What's Cookin'

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In 2012, Long Entry Farm became a certified Farm Home Kitchen  through the Rhode Island Department of Health.   This certification allows us to expand our farm operations
even further and sell freshly baked yeast breads,  double-crust pies, and jams, jellies, preserves –  ALL freshly home made in our home kitchen.

Additionally, we like to share our family recipes that we personally use with each week's harvest. Each week during the CSA season, we send out a new recipe with the basket.  

Continuing the chaos in 2019!

The chaos continues to continue in 2019. One might say we're gluttons for chaos :)) and bread.  That actually sounds like a fun name for a band!  

We like to experiment like the Swedish Chef (bork, bork, bork!), and we produce different items each month/week (depending what’s in season, of course!!) for our CSA members. 

Some of our favorite recipes...

Crisp Salad with Mustard Vinaigrette and Cheese Widgets 

Wonder fall salad greens are such a treat.  Whip up some fresh, not from a bottle vinaigrette, and you'll enjoy them all the more.  Add some cheese widgets (actually called tuiles in a recipe search, but who the heck knows what that is!?), and you have a truly spectacular salad.

MUSTARD VINAIGRETTE 

I like this guy's take on vinaigrette...  eyeball instead of exact measurements, don't use the 'good' olive oil because the dijon will mask it anyway, experiment to taste, and quick and easy with ingredients likely already in the house...  so no reason to reach for Kraft!

http://reluctantgourmet.com/recipes/salad/item/176-mustard-vinaigrette-recipe 

Ingredients

1 glove of garlic, smashed
2 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
5-6 tablespoons oil (vegetable, corn, canola, olive or some combination)
pinch of dried parsley
pinch of dried thyme
salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Directions

In a clean jar or small bowl, add the vinegar, garlic, mustard and mix well. Slowly add the olive oil while either whisking or stirring rapidly with your fork. Add the parsley and thyme, salt and pepper, taste and adjust seasonings.

PARMESAN CHEESE WIDGETS

For best flavor, don't use the green-bottle parmesan for this recipe; buy a chunk and grate it yourself.

Preheat oven to 350°. On a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, divide 1 cup parmesan cheese into 6 piles (about 2 1/2 tbsp. per pile, spaced about 2 in. apart). Gently pat each pile into a circle with an even thickness and a diameter of about 4 in. Bake until golden brown, about 5 minutes. (Watch carefully, as cheese can burn easily.) Remove sheet from oven and let stand 1 minute, then transfer tuiles to a cooling rack or an airtight container (they'll keep for 1 day (yeah, right... they won't last past dessert!)).

SALAD

Drizzle buttercrisp lettuce with a generous amount of dressing. Sprinkle with slivered almonds and top each salad with a widget. Serve, eat, enjoy!

Black Bean & Corn Stew     

This recipe is one of my favorites for an autumn pot-luck. It's great hot as a soup, luke-warm as a side dish, or cold as a salsa with corn chips.  I don't think I've ever brought any leftovers home.

I've left the recipe as found on Martha's website (http://www.marthastewart.com/339861/black-bean-and-corn-stew).  I figure this must have been printed during her... stint...  I would NEVER believe Martha would use packaged frozen corn!!  or canned chilies?? Seriously?? (she probably has a heated greenhouse in Maine that produces corn year-round...).  I don't typically use prepackaged either... we freeze our own or I use fresh corn off the cob... I also substitute fresh chili peppers and tomatoes... just try to keep the amounts roughly the same.

BLACK BEAN AND CORN STEW

Ingredients

4 teaspoons olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 can (4 1/2 ounces) chopped green chiles
2 cans (15 ounces each) black beans, drained and rinsed
2 cans (14 1/2 ounces each) diced tomatoes in juice
Coarse salt
1 package (10 ounces) frozen corn

Directions

In a large saucepan, heat oil over medium. Add onion; cook until softened, 5 to 6 minutes. Add garlic and cumin; cook, stirring often, until fragrant, about 2 minutes more.

To the pan, add chiles, beans, tomatoes and their juice, 2 cups water(*), and 3/4 teaspoon salt. Bring mixture to a boil; reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer, partially covered, until slightly thickened, about 20 minutes.

In a blender or food processor, puree 2 cups of the stew. Return the puree to the pan, and add corn; simmer until heated through, about 5 minutes. Serve hot.

