Cucumbers

Gazpacho

Member Cara MacAteer has another great recipe to share - the epitome of summer!

GAZPACHO

I had made it most of the way through this unusual summer before I realized that I still had not made gazpacho despite all the hot, humid days where I wanted meals that don't require turning on an oven or stove. Then on August 13, I picked up my share to find that it had everything I needed except for the vinegar, oil, and salt, which I had in my pantry already. I sometimes have trouble finding a cubanelle pepper but my share included a beautiful one. I chopped up Farmer Ted's tomatoes, cucumber, pepper, onion, and garlic and tossed them into a Vitamix with some salt and olive oil and vinegar and had delicious gazpacho in no time.

Here is the recipe I use: https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1017577-best-gazpacho

INGREDIENTS:

About 2 pounds ripe red tomatoes, cored and roughly cut into chunks
1 Italian frying (cubanelle) pepper cored, seeded and roughly cut into chunks
1 cucumber, about 8 inches long, peeled and roughly cut into chunks
1 small mild onion (white or red), peeled and roughly cut into chunks
1 clove garlic
2 teaspoons sherry vinegar, more to taste
Salt
½ cup extra-virgin olive oil, more to taste, plus more for drizzling

PREPARATION

Combine tomatoes, pepper, cucumber, onion and garlic in a blender or, if using a hand blender, in a deep bowl. (If necessary, work in batches.) Blend at high speed until very smooth, at least 2 minutes, pausing occasionally to scrape down the sides with a rubber spatula.

With the motor running, add the vinegar and 2 teaspoons salt. Slowly drizzle in the olive oil. The mixture will turn bright orange or dark pink and become smooth and emulsified, like a salad dressing. If it still seems watery, drizzle in more olive oil until texture is creamy.

Strain the mixture through a strainer or a food mill, pushing all the liquid through with a spatula or the back of a ladle. Discard the solids. Transfer to a large pitcher (preferably glass) and chill until very cold, at least 6 hours or overnight.

Before serving, adjust the seasonings with salt and vinegar. If soup is very thick, stir in a few tablespoons ice water. Serve in glasses, over ice if desired, or in a bowl. A few drops of olive oil on top are a nice touch.

Recipe Round-Up

Member Juliana Guimarães shared a round-up of her favorite recipes from all of last season’s CSA. As you can tell, she got creative with all those delicious veggies and experimented a lot. We’re so happy to share some of the recipes she recommends. If you make them, let us know and send photos!

Breaded Eggplant Cutlets - So delicious and easy to do it!

Butternut-Sausage Lasagna - As a granddaughter of Italians, lasagna is one of my favorite dishes of all time! When I came across this recipe was pure delight.

Brazilian Carrot Cake - As a Brazilian I was so surprised when I tried the carrot cake here in the USA, it’s completely different from the cake I grew up eating. So when I saw all the amazing carrots I got from the share, my first thought was: Carrot Cake!


Cabbage Rolls - For a period last season we got cabbages every week, and I need to be creative to make sure we are eating all before the next week come. So it pops on my mind the dish my grandmother used to do and I never cooked. My husband loved so much that he keeps asking me “When will you do Cabbage Rolls?”

Tabbouleh - I can eat an entire bowl of Tabbouleh on my own. I love it so much!

CSA Salad Recipes

The beginning of the CSA season always brings a LOT of greens! It’s easy to get stuck in a rut with salads. One of our CSA member recommends a sesame-ginger dressing to inspire you. Here are some of her favorite combos, and a recipe for the dressing!

Sesame-Ginger Dressing

  • 2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil

  • 2 tablespoons reduced sodium soy sauce (or sub coconut aminos)

  • 2-3 tablespoons rice vinegar

  • 1 ½ tablespoons pure maple syrup

  • 2 cloves garlic, finely minced

  • 1 tablespoon freshly minced ginger

  • Optional if you want a creamy dressing: add 1 tablespoon tahini or cashew butter

Make the dressing by whisking together the following in a medium bowl or shaking in a mason jar: sesame oil, olive oil, soy sauce, rice vinegar, maple syrup, garlic and fresh ginger. If you want a creamier dressing, add in a tablespoon of tahini or cashew butter.

Salad1

Combo 1

CSA Oakleaf lettuce
CSA Tomatoes
CSA Cucumbers
Grapes
Manchego cheese
Toasted Sunflower Seeds
Sesame-Ginger Dressing

Salad2

Combo 2

CSA Arugula
CSA Scallions
CSA Tomatoes
Avocado
Toasted Sunflower Seeds
Sesame-Ginger Dressing