Beet, Carrot, and Cuke salad from last week's share

Hello again everyone!

Here we are at week 9 already! It’s hard to believe.  It was a good morning at the Farm today, but all of us harvesters were extremely sleepy because we’d been out late attending our dear co-worker Aaron Gold’s farewell concert.  Aaron has been an amazing presence on the farm since last fall, and we’re sad to be losing him, but the attractions of the west coast beckon, and Aaron is off on a journey.  Since he’s a musician, Aaron’s final gift to his friends here in Ann Arbor was a beautiful concert featuring 16 of his closest musician friends.  Naturally, this event ran quite late, and we were a little bleary-eyed at the farm this morning.

Farewell, Aaron!

However, it was worth it to see a concert featuring Aaron playing everything from the didgeridoo to the jaw harp to the mason jars (really!).  Despite our late night we managed to bring in quite a bounty of vegetables (while Aaron took a nap in the hammock–there are pictures, but I won’t post them here).

In the kitchen on Tuesday we had one of those events that will go down in memory as a classic Harvest Kitchen experience:  one of our members, Howie, came in to teach the team (and my dad) how to chop up a raw chicken.  We usually get our chickens chopped by the butcher, but sometimes it doesn’t work out and we have to deal with whole birds.  Thanks to Howie, this is no longer a daunting or scary thing!  Sadly I have no pictures of this fun and business-like lesson because my hands were busy while it was happening, so you’ll have to imagine the scene of us gathered around the steel table with knives in hand.  This is so classic of Harvest Kitchen–we get incredible help from members, workers, and volunteers all the time, and we wouldn’t be the same without all of you!

So, we aren’t doing chickens this week, but we’ve got a great menu planned.  Read all about it after the jump.

This is your share (what we got from the Community farm to make into your meals this week):

Carrots – 1 lb
Potatoes – 1 pt
Basil – 3 branches
Swiss chard – 1/2 lb
Kale – 1/2 lb
Parsley – 1 bunch
Summer squash – 3
Tomato – 1/2 lb
Cucumbers – 1
Sweet pepper – 1

So, after putting our heads together, Michelle and I have decided to make:

Italian Zucchini Pie - We made this on Tuesday for the vegetarians, and I’d forgotten how sublime this herb-infused quiche-style dish from Simply in Season really is.  Look forward to it!

Penne with Chard and Sausage A new recipe from Serving up the Harvest — a perfect taste of summer.

Balsamic-Braised Pot Roast with Tomatoes, Lemons, and Raisins – a Mediterranean take on the pot roast. Another perfect summer dish from How to Cook Meat

Chilled Carrot Soup with Cumin and Lime – Since it’s been SO hot this week, I know I’m not the only one looking for cold food right now. We made this on Tuesday and it was so so tasty–crisp and delightful.

Colcannon – This is a traditional Irish/Scottish dish featuring potatoes and kale.  And, as long-time Harvest Kitchen members know, there’s a great song about it.  See the video here: The Colcannon Song!

In lieu of lettuce salad (lettuce is on hiatus during the heat), we’ll have a Marinated Cucumber Salad from From Asparagus to Zucchini. This Asian-inspired dish has been a Harvest Kitchen fave for several years.

Huzzah! Have a good one–see you Friday!

peace

Mary

Green Bean Salad is pretty!

Summer Lightning is actually the title of a novel by P. G. Wodehouse–he wrote in the introduction that he decided that Summer Lightning was an ideal title, “But my enthusiasm has been a little diminished since by the discovery that I am not the only one who thinks highly of it.  Already I have been informed that two novels with the same title have been published in England, and my agent in America cables to say that three have recently been placed on the market in the United States.  As my story has appeared in serial form under its present label, it is too late to alter it now.  I can only express the modest hope that this story will be considered worthy of inclusion on the list of Hundred Best Books Called Summer Lightning.”  I love Wodehouse, and this week has certainly had more than its share of Summer lightning!  We had an amazing series of storms roll

Colorful garlic bulbs

through while we were cooking on Friday, culminating in a tornado watch during pick up time.  Fortunately none of our omnivore members were swept away in the deluge.  The storm knocked over a LOT of trees out near the farm–not an official tornado, but the farm got over 3 inches of rain and experienced 70 mph winds! Fortunately all is well out there.  The power was out over the weekend, but the power from our solar panels provided light for Saturday’s harvest.  The corn and basil was windswept, but we’re hoping they’ll bounce back before too long.