(*) I don't always add the full 2 cups - it depends on how juicy the tomatoes are.  You may want to experiment to determine what you like.  Definitely less for salsa...

Green Tomato Salsa                                                                     

I was watching football (woooohoooo! Football!  Football makes the end of summer just barely bearable!) this afternoon and wish I had whipped some of this up!

GREEN TOMATO SALSA

The tartness of the green tomatoes is nicely offset with the sweetness of the corn and ripe tomatoes.  Perfect for a football snack!

Ingredients

1 green tomatoes, chopped
1 ripe red tomatoes, chopped
1 cup fresh corn kernels
1/4 cup snipped fresh chives
2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
1/2 tsp salt
coarsely ground black pepper

Directions

In medium bowl, gently stir tomatoes with corn, chives, lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Cover and refrigerate at least 1 hour to blend flavors, or up to 8 hours. Drain before serving if chilled longer than 1 hour.

Potato Chips   2013  

For all the healthy eating we've been doing with the bounty of fruits and vegetables this summer, sometimes it's nice to indulge the less-than-healthy tooth for all things fried.  Mike cooked up some amazing potato chips yesterday in the Fry Daddy.  You can also do it on the stove - just be careful of oil splatter. 

Thinly slice the potatoes with a food processor with a slicing disk (fun fun!) or a mandolin (careful you don't take a knuckle off!). Place potato slices into a large bowl of cold water as you slice. Drain, and rinse, then refill the bowl with salted water. Let the potatoes soak in the salty water for at least 30 minutes. Drain, then rinse and drain again.  Pat dry with a paper towel.

Heat oil (use olive oil, safflower, corn, peanut oil, or vegetable oil) in a deep-fryer to 365 degrees F.  Fry potato slices in small batches. Once they start turning golden, remove and drain on paper towels. Continue until all of the slices are fried. Season with salt & pepper as desired.

Pizza! Pizza!                                                                                        

Pizza!  One of our favorite dinners!  Sometimes it's takeout, but more often it's homemade now that I always have dough in the fridge and fresh veggies on the counter.  Whether we grill it or bake it, it's a treat any night of the week, and even better for breakfast the next day (assuming, of course, Mike leaves leftovers!)

Our recipe for Grilled Pizza is on our website (still a work in progress... why I thought I would have time to do that this summer is beyond comprehension).  http://www.longentryfarm.com/What_s_Cookin_.html 

For baked pizza - the biggest trick is to work fast.  Make sure all your ingredients are out and ready to put on the pizza dough before you start working on the dough - otherwise it will stick to the pan.  I like to make individual pizzas - mostly because i like everything on mine, and michael likes just cheese on his, and Mike... well... he basically eats whatever I put in front of him, unless I slip-up and admit I put onions and mushrooms in something :)  This recipe is all for me... but because it's an individual size, the boys can have what they want on theirs without any crankopotamus - which is a definite bonus at dinner-time!  The mini-pizzas have a short cook time, so toppings should be pre-cooked.  You can also make one big pizza... make sure to aim for a uniform thickness of the dough, and increase cook time to about 25 minutes.

GOAT CHEESE AND ONION MINI-PIZZA
(from Balthazar Restaurant) 

Ingredients

1 pound dough (I’ve included the Whole Wheat Herb in your baskets this week)
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 medium yellow onions, peeled and cut into 1/8-inch-thick slices
1 bay leaf
2 teaspoons fresh thyme (or 1 teaspoon dried)
Salt and pepper to taste
4 ounces chevre (soft goat cheese), room temperature (note to Saturday'ers... Beltane Farms sells phenomenal chevre at the Pawtucket Village Farmer's Market!)
4 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
1 egg yolk

Directions:

In a skillet over medium-low heat, add the olive oil, onions, bay leaf, thyme, salt and pepper.  Cook slowly, stirring every few minutes.

As the onions cook they will lose their moisture and stick to the pan. If so, add a few tablespoons of water and continue to cook.  Cook until the onions are golden, about 30 minutes. Remove from heat and cool. The onions can be made a few days in advance.  

In a medium bowl, mix together the chevre, cream cheese and egg yolk until it is very smooth.

Divide the 1-pound piece of dough into 4 equal pieces and form them into balls.

Lightly dust the counter, and smoosh/roll the dough balls out into 1/8-inch-thick circles. 

