Tuesday 2 August 2016

FFF CSA - Week 6/12 - What's in the Box? - Cucs and Zucs

Here we are half way through our CSA season and heading into the dog days of summer! The weather has been a bit challenging this season leaving us with some crops doing poorly while others are loving it. Our beets, kale, turnip, onions and spinach have been quite disappointing while our beans, rhubarb, squash, and cucumbers are doing very well. Zucchinis.... well I haven't ever seen weather that they don't seem to thrive in!

Today I thought I would spend some time exploring what you can do with zucchinis and cucumbers given their abundance and size these days! Both are versatile veggies that can be used in many different ways. 

Zucchini:

  • split in half lengthways, drizzle with oil and rosemary and bake... or put some tomato paste and cheddar cheese...
  • dehydrate into chips - spiced or plain
  • make zucchini noodles by slicing very thin and boiling like pasta  - but just for one minute! 
  • Cut up and throw in your salad.
  • Make zucchini lasagna by replacing the noodles with zucchini
  • Shred zucchini with a cheese grater (or food processor) and use in muffins, breads or cakes. (for Grandma Fenez's famous chocolate zucchini cake recipe check out my previous post)
  • Use zucchini along with other veggies and eggs to make a yummy frittata or quiche. 
  • Use it soup... either for the main ingredient or as one of many delicious items. 
Cucumber: 
  • sliced (peeled or unpeeled) and plain or with salt or salad dressing 
  • chopped into a green salad or added to your sandwich
  • cucumber salad - there are hundreds of different versions of salads featuring cucumbers as the main ingredient
  • tzatziki - our favorite - a yogurt based dipping sauce which is eaten in vast quantities in our household
  • cucumber drinks - given the high water content of cucs and the light, refreshing flavour - they make wonderful additions to drinks. At the very least, slice a few and pop into your water glass! 
  • cold soup - cucumbers make a great cool soup for the summer such as gazpacho
.... along with these thirteen ideas that I knew nothing about but are quite fun! 

So... What's in the Box this week?
  • Swiss Chard
  • Lettuce
  • Beets
  • Turnip
  • Baby carrots
  • Zucchini
  • Cucumbers
  • Potatoes
  • Onions
  • Apples 
  • Beans 
  • Bouquet of various herbs including: 
    • Chives
    • Parsley (flat and curled)
    • Cilantro 
    • Basil
    • Oregano

Note: We do rinse the produce but it would be prudent to wash all vegetables when you get them home. Keeping the herbs (ends) in a cup of clean water will keep them fresh longer. (unless of course, you are drying them for storage later.)

Reminder: Please return your empty box along with all re-usable containers (ice cream pails, plastic containers, etc) so that we can reuse them all over again. 


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