CSA share week 8/27 - Bountiful - Post Hurricane Harvest Spared and a Busy Week of Cooking Ahead!

With Hurricane Irene passing over the region last weekend there was a great deal of concern about crop failure at our CSA farm. Thank goodness most of the crops were spared. We enjoyed the beautiful weather while picking beans, hush cherries, cherry tomatoes, and raspberries. It seemed hard to believe that only a few days ago we were having torrential rainfall and 70 mph wind gusts. The crickets and birds were chattering away and my son was running through the tall grass trying to catch a glimpse of the chorus. I wish I'd had my camera with me to capture my daughter sitting in the husk cherries carefully harvesting her own shack with a big juicy grin. Some moments truly are priceless.

Today's share was huge and there were "leftovers" from the pick up held in the pre-hurricane rains!

• 1 cantaloupe
• 1 black eggplant
• 1 summer squash
• 4 lbs heirloom tomatoes
• 2.5 lbs modern tomatoes
• 1/2 lb tomatillos
• 1 cucumber
• 2 yellow peppers
• 4 green peppers
• 6 ethnic sweet peppers
• hot peppers
• okra
• 3.5 lbs Macintosh apples (fruit share was purchased separately)
• 2 quarts cherry tomatoes
• 2 quarts yellow beans
• 1 pint husk (aka ground) cherries
• 1/2 pint raspberries

Last week I made hush cherry preserves. I followed a recipe for gooseberry preserves, to which they are often compared. It is pretty tasty!  I think I may do the same this week, along with some pepper jelly and some roasted peppers.

I also made four loaves of gluten free vegan zucchini chocolate chip bread. This is the BEST recipe for gluten free and vegan bread I have ever made. There is something magical about the combination of coconut oil and applesauce as a replacement for eggs in baking. It acts as a binder as well imparting moisture that withstands the freezing process. I simply replaced the banana with shredded zucchini and it worked beautifully. This has been a hit with the entire family. I still have some zucchini left, so I'll be making more bread tomorrow.

I'm planning on making more roasted tomatillo salsa and a huge batch of marinara for canning. (I purchased 20 pounds of "seconds" tomatoes from the local farm stand. They are not organic but I do know that the family practices integrated pest management. I feel confident in adding them to the mix and supporting a very local farm. Their beautiful farm is less than three miles from my home!) I volunteered my husband to make another big batch of eggplant "Farmer John" with the two eggplants we now have. Last but not least, a batch of applesauce with the apples! A busy week of cooking ahead. Busy, but delicious and well-worth the effort.

Vegan and Gluten Free Southern-Style Fried Okra

I arrived home last week with about a pound of fresh organic okra and one idea on my mind: fried okra. My Grandma Mina made some amazing Southern food. One time I was blessed with her deep fried okra. I still dream about it. Since she has passed and I'm sure that her version was not vegan or gluten free, I set about seeking guidance on the matter.

I referenced this recipe for fried okra and read through the comments, many of which were very helpful.

The recipe calls for the use of eggs in order to bind the corn meal coating. Knowing the properties of okra, namely that it generates a slime when left to sit for a few minutes after cutting, I decided to rely on this to bind the coating. Additionally, it is well known that the secret to fried chicken is the soaking of it in buttermilk. I improvised by soaking the okra in coconut kefir for about 15 minutes. (NOTE: You can purchase coconut kefir at Whole Foods and many health food stores. You can also make your own using a kefir starter or milk kefir crystals. I've linked to the two with which I have experienced success.)

I chose to go half and half gluten free all-purpose flour and corn meal to reduce the grittiness of the coating.

I ended up not deep frying them. I tried one batch in coconut oil and one in grapeseed oil. The coconut oil imparted a rich flavor, but it was difficult to fry as it has a lower smoking point. I ended up with a lot of smoke! The grapeseed oil was better fro frying but didn't have as rich flavor.

These were delicious! I saved the leftovers and put it under the broiler the next morning and it reheated wonderfully. It was a tasty compliment to our breakfast tacos.

Enjoy! Let me know what you do with the recipe!

Blackberry Mint Coconut Ice Cream

Thanks to Hannah Kaminsky and VegNews from August 2011 issue! I used blackberries in place of raspberries. The mint added a flavorful green tea-like note to this unique ice cream. You may be tempted to skip this step. Don't! Full-fat canned coconut milk really gives this vegan ice cream a luxuriously creamy texture. Enjoy with a brownie!