Place on two cookie sheets, which have been lightly greased with olive oil or directly on a preheated Baking Stone.  (If you are baking on the stone, only roll out as many dough balls as will fit on the stone at one time.) Top each with about 2 tablespoons of the cheese mixture and 2 tablespoons of the onions. Sprinkle with a dash of salt.

Bake at 450 degrees for about 10 - 15 minutes (you may need to rotate the cookie sheets to ensure even cooking).

Grilled Corn Salsa                                                                                

Every year, it seems we have one crop that really is spectacular in its bounty, and I scour the internet and my cookbook collection for recipes.  One year it was tomatoes, the next was zucchini (Mike wasn't too enamored with that year's experiments!))... this year corn seems to be my culinary obsession.  Steamed corn on the cob, grilled corn in the husk, corn pudding (did you try it?? Didja? Didja? Isn't that recipe YUUMMMY!?), corn and black bean salad...  and now corn salsa.  I want to cook corn every night, but not in the same ol' way.  Tonight was this recipe for Grilled Corn Salsa...  

GRILLED CORN SALSA

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/michael-chiarello/grilled-corn-salsa-recipe/index.html

Ingredients

10 large ears corn, husked
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for brushing
Salt and freshly ground pepper
8 vine-ripened tomatoes, about 1 pound total
1 cup diced red onion, 1/4-inch dice
4 tablespoons red wine vinegar, or more to taste
1/2 cup julienne fresh basil leaves

Directions

Brush the corn liberally with olive oil and season well with salt and pepper. Grill, turning every few minutes, until light gold all over and cooked, about 12 minutes. Let cool and cut off the kernels. Discard the cobs.

Core the tomatoes and cut a small X on the bottom of each. Brush with olive oil, season with salt and pepper, and place on the grill, X side down, away from direct heat. Cover the grill and cook until the tomatoes begin to soften but are not cooked all the way through (or they will melt through the grate!), about 15 minutes. Set aside until cool enough to handle, then peel. Cut the tomatoes in half crosswise and squeeze out the juice and the seeds through a sieve into a bowl. Reserve the juices and chop the flesh.

Put the onions in the non-reactive medium bowl and toss with 2 tablespoons of the vinegar. Let marinate until the color changes, about 10 minutes.

Add the chopped tomatoes, reserved tomato juice, onions, basil, and 1/3 cup olive oil to the corn. Toss well. Taste for seasoning and adjust with salt, pepper, and remaining vinegar. The salsa is best eaten the same day but will keep, covered and refrigerated, a day or so.

Serve with tortilla chips or as a topping for tacos.

Farmstead's New England Corn Pudding                             

When I lived in Providence, one (of many ;)) sinful indulgence was visiting the Farmstead Cheese store on Wayland Ave and buying beautiful yummy cheese & prosciutto for dinner.  This store is an addiction waiting to happen!  ( http://www.farmsteadinc.com).
I love their emails & recipes, and this is one of my favorite recipes of theirs - Corn Pudding.  If you can bring yourself to not eat your corn on the cob, here is a great alternative (that freezes beautifully!  PERFECT FOR THANKSGIVING!!)

FARMSTEAD’S NEW ENGLAND CORN PUDDING

Ingredients:

1/4 pound (1 stick) unsalted butter
5 cups fresh yellow corn kernels cut off the cob (6 to 8 ears)
1 cup chopped yellow onion
4 extra-large brown eggs
1 cup whole milk
1 cup half-and-half
1/2 cup yellow cornmeal or polenta
1 cup Narragansett Creamery ricotta cheese
3 tablespoons chopped fresh basil leaves
1 tablespoon raw honey
1 tablespoon kosher salt
3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3/4 cup (6 ounces) grated extra-sharp Vermont cheddar, plus extra to sprinkle on top

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Grease the inside of an 8 to 10-cup baking dish.

Melt the butter in a very large sauté pan and sauté the corn and onion over medium-high heat for 5 minutes. Cool slightly.

Whisk together the eggs, milk, and half-and-half in a large bowl. Slowly whisk in the cornmeal and then the ricotta. Add the basil, honey, salt, and pepper. Add the cooked corn mixture and grated cheddar, and then pour into the baking dish. Sprinkle the top with more grated cheddar.

Place the dish in a larger pan and fill the pan 1/2 way up the sides of the dish with hot tap water. Bake the pudding for 40 to 45 minutes until the top begins to brown and a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Serve warm, immediately.

