In the share this week:
2 lbs green beans
1 lb slicer tomatoes
1 small garlic head
2 sweet or green peppers
1 head summer crisp lettuce or 1 bag salad mix
2 summer squash or 1 bunch radishes
Thoughts from Farmer Anna:
As we turn the calendar to September, we are strongly feeling the pull to slow down. We still have a couple more weeks of urgent work to get everything planted and keep up with the weeds (which have slowed growth, but are all too eager to set seed even when they are 4 inches tall). It can sometimes be mentally and physically tough to push through these last weeks of pressing work, but the reward of the fall and winter slow down is well worth it. Even though we can feel out of balance during the busy summer season, it really is just a natural part of the yearly cycle and is balanced by the winter slow down. Kari, one of the awesome ladies on our crew, recently read a book called 'The 4 season solution'. The idea behind the book is that humans find better whole body balance when they are living with the seasons. We shouldn't be pushing ourselves so hard throughout the year. It's natural to have seasons of push and seasons of rest :)
We try really hard not to overload you with too much of any one type of vegetable in your shares, since no one likes to waste good produce. That being said, sometimes we have the good fortunate to have an abundance of something to share with you. This week we are giving everyone another two pounds of green beans. If you find that this is more than you need right now, go ahead and freeze some or all of it. The usual advice is to blanch beans in boiling water before freezing, but I found a blog post from a woman who tested blanched beans against those she simply chopped and froze without blanching and didn't really see a difference:
https://anoregoncottage.com/the-easy-way-to-freeze-green-beans-no-blanching/
Our new plantings of summer squash and radishes are coming on this week, so the different share days will be getting one or the other of these items. It will be nice to transition into a new season full of crops we haven't had for awhile. I always feel ready to start eating new things after a couple of months of the same type of crop. The cooler temperatures of fall make me excited to start cooking lots of soups and roasting veggies in the oven. Roasted green beans would be excellent this week - see Maria's recipe at the bottom. We will also continue to have awesome salad greens through the rest of the season and Maria has provided six different homemade salad dressing recipes this week. There are a really nice variety of different flavors here to satisfy anyone! Hope you all have a great week.
Recipes from Maria:
6 Healthy Homemade Salad Dressings
Oil-Free Zesty Tahini Dressing
1/4 cup tahini
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/4 cup low-sodium tamari or soy sauce
1/2 cup nutritional yeast
1 Tablespoon minced garlic
Add all ingredients into a blender and blend until combined.
My go-to apple cider vinegar salad dressing recipe.
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup olive oil
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon garlic, minced
1 teaspoon sea salt + more if needed
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper + more if needed
Add all ingredients into a blender and blend until combined or add to a mason jar and shake to combine. Taste and add more salt and pepper if needed. Use on roasted vegetables, grilled chicken or your favorite CSA summer vegetable salad!
One of my favorite zesty dressings to use for Mexican themed salads. Try it on a Guacamole Salad or as a marinade for grilled shrimp/fish.
1/4 cup olive oil
juice of 2 limes
2 Tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1 teaspoon maple syrup
½-1 teaspoon sea salt
½ teaspoon ground pepper
¼ teaspoon ground coriander
Add all ingredients into a blender and blend until combined. Taste and add more salt if needed.
Everyone needs a go-to balsamic vinegar dressing and this one is absolutely delicious and works on just about any salad imaginable.
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup olive oil
1 teaspoon maple syrup
1 teaspoon dijon
1 teaspoon minced garlic
½ teaspoon sea salt
fresh or dried herbs (optional)
Add all ingredients into a blender and blend until combined or add to a mason jar and shake to combine.
One of my favorite salad dressings growing up was honey mustard and I still love it to this day. This version is lighter than regular honey mustard but still just as flavorful! Try it as a dipping sauce for baked chicken tenders or roasted green beans.
lemon, juiced
1 Tablespoon apple cider vinegar
2 Tablespoons honey (or maple syrup for a vegan version)
2 Tablespoons dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
ground pepper, to taste
1/4 cup olive oil
Add all ingredients into a blender and blend until combined or add to a mason jar and shake to combine.
The most amazing peanut dressing to use for Asian salads! Try it on a kale salad, rice bowls and as a dipping sauce for fresh spring rolls.
¼ cup peanut butter
1 clove garlic, chopped
2 teaspoons fresh ginger, chopped
2 Tablespoons rice vinegar
2 Tablespoons low sodium tamari or soy sauce
2 Tablespoons maple syrup
a pinch of cayenne pepper (optional)
water, to thin
Add all ingredients into a blender and blend until combined. Add water to thin.
Garlic Roasted Green Beans and Mushrooms
Ingredients
2 cups sliced fresh mushrooms
2 cups fresh green beans
1/4 cup olive oil
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1 teaspoon freshly ground sea salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
Instructions
Preheat oven to 400.
Wash and slice mushrooms and green beans.
Combine oil, garlic, salt and pepper in a separate bowl.
Pour over the mushrooms and green beans and gently stir until vegetables are thoroughly
coated.
Place on baking sheet and bake for 20-25 minutes. Serve warm.