July Harvest Photos with some recipes

July 29
Cabbage Crunch I received a head of cabbage in my CSA basket, the cilantro and the scallions are from my garden. One of the nice thing about home grown veggies are the varieties you can choose. I love these Deep Purple Bunching Onions. I got the seeds at Johnny's Select Seeds


Salad
1/2 head cabbage - thinly sliced
1 large bunch cilantro - chopped
6 large scallions - chopped

Nuts
1/2 cup sliced almonds - toasted
2 T sesame seeds - toasted

I just heat the almonds and sesame seeds together in a pan till golden, then store them in a jar if your not using till later.

Dressing (enough for 2 batches of cabbage crunch salad):

1 cup oil
6 T seasoned rice wine vinegar
2 T sesame oil
4 T sugar
1 t salt
pepper

Combine all ingrediens and shake in a large jar.

I made my first batch yesterday, we ate the entire thing, so I made the second batch today. I won't put the dressing or almonds and sesame seeds on till I am ready to serve. But it is all ready to go.

This salad is so fresh tasting and smelling. Try it.

July 27th
Cherry Tomatoes Picking enough tomatoes everyday now for our salads, and a few extra to share. They like the heat we've been having.

Spearmint This mint is on the northern side of the house, so it is in shade most of the day. It has not yet bloomed, like my spearmint in the sun. Another good reason to plant things in more then one spot.

Cilantro This bed is in a cool micro climate, due to the proximity of the Curly Willow Tree. It's a natural air conditioner. So I am hoping my cilantro won't go straight to seed.

Hummus

1 can cannelini beans
1/4 cup sesame tahini
couple cloves garlic
1/2 of a roasted red pepper
1/2 lemon juice
1/2 to 1 tsp cumin
olive oil
salt & pepper
fresh chopped spearmint or cilantro or both



Food process all ingredients except herbs till smooth, stir in fresh herbs. Serve with pita chips.

I was able to give away my first bag of squash, cucumber and basil yesterday.

Basil


Pasta with Basil Chiffonad

Olive oil
garlic
lemon juice
pasta
basil
pine nuts
tomatoes

Chiffonad is the way the basil is chopped. Just stack the basil leaves on top of each other, roll, and slice very fine. You end up with long thin slivers of basil.

Heat enough olive oil in pan (depending on how many servings of pasta you are making), add lots of chopped garlic and saute for 2 minutes. Add the juice of 1/2 - 1 lemon and saute for 1 more minute.

Serve over your favorite pasta tossed with lots of fresh basil chifinade, toasted pine nuts (put in toaster oven for 5 minutes till golden) and a chopped fresh tomato or sundried tomatoes.

Pesto on polenta

4 cups basil leaves - blanched in boiling water for 30 seconds (to retain green color)
4 cloves garlic
salt
1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 cup toasted pine nuts

Food process all ingredients together. I like to put my pesto on fried polenta slices. I buy the precooked polenta in the roll and slice it into 1/2" pieces, fry one side first to golden brown in a very little olive oil, then flip and add a spoonful of pesto and some parmegian cheese on top, cover pan and fry for a few more minutes, till melted. I also like to put a few extra toated pine nuts on top.



Cucumbers


I could live off of these recipes everyday, during the cucumber season, and don't seem to get sick of them........and I don't have do any canning (not that I wouldn't mind.....especially when its so hot outside):

Greek Salad

1 cup Quinoia
1 cucumber
1 tomato
1 red onion
lots of fresh dill
Feta Cheese
Olive oil
Salt & pepper

Rinse quinoia 5 times, to remove the natural protectant (from birds) coating. Add to 2 cups boiling, salted water, simmer covered for 25 minutes. Cool.

Add peeled, seeded, and chopped cucumber, chopped tomato, chopped red onion, and chopped dill, some feta cheese and olive oil, salt and pepper. Toss and chill.

Swedish Cucumbers

2 cucumbers
1 cup vinegar
1 cup water
1 cup sugar

Boil the vinegar, water and sugar till disolved, refridgerate over-night. In the morning, peel and slice the cucumber as thin as you can and marinade in vinegar syrup till dinner. Best eaten that night, they don't hold up to well (not usually a problem).

Squash

Golden Scallopini Bush This is a nice compact bush, not sprawling or requiring too much space.


Summer Zuchetta Squash This is turning out to be my favorite squash. I like that it is a vine, that is easily trained up vertically, so it doesn't take up much space, and it is prolific.


Crookneck Squash This squash is best picked tiny and grilled whole, unlike the big lumpy ones. This bush plant is sprawling foward, requiring a lot of bed space.



Penne Pasta
This is really quick, but tastes like it simmered all day, and is heavy on veggies.

3 Mild Italian Sausage - take out of casing
2 red onions - thinly sliced 1/2 circles
2 cloves garlic - chopped
3 summer squash - sliced into good size/chunky 1/2 moons
2 red pepper- 1" cubed
1 large can tomatoes - pureed
1/2 box penne pasta - cooked

In a large stock pot, saute the sausage, breaking it up into small chunks, add the onion and garlic and saute some more, add the squash and red pepper and saute some more, add the tomatoes and simmer for about 20 - 30 minutes. Toss in the pasta and some fresh basil chifinade.

If you like creamy sauces, add 1/2 cup sour cream with the pasta and basil and stir well, you won't be sorry!

Lettuce, radichio and endive salad