Ziploc bag (whole or chopped) and freeze!

GREEN BELL PEPPERS ~ Store these in the fridge in a plastic bag. Peppers can also be flash frozen. Just throw them in a Ziploc bag (whole or chopped) and freeze!

ITALIAN FYING PEPPERS ~ Store these in the fridge in a plastic bag. Peppers can also be flash frozen. Just throw them in a Ziploc bag (whole or chopped) and freeze!

MINI SWEET SNACK SIZE PEPPERS ~ Store this in the fridge in a plastic bag. Peppers can also be flash frozen. Just throw them in a Ziploc bag (whole or chopped) and freeze! These are great snacking peppers for kid lunches.

LEEKS ~ store in the fridge in a plastic Green bag. Remove the green tops before cooking. The white part of the leek is great for soups and stews. You can also eat the green part! Chop them finely and add wherever you would add greens.

KOHLRABI ~ It’s BACK!! We love these bad boys. Store in a plastic bag in the fridge. Remove the skin before eating. You can roast, boil, bake, or just eat this raw.

ROMA TOMATOES (Extras) ~ store these on your counter top for best flavor.

GLOBE TOMATOES (extras) ~ store these on your counter top for best flavor.

HEIRLOOM TOMATOES (extras?) ~ store these on your counter top for best flavor.

CHERRY TOMATOES ~ store these in your fridge to keep them lasting longer. Before use, I like to bring them to room temperature.

EGGPLANT (extras) ~ These purple beauties will be on the extras table since not everyone likes these! There should be enough for those of you who like them! Store this in the fridge in a plastic bag. Peel the skin off before eating.

JALAPENOS (extras) ~ Store this in the fridge in a plastic bag. Peppers can also be flash frozen. Just throw them in a Ziploc bag (whole or chopped) and freeze!

Last week’s veggie box — it was so gorgeous. I didn’t make a newsletter last week, so there was no chance to post it!

 FRUIT SHARE

(runs through Week 16 of the CSA)

WATERMELON ~ These are coming from our parents at Bench Farms. Store these in the fridge once you cut them open. This will be the final melon of the season.

GLODEN SUPREME APPLES ~ From Quarry Hill Orchard in Berlin Heights. Put these in the fridge in a plastic bag and they’ll store for several weeks. They are a great eating apple.

APPLE CIDER (HALF GALLON) ~ From Quarry Hill Orchard. Store this in the fridge.

MADDIE & BELLA COFFEE:  Honduras Los Planes ~ milk chocolate, mild citrus, balanced

WEBER RANCH EGGS: It’s “B” week! Remember, because we doubled up on eggs a few weeks ago to catch up on our over-supply — we will be ending the egg share earlier than the rest of the CSA season. A and B members will finish up their eggs on Week 15 and 16. Weekly members get their final egg on Week 17.

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KURT’S FIELD NOTES ~ WEEK 14

Hey everyone!

Well we are BACK from our brief vacation to Portland, Oregon. I’m not gonna lie — it was a bear trying to get ready to leave the farm, and it was a LOOONG flight. (I slept the whole way). But it was so worth it to see my kids meet my niece and nephews for the first time. Family has always been one of the most important things to me, so even though it was an inconvenient time to trek across the country, I wanted to find a way to do it. Thanks for letting Corinna and me take some days off. The boys were able to touch the Pacific Ocean at Cannon Beach, and hike the Gorge east of Portland. They were surprised by all the trees, bike paths, and Uncle Sven’s hybrid vehicle (which Jed got to charge every day).

You may have heard that I had a birthday this week. Thanks for all the well wishes. I spent that day sorting lots of tomatoes and getting chef and CSA orders ready! LOL. I actually didn’t get home that night until around midnight. But Corinna made a nice birthday dinner the NEXT night, and I was finally able to enjoy my birthday cake — black walnut.

We also had a fantastic Farm to Table dinner the weekend before our big vacation. 100 guests. 4 chefs. The weather was perfect. The courses were superb. The final receipts are still coming in, but it looks like we’ll be able to donate $4150 — to be split between our 3 non-profit agencies: Food for Thought, Bistro 163, and Jewish Family Service. I want to thank Anita Levin and Nike Mendenhall — both CSA members — for their help organizing the dinner with Corinna.