So easy, so fresh, so yum. Eat it up, while the corn lasts- it will be gone before we know it!

Cucumber Sandwiches - Not just for tea-parties!             

I love everything about this recipe... cucumbers, flaxseed bread, easy, yummy, happy!!

(an aside... my herb garden sadly succumbed to neglect... when I should have been furiously weeding and tending, I was napping (pre-Samuel) and laboring (Samuel!) and napping (post-Samuel)... I finally got out there this weekend to find 3 puny parsley plants managed to survive... the cilantro, rosemary & dill... not so much.  Sooooooo... herbs aren't appearing in baskets much this year) 

CUCUMBER MINT SANDWICHES

Ingredients:

1/4 cup loosely packed fresh mint leaves - finely chopped
2 tablespoons butter - slightly softened (butter makes it better)
2 tablespoons cream cheese - slightly softened
Whole Wheat & Flaxseed bread - thinly sliced
Cucumbers (in your basket!)
Salt/Pepper - to taste

Directions:

In a small bowl, mix the mint, butter, and cream cheese together until well combined. Spread the bread slices with the mixture, top half of them with the cucumber, distributing the cucumber evenly and seasoning it with salt & pepper, and top the cucumber with the remaining bread slices.  Serve, devour, YUM!

Variations:  

Open face sandwich vs. closed...  oh, the decisions!
Use Dill instead of Mint
To toast or not to toast, that is the question

Zucchini/Squash Quiche (without the crust!)  

Yum! yum! yum!!  Another zucchini recipe!  I just can't help myself!  

So… who knew!?  One of the CSA member's emailed me a recipe last week (thanks, SwampYanky!) for a quiche that didn't require a crust... I had no idea you could skip that step!  Just butter the pan really well, and it comes out just fine!  This tip came in really, really, REALLY handy Saturday night at 11:30 when I was making brunch for the après Baptism brunch (as you can see/read, I do a lot of things at 11:30 at night...  ahhhh, the heaven of having two little boys :)

ZUCCHINI & SQUASH CRUSTLESS QUICHE

Ingredients:

3 cups zucchini &/or summer squash shredded (I read in online recipe reviews that leaving the veggies in 'rounds' made the quiche a little watery, so I zipped them up using my shred-disks for the food processor... worked perfectly!) 
1 onion (zipped up w/ squash)
salt/pepper to taste
feta cheese 
6 eggs (thanks, Gladys!)
3/4 cup milk 
butter (makes it better!)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350.

Prepare dish (whatever type you choose... pie plate, square casserole, quiche dish) by buttering bottom & sides, paying attention to corners

Saute the shredded squash, onion and a tablespoon of butter over medium heat until cooked through and water has evaporated; a little browning is ok, but don't scorch to bottom of pan; cool slightly;  place in buttered dish

Sprinkle feta cheese over the squash... a lot or a little, to your liking

Whisk eggs, milk, salt & pepper and any seasonings you like (oregano is fabu with feta);  pour over squash/feta;  if desired, place cherry tomatoes in aesthetically pleasing pattern on top

Bake 45 minutes until set in the middle (there should be no jiggle to the eggs), and top is nicely browned and pouffed.

Serve warm or at room temp.

And here’s the recipe from SwampYanky that saved my tired soul!  

SwampYanky's EGG PIE WITH FRESH GREENS 

Kind of like quiche without a crust.

Preheat oven to 375.  Butter a deep 9” glass pie pan (Use butter, it makes the whole thing taste good & you only need a little bit)

You will need 2-3 cups of fresh greens.  Wash the greens but leave some water clinging to the leaves, then tear up or coarsely chop them.  You can use whatever greens you have on hand, I like to use swiss chard, beet greens, kale, and/or mustard greens. 

Chop an onion, sauté in EVOO over med-high heat until translucent.  Add the greens & sauté until starting to wilt.  Turn the heat down to low, cover the pan, and let steam for a few minutes.

In a large bowl whisk together 3 eggs, ½ cup milk, 1 cup grated/crumbled cheese (I usually mix feta, parm, and cheddar or mozz), salt & pepper.  Instead of salt, I also add about a tablespoon of olive tapenade, but that’s optional.  Then stir in the greens until well coated with the egg mixture.  Pour the whole thing into the prepared pie pan & bake for 35-40 minutes.  

