Two of my favorites are well on their way - Tomatoes, and Ground Cherries. This part of the season might be the most difficult for my inner foodie. Nature has her timeline, and there's really no rushing it. But that doesn't keep me from chomping at the bit, just thinking about all the lovely things I'm going to get to cook up, and can up for winter with all of those tantalizing tomatoes out there. We've gone through the majority of what we put away last season, and I'm looking forward to seeing that empty shelf space full of more delicious, homemade goodness for my family.
Our Black Krims are coming along nicely!
Ground cherries are loaded up with fruit. Now, we wait. We do not have quite as many plants as we did last year, so Ground Cherry availability will be limited. We get a couple of questions about these babies every week, so expect them to sell out early when they start coming in.
The Lemon Basil patch is really taking off! This stuff is so wonderfully bright and citrusy!
Thai basil in bloom. I love the contrast between the green leaves, and the purple stems and flowers.
One of our first bell peppers of the season. This variety is called King of the North. We've grown this in previous seasons and have been very impressed.
Our Highlander Poblano pepper. Can't wait to fire roast some of these beauties later on in the season.
Our first (and, quite possibly, only! :'( Boohoo! ) watermelon of the season. I'm not entirely sure what kind this one is.
One of my favorite ways to enjoy fresh chives. Bagel with smoked salmon, cream cheese, capers, and chives.
Some of our Goldmine Squash on the grill for our supper. These were seasoned very simply, by tossing them with olive oil, lemon juice, salt, pepper, and garlic powder. And then, as it was grilling, the slices were brushed with the extra dressing that was left in the bottom of the bowl. Yum!
CSA shares will receive: Cucumbers, Chives, Salad Mix, Zephyr Squash, Zucchini Bread, and Kale.
This week, I'd like to share my personal tzatziki recipe with you. Because of the technique I use to draw the moisture out of the cucumber at the beginning, this dressing only needs about 30 minutes to sit and marinate before it's ready to go. So prep this just before you start prepping your dinner, and it'll be ready to go as soon as you're ready to eat!
Tzatziki
Makes about 1.5 cups
- Two medium cucumbers
- 1 Tbsp salt
- 1 Tbsp dried dill, or 2-3 tbsp finely chopped fresh dill
- 1/4 c. lemon juice
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 1 c. whole milk greek yogurt
- Salt to taste
Peel cucumbers, and split in half lengthwise. With a spoon, scoop out seeds. Discard.
- 2-3 Tbsp finely chopped fresh mint (optional)
Grate all cucumber using the medium side of a box grater into a medium-sized bowl. Sprinkle grated cucumber with 1 Tbsp salt. Massage the salt into the grated cucumber. You'll feel the salt slowly dissolve, and the cucumber become soft. Work the salt into the cucumber for 3-4 minutes, until cucumber starts to turn translucent.
Rinse the grated cucumber 3-4 times with fresh water, swirling the cucumber around in the water and carefully draining each time. Taste a piece of cucumber. It should be somewhat salty, but not unpalatable. When your cucumber is thoroughly rinsed, drain it one last time. Then, taking manageable handfuls, squeeze as much water out of the cucumber as possible and place into a clean bowl.
Add the rest of your ingredients to the cucumber, and stir. Adjust seasonings as needed. Let rest, covered, for at least 20-30 minutes. Will keep in the fridge for about 3 days.
As always, we hope you enjoy your shares this week! Please, let us know if you have any requests for which veggies I should feature in my recipes!
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