As far as the field work goes... it’s TomatoPalooza out here now. Kind of ironic that everyone else’s tomatoes are coming to an end, and ours are just taking off. I loaded a wagon full of tomato hampers, three levels high today. So if you want some bulk globe tomatoes, please take them off our hands!

This is how many tomatoes we picked in ONE day. Lordy!

I bought more garlic seed this week, and it arrived Friday. Because we took a $6000 loss on garlic seed in the spring, I won’t be able to replace that all in one season. So I bought about $1000 in garlic seed and we’ll have to rebuild our garlic stock slowly again. I typically plant that in October around Corinna’s birthday. We also continued the long process of moving all our cured onions to cold storage in Columbus. Yes… I said Columbus. Since we lack the proper storage units here, I rent some space with our co-op at a cross-dock in Columbus. It’s meant a fair amount of driving and deliveries for me this year. I need to figure out a new solution next year — I’m driving in a truck too much.

Farmer Kurt is pretty protective of his garlic seed! Don’t try to eat ANY of it!

The crew continues to clean up the beds. We pulled off more poly. I have begun to “reshape” the beds for next year. That way, next April, I’ll have less to do to get things ready for planting. I’m also way behind on cover-cropping, so that’s a priority this week. I’m going to sow oats and hairy vetch. The idea behind cover cropping is that you want your soil to always have something for the microbiology to be working on. So even though the oats will “die back” in the winter, there are roots that my soil micro-organisms can be feeding off of all winter. That makes my soil stay alive, and come spring, I don’t need to do much to kickstart those soil helpers.

I lost one of our new crew members this week. Gabriel got a job at a construction crew and said farewell. We’ll miss him. Even though he was only here for a month, he had turned into a valuable asset. Keeping a consistent crew is one of the biggest challenges farmers face nation-wide. It affects us too.

1. The Flashlight Pumpkin Hunt and Campfire Farm Day is coming soon! October 5th is the big day from 8-9:15 PM. This is a really kid-friendly event. We hide 12 winter squashes around our garden (outside the house), and they’re marked with a reflective tape. Kids have to use their flashlights to spot them and then mark a scorecard with the number on the tape. We start the hunt around 8:15 PM, and we have smores and donuts for the kiddoes afterwards. BYO flashlight, camp chairs and spears for grilling the marshmallows. We provide the smores and the cider. Please RSVP here if you plan to come.
2. Sign up for next year’s CSA will begin on October 13th. In a few weeks, we’ll begin to unveil the special “early bird” offer to our current CSA members and Sampler members. This special offer will only be available for 2 weeks. We’re also adding a new item to our product suite, which I’m SO excited about! But I don’t want to break the news until we finalize details. So stay tuned! We’ll unveil the details in couple weeks.
3. NOW TAKING ORDERS FOR FALL BOOSTER VEGGIE BOXES $30 — This will be taking the place of our “Thanksgiving Share” concept and will likely include many staples like onions, sweet potatoes, winter squash, and fall storage crops. Read the week 11 newsletter for details on what this product is, when you get one, and how you can reserve one. We have a limited supply so don’t delay!
4. ONLINE STORE ORDERS: KALE, ROMA OR GLOBE TOMATOES, ONIONS ~ Pre-order your bulk items in our online store now and we’ll make sure we reserve one for you when they are ready (sometime in the next few weeks…)

Pictures of our Field to Table dinner on Sept. 8th. Many thanks to all the chefs and farmers who donated their products and services to make this happen.

Hungarian Cheese-Stuffed Wax Peppers

Adapted from The Spruce Eats (www.thespruceeats.com)

Total Time  ~1 hour

Serves 3

This is a great appetizer or side dish!

Ingredients: 

12 Hungarian wax peppers

1 pound ricotta (or farmer’s cheese)

½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

2 large eggs (beaten)

1 tsp salt

1 tsp chopped fresh parsley

2 cloves garlic (minced)

1 Tbs oil

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 F. Line a baking pan with foil and lightly coat with cooking spray.

Cut off tops of peppers and reserve. Remove seeds and pith and set peppers aside.

In a food processor, blend the dry curd cheese until smooth. Add Parmesan cheese, eggs, salt, parsley, and garlic.

