Week Seven Farm Share

Hello Farm Share members. This cooler weather has been really crucial for the farm to get going on all of our fall plantings. We have been quite busy as of late and this post will be a bit shorter, focusing on what is in the share and what to do with it. More news and farm goings on will be coming this week, along with an illustrated post on vegetable prep.

Many familiar items this week are in the share including head lettuce, broccoli or cauliflower, beets, cherry tomatoes, slicing tomatoes, cucumbers, squash, and Italian kale. The less common items are escarole and fennel. The escarole is the lettuce looking head that is secured by a twist tie. The texture is a bit different than lettuce, a bit sturdier and the taste is a bit bitter. It can be eaten fresh in salads and is quite good with goat cheese and a vinegar based dressing or something a bit heavier and creamy in texture. It can also be sauteed with olive oil and garlic for a quick side. The other item is fennel, which has been in the shares before but still has been a bit confusing for some members. Start by taking off any stems by cutting the stalks at the base of the bulb. They are still good to eat or juice, but set them aside for the time being. Lie the bulb flat on a cutting board and cut in half down the middle. Sometimes there is a tough inner core, remove this from each side with a v shaped cut spanning he length of the halved bulb. Discard these pieces. Proceed to chop the remaining bulb segments in this slices and use for roasting, salads or any other recipe. The green stems can be cut thinly too and used with the bulb as well, though their resulting texture and flavor is a bit different. We like to save the stems and add them to cucumber, kale and celery juices because it adds a nice sweet flavor.

More photos and recipes will be coming this week, so please check back often. There is a new recipe for chocolate zucchini cake that can be made with any summer squash. It is also really good made with grated beets in place of the squash. Just grate beets did sub for squash in the recipe.

Chocolate Zucchini Cake
½ cup soft margarine
½ cup oil
1 -3/4 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
½ cup sour milk (1-1/2 tsp. vinegar into milk)

2 – ½ cup flour
4 Tablespoons cocoa
1 tsp. soda
½ tsp. cinnamon
½ tsp. cloves
½ tsp. salt
2 cups shredded zucchini
½ chocolate bits
½ cup chopped nuts

Cream margarine, oil and sugar together.
Add eggs, vanilla and sour milk
Blend thoroughly.
Sift together flour, cocoa, soda, cinnamon, cloves and salt.
Blend with creamed mixture.
Stir in zucchini, chocolate bits and nuts.
Spoon into greased and floured pan – 9x13x2.
Bake 325° for 45 minutes.

We hope you are enjoying everything and please send us some photos or recipes.

-The Simington Gardens Team