On Saturday I had help collecting your shares from two little girls who were at the farm with their moms.  They loved helping take the tops off the carrots and they didn’t want to leave when we were done.  Think of them when you enjoy this week’s food.

We’ve got another good hot-weather menu planned for this week with another chilled soup, marinated salad, and more.  Check it out after the jump!

Each whole share:

Carrots – 2 lb

Tomatoes – 1 lb

Gorgeous borscht

Purslane – 1 plant

Cherry tomatoes – 1 box

Chard – 1 1/2 lbs

Sweet peppers – 2

Summer squash – 5

Lettuce 3 heads

Basil – 1 branch (windfalls after the storm)

Cukes – 2

Parsley – 1 bunch

Potatoes – 1 box

Menu

Nitya’s Dal with Chard – Last year we were honored to learn some south Indian cooking from one of our members.  One of the biggest hits was this flavorful dal.  One of the ingredients is “Nitya’s mom’s spice mix”, so you know it’s going to be good. If you love the Ann Arbor restaurant The Earthen Jar, this dish is for you.  We’re going to top it off with cooling and creamy Cucumber Raita, a traditional Indian condiment. Yum!

Italian Zucchini Pie – A decadent delight from Simply in Season, this quiche-like dish will melt in your mouth.

Yikes! A huge tomato horn worm! I think these creatures are like dragons.

Chilled Carrot Soup with Cumin and Lime – I think the title speaks for itself on a hot day.

Michelle’s Potato Au Gratin – The workers were scraping the pans after we made this on Friday, so we’re sure you’ll love it too. Vegans, never fear, a vegan version is in the works!

Marinated Zucchini Salad- Another perfect taste of summer–basil and crisp parboiled zucchini with fresh tomatoes in a vinaigrette.  What could be better?

Summer Lightning Salad with lettuce and purslane–get your Omega-3s here!

Phew! Better go get to work!

peace

Mary

Roast pork with fruit--so colorful

Hello everyone!

Everything continues to roll along here at Harvest Kitchen.  It’s been a busy week getting back into the swing of things after my vacation, but I’m happy to be back and excited about what’s coming up.  Michelle and I have begun working on plans for the future, everything from the winter season to next year to the five year plan! It’s all exciting…and slightly overwhelming–sometimes I’m inclined to focus on the job in hand, namely today’s work,  instead!  That’s why it’s so great having Michelle around–left on my own I put my mind to surviving this week and getting things done that need to happen Right Now (there are always those things).  Michelle, on the other hand, while being great at the here and now, also focuses on the Big Picture.  She says we’re at a critical moment for taking Harvest Kitchen to the next level (she says this often, so I know I have her exact words) and she’s right. So, in the coming months, look for more from us.  Thanks, readers, members, and fans for being with us on this adventure. We love having your feedback, which helps us plan for the future, so keep it coming!

In the land of here-and-now, it was wonderful getting back to the farm today.  Truly, that place restores my soul.  I had

Jake pouring our homemade veggie stock

a looooooong session this morning washing kale, collards, and chard.  I wound up quite wet from splashing water everywhere, but very calm and relaxed (anyone who saw me in the kitchen on Tuesday will agree that I needed some calming chard-washing time).  One of the big highlights of the day was digging the first potatoes of the season.  All the rain has left the ground soft, so we were mostly able to dig with our hands, so the potatoes were safe from getting scratched by the digging forks, which is always a tragedy.  I love digging through the rich brown earth to turn up the golden beauties.  It’s always like finding buried treasure.  And they can hide and turn up unexpectedly! Just when you think you’ve got all the potatoes from one plant, there’s one more lurking. It’s very rewarding.

