C.S.A. Week 5

I was able to sneak off the farm today while Kyle spent the day with Joni, here hanging out. Went up the Baldfaces with two friends and had a beautiful day in the mountains followed by a dunk in the Cold River and then ice cream. I love the drive up rt. 113 through Evans Notch. I always marvel at the sweeping fields full of potatoes and corn that belong to Green Thumb.. Today the potatoes were all in flower, making for a beautiful early morning scene. I imagine how different that kind of farming life must be. Long straight rows, deep, rock free river valley soil, planting the same crop year after year, big yields, mechanized equipment, and big buyers. Its an impressive site, although distant from the type of farming we are doing here in Cornish. If you travel further north up the notch(beyond the Baldface trailhead), you will come upon Brickett Place. It’s one of the original homesteads of the area, erected around 1830, and it is now an historic site maintained and recently renovated by the Forest Service. Here you can glimpse the shadows of farming past. Old apple trees left unpruned for years lie behind the house shaded in by big hardwoods and tall grass. Stone walls follow the trails up for miles hinting at pastures for grazing animals.. The struggles of the original settlers are not hard to imagine, with horse and wagon for travel, rock removal and land clearing to push back the edge of the wilderness.

In the Share:

  • Green Sweet Peppers

  • Basil

  • Red Fire leaf lettuce

  • Beets

  • Green Beans

  • green onions

  • Broccoli

  • cucumbers

  • zucchini/squash

Recipe again thanks to our CSA member. Original version from thekitchn.com

this recipe is so easy and uses what ever vegetables you have at hand. Mix up the colors and cut them to a size that will cook crisp/tender in about 2 minutes.

Instructions

  1. Make a garlic-lemon butter. Mince and mash 2 cloves garlic and 1/2 teaspoon of kosher salt together to make a paste. Transfer to a small bowl, add 4 tablespoons of softened butter and zest from one lemon, and mash together until combined; set aside.

  2. Sauté the shallot/onion in butter. Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a large Dutch oven or pot over medium-high heat. Add one medium shallot, chopped and sauté until softened and beginning to brown, 2 to 3 minutes.

  3. Cook the pasta. Add 12 ounces dried, short pasta such as penne rigata and 4 cups of hot water, and  2 teaspoons of salt. Cover and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat back to medium-high, uncover, and cook until the pasta is al dente, about 8 minutes. Stir the pasta occasionally, loosening noodles that stick to the bottom or sides of the pot.

  4. Stir in the vegetables and cook until tender. Add 3-4 cups of diced veggies; zucchini, carrots, bell pepper, broccoli, sugar snap peas, and peas all work well. Stir and cook uncovered until the vegetables are crisp-tender and the cooking liquid has reduced into a starchy sauce, about 2 minutes.

  5. Finish with the tomatoes, cheese, and garlic-lemon butter. Stir in the 1/2 cup cheery tomatoes, halved, 3/4 cup Parmesan cheese, freshly grated and garlic-lemon butter. Once the cheese and butter is melted, the cooking liquid should be significantly reduced, leaving only a silky, buttery sauce. Serve in bowls garnished with red pepper flakes, basil or dill, and more Parmesan cheese if desired.

unnamed.jpg
unnamed (1).jpg