This Friday (8/28/09) We're Selling...

From the Stanford Community Farm and Gardens:

tomatoes, eggplant, peppers, green beans, cucumbers, summer squash, melons, kale, onions, garlic, & herbs.

From Alba Organics:

strawberries, raspberries, and yellow peaches.

See you on Friday!

This Friday (8/21/09) We're Selling...

From the Stanford Community Farm and Gardens:

melons, tomatoes, corn, eggplant, peppers, green beans, cucumbers, zucchini, delicata squash, chard, kale, onions, garlic, tomatillos, & herbs.

From Alba Organics:

strawberries, raspberries, pluots, red beets, and cherry tomatoes.

See you on Friday!

This Friday (8/14/09) We're Selling...

From the Stanford Community Farm and Gardens:

tomatoes, corn, eggplant, peppers, green beans, cucumbers, summer squash, delicata squash, melons, kale, and tomatillos.

From Alba Organics:

strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, yellow nectarines, and chioggia (pink candy-striped) beets.

See you on Friday!

This Friday (8/7/09) We're Selling...

From the Stanford Community Farm and Gardens:

lemon cucumbers, japanese cucumbers, armenian cucumbers, various summer squash, green beans, heirloom tomatoes, basil, corn, garlic, onions, bell peppers, jalapeno peppers, chard, kale and sunflowers.

From Alba Organics:

strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, heirloom tomatoes and cherry tomatoes.

How to prepare zucchini

Zucchini is a fairly versatile vegetable. Here are 5 ways to enjoy zuchinni.

1. Easy (steamed): Fill large sauce pan or stock pot with enough water so that is just barely reaches the bottom of your steamer basket. Once the water comes to a boil, add the chopped zucchini position your lid so that one side hangs over the steamer basket just enough to let the steam escape. Steam the zucchini for 6-7 minutes and enjoy by itself or in pasta or couscous.

2. Easy (sauteed): Sautee chopped zucchini in olive oil in a skillet for about 6 minutes or until the zucchini starts turning translucent. Use salt and pepper to taste and enjoy by itself or toss into pasta or couscous.

3. Moderate (baked): For zucchini that may be slightly past its prime try this frittata recipe:

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
• 3 medium zucchini (1 lb total), halved lengthwise and cut crosswise into 1/8-inch-thick slices
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh chives
• 1 1/2 oz finely grated Pecorino Romano or Parmigiano-Reggiano (3/4 cup)
• 10 large eggs, lightly beaten

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 375°F. Sautee zucchini for 4 minutes and spice with salt and pepper. Whisk 1/2 cup cheese into eggs then mix the chives and zucchini . Grease 9'' round cake pan and pour mixture into pan. Bake on middle rack for 12-15 minutes or until frittata looks firm. The frittata may rise above the edges of your cake pan, but as it cools it will shrink back down and fit into it nicely.

(adopted from Gourmet, March 2003 as seen on epicurious.com)

4. Moderate (boiled): Another way to use zucchini slightly past its prime is in soup. Try this lemon cucumber, zucchini and rosemary soup recipe.

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) butter
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, sliced
• 2 teaspoons minced fresh rosemary
• 4 1/2 cups chicken stock or canned low-salt broth
• 3 medium zucchini, thinly sliced
• 5 lemon cucumbers, thinly sliced

Preparation:

Melt butter with oil in heavy large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion; sauté until translucent, about 5 minutes. Mix in garlic and rosemary. Add stock and bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer 10 minutes. Add sliced zucchini and cucumbers; simmer until tender about 15 minutes. Working in batches, puree in blender. Season with salt and pepper.

Rewarm soup over medium. Sprinkle with green onions.

(adopted from Bon Apetit, June 1995 as seen on epicurious.com)

5. Moderate (baked): Just when you think you're tired of zucchini because you've had it all summer think again. Use it in desert and make these delicious chocolate zucchini muffins:

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

3/4 cup sugar

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp salt

1 egg, lightly beaten

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1/4 cup milk

1 Tb lemon juice

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 cup shredded zucchini

1/4 cup miniature semisweet chocolate chips

Preparation:

In a bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking soda, cinnamon and salt. Combine the egg, oil, milk, lemon juice and vanilla; mix well. Stir into dry ingredients just until moistened. Fold in zucchini and chocolate chips. Fill greased or paper-lined muffin cups two-thirds full. Bake at 350 degrees F for 20-25 minutes.

(adopted from zucchini-chocolate chip muffin recipe as seen on allrecipes.com )

How to prepare red russian kale

Easy (raw): Red russian kale tastes great raw and shredded into bite size pieces in salad, particularly in the summer months when it's too hot to grow lettuce and spinach in this part of California. Dress with balsamic or any other vinegarette and top with dollops of goat cheese and dried cranberries.

Moderate (sauteed): Chop kale into pieces and sautee with garlic, onions and olive oil. Use salt and pepper to taste. Make it spicy

by adding red pepper flakes or a dash of chili or chipotle pepper powder. Toss into pasta, couscous, or serve by itself as a tasty

side dish.

Moderate (boiled): Spice up your old pasta routine with kale

pesto.

Ingredients:

1 bunch (4-5 cups) red Russian kale, stemmed and chopped

2 cloves garlic, peeled but left whole

1/4-1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1/4 cup parmesan cheese

1/4 cup pine nuts

1/2 tsp salt

Preapration:

Place kale and garlic in a strainer over the sink and pour about 5 cups of boiling water over: this will blanch any bitterness from

the kale and mellow the raw garlic. Toast the pine nuts in a dry

skillet until they are touched with golden brown. Combine small batches of kale, garlic, olive oil, parmesan cheese and pine nuts

in a food processor and pulse well until you have a smooth paste. Stir your batches together and salt to taste. Toss with hot pasta, spread on crackers or bread, or use to top baked potatoes.

Background on Tomatillos

Tomatillos are a relative of the tomato. They provide that tart flavor in a host of Mexican green sauces. In Mexico the fruit is called tomates verdes, tomates de cascara as well as fresadillas. The tomatillos originated from Mesoamerica. Various archaeological findings show that its use in the diet of the Mexican population dates back to pre-Columbian times and that it was even preferred to the tomato in pre-Hispanic times.

The fruits average about 1 -2" wide and have a papery outer skin. The fruit of the tomatillo is used cooked, or even raw, to prepare purees or minced meat dishes which are used as a base for chili sauces known generically as salsa verde (green sauce); they can be used to accompany prepared dishes or else be used as ingredients in various stews. An infusion of the husks (calyces) is added to tamale dough to improve its spongy consistency, as well as to that of fritters: it is also used to impart flavour to white rice and to tenderize red meats.

(for more information visit http://www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/1492/tomatillo.html)