- P I C K L I S T -
LETTUCE - GARLIC SCAPES - FRENCH BREAKFAST RADISHES - BEETS - ZUCCHINI -
CILANTRO - CUCUMBER - TOMATO - STRAWBERRIES - PYO PASS
YALL! Berry season is still going strong and the berries still look damn good! In your share this week, you get not only 1 quart of picked berries, but also a pass for you to pick 2 quarts of your own. For details of what field to go to, and times for picking head to our website www.edgewaterfarm.com and click on the PYO strawberry report on the top of the page.
And now, let’s do as all farmers do, and talk about the weather. Holy hell it’s HOT. Your beets were picked and bunched on Monday in the humid heat of the day. They held up beautifully in the beating sun. In order to complete the harvest, it proved imperative to transcend the universe we were in (in the middle of a hot field) and head to an alternate reality where this heat was the norm (for example, a luxurious sauna at a luxurious spa). Apparently, my mind can really take me to some fancy places when you have 215 bunches of beets to pick and it's over 90 degrees outside.
On the topic of fancy spas… Are you aware that hot/cold therapy (immersing yourself in extreme heat followed by extreme cold) is considered by some the ultimate act of wellness? If that is the case, then moving from field to pack shed at Edgewater Farm hosts the optimum experience in “self care.” After drenching ourselves in sweat from the next-day-90-degree radish harvest, Kayleigh (the newest CSA crew recruit) went off to the cooler (kept at a low 40 degrees) to count zucchini. She emerged an hour later, looking fresh faced, ready to go… but also potentially bordering on hypothermia.
Pure luxury at Spa Edgewater, now taking reservations.
PRO TIPS:
The salad box: My main recommendation to all of you for eating this week is the following: stay cool and eat salad.
SALAD IDEAS:
Add olive oil and vinegar and a spoon of honey to your garlic scape pesto, give it a shake, top your greens and call it salad dressing
Cube and either roast/grill/boil your beets. When cooked and cooled, toss them in lemon juice and olive oil. Add feta cheese and herbs. Mix it all together with your lettuce or devour on its own.
Add the most beautiful Thinly sliced radishes to your salad greens of course!
GARLIC SCAPES… AGAIN?!?! YES!
This will be the very last garlic scape bunch for the duration of the year. The harvest time for garlic scapes is so fleeting! Therefore, their existence on our plates and in our bellies is too damn short. This past weekend I made a ton of garlic scape pesto to freeze in an attempt to extend the season. I even got WILD and added cilantro- the result was too good, and now my garlic scape pesto can not be without cilantro. Anyhow, I would shoot y’all a recipe for garlic scapes, but I got to believe that by week 3 of a garlic scape heavy CSA month, you must be pros. However, if you are still itching for inspo, and you are over grilling, pesto, and saute, try your hand at pickling.
The very best sandwich to usher in the SEASON’S FIRST TOMATO
Slice of tomato mayo fresh crusty bread fresh herbs of choice salt&pepper
Spread mayo on 2 pieces of crusty bread. Add a big slice of tomato and sprinkle chopped fresh herbs, add salt and pepper to taste. The end. You’re welcome.
BEET TOPS!!!!
These beet greens have the earthiest flavor of all green things. Chop the tops off the beets (obviously save beet root for later), and cook the greens down like you would spinach or swiss chard. Hello creamed beet greens!
SERVINGS: 2 GENEROUSLY OR 4 PETITE-LY
TIME: 25 MINUTES
SOURCE: SMITTEN KITCHEN
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt, plus more for pasta water, and to taste
8 ounces (225 grams) spaghetti, cooked al dente
1 cup (235 ml) pasta water, reserved
1 1/4 pounds (570 grams) zucchini, trimmed, coarsely grated
6 tablespoons (85 grams) unsalted butter
5 garlic scapes, minced
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes, or more to taste
1/2 cup (45 grams) grated parmesan
Handful fresh basil leaves, cut into thin ribbons (cilantro would taste great here as well)
Boil your spaghetti in well-salted water until it’s 1 minute shy of fully cooked. Before you drain it, reserve 1 cup of the pasta cooking water and set it aside.
Melt butter in your empty pan over medium-high heat and add the garlic, stirring it into the butter for one minute before adding the zucchini, salt, and red pepper. Cook the zucchini, stirring from time to time, for 13 to 15 minutes. It will first let off a puddle liquid, the liquid will cook off, and the zucchini will become soft and concentrated. If the zucchini begins to brown, reduce the heat slightly. Stir frequently for 2 more minutes, chopping it down into smaller bits with the edge of your spoon or spatula, until it reaches an almost spreadable consistency.
Pour in 1/2 cup of the reserved pasta water and stir up anything stuck, then add drained pasta, and cook together for 2 minutes. Use tongs or two forks to pull up the zucchini butter sauce into the pasta strands, tossing frequently, and adding some or all of the remaining pasta water as needed to loosen. Toss in half of the parmesan and basil and mix, then transfer to a serving bowl. Finish with remaining parmesan and basil.