Mix until well combined, being careful not to overmix. 
Divide cheese mixture evenly between peppers, pushing it in to fill the entire pepper.

Replace the tops and place peppers in a single layer on the greased pan.

Sprinkle with oil and bake for 35 to 45 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and bubbly. Enjoy hot!

Coriander and Curry Roasted Kohlrabi and Beans

Adapted from Loam Agronomics (www.loamagronomics.com)

This calls for green beans but you can sub in your dragon tongue beans! This recipe makes a lot so don’t be afraid to scale back unless you’re feeding a group of people.

Ingredients: 

2–3 Kohlrabi

2 small potatoes (optional)

2–3 handful fresh green beans

½ tsp turmeric

1–2 Tbs fresh green coriander (substitute 1 tsp dry whole seeds or ½ tsp dry powder)

½ tsp chili powder, more to your taste

½ tsp garam masala or curry powder, more to your taste

2–3 Tbs ghee

3–4 cloves garlic

½ red onion

Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Ensure all the roasting vegetables are washed and dried. Mince the garlic and finely chop the red onion. Hand break the beans into 3 segments. Cube potatoes and unpeeled Kohlrabi (you may add leaves or save for another dish!).

Add all chopped and prepared vegetables to a roasting pan or Pyrex dish. Toss with ghee and spices and green coriander.

Roast in preheated over for about 30-35 minutes at 375 F or until potatoes are cooked through. You may toss all the vegetables at half way point.

Top with cilantro! Serve hot as a side!

Mesclun Salad

Adapted from Epicurious (www.epicurious.com)

Total time ~15 minutes

Serves 4

Enjoy these flavorful greens with homemade dressings!

Ingredients:

1 Tbs fresh lemon juice

½ tsp Dijon mustard

¼ tsp sugar

2 Tbs EVOO

5 ounces mesclun mix (8 cups)

Directions: 

Whisk together lemon juice, mustard, sugar, and ½ teaspoon salt in a large bowl until salt and sugar are dissolved, then add oil in a slow stream, whisking until emulsified.

Add greens to dressing and toss to coat. Serve immediately.

Mesclun Salad with Goat Cheese & Maple Glazed Pecans

Adapted from Rachel Ray (www.rachelraymag.com)

Serves 4

This is the most sweet and savory salad you’ll find, and one to impress your guests!

Ingredients:

For the Pecans-

1 cup (4 ounces) pecan halves

2 Tbs real maple syrup

Pinch salt

For the Dressing-

1 small garlic clove, minced

1 Tbs finely chopped shallots

¼ tsp salt

¼ tsp black pepper

1-1/2 Tbs real maple syrup

2 tsp Dijon mustard

2 Tbs red wine vinegar

6 Tbs oil

For the Salad-

10 cups mesclun greens

3 ounces goat cheese (or blue cheese), crumbled

Directions: 

For the Pecans-

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Lightly oil or line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. In a small bowl, combine the pecans and maple syrup and toss gently to combine. Spread the pecans in a single layer on one of the prepared baking sheets.

Roast in the preheated oven, stirring once, until the syrup is bubbling vigorously, about 5 minutes. Immediately scrape the glazed pecans onto the other prepared baking sheet, spreading them in a single layer. Sprinkle with a pinch of salt and set aside to cool.

For the Dressing-

In a small bowl, whisk together the garlic, shallots, salt, pepper, maple syrup, mustard and vinegar. Whisking constantly, slowly add the oil in a steady stream. (Alternatively, add all your ingredients to a jar, cover with lid, and shake vigorously to blend.) Set aside.

For the Salad-

Place the greens in a large bowl, drizzle with about half of the vinaigrette and toss to combine. Add as much of the remaining vinaigrette as desired and toss again. Divide among individual plates, sprinkle with the cheese and reserved pecans and serve immediately.

Garlic Roasted Cherry Tomatoes 

Adapted from The Novice Chef Blog (www.thenovicechefblog.com)

Total time ~30 minutes

Try these easy roasted gems for a different spin on those cherry tomatoes! Eat immediately standing over the sink with a kitchen fork…or on top of your favorite pasta, pizza, or even grilled chicken breasts!

Ingredients: 

2 (10 oz) containers cherry tomatoes, halved

6 garlic cloves, minced

2 T EVOO

1 tsp kosher salt

2 tsp fresh cracked black pepper

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375°F.

