Tuesday, August 14, 2007

Greetings CSA Members,

August comes and each year rousing ourselves daily out of bed, maintaining the smile which was so easy to conjure up in early Spring, or loading up the van for market seems a bit more difficult than it did even just a few weeks before. The zip in our step is gone temporarily as we slog through the mugginess and strong sunlight of the afternoon. We all notice that the light is changing and the days are shorter on either end now. Yet we are aware that very soon the crisp Fall days will revive us and we will soon welcome new crops into our harvesting routine. But for now the zucchini, cucumbers, eggplant, and tomatoes all need to be picked yet again.

Last season it seemed that the theme was babies. This year weddings are in style! Two of our fabulous crew will be married in the next few weeks. One bride is using asparagus and beets in her bouquet and Brian is teaching the other bride how to waltz!!

I thought that I would share some information on two of the herbs you have been receiving in your share along with a cold soup recipe.

Enjoy your share this week. For those of you who receive a boxed share, you will most likely find some combination of the following: Keuka Gold Potatoes, Cucumbers, Green Beans, Tomatoes or Melon or Corn, Mesclun, Carrots, Summer Squash/Zucchini and Onions.

Take good care - Justine

BASIL: “Popular in Mediterranean dishes and Thai curries, basil pairs readily with almost every summer vegetable, especially tomatoes, eggplant, peppers, green beans, and summer squash. Basil is the main ingredient in a classic pesto and is an extraordinary complement in both tofu and tempeh marinades. Basil is also excellent in egg dishes. Basil is fairly fragile, so unless it is to be eaten raw, it is best added near the end of a dish’s cooking time. Do not refrigerate basil.”

SAGE: “Sage has velvety, pebbly, gray-green leaves with a pleasantly bitter lemon taste. It is a good complement for asparagus, dried beans, cabbage, carrots, corn, eggplant, potatoes, squash, tomatoes, cheese, and eggs. Pan-fry a few leaves until they become crisp, and then crumble them into soup, scrambled eggs, or on an extra-special grilled cheese sandwich. Use sage sparingly, as too much of its intense aroma will produce an unpleasant, musty taste.”

- Farmer John’s Cookbook

CHILLED CUCUMBER SOUP

2 large or 3 medium cucumbers

2 cloves garlic

1 quart buttermilk

½ teaspoon cumin

1 Tablespoon fresh dill, chopped

Salt and pepper to taste

Dark, whole grain bread

Peel and slice cucumbers and cut slices into finger-thick chunks. Put all ingredients except the bread into a food processor or blender. Blend until smooth. Refrigerate at least ½ hour before serving.

Cut bread into cubes. Toast on a cookie sheet in oven to make croutons.

Blend soup again before serving.

Add croutons when ready to eat.