Finally, Michelle and I want to give a big shout out to our rockstar kitchen team.  As you may have noticed, we have the most hard-working, awesome cooks around.  This week we’re particularly grateful to Danielle, a volunteer who comes down from East Lansing just for the pleasure of chopping veggies and washing dishes with us for a few hours on Tuesday.  Hooray for Danielle, Jude, Shay, Megan, Josh, Kevin, Cynthia, and all the folks who have given us so freely of their gifts and time this season (and in the past).

(all together now:) Menu and share after the jump.

This week’s farm share: (For those following at home, our whole omni shares get a half share from CFAA)

Carrots – 1 lb

Green Goddess Dressing!

Tomatoes – 1/4 lb

Greens – 1 lb

Garlic – 2 bulbs

Summer squash – 3

Lettuce – 2 heads

Basil – 12 tips

Cucumber – 1

Parsley – 1 bunch

Potatoes – 1 box

Beets – 1 lb

Michelle and I are excited to bring you this week’s Menu

Lemon Basil Roasted Chicken – I’m not sure this recipe needs and explanation. Old Pine Farm Chicken. CFAA sweet basil. Need I say more?

Beet, Carrot, and Cucumber Salad with Lime Vinaigrette This unusual combination comes from The Boxing Clever Cookbook and was a big hit when we made it a few years ago. It’s not often that we get these veggies in combination, but this zingy classic will make your tastebuds tingle.

Potato Gratin with Chard – Michelle’s recipe, the perfect vehicle for our lovely Farm potatoes. Yum!

Tomato Sauce with Ground Beef and Vegetables – Practically a meal in itself.  We’re still using up the last bit of our frozen tomatoes from last winter, but we’re making it richer by including all our favorite summer veggies along with plenty of Old Pine Farm’s ground beef.

Summer Squash Salad – A taste of summer, seasoned with a basil and garnished with fresh tomatoes.  Perfect on these long, hot days.

Art Fair Salad – Crisp lettuce with grated carrots are just the thing to celebrate these busy, artistic days.

Hooray for summer’s beautiful bounty. See you Friday.

peace

Mary

Travel highlight: Sailing with my sister (I'm in red and blue)

Hello dear readers,

I am glad to report that I am back, safe and sound, from my sailing vacation to Canada.  The weather for our trip was amazing–we had gorgeous sailing and even some swimming.  It only rained one afternoon, but that provided us with respite and the chance to finish our novels.  Now, since Michelle is also back and not planning to go anywhere for a while, we’re very excited to have the WHOLE kitchen leadership team in one place at one time, ready to rock and roll in the kitchen.  (Still, it should be noted that many valued members of the cooking team are off on adventures at the moment: we’re missing Bridgette, Melanie, and Mary M–we’re a constantly rotating cast of characters these days!).  It’s been a VERY busy day being back.  Michelle and I had a meeting this afternoon where we both basically talked a mile a

Kirt is delighted with our giant salad spinner

minute, trying to tell one another about everything that’s been happening in the Kitchen for the past month and everything that’s coming up in the future.  Lots of exciting things, basically!  We’re finally beginning planning for the winter season and should have details on that coming up sometime in August.  Stay tuned!  I’m going to be planning awesome vegetarian feasts to tickle your tastebuds all through the winter, and Michelle is working up a delicious omnivore menu. Yum!

So, I obviously haven’t been at the Farm for 10 days or so, but from all I

Travel Highlight: My friends Anna and Garrett have a baby goat, Henry, who I got to bottle feed.

hear, things have been going well.  Michelle had a wonderful time chatting to Anne and Paul on Saturday while she collected your gorgeous vegetables.  It’s amazing how things can change in just one week–it’s clearly midsummer, with all of nature’s bounty flowing in.  Peter has given me a bit of a report on Farm life this week.  He says that all of the garlic is now harvested and is laying out drying everywhere in the barn.  It’s amazing, he says.  Also, he wants you all to know that a new record was set: a whole bed of garlic was harvested in a mere 27 minutes.  Our CFAA team could certainly take on our friends at Tantre in the Farm Olympics!