In a medium bowl, toss together tomatoes, garlic, olive oil, salt and pepper. Transfer to a baking sheet and spread into an even layer.

Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until tomatoes are soft and very fragrant.

A Great Exit Strategy for Peppers

How to Preserve Roasted Peppers in Oil from Shared Legacy Farms on Vimeo.

Zucchini Crust Pizza

Adapted from Taste of Home (www.tasteofhome.com)

Total Time ~45 minutes

Makes 6 slices

This is SO good! Try adding all your favorite toppings!

Ingredients: 

2 cups shredded zucchini (1 to 1-1/2 medium), squeezed dry

½ cup egg substitute or 2 large eggs, lightly beaten

¼ cup all-purpose flour

1/4 tsp salt

2 cups shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese, divided

½ cup grated Parmesan cheese, divided

2 small tomatoes, halved and sliced

½ cup chopped red onion

½ cup julienned bell pepper

1 tsp dried oregano

½ tsp dried basil

Chopped fresh basil, optional

Directions:

Preheat oven to 450°. In a large bowl, combine first 4 ingredients; stir in 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese and 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese. Transfer to a 12-in. pizza pan coated generously with cooking spray; spread to an 11-inch circle.

Bake until golden brown, 13-16 minutes. Reduce oven setting to 400°. Sprinkle with remaining mozzarella cheese; top with tomatoes, onion, pepper, herbs and remaining Parmesan cheese.

Bake until edges are golden brown and cheese is melted, 10-15 minutes. Sprinkle with chopped fresh basil, if desired.

Linguine with Spicy Leek and Tomato Sauce

Adapted from Epicurious (www.epicurious.com)

Total Time ~25 minutes

Serves 4 (small servings)

Super simple and super delicious, a great way to enjoy those leeks and tomatoes!

Ingredients: 

¼ cup EVOO

2 garlic cloves, chopped

½ tsp dried crushed red pepper

½ tsp fennel seeds

2 medium leeks (white and pale green parts only), split lengthwise, sliced crosswise

1 ¼ pounds plum tomatoes, diced

½ cup dry white wine

1 Tbs white wine vinegar

12 ounces linguine

1 ¾ cups freshly grated Parmesan cheese, divided

Directions:

Heat oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add next 3 ingredients; sauté 1 minute. Add leeks; sauté until beginning to soften, about 4 minutes. Add diced tomatoes; stir 1 minute. Add wine and vinegar; bring to boil. Cover and cook until tomatoes break down, stirring often, about 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, cook pasta in large pot of boiling salted water until tender but still firm to bite. Drain, reserving 1 1/4 cups pasta cooking liquid.

Add pasta, 1/2 cup reserved pasta liquid, and 3/4 cup cheese to sauce in skillet. Toss over medium-high heat until sauce coats pasta, adding more liquid by 1/4 cupfuls if dry. Season with salt and pepper. Serve, passing 1 cup cheese separately.

Roasted Red Pepper Salad with Anchovy White Beans

Adapted from Martha Stewart (www.marthastewart.com)

Total Time ~ 1 hour

Serves 4

White beans are perfect for this recipe but you can sub in any you have! You could also use some meslun mix as your spicy greens!

Ingredients: 

4 small red bell peppers

Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper

2 anchovy fillets packed in olive oil, minced

1 clove garlic, minced

2 tsp sherry vinegar

3 Tbs EVOO

¼ cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

1 can (15 ounces) small white beans, drained and rinsed

¼ ounce Parmesan cheese, grated (2 Tbs)

1 cup packed spicy baby greens, such as watercress or arugula

Directions:

Char bell peppers over the flames of a gas burner, turning with tongs until blackened and blistered, about 10 minutes. (Alternatively, broil them 2 or 3 inches from heat source.) Transfer peppers to a bowl, cover with a plate, and let stand until cool.

Scrape off skins with a paring knife and wipe flesh clean with a paper towel. Keeping stems intact, cut peppers in half lengthwise, then remove and discard seeds. Arrange on a platter and season with salt and pepper.

Whisk together anchovies, garlic, vinegar, oil, and parsley in a medium bowl. Add beans and toss to coat. Season with salt and pepper. Spoon over peppers and top with Parmesan and greens.