Serve hot or at room temp.  Keeps well in the fridge & reheats well in the microwave.  Can be frozen. 

To make a double batch, use a 9 X 13 baking dish.  The amounts of ingredients don’t need to be exact; it’s not a fussy recipe. 

Caprese Salad                                                                                       

This season's recipe is as simple as can be, but sometimes simple is so deliciously beautiful that nothing else compares.  I admit that half of my cooking obsession is the presentation...  beautiful food is double the pleasure! ... and this dish is as stunning as it is yummy.

CAPRESE SALAD

Ingredients:

Field-Ripened tomatoes, sliced 1/4" thick
1 pound fresh mozzarella, sliced 1/4" thick
1 bunch of basil
Extra-Virgen Olive Oil
Coarse salt and pepper

Directions:

Layer tomatoes, mozzarella, & basil on a plate in a pleasing alternating pattern

Drizzle the salad with EVOO & season with coarse ground salt & pepper  (if you don't have a salt mill, try using sea salt or kosher salt (a little goes a looooong way!) instead of regular table salt)

You can also zip-zip the basil and EVOO in a blender/food processor and drizzle the pesto over the tomatoes & mozzarella... aim for a slightly runny pesto.

Serve with the Herbed Bread....  yum! yum! yum!!

Zucchini Pancakes             

Another zucchini recipe (I wish I could promise that it would be my last... but I really love zucchini!).  And with a little more time with the boys in the house than in the fields, some of the zucchini's have definitely grown into baseball bats!  Most people avoid these guys because they become very seedy as they get that big, but they're great for stuffing and zucchini bread and this recipe for zucchini pancakes... yum yum yum!

ZUCCHINI PANCAKES 

Ingredients:

4 eggs
1 tsp lemon juice
1/4 cup mayonnaise (can substitute plain greek yogurt)
1/3 cup parmesan cheese
1/2 cup flour
1 small finely diced onion
4 cup shredded zucchini
salt and pepper

Directions:

In large bowl, whisk eggs, lemon juice, mayo, cheese, & flour.   Stir in onion & zucchini until combined.  Season with salt & pepper.

Heat oil/butter over medium heat in a saute pan.  Drop heaping spoonful of zucchini mixture into pan, spread zucchini out.  Cook until firm & golden brown on first side; flip; cook until golden on second side, about 4-5 minutes total.  Serve with sour cream & chives.  Devour. Enjoy!

Grilled Squash with Feta                                        

With 90-degree days expected all this week - who wants to fire up an oven to cook dinner??? Most dinners here are done on the grill... and, of course, have field-fresh veggies as the side (if not main) course.  It seems that squash and zucchini are veggies that everyone has all summer long... from your CSA basket, from your neighbor, from your in-laws, or from them mysteriously showing up on your front porch or in your car (you suspect the church lady... but can't prove it...).  Here's a quick and yummy recipe to use up that squash & zucchini... and eggplant... and peppers....  really, pretty much any veggie will work with this one!

GRILLED SQUASH WITH FETA

Ingredients:

Squash 
Olive Oil
Minced Garlic
Feta Cheese
Oregano

Directions:

Preheat the grill for medium heat.

Cut the squash into nice long strips (about 1/4 " thick) instead of rounds so that they won't fall through the grill grates.

Heat olive oil in a small pan over medium heat, and add garlic cloves. Cook until the garlic starts to sizzle and become fragrant - just a minute or two - you don't want to burn the garlic! That’s what makes it bitter and yucky.

Brush the slices of squash with the garlic oil, and season with salt, pepper, and oregano.

Grill squash slices for 5 to 10 minutes per side, until they reach the desired tenderness. Brush with additional garlic oil, and turn occasionally to prevent sticking or burning.

Place in bowl & mix with feta cheese

Serve & devour! YUM! 

Japanese Eggplant on the Grill                                              

One of the best things about living on a Farm and growing an acre of vegetables is just when I'm contemplating what I'm going to cook for dinner, Mike walks in with the very first eggplant of the season.  Woohoo!  A quick run to the chest freezer for a steak, and we've got a dinner that doesn't involve breakfast cereal or a run to the pizza joint.

We grow a couple varieties of eggplant, but my favorite is the long & skinny Japanese eggplant.  These are quick and easy to grill up for appetizers or a side... I always have to cook twice as many as I need, as Mike eats them as fast as he takes them off the grill  (he's burned the roof of his mouth more than once...)

