What a day it’s been! It seems to be a Monday theme these days. So much to do to bring in the harvest on a Monday. New this week we have green beans! It doesn’t take much to make these tasty, crisp beans a perfect side. Just a little steaming and maybe a bit of butter. Want something a little fancier? Try Parmesan Roasted Green Beans. Green beans are also a great addition to a sheet pan meal if you want to keep things simple. Just remember to put the beans on the pan last as they cook up quickly.
Check out the size of those cucumber plants! We are in serious need of some retired basketball players that still have a good jump shot to get those cucumbers way up above our heads! The tomatoes are mostly staked- a little weekend project with one of our very dedicated workers. We drove in some wood stakes and supported the plants with baler twine. Now they need some “suckering” or trimming below. Tomatoes are ever so much healthier and better quality if you can keep them off the ground. I’ve tried tomato cages before and they are just not up to the job for these already big tomato plants. I can’t wait for a beautiful tomato crop. A couple different cherry tomatoes, field tomatoes, campari tomatoes, heirloom tomatoes and romas await us!
Another newcomer this week is red beets. These too are wonderful roasted. If you are in a hurry, peel and cut into smaller pieces and boil. They also pair beautifully with carrots. Don’t forget the tops! They are just like a leafy green with a similar taste to swiss chard. Remove the tops from the roots to store them separately, and you can use the tops in pastas, stir fries or even salads. Don’t forget to wash well. Soaking the tops in water is a great way to make sure any dirt is removed.
Zucchini is still is plenty, which means plenty for you. Luckily, there are so many ideas to use with zucchini. Have you tried zucchini boats? These are especially perfect with larger zucchini and you can go all sorts of directions with the flavours. Why not try Mexican Zucchini Boats, especially if you have a whole share and get cilantro this week: Mexican Zucchini Burrito Boats – Making Thyme for Health . Bonus- this recipe is vegetarian :).
Another new item is black kale, also know as dinosaur kale. This variety of kale has a softer texture that lends itself well to most dishes, and even in this salad. This one is worth re-sharing. Bonus- this salad can be made up a day or 2 ahead as the kale keeps its texture so much better than lettuce.
Black Kale Salad (Vegan friendly)
Ingredients
- 1 bunch of black kale, washed and leaves torn into pieces
- 2 tbsp. olive oil
- 1/2- whole lemon (or to taste)
- 2-3 tbsp. nutritional yeast
- black pepper to taste
Directions
1.massage kale leaves with olive oil.
2. When fully covered, add lemon juice, pepper and nutritional yeast flakes. Toss and serve immediately.
Now for your Shares this week:
Simply Six
- bunch carrots
- 1-2 cucumbers
- 1lb zucchini
- 1 bunch radish
- 3/4lb green beans
- 1/2 pint raspberries
Half
- bunch carrots
- 1-2 cucumbers
- 1lb zucchini
- 1 bunch radish
- 3/4lb green beans
- snow or sugar snap peas
- red leaf lettuce
- double zucchini
- bunch beets
- black kale
Whole
- bunch carrots
- 1-2 cucumbers
- 1lb zucchini
- 1 bunch radish
- 3/4lb green beans
- snow or sugar snap peas
- red leaf lettuce
- double zucchini
- bunch beets
- black kale
- bunch green swiss chard
- bunch cilantro (amazing Mexican and Thai food like the zucchini boat recipe above)
- bunch oregano (perfect with cheese or tomato-ey dishes)
- 0.4lbs garlic (too much garlic? Leave it in a warm, dry place and it will “cure” so it can be stored for a long time. You’ll know it’s cured when it forms layers of papery skin.
- green leaf lettuce
- grape tomatoes
Fruit
- Ontario organic watermelon or pineapple (not our watermelon, ours are still growing!)
- 4 giant organic oranges
- 6 organic d’anjou pears
- bunch organic bananas
- 1/2 pint organic raspberries