What a gloriously bountiful time of year! Everything is coming on at once – any given day in the garden offers up numerous choices for delicious meals and we’ve tried to capture that in this week’s box.

Shakespeare came with me to collect nasturtiums this morning.

In The Box: 3
Madison, July 12

Beets – Darker, bigger and more delicious every day. These are mostly Chioggia, a fabulous heirloom variety that grows pink and reveals white stripes when cut. The darker variety is Bull’s Blood.

String Beans – Not your grocery store green beans, these French filet varieties grow green, yellow and purple. Cook these very briefly to get the full flavor.

Pod Beans – The smaller bag of beans is a special heirloom variety called Vermont Cranberry that we left on the vine last year to dry and turn a swirled pink and red. The soup beans inside were a pretty light crimson. This summer we tried eating them young, and they are terrific. Because of their large size and flat pods, they make a great finger food. Lightly boil, five minutes or so, then drain and toss with olive oil and seasoned rice wine vinegar. Sprinkle sesame seed and sea salt on top, and eat as an appetizer.

Scallions – Last harvest of this planting.

Carrots – We’re finally harvesting the Science Fiction colored mix. Let us know your favorite color, and which tastes the best!

Summer Squash – It’s hard to imagine ever being tired of summer squash when it’s as tasty and crisp as these first harvests. We will try to continue to pick these small, so that we never do get sick of them!

Squash Blossoms – The Italian solution to the over-growth of summer squash. Eat the blossoms without guilt! My mom discovered this recipe while living in Pisa.

Stuffed Squash Blossoms
Shake the blossoms to dislodge any beetles hiding inside. Do not wash, as the blooms are fragile. Set aside and make filling out of 1 C ricotta cheese, 1/4 C parmesan cheese and 1/4 C goat cheese. Season to taste with salt and pepper and basil or parsley. Use a knife to insert about 2 teaspoons of mixture into each blossom. Don’t worry about tearing them. As they cook, the blossoms wilt and tears will disappear. Saute in olive oil briefly, about 1 minute on each side. Remove with slotted spoon to serving dish. Enjoy!

Fennel – Another vegetable little-used in the states, but highly prized in Europe and South America. These baby bulbs are nice to slice into salads, or to make into their own slaw with onions, avocado and an orange vinagrette dressing. Saute fennel with onions in olive oil. The stalks and leaves can also be sauteed, or used like a seasoning in other dishes. Taste a bit of the fronds and see what you think. We had these growing wild in our yard back home in Pennsylvania when I was a child, and we called them wild licorice. I still dig fennel.

Salad Greens with Calendula Petals – It’s hard to believe these little cut-and-come-again plants are still so tasty!

Sweet Onion – I only included one of these sweet fresh onions. The rest will be sizing up for storage in the fall, but these are so great on hamburgers, I thought I’d get at least one in the box now. Store in the fridge, as they are not cured.

New Potatoes – I harvested a few of the potato plants, as they were in a spot being encroached by summer squash. New potatoes are such a treat, but also not cured and need to be stored in the fridge. Imagine how big they’ll be when we dig them up next month!

Cabbage – These little heads have struggled all spring to overcome odd weather and aggressive bugs. I thought it best to harvest them small, before the heat and bugs destroy them. Bigger ones in the fall…

Purple Top White Globe Turnips – The turnip greens got a mixed reception in the first box. I hope you’ll all love the roots. I know I do. If you are a cabbage fan, you’ll probably really enjoy these. This purple top variety was a popular market variety in the 1880s, and a great old-fashioned way to enjoy them is to boil and mash with potatoes. They will have to cook 10 minutes longer then potatoes, so put them in the pot first. These are so young and mild, they can also just be sliced and added to salads. You probably don’t even need to peel them, if you give them a good scrub. Use the greens too! If the Ham Hock recipe was a bit too rich for you, just try adding the greens to soups or lasagnes.

Nasturtium Leaves and Blossoms – These peppery plants are such a fantastic surprise in a salad or soup, or lightly sauteed and served over pasta. A CSA member who loves radishes says these have been a great out-of-the-bag snack.

Herbs – This week you’ll have chocolate mint, spicy basil, piquant dill, Italian parsley and tiny-leaved thyme. Go crazy!

Goat Cheese – This special treat from neighboring Linden Valley Farm is just the thing to compliment the squash blossoms. Or spread on crackers or baguettes. I’ve enjoyed it this week in a scallion omelette.

Rhubarb – Not so pink anymore, but just as tasty!