GRILLED JAPANESE EGGPLANT

Ingredients:

Japanese Eggplant
Salt/Pepper
Italian Seasoning (dried basil, oregano, parsley)
Olive Oil

Directions:

Slice eggplant lengthwise; chop off top stem (or vise-versa)
Drizzle front/back with olive oil
Sprinkle with italian seasoning and salt & pepper  (can substitute italian dressing)
Heat grill to med-high heat.
Grill each eggplant 2 - 3 minutes per side.  Cool to avoid imprint on roof of mouth.  Devour.  YUM!

  

Basic (REAL) Ranch Dressing                                                 

So I've admitted before in my emails, and on the website, that my mom is not the Martha-Stewart-type cook.  She's a great cook if you love butter, boxed frozen pies, and the basic staples that come in boxes, cans, or frozen.  Love her dearly, but Lord knows where I got my Martha from.   I read food labels.  A lot.  I cringe.  I wonder why high fructose corn syrup and partially hydrogenated some-type-of-oil seems to be added to everything... and why the list of ingredients reminds me of my college chemistry class.  I read blogs and websites and Dr. Oz (yes, I just admitted that) and I've latched on to the "5 REAL ingredient or less" idea.  This means that any one thing you eat should have 5 real ingredients or less.  Which basically means, cut out the processed foods.  Which, I presume, is one of the reasons y'all signed up for a Farm Basket!!  I'm SO happy we're on the same page!!  

One of the things that is always a surprise is the taste of the 'real homemade thing' vs. the easy store version.  Sometimes you can't tell.  Sometimes you can.  I honestly can't say which I get more excited about...  when the extra 20 minutes I put in to something turned out so incredibly better than the store version... or when you can't tell the difference, except for the mess I've created in the sink.  I do know, either way, I'm happier with what I'm putting in my tummy (especially this year when there's someone in there!) and my family's.  To me, the time is worth it.  

With all the salad greens coming up and over the beds, and my mind-blowing storage technique in full use, all I want to eat is salad, salad, and more salad.  But... with the tomatoes and cucumbers and other veggies still a few weeks away... all I have are greens.  (As a farmer's wife, it feels a little blasphemous to buy cucumbers at the grocery store!).  So, although I usually prefer a vinaigrette, I've been craving something a little more substantial with my greens.  Hence...  this weeks recipe... a homemade buttermilk ranch dressing.  As you'll soon find out, almost all of my recipes that I provide are based on several that I find on the internet, my cookbooks, and the craggily recesses of my brain.  I don't think I've ever managed a perfect repeat of a cooking recipe (baking is a whole different thing!).  I hope you'll appreciate the 'swedish chef-ness' of the recipes - they let you cook up something more to your liking. 

BUTTERMILK RANCH DRESSING

Ingredients:

1 or 2 cloves garlic
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 cup to 1 cup real mayonnaise
1/2 cup to 1 cup sour cream 

(the sour cream & mayonnaise combination should equal a 1 1/2 cups...  you can use equal amounts, 1 cup and 1/2 cup, use more of what you like more... experiment and see what you're happy with... )

1 tbsp lemon juice
1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped fine
2 tbsp fresh dill, chopped fine
1 tbsp fresh chive, chopped fine
fresh ground black pepper - to taste
1/2 to 1 tsp white vinegar - to taste
1/4 cup to 1/2 cup buttermilk - use as much as needed for desired consistency

Directions:

Fine chop chop chop the garlic and then sprinkle with the kosher salt.  Mash in to a paste with a fork.

In a bowl, whisk the garlic paste with the rest of the ingredients except the buttermilk.  

Add buttermilk slowly, whisking to desired consistency.

Adjust seasonings as the tastebuds call for...  can add more salt/pepper, paprika, cayenne, hot sauce, Worcestershire sauce... 

Chill before serving.  Thin with more buttermilk if needed.   

Serve over fresh LEF greens.  YUM!''

Long Entry Farm's Potato, Leek, & Squash Soup   

While at the farmer's market on Saturday, someone mentioned potato, squash & leek soup that sounded like a perfect fall recipe.  I usually make a butternut squash bisque, and I thought adding potatoes was a great idea!  I love any variety of squash soup - primarily for the taste, of course, but also for the ease.  It's nice to be able to get a 'gourmet' product with so little effort (of course, one person's 'little effort' is different than someone else's... I'm probably (ok... most definitely) on the Martha Stewart crazy side of 'little').  Here's an adaptation of a bunch of recipes I use... I hope you enjoy!

