Sundog CSA July 24th, 2023

One-third of the way through the summer with only seven days left in this month of July and it definitely will feel like summer if the temperature predictions for next week hit their marks. I saw triple digits for five out of the eight days on the forecast. Hopefully we will have some rainfall somewhere in those eight days! Today (Saturday) saw .06 sitting in our gauge with an unexpected afternoon shower popping up out of nowhere. It was enough to “rinse” the laundry that was ready to be brought in off the line and probably gave all the plants a tiny bit of relief from the dry weather. We are still out there scrounging for potatoes among the pigweed and tall grasses. Piling weeds and making barriers as we go, we are hoping to find a spot where we can hide some new squash plantings because the bugs are winning where our bed is located currently. The plants have done fairly well considering the pressure of weather and pests but they are fading fast. Maybe next weeks temperatures will persuade the bugs to move north!

Seth, Katy and I took a walk through the garden beds tonight, looking for worms which was a failed trip. What we did find was a beautiful clear sky with the stars showing off in their constellations and the sharp orange slice of a crescent moon that slipped beneath our hill view a little after eleven. In walking from place to place trying to get the last glimpse of the moon, I walked through the side of this busy spider’s web. It is the time of year when you have to walk through the dark with your hand/arm extended or you will be wearing spider web hair nets.

YOUR BAG THIS WEEK – grown in an organic manner! 😊

• Cherry Tomatoes - variety
• Large Tomatoes - all colors and kinds
• Beets - try the greens!
• Onions
• Sweet Peppers
• Squash
• Cucumber
• Basil/Parsley

RECIPE SHARE - Thank you Connie!

I sliced the yellow squash and let it air dry with salt on it. Then I roasted them a bit in the oven with onion and a pepper. I made a roux with 3 tablespoons of butter and 3 tablespoons of flour. Added salt and pepper and the added fresh cream and a cup of shredded cheddar cheese. I added 2 or 3 tempered eggs and then put it all together in a casserole to bake. Add whatever herbs and spices you like. Bake until hot. Then add a little shredded Parmesan cheese on top. PS – The leftovers were so good that we ate it cold! 😊

The other thing that we have been doing with the squash is PIZZA! We use yellow squash, tomatoes, herbs and mozzarella cheese. It is very good! 😊

NOTE FROM TERESA: I have to add to this recipe. I looked up what it meant to have a tempered egg and have a link if there is anyone else out there who doesn’t know what that cooking term means:

https://www.seriouseats.com/tempering-eggs-why-when-and-how-to-do-it

I love learning new things and now I know that tempered eggs are not just eggs with attitude! 😊

From the “One United Harvest” recipe book (Creative recipes from America’s Community Supported Farms Collected by Julia Sochacki)

SUMMERTIME PASTA

2-3 T. olive oil 2 T. chopped fresh parsley

2 garlic cloves, minced 3 T. chopped basil

1 medium onion, chopped salt and pepper, to taste

¼ cup chopped celery 5-6 cups chopped fresh tomatoes

3-4 banana peppers, seeded & sliced in thing strips

1 lb. whole wheat angel hair pasta or spaghetti

3 cups assorted summer squash (patty pan, zucchini and crookneck, cut into bite sized pieces

½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

In olive oil, sauté the garlic, onion and celery. When soft, add the banana peppers and cook 3 to 4 minutes. Add the summer squash, parsley and basil and cook 10 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste. Remove from heat. Chop the tomatoes and place in a large bowl. Add the sauteed vegetables and stir. Let sit at room temperature while the pasta is cooking. When the pasta is ready, drain and rinse with cold water. Drain again and place in a large bowl. Add olive oil and fresh grated Parmesan cheese and toss lightly. Serve the pasta and then the tomato sauce at room temperatures. Also pass Parmesan cheese for individual tastes.

Shared by Diane Welland, Henry A. Wallace County Life Center, Iowa

Johnny Luv’s Outrageous Grilled Pizza (from the above recipe book)

1 cup warm water 2 T. olive oil

1 package dry yeast or ¼ ounces compressed yeast ½ tsp. salt

2 ½ to 3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

Combine the water, yeast and 1 ½ cups of flour in a mixing bowl. Mix well. Add the oil and salt, and remaining flour. Work dough in a mixer or by hand until it holds it shape. (You may need to adjust the flour a bit so add the last half gradually.) Knead the dough on a floured surface until it is smooth and elastic. Transfer the dough to a large lightly oiled bowl. Cover and place in a warm area until it has doubled in size, about one hour. After the dough has risen, divide into hand sized balls and place on a floured surface. Cover and let sit for 15 minutes. When ready, roll into smaller-sized pizzas that will fit two at a time, side by side on your grill surface.

