Yup...you got a giant zucchini in your bag today. See last week's post for a great basic method for stuffing that puppy and having a great vegetarian meal!

The jar contains a syrup I made from Queen Anne's Lace flowers and lemon juice. Try it sparingly first to make sure you have no reaction from the Queen Anne's Lace (they are very rare, but it's a good idea to err on the side of caution).

We had the syrup on ice cream and it was delicious. On blueberry pancakes it was even better!

Enjoy the kale, onions and the rest of the goodies this weekend and try to join us at the Farmers' Market in Lansing on Saturday from nine to noon. Thomas Baker and I will be playing music through the whole market and it will be loads of fun!

Stuff It!

We can almost make the claim that we have as many giant zucchini as there are recipes for "giant zucchini" on line! However, there was one that inspired me as soon as I saw it.

It was a simple stuffed zucchini wherein the author used various leftovers from her fridge. Seemed like a pretty good idea and as I reached for the refrigerator I thought only of three things - bacon, butter and brown sugar. 

The butter and brown sugar inspiration comes from from favorite preparation for acorn squash. The bacon, well, because it's bacon!

Technically, those three ingredients are not leftovers, but it sure does open up a big door! If this one works well, the next one will be bacon and maple syrup. Then there's honey and prosciutto and maple and smoked ham with caramelized sweet red onion...

Here's what did:
Cut a large zucchini in half lengthwise and scoop out the seedy pulp. Place the squash halves on a cookie sheet with the scooped out side up.

Brown 6 or 7 slices of bacon until they are nice and crispy. Remove bacon from the pan and drain on paper towels. Deglaze the pan with 1/4 cup of water and add 3 tablespoons of butter and about a half-cup of brown sugar. Stir well, remove from heat and whisk mixture briskly in a bowl until slightly foamy. Divide the bacon between the two squash halves and split the liquid between them. 

Bake in a 350 degree oven with a pan of water on the bottom shelf of the oven and the zucchini above it on the next shelf for 40 - 45 minutes. The time could be longer if you use a squash larger than the one I have used here.

Garnish with some fresh parsley sprigs and serve. Boy Howdy! It is some kind of good!

We included some purslane in your bags last week and I am very late in getting this posted - my apologies. You can still find lots of purslane everywhere, so here's a link to some recipes that we have enjoyed -

http://chocolateandzucchini.com/ingredients-fine-foods/45-things-to-do-with-purslane/

Blueberry Lemon Bread

We picked up a couple of 14 lb boxes of blueberries last week. Froze most of them, but I did make this:

It's an easy recipe and simply sublime for dessert!


Blueberry Lemon Bread

Ingredients
1/3 cup butter, melted
1 cup sugar
3 tablespoons lemon juice
2 eggs
1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup milk
1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries
1/2 cup chopped nuts
2 tablespoons grated lemon peel

GLAZE:
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1/4 cup sugar

Directions
In a large bowl, beat the butter, sugar, lemon juice and eggs. Combine the flour, baking powder and salt; stir into egg mixture alternately with milk, beating well after each addition. Fold in the blueberries, nuts and lemon peel.
Transfer to a greased 8-in. x 4-in. loaf pan. Bake at 350° for 60-70 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pan to a wire rack.
Combine glaze ingredients; drizzle over warm bread. Cool completely. Yield: 1 loaf (16 slices).

Bags for July 7th

Bags are coming to you a day early today due to my brother's memorial service on Saturday. As per usual, there will be a dozen farm-fresh eggs from Blake Family Organic Farms and a nice array of fresh organic veggies and greens. We are in sort of a "mid-state" right now with the veggies. Some of you will receive baby summer squash or broccoli, but everyone will get a half-head of cabbage to make your favorite coleslaw. Kale is still coming in strong and there will be more basil for you this week as well. There is also another horseradish leaf in each bag. We had a lot of comments on the horseradish pesto, so here is a recipe for creamy kale and horseradish leaf salad:

Creamy Kale Salad with Horseradish Leaf

Ingredients

• 1 bag of kale, washed
• 1 large horseradish leaves, shredded
• 1 avocado, mashed
• 2 tbsp tamari
• 4 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 tbsp cumin
• ½ lemon, juiced
• ½ tsp salt

Instructions

1. In a large bowl, combine all the ingredients and massage with your hands for 1 minute to break down the tough fibres of the kale.
2. Serve just as it is, or add some additional chopped veg if you like, such as tomatoes, cucumber, grated carrot or beetroot, or sprinkle on some sprouts if you have some in too.

All in all, we have another nice mix for you and hope you enjoy the fresh flavors it will bring to your table!

Bags for Friday, June 17th

In addition to the fresh greens, kale, cilantro, spring onions, nettles and a dozen fresh organic eggs from Blake Family Organic Farms, we have something new for you this week - horseradish leaves.