Potato, Leek, & Squash Soup

INGREDIENTS
• 2 large leeks, cleaned & chopped  (definitely going to try growing leeks for next year's CSA)
• 3 tbsp butter (butter makes it better! of course you can use EVOO instead)
• 4 cups vegetable (or chicken) stock
• 1 lb potatoes, scrubbed and chopped to 1/2-inch
• 1 acorn squash - chopped in half & seeded  (keep the seeds to roast for a garnish)
• salt & pepper

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Brush squash with a little olive oil &/or butter; place cut-side down in small pan with a little water; roast for 20-30 minutes until fork tender.  Let cool so you don't loose fingerprints.  Scoop flesh for step 4.

In a medium stockpot, melt butter over medium-low heat. Sauté leeks over low heat, stirring frequently to ensure that leeks do not brown, until vegetables are soft and translucent, about 10 minutes.

Add stock, squash and potatoes. Bring to a simmer over high heat, then reduce heat and simmer covered until potatoes are tender, about 20 – 30 minutes. Purée with an immersion blender, or transfer to a blender, purée, and return to pot. Add salt and pepper to taste, remove cover, and continue to simmer over low heat until soup is thickened to your liking, about 20 – 40 minutes.

While soup is cooking, rinse squash seeds and pat dry. Toss with about 1 teaspoon of olive oil, and spread on a baking sheet.  Sprinkle with salt, and roast until light brown and crispy, about 10 minutes.  Be careful not to burn.

If desired, you can add a 1/2 - 1 cup of milk or cream...  or some ginger &/or oregano... or thyme and white wine...   again, the Martha Stewart crazy makes me change the recipe every time (without documenting, of course...). Serve soup, using seeds as garnish. Enjoy!

Long Entry Farm Scalloped Potatoes   

Although the to-do list seems endless, it feels like time is slowing down, and we get to spend a little bit more time inside and together.   I made a 'real' Sunday dinner that we ate sitting at the 'real' dining table, which I even set with candles and flowers and invited my mother-in-law... it felt like a different era.  I made a beautiful roast, scalloped potatoes, and roasted acorn squash.  Ann proclaimed it much better than hot dogs!  I aim high, I tell you!

Scalloped potatoes are such a treat, but are a nice and easy treat, which makes it a double-treat for me :)

Long Entry Farm Scalloped Potatoes

• 1 pound Katadin potatoes (in your basket) 
• 2 tbsp butter (yep - learned it from my mom)
• 2 tbsp flour
• 2 cups milk

Slice potatoes; layer in buttered (or non-stick-sprayed) covered casserole dish. Lightly salt and pepper each layer.

In a medium sauce pan, melt butter over medium-high heat until bubbly.  Add 2 tbsp flour and whisk to make a roux.  Cook butter and flour for a minute or two, but do not scorch to bottom of pan.   Stirring constantly, add 2 cups milk and cook until thickened - about 5 minutes.  Do not become impatient and crank heat to high to hurry up the sauce - you'll scorch it or separate it.  Season it as you like with 1 or more of:  garlic salt, paprika, dry mustard, dried herbs...

Pour sauce over potatoes and bake covered @ 350-degrees for 45 minutes (more or less depending on thickness of potatoes and layers in dish).   Remove cover and cover with cheese, if desired.  Serve, eat, YUM!

LONG ENTRY FARM DINNER     
Meatloaf, roasted potatoes, acorn squash, & apple pie

Now that Fall is officially here, it seems like we're back to being carnivores. Roasted chicken, baked fish, meatloaf...  all of it goes so fabulously with potatoes and onions and peppers and squash.  One of the things that we strive for is to make meals that is 100% from our farm... which we very fortunately can manage because of the generosity of our "grandfather" up the road who provides us with a side of beef for all the help Mike and his brothers give him with the hay fields (all the hay goes to his herd of beef-cows).  I thought I would never be able to cook, never mind eat, a steak if I knew his name... but it turns out that knowing that Harold had a really good life is actually quite nice.  This past weekend we made a great Sunday dinner of meatloaf, roasted potatoes, roasted acorn squash, and herb bread.  