Spanish Tortilla with Bell Pepper 

Adapted from Martha Stewart (www.marthastewart.com)

Total Time ~45 minutes

Serves 4

Ingredients: 

1 Tbs EVOO, plus more for serving

1 pound Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and sliced inch thick

1 red bell pepper (ribs and seeds removed), thinly sliced

1 medium onion, halved and thinly sliced

Coarse salt and ground pepper

8 large eggs

¼ cup chopped fresh parsley, plus more for garnish

½ tsp hot sauce

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a medium ovenproof nonstick skillet, heat oil over medium. Add potatoes, bell pepper, and onion; season with salt and pepper (skillet will be very full). Cover, and cook, stirring occasionally, until potatoes are crisp-tender, 14 to 16 minutes. Uncover, and cook off excess liquid, 1 to 2 minutes.

In a bowl, whisk together eggs, parsley, hot sauce, ½ teaspoon salt, and teaspoon pepper. Pour egg mixture over vegetables in skillet, and stir to distribute evenly. With the back of a spatula, press down on vegetables so they lay flat and are submerged.

Bake until tortilla is set, 12 to 16 minutes. To unmold, run a rubber spatula around edge of skillet to release tortilla; invert onto a serving plate. Drizzle tortilla with oil; garnish with parsley.

Kohlrabi and Root Vegetable Hash

Adapted from Bonnie Plants (www.bonnieplants.com)

Serves 4

You could add in so many veggies to this hash! Throw in some peppers and leeks!

Ingredients: 

3 slices bacon, chopped

3 cloves garlic, chopped

1 small red onion, chopped

3 small or 1 large kohlrabi bulb(s), diced

1 small or medium sweet potato, diced

1 large parsnip, diced

2 tbsp fresh rosemary, finely chopped

1 tsp kosher salt

4 eggs

Loaf of good bread

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 F.

In a cast iron or oven-proof skillet over medium heat, begin cooking the bacon. Stir occasionally and cook for 5 minutes. Add garlic and onions, cooking for an additional 5 minutes and stirring frequently. To the mix, add the kohlrabi, sweet potatoes, parsnips, and rosemary. Stir to combine and spread evenly in the pan.

Reduce heat to medium low. Let root veggies cook for 5 minutes, undisturbed. Stir thoroughly, spread evenly again and cook for another 5 minutes. Repeat two more times. Turn off the heat and mix in the salt.

Using a small spoon, make four wells just large enough for an egg to fit in each one. Be sure to leave enough room between each well so that the eggs will not touch. Crack an egg into each well. Carefully cover the pan with foil and place in the oven. Cook for 5 minutes.

Remove the foil and cook for an additional 5 minutes. Remove the skillet from the oven and serve immediately with crusty buttered bread.

Dragon Tongue Beans with Caramelized Onions and Peppers

Adapted from Soil Born (www.soilborn.org)

You’ve got almost all of this in your box!

Ingredients: 

1 Tbs EVOO
2 Tbs unsalted butter
½ medium onion, thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
½ jalapeno, minced
1 cup mixed peppers, seeded and chopped
½ pound Dragon Tongue beans, trimmed and cut diagonally into 1-inch pieces
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Heat oil and butter in a large cast iron skillet. Add onions and saute about 5 minute, slightly caramelizing.

Add the garlic, jalapeno and peppers and cook for about 3 minutes.

Add the beans and cook until just tender, about 3 to 5 minutes. Try not to overcook or the beans will lose their unique color.

Season with salt and pepper and serve.

Hungarian Tomato-Pepper Stew (Lecso)

Adapted from The Spruce (www.thespruce.com)

Total Time ~60 minutes

Serves 4-6

I love this simple recipe, it’s loaded with flavor!

Ingredients:

2 Tbs bacon grease, or oil

1 onion medium, sliced thinly

1 pound banana (Hungarian wax, Italian or green bell peppers, cut into 1/4-inch strips)

3 tomatoes, large very ripe, peeled and chopped

1 ½ tsp sugar

1 ½ tsp salt, less if using sausage

1 Tbs hungarian paprika (sweet)

Directions:

In a large skillet, sauté the onion in bacon fat or oil over low heat for 5 minutes.

