Cold Cucumber Cream Soup
A quick and refreshing cold soup that can be prepared ahead of time for those warm, muggy evenings; if you are out of cilantro already, dill works just as well. Serves 4. (more…)
Westfield Area CSA Blog
Farm News – June 24, 2024
Hi Folks! I guess I don’t have to tell you what a brutal week of weather we had. The temperatures will be more moderate this week, but we still have not had any rain. As often happens on the farm, some passing storms moved to the north and the south. Hopefully there will be some precipitation this week. (more…)
Leek and Swiss Chard Tart
Here’s another great recipe from epicurious.com, a quiche-like dish using leeks and Swiss chard. Feel free to experiment with quiche dishes like this – you can mix in almost any precooked meat or top with cheese. (more…)
Grilled Butter Lettuce
Here’s a recipe found on The Bitten Word food blog, originally from Fine Cooking Magazine. This salad is just sprinkled with salt and then laid onto the grill, cut side down, until the greens have a nice char. It’s a very brief grilling, but it brings a great, summery flavor to the salad. Serves 8. (more…)
Soft-Cooked Summer Squash with Onion
From the Washington Post, here’s a delicious summer squash and onion dish. The variety to use here is the pale yellow crookneck squash, but yellow zucchini (or a mix of green and yellow zucchini) will also be fine. Small to medium-size squash work best. Because they typically contain less water and fewer seeds, they will contribute more flavor and texture to the dish. Serves 4.
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Farm News – June 17, 2024
Hello Folks! The first day of summer is less than a week away but the first major heat wave of the season just could not wait. The spring weather treated us well and I have been saying “so far, so good” because I knew that our luck might not last. This kind of heat and humidity is hard on my crew and I, and it is also rough on the crops. It is especially hard on the greens which have been growing so beautifully until now. We received less than a quarter inch of rain last week, so the ground is drying out, and we are moving sprinklers around to keep the soil moist. Hopefully, the heat will bring some thunderstorms later in the week. (more…)
Kohlrabi
Kohlrabi is neither a root nor a leafy vegetable but a swollen stem (a member of the cabbage family) that grows perched on top of the ground. This versatile veggie is underutilized in the U.S. but is common in Central Europe and Asia. Some claim it tastes a little like a turnip, others like a cabbage. Not surprising since it was bred from a combination of the German “kohl” (cabbage) and “rabi” (turnip). It is an excellent source of potassium and vitamin C and also includes some calcium and vitamin A. The taste and texture is similar to that of a broccoli stem, accented by radish, but is much sweeter and milder. (more…)
Kohlrabi and Carrot Slaw
Found on thekitchn.com, this slaw is the perfect side dish for a summer picnic. It can be prepared very quickly, especially if you have a mandoline or food processor handy. The slaw is very lightly dressed, so feel free to increase the wet ingredients if you prefer a more heavily dressed slaw. Like any slaw, feel free to substitute different ingredients – try it with Napa or green cabbage if that’s what you have. Serves 4-6. (more…)
“Cream” of Zucchini Soup
Although the title says “cream”, there is nothing high fat about this soup. The creaminess comes from the farina and the puréeing of the soup. Serves 8. (more…)
Stir Fry Chicken and Tatsoi
Stir fries are a simple and tasty way to put your CSA share vegetables to good use. This stir fry recipe uses tatsoi and peas, but you can substitute any other vegetable. Use your imagination! (more…)