A few weeks ago I started receiving my weekly CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) delivery from a nearby farm. You can find more information on how a CSA works by visiting the Local Harvest site.
I look forward to this season every year because I now have available the freshest produce to cook with each week. The cover photo above shows what vegetables I received in my box last week. Jeta Farms is a family owned local farm, operated by Eddie Frank, and the farm sells their produce at local farmers’ markets, including the Palafox Market in Pensacola, FL on Saturday mornings.
Here are a few recipes I made with the vegetables in this week’s share.
Jeta Farms
Italian Frying Peppers
Ingredients
- 6 Italian frying peppers
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 garlic clove smashed and cut in half
- Pinch of salt and pepper
Directions
Heat oil and garlic in a small saute pan. Lower heat and add the whole peppers. Saute slowly until lightly brown on all sides. Serve at room temperature. These peppers are delicious as an appetizer or as a side dish.
Homemade Refrigerator Dill Pickles
Makes 2 quarts. I use old mayonnaise jars with screw top lids.
Ingredients
- 2 cups water
- 2 cups white distilled vinegar
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 2 tablespoons kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon crushed black pepper
- 1 teaspoon dill seed
- 6 thinly sliced garlic cloves
- 6-8 pickling cucumbers (Kirby)
- A few sprigs of dill
- 2 clean quart size jars
Directions
Combine water, vinegar, sugar, kosher salt, pepper, dill seed and garlic in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil; stir.
Quarter pickling cucumbers lengthwise and divide evenly in the jars; add fresh dill.
Top with the hot vinegar mixture. Cover and refrigerate for several days before eating. The pickles keep for a few months in the refrigerator.
Potato Leek Soup
Ingredients
- 3 cups chopped leeks, light green and white parts
- 1 cup chopped sweet onions
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 ½ pounds peeled potatoes, cubed
- 2 stalks celery, chopped
- 1 ½ teaspoons fresh thyme leaves, chopped
- 8 cups low sodium chicken broth
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 cup evaporated canned milk
- 1/2 teaspoon white pepper
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh chives
- 2 strips cooked bacon, crumbled
Directions
Heat butter in a Dutch oven or soup pot. Add the celery, leeks and onion and saute until tender. Add garlic and potatoes and cook for 5 minutes.
Add the chicken broth, thyme and bay leaf. Bring to a boil, lower heat, cover the pot and cook until the potatoes are soft, about 20 minutes.
Remove the bay leaf. Puree the soup with an immersion blender or in a processor.
Add the evaporated milk, salt and pepper. Bring to a simmer (do not boil). Serve in individual bowls and top each bowl with chives and bacon.
Grilled Yellow Squash
This is a favorite in our family – well – anything I put basil pesto on becomes a favorite with them.
4 servings
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup fresh basil pesto
- 1/4 cup toasted pine (pignoli) nuts
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra for the grill
- 2 teaspoons lemon juice
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 2 medium summer squash, (about 1 pound), sliced diagonally 1/4 inch thick
Directions
Preheat grill to medium-high. Oil the grates.
Combine pesto and lemon juice in a small bowl.
Brush both sides of the squash slices with olive oil and sprinkle lightly with the salt.
Grill the squash until browned and tender, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Serve topped with the pesto and the toasted nuts.
Eggplant And Fresh Tomato Bake
Jeta Farms grows the most delicious eggplant, Rosa Bianca, an Italian Heirloom eggplant. It is a medium size, round shaped eggplant with lavender-white skin and creamy white flesh with no taste of bitterness and very mild in flavor.
This is my summer version of eggplant parmesan.
Ingredients
- 2 Rosa Bianca Heirloom Eggplants (14-15 oz each)
- Dried Italian bread crumbs
- !/2 cup refrigerated egg substitute or 2 eggs
- 8 oz mozzarella cheese, sliced thin
- 5-6 fresh plum tomatoes, sliced thin
- Salt and pepper
- Dried Italian seasoning
- Olive oil
Directions
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Oil two baking sheets.
Place the sliced tomatoes on a plate lined with paper towels. Sprinkle lightly with salt. Let the tomatoes drain while you prepare the eggplant.
Dip eggplant slices in the egg substitute and then coat in the dried bread crumbs. Place the breaded eggplant on the prepared baking pans and bake until brown, about 20 minutes, turning the slices over halfway through baking.
Oil an 8 inch square glass baking pan. Cover the bottom of the pan with eggplant slices and add half the sliced tomatoes and half of the cheese.
Add another layer of eggplant slices, tomatoes and cheese. Sprinkle the top layer with dried Italian seasoning. Cover the dish with foil.
Bake in the oven for 30 minutes. Remove the foil and bake 10 minutes more.
Let rest 10 minutes before slicing.
Brown Sugar Zucchini Bread
Ingredients
- 3 cups self-rising flour (King Arthur brand is what I use)
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 ½ teaspoons cinnamon
- 2 cups brown sugar
- 2 eggs
- 2/3 cup vegetable oil
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- 2 cups shredded zucchini
- 1 cup chopped walnuts
- Cooking spray
Directions
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
Spray two 8-inch loaf pans with cooking spray and set aside.
Combine flour, baking soda, cinnamon and brown sugar in a large mixing bowl. Stir until thoroughly mixed.
In a smaller bowl combine eggs, oil and vanilla. Add to the flour mixture and mix well.
Fold in the zucchini and walnuts.
Divide the mixture evenly between the two baking pans.
Bake until deep golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean, about 60 minutes.
Cool in pans on wire racks for 30 minutes; then remove bread from the pans and continue cooling on wire racks.
This bread freezes well.
