This Week from the Farm

I know I am the biggest geek when it comes to delivery boxes.  Twice a year I can't wait for the big box of Bible Studies.  Once a month I eagerly await the box from Amazon with...wait for it...food, hba, and/or cleaning supplies {sadly...yes I do}.  Now every week I get giddy over the Tuesday CSA box.  This week was no exception.  I spent the day in JC with the kids and I couldn't wait to run in the house when we got home to see what we got.

We got four bags of greens - 2 kale, 1 red kale, and 1 Swiss chard.  We gave some to a lady the hubs works with, as we do each week, and still had a mess of greens to work with.  Well there are only so many salads one can eat...just sayin'.  So I had to come up with different recipes for those.

We also got (which you cannot see) a bag of basil.  This is the fifth bag in the back that you can barely see all the way on the right.  It is one of those big bags the greens come in, but 1/4 full.  Which may not sound like a lot but it is A LOT.  Normally the herbs come in these little bags.  You can almost see the little bags behind the squash and cukes, but in front of the greens bags.

The herbs, besides basil, that we got in the smaller bags were sage, oregano, and dill.

We got 3 more of those bright yellow squash things (I have GOT to look these up), 4 of the pale yellow bumpy squash things (again, look it up R!!), 7 cucumbers, 3 green bell peppers, several jalapenos, several banana peppers, some really long skinny green peppers I haven't figured out yet, and some super skinny long dark green peppers that look somewhat ominous.  I am really looking forward to figuring out the peppers.  Is salsa in my very near future????

As I said earlier, I have been trying to come up with different ways to use each of the items.  Healthy or not, you can only eat these things so many times a certain way.  My goal this summer was to find different ways to eat different foods ~ expand our horizons, increase healthy eating.  You know the drill.  Some will be hits.  Some will be misses.

Wednesday night "we" grilled {aka I prepared and the hubs grilled} pork steaks, burgers, and hot dogs.  I also had him throw on some zucchini and squash spears that had been marinating in olive oil and garlic.

It turned out okay.  I think I would like a few more herbs or spices on it in the future, but I can dig it.  

While he was grilling, I was working on more dill zucchini pickles and sweet cuke pickles, like last week.  I still haven't dared to try the dill pickles yet, but the hubs, A, and I like the sweet ones!  I also threw together a recipe for sauteed Swiss chard.  Except by the time it was time for me to throw in the Swiss chard, I looked at the recipe and realized it was supposed to be kale.  I figured it wouldn't hurt though, because I had seen recipes for sauteed Swiss chard and kale.  So I dropped it in.  If you like cooked spinach with vinegar, this is the recipe for you.  

The littles didn't like it, although they both tried it.  I ate it and it was okay but wouldn't love to have it a lot.  The hubs liked it.  It was frightening.  Here is my recipe:

Sauteed Mushrooms and Swiss Chard

1 8 oz box of mushrooms, cleaned and sliced

6 garlic cloves, minced (or 6 t of minced garlic)

6 cups of Swiss chard

1 T olive oil

2 T basil-garlic butter

In a pan, heat olive oil and garlic.  When garlic becomes fragrant (about 30 seconds) add the mushrooms and saute until a golden brown.  Add the basil-garlic butter (or butter and herbs of your choice), then the Swiss chard.  Swiss chard cooks really quickly, so stir and don't let sit.  Cook for about 2 minutes, then serve.

The original recipe is here.

Grilled Zucchini and Squash

Zucchini and squash (whatever amount you want) 

olive oil

herbs and spices

Cut your zucchini and squash into spears.  Remove the center seed part on the squash.  Put the zucchini and squash into a big plastic bag.  Pour olive oil over the spears to coat.  Put whatever herbs and spices you want in the bag and close.  Gently move bag around to completely cover the spears with oil, herbs, and spices.  Let marinate for 30 minutes or longer.  When grill is ready, place directly on the grill, rotating to ensure all sides are grilled.  It will take between 12-15 minutes, depending on how much you prefer your veggies cooked.