 PIZZA TOPPINGS:

The sky is the limit so be creative. I prefer white pizzas without marinara sauce. I like to adjust the toppings according to what is coming out of the field at that particular time.

Some of the suggestions are arugula, fresh garlic or scapes, cheese, tomatoes, basil or fresh pesto, onions, spinach, eggplant, potatoes and the list goes on and on. . . . . .

If you are using arugula, lightly steam it or make it into a pesto with garlic and olive oil. Fresh garlic or scapes should be chopped. Some of the cheese suggested are mozzarella, Romano or Parmesan – all shredded or grated. Onions can be grilled, sauteed or caramelized. Spinach or other greens can be lightly steamed. Eggplant can be grilled or sauteed. Potatoes should be thinly sliced and baked and in the author’s case were added on a pizza with arugula and rosemary.

After you have figured out your toppings, roll out one pizza dough on a lightly floured surface. Place dough on the grill. It takes about 1 to 3 minutes for the dough to cook. Adjust the temperature accordingly. While the first dough is cooking, quickly roll out a second dough and place it on the other side of the grill. This speeds up the process by working two pizzas at a time. When the first dough has become lightly crisped and golden brown on the bottom, flip it over and cover it liberally with the garlic, olive oil and then add whatever ingredients you wish. By the time the ingredients are placed on the first pizza, the second one should be ready to flip. Keep an eye on the bottom of the dough. Take off the grill when bottom side of the pizza is browned.

Recipe shared by John Stewart, Maple Rock Farm, Washington

LEMON GARLIC ROASTED BEETS (Lemon and garlic are a terrific combination)

1 lb. beets, peeled and slice ¼ inch thick ¼ tsp. lemon zest

4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced ½ tsp. extra virgin olive oil

2 T. lemon juice ¼ tsp. sugar

1 pinch each, salt and pepper

In an 8-inch square glass baking dish, toss all ingredients together. Rub a piece of parchment paper with olive oil and set oiled side down on the beets. Cover tightly with tin foil and roast at 375 degrees for 40 minutes, shaking pan occasionally to prevent beets from sticking to baking dish.

Recipe shared by Kelly Saxer, Desert Roots Farm CSA, Arizona

A couple of additional recipes to use beets from the Joy of Gardening Cookbook –

MUSTARD HONEY BEETS - Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a large sauté pan and add 6 cups of diced booked beets. Toss to coat. Add 2 tablespoons Dijon style mustard and 2 tablespoons of honey. Continue cooking until the beets are heated through.

BEETS in Orange Ginger Sauce – Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a large sauté pan, and add 6 cups of diced cooked beets. Toss to coat. Add ¾ cup orange juice and 1 ½ teaspoons minced fresh ginger root. Continue cooking until the beets are heated through.

If you look close to the side of his purple light, you can see Seth looking for worms Saturday evening.

Names are strange words that we attach to beings or things, sometimes taking a while to lose awkwardness. And at some point, it seems that we are not able to think of that person being named anything other than the name we call them. I feel like it is a hard thing to name and so when a calf is born, it takes awhile for a name to fit. A couple of weeks ago, our cow named Tank who started out as #1 (I had this idea that I would not get attached to cows if I numbered them – didn’t work) had a baby girl calf. Things got off to a bad start as the calf, whom Katy described as weasel-faced, was a runner. She ran and it took Katy and Izzy both to catch her and at that point, both she and her mom were penned. This little calf had health problems and so we spent a lot of time with her and at some point, about 10 days into it, I decided to name her after my husband’s grandma, Eula, and then to even it out, another girl calf who had been nameless for almost two months was named after my grandma, Hazel. In one night, we had two new beings on the farm, one a few days old and one two months old - Eula and Hazel. We are in love with Eula and Hazel and hope that the grandmas whom they are named for are as happy with their namesakes as we are!

Blessings from the farm – stay cool! - Seth, Izzy, Dan, Katy, Zach, Jen and Teresa