Circle M Farm

Tomatoes! Every variety we have is practically leaping off of the vines now, from bright orange Moonglows to small orange Stupas, purple Black Sea Mans and Hungarian Red Hearts. We’re also enjoying Pink Grapefruits, Brandywines and Speckled Romas. Here’s what else is in the box this week.

Cucumbers – Green slicers, round Lemons and Miniature Whites.

Summer Squash- Though we prefer to pick zucchini and yellow squash at smaller sizes good for sauteeing, we’ve included one large Zucchini this week, so everyone can make at least a few breads or cakes. What you don’t use, you can freeze grated to put in lasagne later.

Yellow Onion – This yellow onion is just the thing to put on grilled burgers, or dice into the salsa recipe we’ve included below.

Tetragonia/New Zealand Spinach – This is a crop that’s new to us, and we welcome your feedback. A native of New Zealand, tetragonia is an oddly succulent green, good for raw eating or cooking down. Because it grows in the heat, where spinach won’t, it’s come to be used by chefs in the hot months as a substitute for spinach, though it certainly has a flavor all it’s own. We’ve included a recipe so you can give it a run and let us know what you think. Send us your recipes!

Green Peppers – We’ve included a sweet bell and a round Sheepnose pimento, both sweet and crispy, just perfect for pasta salads or fresh eating.

Hot Serrano Peppers – These little peppers pack a punch, though they aren’t as hot as they will be! Use sparingly in salsa, and dry the rest for later.

Eggplant – We’ve included one each of the gorgeous purple and stunning white pearl varieties.

Swiss Chard

Garlic

Herbs – Chocolate mint is in a separate bunch and basil and thyme are in their own bags. In the bouquet we’ve included parsley, sage, and lemon balm, as well as a few tall sprigs of cilantro for salsa.

Basic Mexican Salsa
I just got a food processor, for the first time in my life, mostly to make pesto and salsa. Here’s how to make the world’s easiest salsa! If you don’t have a food processor, just chop everything quite small.

2 large, ripe tomatoes, peeled and seeded
1 garlic clove peeled
2 Serrano chilies, seeded and cut into thirds
1/2 yellow onion, cleaned and cut into 1 inch pieces
1 Tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 Tablespoon lime juice
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
salt and pepper to taste

Char the tomatoes over a gas grill or under the flame of a hot broiler for a few seconds, turning them until the peel blisters. Slip off the peel, and the flesh will still be firm. Remove the green stem core and cut the tomatoes in half vertically. Use a teaspoon to scoop out the seeds. In the food processor, turn the motor on chop first and drop in the garlic, cilantro, onion and chilies into the bowl of the food processor to chop for just a few seconds. Turn off the motor and scrap down the sides of the bowl using a rubber spatula. Add the remaining ingredients and puree to the desired texture. You want to see bits of all the vegetables through out the salsa. Salt and pepper to taste. Pour into a serving bowl and allow to season for approximately one hour.

Both of these next recipes come from the summer’s favorite cookbook at our house, Farmer John’s Cookbook: The Real Dirt on Vegetables. From anecdotes about market agriculture to interesting biodynamic nutritional info, this CSA farmer’s unique take on food is a hoot to read. He’s got a movie out, too, which is well worth watching if you are interested in the food supply and alternative channels.

Creamy Lemon Balm Soup with Tetragonia

1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 small onion, quartered and thinly sliced
2 C finely chopped tetragonia leaves (you can also use spinach or swiss chard)
1/2 C finely chopped lemon balm leaves
4 C light vegetable or chicken stock
1/4 C sour cream
1/2 t salt
1/4 t pepper

Heat olive oil in a medium pot over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring often, until light golden, 15 to 20 minutes. Add tetragonia and lemon balm, stir to combine and cover. Cook 3 minutes or until the greens are wilted. Pour in stock and bring to a simmer. Add sour cream, salt and pepper and stir until heated through. Don’t boil, or you’ll curdle the sour cream. Serve hot or room temperature, garnishing with black pepper and a sprig of lemon balm or thin slice of lemon.

Crispy Cornmeal-Covered Squash and Zucchini

1 C cornmeal
salt and pepper
4 small to medium yellow squash and zucchini, halved crosswise and then sliced lengthwise into 1/4-inch-thick strips
1 C flour
1 egg, beaten
Olive oil

Mix the cornmeal with salt and pepper to taste in a shallow bowl. Pick each piece of squash up, coat lightly in the flour, shaking off excess, and dip in the beaten egg, letting excess drip off. Dip each slice in the cornmeal and coat well, set aside and repeat with remaining slices.

Thoroughly cover the bottom of a large skillet with olive oil, and heat to medium-high. Transfer as many squash slices as will fit in the skillet, and cook until browned. Flip and cook the other side – each side should take about 5 minutes. Transfer to a plate lined with a paper towel and cool slightly before serving.

Be sure to scrape any burned pieces of cornmeal out of the skillet before you fry the remaining squash slices. Season with additional salt to taste and serve slightly warm.