Menu and share, as usual, after the jump….

Travel Highlight: Sunset and dramatic clouds over Georgian Bay, Ontario

Here’s what we’ve got this week:

Carrots                         2lb
Tomato                         1/2lb
String Beans                 1 1/4lb
Green Onions                1 bunch
Beets                           1lb
Chard                           1 1/4lb
Garlic                           4 bulbs
Summer Squash           5 total
Sweet Peppers              2 ea
Lettuce                         3 heads
Arugula                         1 bunch
Cukes                           2 ea
Basil                             6 tips

And the Menu:

Gazpacho – It is gazpacho time.  Back in 2007 when my best friend got married, I (like a good best friend) threw a bridal shower where we served gazpacho.  We made a huge quantity which we froze and trucked across country to New York where the wedding took place. At the time I noticed that essentially every cookbook I own has a gazpacho recipe, so I made a chart comparing the recipes and used ideas from all of them.  I know you’ll find this chilled veggie soup perfect on these hot summer days.

Stuffed Zucchini Alsace – From Moosewood Restaurant Cooks for a Crowd, they say this creamy,

Travel Highlight: My uncle's special seafood stew for dinner (with homemade bread, local salad, and Ontario wine)

herb-and-garlic infused filling transcends the ordinary.  Yum!

Green Bean Salad – From Farmer John’s Cookbook, this recipe is simple and surprisingly refreshing and delicious. It features the freshness of lemon and the crunch of walnuts.

Chilled Buttermilk Borscht – What better way to enjoy our jewel-like beets than with this deli-style classic from Moosewood.  Another cold soup for a hot day!

Michelle’s Basil and Tomato vinaigrette – This was a hit with the omnivores on Friday–I’m sure you’ll enjoy it.

Travel Highlight: Dancing the night away at my friend Meg's wedding!

Art Fair Salad -  Take refuge from the hordes (and embrace the art!) with our lettuce, arugula, and grated carrot combo.

Hope you’re keeping cool! See you on Tuesday!

peace

Mary

Hello everyone. It’s Michelle here blogging today as Mary winds up her family vacation in Canada.

As most of you know, Jordan(my partner) and I drove to Florida to see family, hold a new nephew, eat southern food and to take long walks on the beach.  We logged 2500 miles and stopped for all of our favorite southern foods along the way. Our favorites were Indiana tomatoes, Ga Peaches, Boiled peanuts, white acre peas, baby butter beans and watermelon. YUM! I do love the treat of eating local.I also visited the Jacksonville, Florida farmers market which is about a city block. They had tons of fresh melons, fresh peas, and tomatoes not to mention a vast selection of just about anything you could imagine.

Melons at the FL farmers market

Shelling our white acre peas

We had a great trip but are very glad to be home.

Each full share received:

Carrots                             1.25lbs

Cucumber                        2ea

String Beans                   1.25lbs

Chard                               1.5lbs

Garlic                               6 bulbs

Bell Pepper                      1ea

Summer Squash            4ea

Lettuce                             2 heads

Arugula                           1 bunch

Basil                                 6 tips

Green Onions               10 each

Tomatoes                       2-3 each

So this weeks menu:

Mother Ocean

Stuffed Summer Squash with Ground Beef

My signature Breakfast Dish with Ground Pork

Chilled Cucumber Soup

Citrus Ginger Roasted Carrots

Green Beans Roasted w/ Feta and White Wine

Tomato Basil Salad

Fresh Lettuce and Arugula

As most of you know, Jordan(my partner) and I drove to Florida to see family, hold a new nephew, eat southern food and to take long walks on the beach.  We logged 2500 miles and stopped for all of our favorite southern foods along the way. We  bought local food the entire trip down and back. Our favorites were Indiana tomatoes, Ga Peaches, Boiled peanuts, white acre peas, baby butter beans and watermelon. YUM! I do love the treat of eating local.

