July 5th, 2022
What’s in this Week’s VEGGIE BOX: Carrots, Zucchini, Basil, Potatoes, Kale or Chard, Peaches and cabbage
Bread this week: Whole Wheat OR French Baguette your choice of one
Special Orders
Suncrest Peaches 1 Layer flat (10-12#)
#1 ~ $34.00 #2 ~ $29.00
Please let me know by Friday at 5PM for a Tuesday July 12th delivery
This week on the farm
Happy July! And what a temperate week we are having, high of 83 in Capay today seems unreal. For the last couple days I have had to put a flannel on in the mornings as the brisk air greets me out my door. And today, the sun rose into a nearly fully overcast sky- what a gift! Eric is with CalFire out at the Rices Fire in Grass Valley, and I keep hoping these clouds might bring them a little sprinkling of rain or morning dew to finish putting it out so he can head on home.
Yesterday my dad and I spent the afternoon planting. We seeded our last planting of zucchini, cucumbers, watermelons (!!), green beans, butternut squash, delicata squash, onions, leeks, and flowers. We seeded into some fairly crooked beds I had made for us, as yet another branch of tractor work I am attempting to learn, but we got the job done 10 days earlier than planned! Coming from a farm whose mantra is “something something-boy are we late” it feels really great to have that done ahead of schedule. It may not seem like much time, but as we have passed the solstice and the days are beginning to be a fraction shorter, and the sun is starting to sink just a smidge lower in the sky, those 10 extra days in the ground with a teensy bit more light for a few more minutes means a lot. It means our Butternut and delicata will have more time to size up, and our watermelons should be fat and juicy for your Labor Day BBQs. It means our third patch of zucchini and cucumbers will come before the moist September mornings being the decline of our last summer crops. Those 10 days will make a big difference.
I enjoy making space for these moments, cool morning in the flowers, planting 32 beds for fall with my dad, because soon enough it will be 103 again, and we will have some emergency with the potatoes, or another water line will break, or a Van, and life won’t feel quite so blessed. So I am soaking in this cool weather, or absolutely stunning peach harvest, the timely planting, the beautiful tomato plants that are inching up the stakes. The first few Eggplant coming in, the fresh garlic the bounty of summer is beginning and we are enjoying it in 85 degree weather – what a gift.
May your week be cool and full of summer goodies! Have a great week~Ali
Ginger steak stir-fry with steamed cabbage, zucchini, and carrot
Source:healthbasket
10 ounces top sirloin steak strips
1 wedge organic green or other cabbage (about 7 ounces)
1 organic zucchini or yellow squash
1 organic carrot
1 or 2 cloves organic peeled fresh garlic
Your choice of protein
6 organic scallions
Two 1-inch pieces organic fresh ginger
Sunbasket stir-fry blend (fish sauce - sherry vinegar - toasted sesame oil)
Prep and steam the vegetables Cut away any core from the cabbage; cut the cabbage into 2-inch pieces. Cut the zucchini in half lengthwise, then crosswise into ¼-inch-thick half-moons.
Scrub or peel the carrot and trim the ends; cut the carrot on the diagonal into ¼-inch-thick slices. Finely chop, press, or grate enough garlic to measure 1 teaspoon (2 tsp). In a large sauce pot, bring 1 inch of water to a simmer. Add the cabbage, zucchini, carrot, and garlic, season lightly with salt and pepper, and stir to combine. Cover and cook until the vegetables are tender, 4 to 5 minutes. Drain the vegetables, then return to the pot and season to taste with salt and pepper. Cover and keep warm. While the vegetables are steaming, prepare the stir-fry.
Prep and cook your protein Steak, chicken, or pork strips: Cut a small corner from the packaging and drain off any excess liquid. Transfer the meat to a plate; pat dry with a paper towel. Season lightly with salt and pepper. In a wok or large frying pan over medium-high heat, warm 1 tablespoon oil until hot but not smoking. Add your protein and cook, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned and cooked through, 2 to 4 minutes for regular shrimp; 4 to 6 minutes for jumbo shrimp, scallops, steak, or pork; and 6 to 8 minutes for chicken. Transfer to a plate. Do not clean the pan. Meanwhile, prepare the remaining ingredients.
Prep the remaining ingredients; finish the stir-fry Trim the root ends from the scallions; cut the scallions on the diagonal into 2-inch pieces. Peel the ginger and cut into matchsticks.
In the same pan used for your protein, if dry, add 1 to 2 teaspoons oil. Warm over medium-high heat until hot but not smoking. Stir in the scallions and ginger and cook until fragrant and starting to soften, 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in the stir-fry blend and cook until thickened slightly, 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in your protein and any accumulated juices, toss to coat, and cook until heated through, about 30 seconds. Remove from the heat and season to taste with salt and pepper. Transfer the steamed vegetables to individual bowls, top with the stir-fry, and serve.
