Recipe Links: Wisconsin Week 8
/
Bright lights chard, cucumbers, last kohlrabi until fall, zucchini (you may find zephyr or Lebanese squash), broccoli, first tomatoes, Rossa di Tropea onions, snow peas, maxibel French green beans, provider green beans, patty pan squash.
Highlights from the last two weeks
Over the last two weeks we've been pretty busy, but we've found time for some creative CSA eating along the way. A couple weeks ago I wrote about adapting the radish pizza recipe that I shared to fit other veggies. Upon the arrival of the first summer squash, we did just that, subbing roasted patty pan and zucchini for the radishes and adding a basil garnish to the top. The result was delicious. If I make it again, I might add a handful of pine nuts or slivered almonds for a little sweetness and crunch.
We also tested the recipe I shared for takeout noodles. They were so tasty and easy that we doubled the batch and shared them with our neighbors this week, too. Under yesterday's heat, a simple meal that doesn't involve much cooking was a life saver.
Many of our vegetables go right into salads for workday lunches. On one of our particularly hot days recently, I was hoping for a light, refreshing lunch as I wandered into the kitchen and threw together some ribbons of cabbage, chopped cucumber, a cubed avocado, and some basil. I gently stirred some lemon, salt, and pepper into the mix, allowing the avocado to coat the other ingredients. The result was exactly what I was hoping for. Other workday salads have included stray root vegetables, lettuces or other greens, radishes, and snow peas.
Last, but certainly not least, we reprised the curry chickpea rice bowl this week, topping it with roasted cabbage, beets, and onions. I pulled it together with a dollop of yogurt and a spoonful of achaar on the side.
Broccoli
Cold noodle salads are so appealing on scorching hot days. With the broccoli in this week's share, we might make something like this citrus ginger tofu salad, which is loaded up with veggies and protein without too much bulkiness. Another good chilled option is this Chinese broccoli salad, which I imagine would be quite tasty along side grilled chicken, fish, or tofu and a bed of rice. Or, bring your broccoli to brunch with this slow-baked broccoli frittata! Broccoli really is quite versatile.
Summer squash
For summer squash, light summer pastas are always a lovely an easy option. I'm intrigued by this recipe for toasted orecchiette with zucchini, corn, and creme fraiche. Even though we haven't quite arrived as corn season just yet, it's one to keep in mind for the future or one to try with frozen corn now. If we choose to wait for the corn, we might test out this recipe for pasta with summer squash, tarragon, ricotta, and honey. (In lieu of the tarragon, I'm sure some CSA basil would work wonderfully.)
This recipe for marinated zucchini has also caught my eye this week. It's simple, but it promises to pack a lot of flavor without losing the essential summer freshness that I love about zucchini.
Green beans
Two bags of beans this week! I'll admit, I'm excited. Traditionalists could approach this share with an eye toward the cold summer salads that turn up at everyone's warm weather picnics. This recipe for green beans with new potatoes and olives would be an excellent substitute for a traditional potato salad this weekend. For another take on a summer barbecue favorite, this green bean salad with fried almonds is intriguing. In case that second bag of beans has you interested in shaking things up a bit, might I suggest this recipe for marinated green bean sandwiches? This might be a must-try in our house this weekend.