The original recipe is here.  Yeah, I know, this one is not even really close anymore, I just don't really dig lemon zest on veggies.  Or on grills.  It goes in desserts to me.  Just need to give props where props are due.

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I threw the yellow squash into the food processor and now have 17 cups of shredded squash.  I plan on baking Chocolate Zucchini Bread today and hoping squash can go in its place.  The rest has been prepared for going into the freezer for things like this: Sweet Zucchini Cupcakes, Garden Harvest Cake, Zucchini Parmesan Loaf, Zucchini Pecan Flax seed Bread, or to slip into sauces when the fam isn't looking.

Now, on to figuring out what the peppers are!

Goody Box

If I was a small child, the idea of a goody box would make me squeal at the treasures - candy, toys, stickers - I could find.  As an adult, I still squeal when I get a goody box, only this time it is either full of new Bible Studies or fresh veggies and herbs from the CSA.  

In the last two weeks I have gotten both.  So my cup runneth over.  

In this week's CSA goody box, 

I found the following:

beets, kale, red Russian kale, and Swiss chard

                      

a green pepper, 3 cukes, zucchini, and two different kinds of yellow squash.

Plus herbs such as basil, dill, and sage.

I dried the sage (as I did the sage and basil from last week).  This week I used the fresh basil to make herb butter.  I already made basil butter, 

and after I go to the store to get more butter, I will be making garlic and basil butter.  Super excited to start using this butter on steaks after they are grilled or Italian bread or...whatever else I come up with!

To make the herb butter, use 1 cup of butter (salted or un-salted, up to you!) and 4-6 teaspoons of your herb, depending on how much herb you like.  If you are using multiple herbs, it would be 4-6 teaspoons total, not each.  I personally use 6 teaspoons.

We have had several zucchini and squash over the last couple of boxes, therefore I have been hunting for recipes so that we don't eat fried zucchini every day (ugh, my heart and pores clogged up at that thought).

This week, I have made the necessary squash chips.  This one is a no-brainer.  That is done first.  And third.  And fifth.  

This week I also tried my hand at pickles.  Over the last two days my mother and I made dill zucchini pickles using the dill from the CSA, sweet zucchini pickles, and sweet cucumber pickles.  

The recipes I used were from here:  dill and sweet.  For the sweet cuke pickles, we left out the turmeric.  We haven't tried any of them yet, but are hoping they are great!

Don't judge me about my cluttered kitchen!  I am still in the process of canning ~ getting ready to do some of these bad boys...

My mom prepared the green peppers so that next time I am feeling the need for fajitas, I can just pop them out of the freezer.  She also happily took the beets off my hands.  I wasn't feeling up to figuring out what to do with those this time.

But don't fret.  I'm still working on de-cluttering and "becoming minimalist".  And I am looking forward to the next box in two days.  

Shabbat Shalom {peaceful Sabbath} to you.

Zucchini, Zucchini, Squash, Squash, Zucchini, Beans {and tea}

If you were to ask me even 10 years ago my thoughts on zucchini or squash I would have said YUCK.  To this day there are some recipes that would still make me say YUCK.  I am just not fond of the texture of squash and zucchini that are baked or mushy or slimy in a casserole.  I am that way with eggplant also.  I love some fried zucchini and eggplant, but my jeans tell me it is time to look for alternatives to fried since we are getting several zucchini and squash a week from our CSA.  Want to know more about our CSA?? They are awesome, read here.

So  here are a few of the of the dishes we have tried so far.

1) Fried zucchini and squash (self-explanatory and delish!!)

2) Zucchini and squash chips - possibly the hubs fave.  He eats them so fast that I sit there wondering if the 3-4 hours of dehydrating are worth it (ha ha).  I just wash the zucchini and squash, cut off the ends, then throw them in the food processor for a thin slice.  I would say 1/8 inch or smaller, depending on hard I push down when it is slicing.  I lightly coat the dehydrator trays with olive oil spray, then load the trays up as appropriate, with the zucchini and squash.  I then sprinkle some seasonings lightly on the veggies and start the dehydrator.  Typically I use either Lawry's garlic salt, but yesterday I mixed it up with some Mrs. Dash garlic & herb.  Turn on the dehydrator and let it do its thing for a couple of hours.  