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup fresh mint, chopped
• 1 cup non-dairy milk (higher fat content yield more creamy texture)
• 12 ounces blackberries, fresh or frozen and thawed
• 1 cup light agave

In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine the mint and non-dairy milk. Scald the mixture by bringing it to th180 degrees and then shut off heat. Cover, and allow the mint to infuse for at least 15 minutes. Strain and discard the leaves.

Once the milk has cooled, combine with berries in a blender or food processor. Puree until smooth and then strain to remove seeds and pulp. Stir in the agave and then chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours.

Pour the ice cream base into the ice cream maker and follow manufacturer instructions. Enjoy immediately as a soft serve ice cream. For a more firm ice cream, place into air-tight container in the freezer for at least 3 hours. Will keep for up to 3 months.

Let me know how this works for you. I would love your feedback.

CSA share 8/23 - Holy Tomatoes!

Last week the share expanded and it did again this week.

• 1 black beauty eggplant
• 2 zucchini
• 5 lbs Heirloom tomatoes
• 5.5 lbs Modern tomatoes
• 1 Napa cabbage
• 1 lb tomatillos
• 2 cucumbers
• 2 green peppers
• 1 white pepper
• 3 sweet ethnic peppers
• 1 large bunch basil
• salad greens
• okra
• 2 quarts cherry tomatoes
• 1 pint ground cherries
• 1/2 pint raspberries

So far - 1.5 gallons salsa, fries okra, and luscious sliced tomatoes with olive oil, pepper, and salt.  Mmmmmmm.......... Coming up is more marinara sauce, zucchini bread, leafy salads, and more salsa! I have now established success with my pressure canner so let the fun begin!

New to Tomatillos? Easy Roasted Salsa!

At the CSA farm share pick up yesterday there was a bin of tomatillos "for the taking." I was intrigued. They were a beautiful shade of green. I'd seen them in the grocery store on occasion but had never prepared them myself. I took one pound home with me and set out to find an easy recipe for tomatillo preparation initiation.

I found one called Tomatillo Salsa Verde. I thought this one would be a good one to try as I have delighted in this style of salsa in the past, so I'd know by taste if I was off the mark. This recipe was simple, easy to prepare, and delicious. The key was roasting the tomatillos first, getting the skins to be brown. The carmelization imparted a mellow tone to the salsa, which I have experienced at times as being too acidic. A tasty experiment I look forward to duplicating. I thought I'd have some of this salsa to freeze, but given it's popularity in our family at lunchtime, we will be lucky to have any left tomorrow!

Enjoy!

CSA share week 8/9/11 - The Motherload and recovering from last week

Last week, coming off of four days with my husband away while in the midst of my son's week-long creative arts day camp, I was ill prepared to take on food preparation. A rookie mistake. I will remember next year that once August has arrived, all focus and time must be made available for two or three days of food processing.

Nonetheless, once my husband arrived home he was a wonderful help to get things taken care of. We got 12 servings of lentil curry (using the summer squash, zucchini, Asian eggplant) and no less than 20 servings of eggplant "Farmer John" (breaded eggplant without the Parmesan cheese and named in honor of our CSA's intrepid agrarian) prepped and into the freezer. We also experimented with making zucchini-sweet potato fritters. A yummy success made yummier with maple syrup in which to dip them.

This week, the tomatoes have arrived. I don't know if this is the peak. Judging by the number of green cherry tomatoes still on the plants, I think the peak will be next week or the week afterward. I did make the season's first batch of gazpacho. A bit too spicy to eat with ease for me. But tasty and enjoyable with a large glass on limeade on hand.

This week's share includes the following:

• 1 large black eggplant
• 4 summer squash
• 1 zucchini
• 1.5 lbs heirloom tomatoes
• 2.5 lbs "modern" tomatoes
• 1/2 lb arugula
• 1/2 lb mixed salad greens
• 1 Asian eggplant
• 2 green bell peppers
• 1 cucumber
• 1 bunch basil
• 2 heads lettuce
• tomatillos
• PYO 1 quart cherry tomatoes
• PYO unlimited flowers

The food processing plan for this week includes baba ghanooj, tomatillo salsa, banana zucchini bread with chocolate chips, masaman curry, and lots of green smoothies. We plan to enjoy this week's arugula wilted as a bed for this week's fish share catch-of-the-day fillets and short grain brown rice. Bon appetit!