You're going to love these things! They are similar to kale and arugula, but with a pleasantly bitter, peppery flavor. 

Horseradish leaves can be used in both raw and cooked preparations. Young tender leaves can be added whole to salads or minced and incorporated into salad dressing. Young leaves can also be used to make lettuce wraps, dolmades or in lieu of seaweed in sushi rolls. Combine with basil when making pesto or other sauces to add a peppery kick. Leaves can be steamed, sautéed or stir-fried. Older horseradish leaves can be chopped and added to soups or cooked with other leafy greens such as kale and cabbage. 

Here's a salad we know you're going to love!

Ingredients

• 1 bag of Kitchen Table kale, washed
• 1 large horseradish leaf, shredded
• 1 avocado, mashed
• 1 tbsp tamari or soy sauce
• 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/2 tbsp cumin
• 1/4 lemon, juiced
• 1/4 tsp salt

Instructions

1. In a large bowl, combine all the ingredients and massage with your hands for 1 minute to break down the tough fibres of the kale.
2. Serve just as it is, or add some additional chopped veg if you like, such as tomatoes, cucumber, grated carrot or beetroot, or sprinkle on some sprouts if you have some.

Thanks for supporting Kitchen Table CSA and giving us the opportunity to provide you with top-shelf organic foods!

Bags are coming this morning - radishes, scallions, parsley, oregano, mixed greens, chickweed, nettles and cabbage leaves. We have been taking some of the cabbage leaves from the plants that have bolted and using them as a cooked green. Last night I browned a pound of our own grass-fed beef and added a little soy sauce, some schriaca sauce, a dash of sea salt and some red pepper flakes after the beef had browned. Then I layered a dozen or do the large leaves over the top, covered it and let it steam over low heat for about 10 minutes. We put the greens on the plate, ladled over some of the beef and had a great, quick meal. Good thing, too, because we didn't knock off until 8:45 last night. The leaves would lend themselves to dishes like stuffed cabbage, so you can have a lot of fun with them. We will do something similar tonight, but use both chickweed and cabbage leaves for the cooked greens.

We still have garden plants left if you want them. One more week and they're going in out gardens!

Stuffed Cabbage Rolls -

Ingredients

2/3 cup water
1/3 cup uncooked white rice
8 cabbage leaves
1 pound lean ground beef
1/4 cup chopped onion
1 egg, slightly beaten
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed tomato soup

Directions

In a medium saucepan, bring water to a boil. Add rice and stir. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 20 minutes.

Bring a large, wide saucepan of lightly salted water to a boil. Add cabbage leaves and cook for 2 to 4 minutes or until softened; drain.

In a medium mixing bowl, combine the ground beef, 1 cup cooked rice, onion, egg, salt and pepper, along with 2 tablespoons of tomato soup. Mix thoroughly.

Divide the beef mixture evenly among the cabbage leaves. Roll and secure them with toothpicks or string.In a large skillet over medium heat, place the cabbage rolls and pour the remaining tomato soup over the top. Cover and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer for about 40 minutes, stirring and basting with the liquid often.

How we make our Ginseng Tea

     Our ginseng tea is something we are pretty proud of. It is made from locally collected wild ginseng leaves, our own lemon balm and Numi organic gunpowder green full-leaf smooth green tea pearls. The health benefits of ginseng tea include a reduced risk of developing cancer, relief from menstrual problems, reduction in obesity, improvement of digestive disorders, and a boosted immune system, as well as improving signs of mental distress, asthma, arthritis, and sexual problems. Ginseng tea is quite popular as a digestive aid and it boosts the immunity levels as well.

     Also, ginseng tea reduces physical and mental distress, and has a relaxing and soothing effect on the body.

     Additional health benefits of ginseng tea include a number of curative and healing properties and are due to the naturally occurring chemicals called  ‘ginsenosides’ that are present in the root, leaves and stems. Our tea is made from only hand-picked leaves.

All ingredients assembled and ready for the mixing bowl

Green Tea Pearls added to the ginseng and lemon balm

Final mix ready for going into jars for airtight storage

     Once the ingredients have been mixed together well, the tea goes into jars for airtight storage and eventually into tea bags we put together here. Each bag makes one pot of tea. Simply let the bag steep in the pot for 6 or 7 minutes and you're ready to cash in all the benefits of this delicious brew.

     One dozen bags of this tea sells for $5.00. We also sell loose tea in bulk if you prefer.

     This tea is not recommended if you are pregnant. It is always a good idea to start slowly as, although very rare, there can be allergic reactions. Start with one cup and if you don't notice any discomfort, then go for it! You'll love what it does for you!

     Call us at 563-568-3829 or email jabbas54@gmail.com if you'd like to improve your health and outlook on life in general by drinking our own Kitchen Table wild ginseng leaf tea for yourself and your family.

     There is another blog post here on the benefits of ginseng and green tea together that goes into much more detail.