So back to reality. The harvest at the farm keeps growing and we’re really close to getting fresh tomatoes. YEAH.

Each full share received:

Cucumbers                 2 ea

Carrots                        1 bunch

Summer Squash        4 ea

String Beans               1 1/2 pound

Bell Peppers                1 ea

Swiss Chard                1 lb

This is a famous destination in Brunswick, GA

Arugula                        1 bunch

My newest nephew.

Garlic                            1 bunch

Parsley                          1 bunch

Lettuce                           3 heads

Beets                              3 each

Green Onions             1 bunch

Basil                              6 tips

This weeks delicious menu is:

Split Pea & Zucchini Soup ( a fan fave)

Chilled Cucumber Soup

Sauteed Swiss Chard with Garlic & Balsamic

Roasted green beens with feta, garlic and white wine

Citrus-Ginger Roasted Beets and Carrots

The bounty of the beach

Creamy Yogurt Basil Salad Dressing

Sail Away Arugula and lettuce Salad

Ash rinsing basil leaves (can you spot the scissors?)

Phew. Today was certainly a hot one!  We got to the farm early to get the harvest in before the heat set in.  For once, the job of washing all the vegetables was in high demand (cold water is great on a hot day and terrible on a cold or cool one).  Despite our efforts, it was still quite toasty by the time we were done–and then Anne sent us to weed the leeks for an hour!  I’m sure we’ll appreciate it when they’re all grown, but it was tough work in today’s sun and heat.  Plenty of water (including buckets over the head) helped us keep cool.  When we were finally done working, most of us workers headed to a kind neighbor’s pond for a refreshing swim.  Still, I like to point out that we don’t have AC at the farm OR in the kitchen, so these hot days are tough.

However, I can tell you that in terms of crops we’ve really turned a corner into summer’s bounty.  We’re seeing the first of the zucchini and summer squash, as well as the first tiny sweet pepper, more basil, and green beans.  Even if the hot nights make it hard for us people to sleep, tomatoes love them–I’m hoping we’ll see the first tomatoes in a week or two!  We’re irrigating out at the farm, so hopefully the crops won’t suffer from the dry spell.

So, what to do with all this bounty?  Fortunately we just got our July meat from Old Pine Farm and I’m able to stretch my creativity a bit.  Share and menu details after the jump.

This week’s omnivore (half share from the Farm) veggies:

Green beans – 1/2 lb

Carrots – 1/2 lb

Basil – 3 tips

Beets – 2

Chard – 1/2 lb

Fennel – 1 bulb

Garlic – 1 bulb

Green onions – 3

Lettuce – 2 heads

Arugula – 1 bunch (Kristin’s favorite! Yum!)

Sweet pepper – 1

Summer squash – 2

Menu

A jar of chopped garlic scapes ready for use

Roast Pork with Braised Fennel and Roasted Vegetables – Michelle found this recipe (she’s still working, even on vacation!) and it looks great.  So many tasty flavors to enjoy!

Split Pea and Zucchini Soup – this is one of the only recipes I use from The Best Ever Vegetarian Cookbook, but it’s a universal hit with a creamy texture and rich flavor.  I know it’s kind of too hot for soup right now, but you wouldn’t want to miss this one.  Try it cold!

Mediterranean Summer Green Sauce- We did this one on Tuesday for the vegetarians, and it’s always a tasty one.  Greens and olives and raisins and more blended into a smooth, delicious sauce.

Spicy Ground Beef with Green Beans – Lots of flavors in this Indian-style dish.

Yogurt Basil Dressing – What could be cooler on a hot summer day?

Heat Wave Salad – lettuce and arugula.

That’s all! Not many pictures this week, I’m afraid.  Sorry!