That is seriously all that is left of two squash after the hubs "helped" me by taking the chips off the dehydrator and putting them away.  

3) Chocolate Chip Zucchini Bread (aka chocolate chip bread, so the kids would eat it) - thank you Paula Deen, that's all I can say.

4) Zucchini pancakes - I altered the recipe found here and will alter it some more.  The hubs, B, and I liked them, A didn't.  However, if you know me very well, you know the thought of eggs sends me over a cliff.  These had too much egg and felt too much like a scrambled egg with zucchini in it for my taste.  I am going to only put in one egg next time.  I also substituted Italian bread crumbs for the crackers.  The taste is great, now just need to work on the texture.

So tomorrow is the big day...it is TUESDAY!!  Which means it is CSA day!  I am looking forward to seeing what goodies we will get.

Yesterday, we were able to pick some green beans from our own garden.  It wasn't a huge pick yet, but enough for a fairly big pot of them.  I love this part of summer.  But shhhhh, don't tell, it will ruin my winter baby image.  

AND Thank you very much McDonald's for the diet sweet tea!  I love some sweet tea, but it makes me sad when it is full of so much sugar.  NOW you have come to my rescue and made a diet tea with 0 calories.  THANK YOU!!

Community Supported Agriculture (CSA)

Community supported agriculture (CSA) is a model of an alternative, local-based agriculture and food distribution.  In a CSA, there is a network of individuals who support the farm/farmer/grower and share the risks and the benefits of food production.  Members of a CSA pay at the beginning of the growing season, or can split payment into one at the beginning and one in the middle of the season.  When food harvest begins, the farmer then provides the members with a weekly share of the vegetables, herbs, and fruit.

I first heard of a CSA while reading the book "7:  An Experimental Mutiny Against Excess" by Jen Hatmaker.  I was so intrigued.  Last year, during my 3rd summer as a stay at home mom and the second in the house in which we currently live, I somehow convinced the hubs to do a garden.  Convincing was simple.  The work was hard.  Especially since I am a definitely not an outdoors type person.  Someone had to weed it.  Someone had to care for it and water it.  Someone had to pick it.  I sound like it was horrible.  It wasn't.  But it was definitely more nature than I prefer.  We had green beans and peppers and tomatoes.  We would have had squash, zucchini, watermelon, broccoli, and more had we not had a flood and we ended up with squacchiniloncoli. Sounds like an illness.

I bought a canner, pressure cooker, dehydrator, jars, canning supplies, and set to saving up the goodies.  Well, they were great but I didn't think we had enough!  Nothing lasted long, since we had lost so much of our garden.  

So this year when I heard about the CSA, I easily convinced the hubs about this too! (He is super easy like that.)  We signed up.  AND we have our own garden.  Full of green beans, peppers, and tomatoes.  The rest we get from our CSA farm.

We started getting our goodies in May.  We have had several types of greens - lettuce, spinach, kale, and a whole lot of unidentified leafy objects.  We have gotten herbs, cabbage, radishes, onions, zucchini, squash, snap peas, and I'm sure something I have forgotten.

this is an early box that wasn't overflowing like they are now, but my camera is dead, so you can use your imagination

some of the early goodies

I have shared the wealth on the greens (you can only eat so much salad), and have made kale chips (twice now!!), zucchini chips, fried zucchini, and getting ready to prepare some for zucchini bread.  I have learned I need another dehydrator!  I am totally loving these healthier snacks that my family are eating and I love that we get a surprise each week.  It is super fun to get a box and discover what is in it and how to fix/eat what we have.  Kids are trying new things.  Heck, the HUBS is trying new things and they don't even have bacon in them.

kale chips

Yep, I'm definitely loving this CSA thing.  The most brilliant discovery I've had since Chipotle and Chick Fil A.  

Want to know more?   Check them out at Burris Fork Farms.