Circle M Farm

When it rains it pours. Yesterday, a 15-minute rain and wind storm knocked over half of our sweet corn. In spite of our valiant and goofy efforts to stand it up today, it looks like the stalks are overwhelmed. Luckily, the rest of garden is producing with reciprocal alarming abundance, and we’ve got food coming out of our ears! Here’s what’s in the box:

Circle M Summer Salad Mix - We’ve spiced up these baby greens with colorful and tasty nasturtiums. Pick one out and taste it, just for the surprise of the pretty blooms that taste like pepper or radish.

Summer Squash – These lovely skinny squash are Italian heirlooms appreciated for their ability to grow long without getting beefy. Best enjoyed briefly sauteed in butter and olive oil, these should be just lightly seasoned with garlic, salt and pepper. We’ve included one large zucchini in every box, so you can shred it and make the moist, delicious Zucchini Bread, prepared by Work Share member Jaci, that we enjoyed at a recent workday potluck.

Swiss Chard – So pretty and so healthy, this dark leafy green packs a real nutrient punch for bones, lungs, nerves and heart! Check out this website for more info. Use just like spinach in any dish, or make into the delicious gratin recipe below.

Bush Beans – Yellow, purple and green!

Arugula

Cabbage

Beets

Carrots

Summer Turnips
Such a gorgeous root! These are a mix of Purple Top, Scarlet Green Stems and Scarlet Red Stems. Enjoy the tasty, nutritious greens as well as the roots. The Turnip Souffle recipe below utilizes both.

Kohlrabi – Never had these before? Peel and eat like an apple -yum! Or slice, dice or shred into soups, salads and stir fries.

Basil

Fresh Garlic – Not cured, so use within a week or two.

Radishes – This “Easter Egg Mix” comes in a delightful mix of colors – all delicious!

Baby Leeks – These little leeks are a surprise harvest from our early spring garden which got flooded. Use them as you usually would leeks, or they should be tender enough to substitute for scallions in a recipe.

Herbs – Lemon Balm is the furry-ish leaf. Great for tea, nice chopped into squash saute, lovely in baking. You also have chives.

Turnip Souffle
From allrecipes.com

1 1/2 pounds turnips, peeled and sliced, save greens
1 1/2 teaspoons salt, divided
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/2 cup butter or margarine
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2/3 cup milk
4 eggs, separated
3 bacon strips, cooked and crumbled

Place turnips, 1/2 teaspoon of salt and sugar in a saucepan; cover with water. Cover and cook until turnips are tender, about 15-20 minutes; drain well and mash (do not add milk or butter). Set aside. In another saucepan, melt butter; stir in the flour and remaining salt until smooth. Add milk; bring to a boil. Cook and stir for 2 minutes. Beat egg yolks in a small bowl; gradually stir in 1/2 cup hot milk mixture. Return all to pan; cook and stir for 1 minute. Stir in turnips; remove from the heat. Beat egg whites until stiff peaks form; fold into batter. Spoon into a greased 11-in. x 7-in. x 2-in. glass baking dish. Sprinkle with bacon. Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees F for 30 minutes or until golden brown. Wash and chop greens. Simmer for 15 minutes. Serve over top of the souffle.

Zucchini Bread

3 cups all-purpose flour (OR: 1 cup white flour 2 cups whole wheat flour)
3 eggs
2 cups white sugar (OR: 1 cup white 1 cup brown)
1 cup vegetable oil
2 cups grated zucchini (OR one large zucchini grated)
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 cup sour cream
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease two 9×5 inch loaf pans.
Beat together eggs, sugar, and oil. Blend in the grated zucchini, and then the sour cream. Mix in the flour, baking powder, soda, and cinnamon. Pour batter into prepared pans – flour and grease well! .
Bake for 60 minutes. Cool.

Swiss Chard Gratin
From the Chicago Tribune

2 tablespoons butter, softened
2 tablespoons fresh breadcrumbs
1/4 cup fresh breadcrumb
1 lb swiss chard, any color
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium shallot, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon salt
Fresh ground pepper, to taste

Sauce

2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons flour
1 1/2 cups low-fat milk
1/3 teaspoon salt
1 bay leaf
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh oregano
2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh thyme
1 cup grated gruyere cheese

Heat oven to 400°. Coat the interior of a 1 1/2-quart gratin or baking dish with the softened butter and spoon in the 2 tablespoons of bread crumbs; tilt the dish around until they cover the buttered surface. Slice the chard stems and leaves into 1 1/2-inch pieces; wash in cold water; drain but don’t dry them. Heat the olive oil in a 6-quart Dutch oven or soup pot over medium heat; add the shallot and garlic; cook, stirring constantly, until softened but not browned, about 1 minute; add the chard, sprinkle with salt; cover tightly and steam until the chard has wilted to half its original volume, about 2-3 minutes; uncover and cook the chard, turning occasionally with tongs, until all the water in the pan evaporates, about 5 more minutes; season with pepper and set aside.

Sauce – melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat; whisk in the flour; cook, whisking, until mixture bubbles up and turns lighter in color, about 1 minute; pour in the cold milk all at once; whisk vigorously; add salt and bay leaf; heat, whisking, until it comes to a boil and thickens, about 5 minutes; reduce the heat to low, simmer 2 minutes; stir in the nutmeg, oregano, thyme and 1/2 cup of the cheese; remove from heat and discard bay leaf.

Mix the cooked chard and the sauce; spoon into prepared pan; sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup bread crumbs and remaining 1/2 cup cheese; bake until golden and bubbly, 35 minutes.