See you Friday,

Mary

Green Onions

I hope everyone’s been enjoying the holiday weekend and managing to stay cool in the heat!  Yesterday evening I headed over to Frog Holler Farm, where our kind friends were throwing a 4th of July party, complete with an awesome potluck, badminton, bonfire, and of course, music.  I did NOT keep cool dancing the night away to the sweet tunes of Billy King and the Frog Holler band.  But it was a great night and leaves me feeling energized and happy for this week to come.

At Community Farm, things are going very well.  Last week while I was busy cooking for the omnivores, our farmers and many helpers brought in hay.  I was sorry to miss this job–bringing in the hay is hot, dusty, scratchy, hard, and immensely satisfying.  There’s something about working REALLY hard with a big group of people that makes you feel so accomplished at the end of the day.  And of course, with the hay, you know you’ve put away food for our dear cows and goats for the whole winter, so that’s a good feeling too.  I hope all of you will get a chance to experience hay day satisfaction at some point.

Independence Day Pasta Salad

We also have a good harvest of “people food” this week too.  We’re still kind of in transition between the spring crops and the bounty of summer.  Anne tells me that we’re about two weeks away from harvesting the first tomatoes, but we’re already beginning to see some of the “high summer” crops, including a few zucchini.  Also, this week we’ve got some beautiful fennel to enjoy! I don’t know how you feel about fennel, but I love it, so I’m excited about cooking with it!  Get ready for some delicious fennel dishes (and more).  Share and menu after the jump.

This week’s farm share was:

Lettuce – 2 heads

Parsley – 1 bunch

Summer squash – 1

Greens – 1 1/2 lb

Beets and Carrots – 1 bunch

Green onions – 4

We keep Peter happy by letting him watch the World Cup while he makes the salads.

Fennel – 1 bulb

Garlic – 1 bulb

Menu:

Mediterranean Summer Green Sauce – I discovered this awesome recipe in Farmer John’s Cookbook last summer and it’s become one of my favorite things to do with chard.  It’s more complex than Katharina’s Green Sauce which we made early in the season–this sauce has all kinds of awesome flavor from capers, raisins, miso, and more. Yum!

Zucchini-Fennel Quiche – We’ve got more of those beautiful eggs from Old Pine Farm.  What better way to show off the scrumptious fennel and our very first zucchini of the season?

Independence Day Pasta Salad – We made this pasta salad for the Omnivores on Friday, and, with its roasted beets and carrots, it was not only pretty but tasty (at least the kitchen workers thought so!).  Get ready to enjoy.

Fennel and Scape Dressing/Dip – Not sure how to describe this flavorful concoction of fennel and garlic scapes, but I’m sure you’ll enjoy it.

Salad Days Salad – Whether or not you’re “green in judgment”, you’ll agree that these hot days are perfect for enjoying leafy lettuce salad.

That’s all for this time!

Mary

The root of this beet streches between Aaron's hands!

Well, we’re holding up here without Michelle–Tuesday was busy, but thanks to hard work from the Kitchen crew, the work got done and we made some really tasty food.  Today I was out at the Farm, very thankful that the heat has broken for the moment.  We picked lots of tasty, crisp greens as well as herbs and beets and carrots.  We found one amazing beet with an incredibly long root–see the picture of Aaron holding it.  Just imagine the nutrients that beet was soaking up from that depth of soil.  I’m also excited to see the very first of the “high summer” crops: 4 tiny tips of basil–just a taste of good things to come.  We’ll probably be making hay this week–one of my favorite farm projects, despite the fact that it’s really hard, it gives you a feeling of accomplishment.

Vibrant beets and carrots

I’m gradually getting back into the rhythm after my week away.  I miss Michelle when it comes to menu planning, but fortunately we discussed options before she left so I think I’m on track to put together a good selection of meals here.  In the kitchen we’ve been watching some World Cup matches while we do the cooking–this keeps Peter happy and is strangely compelling, even for the non-sports-oriented.  On Tuesday, Peter and I were really impressed with the Portugal v. Spain game, and Peter insists that we should watch the quarter final games on Friday.  We’re rooting for Germany!

