Tuesday, July 8, 2008 Newsletter

Greetings CSA Members, I can always tell when summer is almost at its peak – the lightning bugs are plentiful, lighting up the hazy pink, evening sky. Last night as Brian rescued one escapee-chicken, I looked out at the winter squash. I reminded myself how quickly this season seems to evaporate. Soon the garlic and onions will be mature enough to harvest and then the storage beets, carrots, and potatoes start filling the cooler as well. But thankfully, not quite yet. We still have tomatoes and green beans and corn and watermelons well on their way to your boxes within the near future. The goats are panting this noon with the high heat and humidity. They won’t like it, but Brian will spray them with the hose later this afternoon. They kick and snort and complain bitterly. And the chickens are no less pitiable. They sit under the bushes with their little beaks open, panting (if that is what you can call it) and squawking or clucking with a whiny tone. Compared to any one of these chickens, a hot and tired two-year old looks like a cool and calm Roger Federer. This week you will be receiving quite a diversity of vegetables – another sign of the bounty of the summer season. The Red Norland potatoes are really a treat, for they are delicious just boiled and eaten with butter and parsley. And if it is too hot to cook at your home, the sugar snaps, zucchini/summer squash, spinach, and turnips (grated) can all be eaten raw in a salad. The beets are also delicious eaten as a salad, cooked, chilled and then mixed with orange slices, almonds, and light vinaigrette dressing. It’s time for the annual chocolate zucchini cake recipe (from a CSA member) – a real crowd pleaser. Your share will most likely include: Summer Squash/Zucchini/Cucumbers, Sugar Snap Peas, Beets, Curly Kale, Parsley, Red Norland Potatoes, Spinach, Turnips Enjoy your share and take good care - Justine Kale and Mushrooms with Creamy Polenta (Bon Appétit ) 1 lb or I bunch kale, stemmed, cut into 1-inch pieces 4 cups whole milk 3 1/2 cups water 2 cups polenta 1/2 teaspoon salt 3/4 teaspoon ground black pepper 4 ounces mushrooms (such as crimini, oyster, and stemmed shiitake), sliced 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided 1 garlic clove, minced 1/2 cup low-salt chicken or vegetable broth 2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme 1 tablespoon grated lemon peel 4 tablespoons unsalted butter 2/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese Cook kale in large pot of boiling salted water until tender, about 6 minutes. Drain. Bring milk, water, polenta, salt, and pepper to boil in heavy large saucepan over medium heat, whisking constantly. Reduce heat to low and simmer until thick, stirring occasionally, about 20 minutes. Remove from heat. Meanwhile, cook mushrooms and 2 tablespoons oil in skillet. Sauté until mushrooms are tender, about 6 minutes. Stir in kale. Add garlic and broth; simmer until broth is slightly reduced, about 6 minutes. Stir in thyme, lemon peel, and 2 tablespoons oil. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Whisk butter and Parmesan into polenta and divide among plates. Top with kale mixture. Chocolate Zucchini Cake 2 ½ cups all purpose-flour 2 cups sugar ½ cup cocoa 3 eggs 2½ tsp. baking powder 2 tsp vanilla 1 ½ tsp. baking soda 2 cups coarsely shredded zucchini 1 tsp. salt 1/2 cup milk 1 tsp. cinnamon 1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans (optional) ¾ cup soft butter Glaze (directions to follow) Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine the flour, cocoa, baking powder, soda, salt and cinnamon; set aside. With a mixer, beat together the butter and the sugar until they are smoothly blended. Add the eggs to the butter and sugar mixture one at a time, beating well after each addition. With a spoon, stir in the vanilla, orange peel and zucchini. Alternately stir the dry ingredients and the milk into the zucchini mixture, including the nuts with the last addition. Pour the batter into a greased and floured Bundt pan. Bake in the oven for about 50 minutes (test at 45) or until a wooded pick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in a pan 15 minutes then turn out onto a wire rack to cool thoroughly. Drizzle glaze over cake. Glaze: Mix together 2 cups powdered sugar, 2 Tbl milk and 1 tsp vanilla. Beat until smooth. * 7/23/08 update: This is how CSA Member Leslie's zucchini cake turned out. Yummy!