CRISPY POTATO AND PEACH SALAD WITH SCALLION DRESSING
Source:dishingouthealth
1 1/2 lbs. mixed baby potatoes
1/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
3/4 tsp. kosher salt, divided
1 bunch scallions ends trimmed
1 Tbsp. red wine vinegar sub rice vinegar
3/4 tsp. fish sauce sub chopped capers
1/4 cup fresh basil leaves plus more for garnish
1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
2 medium ripe peaches cored and thinly sliced
2 handfuls baby arugula (optional)
6 oz. burrata cheese, torn
Place potatoes in a medium saucepan; cover with water. Bring to a boil, and simmer 12 minutes or until fork-tender. Drain. Once cool enough to handle, slice potatoes in half. Heat 2 Tbsp. of the oil in a large skillet over medium-high. Add potatoes, cut side down. Cook ~4 minutes, undisturbed, until golden-brown. Season with 1/2 tsp. salt, toss and continue cooking an additional 2 to 3 minutes, until crisp-tender. Transfer potatoes to a bowl. Add scallions to hot skillet and cook 3 to 4 minutes, turning only occasionally, until charred. From here, you can either blend the sauce, or mix it in a bowl. If blending: Roughly chop scallions and transfer to a blender. Add remaining 1/4 cup olive oil, vinegar, fish sauce, basil, red pepper flakes, and remaining 1/4 tsp. salt. Blend until smooth, 1 to 2 minutes, stopping as needed to scrape down sides. (Or, if not blending, stir to combine.) If mixing: Very finely chop scallions and basil and place in a bowl. Add remaining 1/4 cup olive oil, vinegar, fish sauce, red pepper flakes, and remaining 1/4 tsp. salt. Stir to combine. Place potatoes, peaches, and arugula (if using) in a large serving bowl. Top with torn pieces of burrata cheese, and spoon charred scallion dressing overtop. Garnish with additional basil, if desired.
SWISS CHARD POTATOES
Source: cookingchatfood
2 lbs Swiss chard, rinsed
3 medium potatoes, peeled and quartered
4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, divided
4 cloves garlic, minced
salt and pepper to taste
Prepare the Swiss chard: use a sharp paring knife to remove the thick stems from the chard, then thinly slice the stems. Set aside in a pile. Coarsely chop the chard leaves, and set aside in a separate pile. Boil the potatoes: Bring a large pot of water to a boil, then add the potatoes. Add the chard: After 20 minutes, add the sliced chard stems to the pot of boiling water. Cook the stems for 10 minutes, then add the chard leaves and boil for another 5 minutes. Drain in colander. Start garlic in skillet: Heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic, cook about 1 minute until the begins to brown.Add the cooked chard and potatoes, season lightly with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring and gradually mashing the potatoes, until the liquid is absorbed and the potatoes are coarsely mashed. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil, season to taste with salt and pepper. Stir to combine the added olive oil and seasonings. Add a bit more olive oil if needed to achieve desired consistency. Serve and enjoy as a substantial side dish.
Mozzarella, Basil & Zucchini Frittata
Source: eatingwell
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 ½ cups thinly sliced red onion
1 ½ cups chopped zucchini
7 large eggs, beaten
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
⅔ cup pearl-size or baby fresh mozzarella balls (about 4 ounces)
3 tablespoons chopped soft sun-dried tomatoes
¼ cup thinly sliced fresh basil
Position rack in upper third of oven; preheat broiler.
Heat oil in a large broiler-safe nonstick or cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and zucchini and cook, stirring frequently, until soft, 3 to 5 minutes. Meanwhile, whisk eggs, salt and pepper in a bowl. Pour the eggs over the vegetables in the pan. Cook, lifting the edges to allow uncooked egg from the middle to flow underneath, until nearly set, about 2 minutes. Arrange mozzarella and sun-dried tomatoes on top and place the skillet under the broiler until the eggs are slightly browned, 1 1/2 to 2 minutes. Let stand for 3 minutes. Top with basil. To release the frittata from the pan, run a spatula around the edge, then underneath, until you can slide or lift it out onto a cutting board or serving plate. Cut into 4 slices and serve.
Carrot and Kale Salad
Source: Marthastewart
1 pound carrots, peeled and thinly julienned
2 cups thinly sliced lacinato kale (2 ounces)
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon honey
1 1/2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
2 tablespoons hempseeds
Combine carrots and kale in a large bowl. In a small bowl, whisk together lemon juice, honey, and Dijon. Slowly add oil in a steady stream, whisking until emulsified. Season with salt and pepper. Drizzle vegetables with dressing; adjust seasoning as desired. Transfer to a platter, sprinkle with hempseeds, and serve.
Basil Peach Pepper Parmesan Cobbler
Source: allrecipes
4 teaspoons butter, melted
⅔ cup self-rising flour
½ cup white sugar
⅔ cup cold milk
1 tablespoon finely shredded Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
1 pinch freshly ground black pepper
Peaches:
1 large fresh peach - peeled, pitted, and sliced
2 tablespoons white sugar
2 leaves fresh basil, torn
½ teaspoon balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon water
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F Pour 2 teaspoons melted butter into the bottoms of two 6-ounce glass or ceramic ramekins. Combine self-rising flour with 1/2 cup sugar in a bowl; whisk in milk to make a smooth batter. Whisk Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese and black pepper into the batter; divide equally between the prepared ramekins. Place peach slices into a bowl and top with 2 tablespoons sugar and basil. Drizzle with balsamic vinegar and water; mix. Allow peaches to rest and let sugar draw out the moisture, about 10 minutes. Divide sliced peaches and their juice over the batter. Bake in the preheated oven until the cobbler batter rises up over the peaches and cobblers are browned and bubbling, about 35 minutes. Let cool for about 20 minutes before serving for cobblers set up. Serve warm.