Add pepper strips and cook another 15 minutes.

Add tomatoes, sugar, salt, and paprika and cook for another 25 to 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until mixture resembles chunky tomato sauce.

Eggplant, Potato and Pepper Casserole 

Adapted from Epicurious (www.epicurious.com)

Serves 8

A great main dish or side, use this as a way to grab some more eggplant from the extras table this week.

Ingredients: 

2 1 1/4-pound eggplants, thinly sliced crosswise

1 ½ Tbs EVOO

1 large onion, chopped

5 large garlic cloves, chopped

1 28-ounce can Italian-style tomatoes

2 large fresh thyme sprigs

olive oil (for frying)

3 pounds russet potatoes, peeled, thinly sliced

3 green bell peppers, cored, thinly sliced

5 Tbs minced fresh thyme

Directions:

Place eggplant slices on 2 baking sheets. Lightly salt eggplant on both sides. Let stand 1 hour. Using paper towels, pat eggplant dry, wiping off salt.

Heat 1 1/2 tablespoons oil in large skillet over medium heat. Add onion and garlic, sauté until golden, about 10 minutes. Add tomatoes with their juices and thyme sprigs; bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer until mixture is reduced to 2 1/2 cups, breaking up tomatoes with back of spoon, about 20 minutes. Season sauce with salt and pepper. Discard thyme sprigs.

Preheat oven to 350°F. Add oil to 2 large skillets to depth of 1/4 inch. Heat over medium-high heat. Working in batches, add eggplant to skillets and cook until golden, adding more oil to skillets as necessary, about 5 minutes per side.

Transfer to paper towels and drain. Working in batches, add potatoes to skillets, cook until golden, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer potatoes to paper towels. Add green peppers to same skillet; sauté until almost tender, about 5 minutes. Transfer to paper towels.

Layer half of eggplant in 15x10x2-inch glass baking dish. Sprinkle with 1 tablespoon thyme. Spoon 1/2 cup sauce over. Top with half of potatoes. Season with salt and pepper. Top with 1 tablespoon thyme. Spoon 1/2 cup sauce over.

Place all pepper slices over. Season with salt and pepper. Top with 1 tablespoon thyme. Spoon 1/2 cup sauce over. Top with remaining eggplant. Top with 1 tablespoon thyme. Spoon 1/2 cup sauce over. Top with remaining potatoes. Season with salt and pepper. Top with 1 tablespoon thyme and 1/2 cup sauce.

Bake uncovered until vegetables are tender, about 40 minutes. Let stand 15 minutes before serving.

Charred Tomatoes with Fried Eggs on Garlic Toast

Adapted from Martha Stewart (www.marthastewart.com)

Total Time ~15 minutes

Serves 4

You could definitely adjust this recipe pending how

Ingredients: 

4 slices rustic bread, toasted

1 clove garlic, peeled

1 Tba EVOO, plus more for brushing

4 large eggs

Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper

4 small tomatoes, such as cocktail or Campari, halved

Directions:

Rub toasted bread with garlic and brush with oil. Heat oil in a large, heavy skillet (preferably cast-iron) over medium heat. Crack eggs into skillet and cook, undisturbed, until whites are set, 2 to 3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and transfer to a plate.

Increase heat to medium-high. Brush cut sides of tomatoes with oil. Sear, cut sides down and undisturbed, until charred, 3 to 4 minutes. Transfer 2 tomato halves to each piece of toast with a spatula and lightly mash. Season with salt and pepper and top with fried eggs.

Pan-Fried Peppers with Lemon, Garlic and Sea Salt 

Adapted from Bon Appetit (www.bonappetit.com)

Total time ~10 minutes

Simple. Easy and delicious. These usually are the super stars!

Ingredients: 

¼ cup oil

8 ounces fresh shishito peppers,* left whole with stems and seeds intact, or other green chiles (such as Padrón)

¼ tsp coarse sea salt plus additional for serving

2 large garlic cloves, thinly sliced

2 tsp fresh lemon juice

Directions:

Heat heavy large skillet over high heat. Add vegetable oil and swirl skillet to coat. Heat until oil is very hot and begins to shimmer, about 1 minute.

Add whole chiles and 1/4 teaspoon coarse sea salt; stir constantly until chiles are blistered over half their surface, occasionally shaking skillet, about 2 minutes.

