Pick List:

Summer Squash - Zucchini - Cucumbers - Tomatoes - BlueBerries -

Scallions - Green Beans - Potatoes - Parsley - Broccoli

F L O W E R S H A R E ! ! !

Yesterday Ray spent the evening seeding carrots while Mike set up irrigation for said carrots… and tonight we have thunder showers (hallelujah!). But this week, on account of so many CUCUMBERS, let’s move on from farm updates and jump right into… what in the world will I do with 10 cucumbers... And if you are feeling overwhelmed by cukes, you should see the 25 bushels of cucumbers we were swimming in while counting out for today’s CSA pack out. Remember folks, Summer is fleeting so pickle and preserve these jolly greens while we got’em!

TIPS - TRICKS - RECIPES:

PICKLES:

I realize it was a silly move to throw 10 cukes into your CSA box without including garlic or dill, but I have some NO DILL pickle solutions for you!!!

REFRIGERATOR PICKLES: This is by far the very easiest solution to all your quick pickling. If by chance you happen to have a jar of your favorite pickles around- eat at once- keep the brine, and put newly sliced pickles into said jar, refrigerate overnight, and WALLA, next day pickle party!!

QUICK PICKLED VEGETABLES!! (Anne Sprague and my 3 year-old swear by this recipe- keep recipe around for later in the season when we have onions and carrots that need a pickling!!)

https://www.bonappetit.com/recipe/quick-pickled-vegetables

Makes about 1 cup

You can use any thinly shaved or sliced vegetable you like for this recipe. We love quick pickles on sandwiches because they add acidity and crunch. And you don't have to be someone who's "into canning" to make your own. Keep them in the fridge for days and put them on everything.

INGREDIENTS

½ cup unseasoned rice vinegar
1 Tbsp. sugar
2 tsp. kosher salt
1 cup thinly sliced vegetables (such as carrot, red onion, and/or cucumber)

3) BREAD AND BUTTER PICKLES

Makes 4 cups of pickles, filling a 1-quart jar

1 pound cucumbers, sliced 1/4-inch thick — “pickling” or kirby cucumbers work best here

1 large sweet onion, thinly sliced

1/4 cup Diamond Kosher salt

1/2 to 3/4 cups sugar (see note above)

1/2 cup distilled white vinegar

1/4 teaspoons ground turmeric

1 tablespoon mustard seeds

1 tablespoon coriander seeds (if ground, use 1 teaspoon)

1/4 teaspoon celery seed

In a medium bowl, combine the cucumbers, onion and salt. Mix well. Cover the mixture with ice. Let stand at room temperature for two hours. In a pot, bring sugar, vinegar and spices to a boil. Drain cucumbers and onions. Add to vinegar mixture and bring almost back to a boil. Remove from heat and cool. You can store the pickles in an airtight container for up to three weeks in the fridge. They will begin tasting pickled in just a couple hours.

4) AND IF YOU DO BY CHANCE HAVE ACCESS TO DILL…

MAKE THE COLD TANGY CUCUMBER SOUP FROM CSA WEEK 5!!!! ITS SOOOOOO GOOOOOOOOD

MOVING ON FROM CUKES…

Tabbouleh

There’s a right way and a wrong way to make this brilliant Middle Eastern salad, says Yotam Ottolenghi. Here’s the right way… (Yotam Ottolenghi is chef/patron at Ottolenghi in London and author or my a few of my fave cookbooks Jerusalem and Plenty).

I have seen a million bastardised versions of this simple salad which hails from the part of the Middle East that covers Palestine, Lebanon and Syria. The most common issue is the proportions – far too many cooks do not realise that parsley is the star of the show here, not the bulgar, and definitely not couscous (to avoid any confusion, after each ingredient I've added in parenthesis what the chopped weight should be as it goes into the salad). Another biggie is the way the herbs are chopped, and in this instance I'm afraid I must side with the purists and shun the food processor. Chopping the leaves with a razor-sharp, heavy knife, although a lot of work, prevents bruising and gives the parsley its light and dry texture. Despite the hard labour involved, I urge you to make this refreshing summer salad – I promise you, you'll never go back to buying it in a supermarket tub again. Serves four, generously.

¾ c. fine bulgar wheat

4 medium tomatoes, ripe but still firm

2 medium shallots (or 1 bunch scallions)

4 large bunches fresh flat-leaf parsley (160g)

2 bunches fresh mint (30g)

1 tsp ground allspice

3-4 tbsp lemon juice

120ml top-quality olive oil

Salt and black pepper

Put the bulgar in a fine sieve and put under the cold tap until the water runs clear and most of the starch has been removed. Transfer to a bowl.

Cut the tomatoes into 0.5cm dice (a small serrated knife is the best tool for this job) and add to the bowl, along with any juices. Chop the shallots as fine as you can and add to the bowl.

Take a few stalks of parsley and pack them together tightly. Use a large, very sharp knife to trim off the end of the stalks, then chop the remaining stems and leaves as finely as possible and no wider than 1mm. (If you can't achieve that first go, go over the chopped parsley again, this time with the heel of the blade.) Add the parsley to the bowl.

Pick the mint leaves, pack a few together tightly, chop as finely as the parsley and add to the bowl. Finally stir in the allspice, lemon juice to taste, olive oil, salt and pepper. Taste, adjust the seasoning and serve at room temperature.