So, details of this week’s share and menu are after the jump.

This week’s farm share (quantities for a whole omni share):

Strawberry Pork Steak

Kale – 1/4 lb

Chard – 1/2 lb

Green onions – 2

Beets and Carrots – 1 bunch

Lettuce – 2 heads

Basil – 2 tips

Leaf celery – 1 bunch

And the menu:

Chicken Divan – this recipe is one of Michelle’s specialty–you can’t go wrong with Calder butter, our own chicken stock, and Community Farm chard.
Bacon and Kale Quiche – Our classic quiche continues to please the crowds.  This version will feature Old Pine’s amazing bacon and the sweetest kale on the block.

Anne’s Fourth of July Pasta Salad – This recipe comes from Farmer Anne and features sweet steamed veggies and a tasty dressing.

Couldn't stop taking pictures of these beautiful veggies (and co-workers!)

Ash’s Basil Dressing – My co-worker Ash gave me this recipe which features the flavor of basil in a rockin’ balsamic-miso-maple syrup combo.

Vuvuzela Salad – We’re naming this week’s crispy lettuce salad in honor of the World Cup noisemaker. (annoying? maybe. Memorable? yes).

I guess that takes care of everything! See y’all Friday!

Mary

My group of teenagers with San Diego skyline

It’s Mary–I’m back from San Diego and Michelle is off to Florida to help with her sister’s new baby.  We’re kind of tag-teaming it for a few weeks here.  I am SO grateful to have a partner like Michelle and a reliable team of workers who made it possible for me to go away for a week without any worries.  Everything went really well while I was gone, from what I hear, and that’s terrific.

San Diego was wonderful, but traveling with a big group of teens didn’t give me much opportunity to eat REAL food. I am so happy to be back in the Kitchen (though when I thought about my busy day today I kind of wanted to hide.).  Some highlights of the trip included visiting the desert at Anza-Borrego Desert State

Beets and Carrots

Park, seeing pandas at the zoo, a beautiful communion service on Sunset Cliffs, and getting to know these amazing teenagers even better than before.  My biggest challenge was managing all of our bus connections.

Since Michelle and I have become ships passing in the night, Peter and Lotus picked up our shares at the Farm.  What they got and what I’m going to do with it is after the jump.

At the Farm, each whole share got:

Sugar Snap Peas         1 lb.          
Leaf Celery                 1 bunch
Beets/Carrots             1 bunch

A lovely basket of thyme

Lettuce                     4 heads
Green Onions             16
Greens                     1.5 lbs
Garlic Scapes              6 (actually, we got a lot more than this.  Peter says Farmer Anne gave us a whole extra box of scapes, so now we have (in his words): 1 metric shit-ton)

SO, reading between the lines, we’re going to continue to enjoy that beautiful lettuce for a while now!

Here’s the menu:

Beet and Carrot Burgers – This recipe from Farmer John’s Cookbook has always been popular in the Kitchen.  I actually think some people may have returned just hoping to get more of them. Get ready for the taste explosion!

Garlic Scape Pesto – We’ve got to do something with that metric shit-ton of scapes– fortunately garlic scape pesto is the new “it” food of the season (if you don’t know this, you have clearly not been talking to the same people we have!).  We were actually ahead of the curve, making this tasty dish last season.

Chard Chickpea Balti – from The Boxing Clever Cookbook p. 47 This British interpretation of Pakistani food has been popular for the past two summers–I guess it’s becoming a HK classic. (read about what Balti is here)

Cajun Green Onion Dressing – According to our sources, you all have been enjoying the dressings we’ve been

Enormous pots in the kitchen of the USS Midway (an aircraft carrier that is now a museum in San Diego)

making.  Hopefully this one will be just as good!

Summer Days Salad – Another beautiful, huge green salad with lettuce and green onions. Mmmm.

Thanks for your support, everyone.  See you tomorrow.

Mary

PS. Sometimes I think we need pots like these ones I saw on the USS Midway…!