Man, this is the part of the season when I seriously re-fall in love with the CSA. In the early months, I make it through the endless amounts of kale and turnips so I can get to tomato, cucumber, sweet corn and watermelon season.

This is also when Manatee and I re-fall in love with Wisconsin. In the winter, we second guess our past decisions to move back. I dream of running along the bluffs of Santa Barbara while Manatee fantasizes about the warm dry air of Phoenix. Then summer hits and hindsight becomes 20/20. We love Madison summers: biking downtown and having a Wisconsin beer, tasting the fresh produce from the CSA, and enjoying a cool glass of white wine on our deck as we watch fireflies and try to guess what kind of peppers we have growing in our garden.

This week’s share:

Cucumbers
Onions
Garlic
Watermelons!
Celery
Sweet Corn
Tomatoes
Cucumbers
Zucchini
Green beans
New potatoes

Cucumbers and tomatoes: Check out my recipe for Poor Man’s Bruschetta.

Cucumbers and celery: I love celery. It’s my new favorite vegetable. I will be eating a lot of raw celery with guacamole and other yummy dips, but I am going to save some celery and cucumbers to make this lentil salad from Vegetarian Times.

Watermelon– We will be eating our watermelon raw and Manatee will sprinkle his with salt. I am thrilled that we got two of them so we can maintain peace in our household: one for me and one for Manatee. Raw watermelon is our favorite post-running snack. If you are a little more adventurous, check out this recipe for Grilled Watermelon Salad from the blog, peas and thank you (one of my fave vegan blogs).

Onion– Tonight we are going to make an ‘inside out’ pizza with produce from our garden. I will cover diced eggplant, zucchini, onion, mushrooms and chicken sausage with cheese and then top with halved cherry tomatoes. Check back for pics and more specific directions.

Garlic– I have to admit that I hoard my garlic to use throughout the fall and winter. When making Poor Man’s Bruschetta, you rub a halved clove on garlic on the bread before adding the veggies. This will give you the garlic taste without the raw garlic heartburn.

Zucchini– I guess I am becoming a Rachel Ray fan because I found another recipe of hers that I am going to try: Baked Eggplant and Zucchini.

Sweet Corn– I think we are going to grill this week’s sweet corn. For our wedding, we got a grill corn holder and I think it’s about time to check it out. I am really nervous to grill corn because I have never done it before. I would love to hear any tips or advice you have!

Green beans: We are really boring when it comes to green beans because I just love steaming them. Here’s a steaming tip for you: line the bottom of your steamer with lemon slices to give the green beans a crisp, refreshing taste of lemons. No butter needed!

Potatoes: Last week we made some amazing mashed potatoes. Cut the potatoes in cubes so they are all relatively the same size. Boil for 20 minutes. Drain and reserve about a 1/4-1/2 cup of water. Mash with butter.

For bonus points, make a flavored butter. Set the butter out until it’s room temperature. Add zest from one lemon and chop a handful of chives. In a medium sized bowl, use a hand beater to whip the lemon zest, chives and butter together until it is soft and well-mixed.

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As always, I would love to hear your ideas about this week’s share. Enjoy that gorgeous produce and check back next week for more ideas.

 

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