Add thinly sliced garlic and continue to stir constantly until chiles are blistered all over, about 2 minutes longer (some chiles will be soft and some will be slightly firm, depending on size). Transfer chiles to paper towels to drain briefly, then place chiles in medium serving bowl.

Add 2 teaspoons lemon juice; sprinkle generously with additional coarse sea salt and toss to coat.

Serve immediately.

Watermelon Kohlrabi Salad

Adapted from Whole Food Republic (www.wholefoodrepublic.com)

Total time ~15 minutes

Serves 4

This comes as a recommendation from a fellow CSA member! Christina shared this last week, I cant wait to try it when its too hot to cook.

Ingredients: 

Approx. 1,3 kg piece seedless watermelon, rind removed, cubed into bite size pieces

1 small kohlrabi, peeled, cubed into bite size pieces

1 fresh red chile, thinly sliced (remove seeds and membranes if you prefer no spiciness)

1-2 green onions (white and light green parts only), thinly sliced on a diagonal

A small bunch coarsely chopped cilantro

1 Tbs freshly chopped mint

Freshly squeezed juice of 1 1/2 limes

coarse sea salt

Directions:

In a large bowl, combine the watermelon, kohlrabi, fresh chili, green onions and herbs.

Drizzle with the fresh lime juice, season with a little salt and toss to coat. Serve and enjoy!

Minty Watermelon Cucumber Salad

Adapted from Taste of Home (www.tasteofhome.com)

Total time ~20 minutes

Love this way to enjoy both seasonal items! Some of us are swimming in mint in our gardens, this is another great use!

Ingredients: 

8 cups cubed seedless watermelon

2 English cucumbers, halved lengthwise and sliced

6 green onions, chopped

¼ cup minced fresh mint

¼ cup balsamic vinegar

¼ cup olive oil

½ tsp salt

½ tsp pepper

Directions:

In a large bowl, combine watermelon, cucumbers, green onions and mint. In a small bowl, whisk remaining ingredients.

Pour over salad and toss to coat. Serve immediately or refrigerate, covered, up to 2 hours before serving.

Apple Cinnamon Overnight Oats

Adapted from Jessica in the Kitchen (www.jessicainthekitchen.com)

Total Time 5 minutes

Serves 1

Overnight oats and flavoring my plain greek yogurt have been my go to way to enjoy my fruit share this summer! Makes several at one time to get you through the week!

Ingredients: 

½ cup milk of choice

½ cup old fashioned oats

2 tsp maple syrup (if you want it sweet)

1 chopped apple

1 tsp ground cinnamon

Directions:

Mix all the ingredients in a jar. Stir to combine and cover.

Place in the fridge overnight.

The next morning, remove and eat in the jar or place in a pot over medium high heat to reheat the oatmeal, or in the microwave to reheat if a microwave safe jar for about 45 seconds. Top with fresh apples and more Cinnamon if desired.

Creamy Potato Salad with Lemon and Fresh Herbs 

Adapted from Gimme Some Oven (www.gimmesomeoven.com)

Okay this is officially the most “fall” recipe ever!

Ingredients: 

1 large onion, peeled and cut into eighths
1 large lemon, sliced into thin rounds
2 cups apple cider, homemade or store bought
2 Tbs olive oil
4 sprigs fresh thyme, plus more for garnish
2 Tbs apple cider vinegar
2 tsp Dijon mustard
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 bay leaves
½ tsp salt
½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
6-8 chicken legs or thighs
2 large apples, each sliced into eighths
1 lb small, red or Yukon Gold potatoes, halved

Directions:

Place a gallon size heavy-duty zip-top bag into a large bowl. Place the onion and next 10 ingredients into the zip-top bag, combining well. Add the chicken to the marinade. Close the bag, place in the refrigerator to marinate for at least 4 hours or up to 24 hours.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Arrange the chicken pieces in a large roasting pan skin-side up. Pour all of the marinade, including onions and lemons over and around the pieces. Tuck the apples and potatoes around the chicken. Cook for 1 hour and 15 minutes, stirring once halfway through to re-coat everything with the marinade.

Arrange chicken and potatoes on a platter and sprinkle with fresh thyme leaves.