Speaking/typing of meatloaf, I think meatloaf gets a bad rap.  We absolutely love meatloaf... but I have to admit it wasn't always that way. I've had meatloaf in my life that made me seriously wonder what on God's Green Earth happened to get it that weird shade of grey... and why is it concave instead of convex (yes, I'm a geek).???   I guess you don't truly know how good something is until you taste how bad something can be...  thankfully I found Martha's recipe :)

Meatloaf:  Follow Martha's recipe... it's the best I've made :)   HYPERLINK "http://www.marthastewart.com/316391/classic-meatloaf" \o "blocked::http://www.marthastewart.com/316391/classic-meatloaf"http://www.marthastewart.com/316391/classic-meatloaf

Roasted Potatoes:   Chop potatoes in 1" chunks (leave small potatoes whole);  in large bowl, toss potatoes with olive oil, salt, pepper, Italian seasoning (&/or a little of the Emeril's BAM seasoning if you have some leftover).

Form meatloaf on a cookie sheet or large pan;  place potatoes around meatloaf.
Acorn Squash:  Chop in half (across the ribs so you're not trying to stand the squash half on the stem ends);  scoop seeds out (throw to chickens, if handy); place cut-side up in  a pan with a bit of water;  place a pat of butter and some brown sugar in to the cavity (yes, butter = my mom's recipe).

Place meatloaf/potatoes & squash in a preheated 400-degree oven & bake 45-55 minutes (until the meatloaf
registers 160 degrees and potatoes & squash are easily pierced with a fork)

Remove; turn off oven; let rest; serve; enjoy.  

Mini Apple Pie:  Take out of CSA basket & enjoy!   If desired, place pies on a cookie sheet and warm in the turned-off oven while you eat dinner.  Serve with ice cream :) Yum!

Long Entry Farm Grilled Potatoes/Onions/Peppers  

This is a recipe from my childhood - one of the few recipes that my pop could actually manage on his own (though rarely did, come to think of it...;) )

Preheat the grill to high.(I use a mandolin, so chopping potatoes & layering goes fast - you can preheat later in the steps if you're hand-chopping to save propane).

Configure a large piece of tin foil (either the extra wide heavy duty or two regular sheets overlapped).  I've (finally) learned to make it bigger than you think you'll need.  Spray lightly with non-stick spray.  (you can also use a disposable pan)

THINLY slice the potatoes and onions.  Medium-thick-ly slice the peppers.

Place the potatoes in a layer on the tinfoil, taking in to account that you have to origami the tinfoil in to a packet later on.  Lightly salt and pepper.  

Place the onions and peppers for the next layer.  Place a couple pats of butter on top of this layer (this is definitely my mom's recipe, following the motto of 'butter makes it better'.  If preferred (which I do), drizzle lightly with extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) and reduce butter by half)

Continue layering until all potatoes & pepper & onions are used. Don’t forget to lightly season each layer of potatoes.   Another lesson learned... if you like the crispy burnt potatoes (YUM - I swear they're better than potato chips), layer shallowly (hence the huge piece of tin foil); if you like just a few crispies, layer deeply.

Seal the tinfoil into a large packet.

Place on grill, turn heat to medium (crispies) or medium low (fewer crispies).

Cook for about 40 minutes.  

This is definitely a live-and-learn recipe.  It really depends on how 'done' you like your potatoes.  I'm a fan of crispy, so I layer very shallowly and cook over medium - med/high heat for about 35 minutes.  In general, the fatter the layers, the longer it will take to cook, and you should reduce the heat so you don't end up with charcoal on the bottom layer.

Long Entry Farm Stuffed Peppers    

This week's recipe is one I've adapted from several (my usual cooking style uses 3 laptops, a kindle, an iphone and 42 cookbooks which makes me a little dangerous/crazy/mad-scientist/swedish-chef (bork! bork! bork!) - chef ).  I hope you enjoy!

Ingredients
• 6 peppers - try both the italian sweets and the bells in your basket!
• 1 tablespoon butter +  1 tablespoon olive oil  (the healthy (evoo) and the tasty (butter!))
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 1/2 cup chopped celery
• 2 1/2 cups diced tomatoes with juice (in your basket, of course!)
• 1 clove garlic, crushed (still in the field... somewhere...)
• 1 tablespoon chopped oregano (basket!)
• 1 tablespoon chopped basil  (basket!)
• 2 teaspoons salt, divided
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper, divided
• 1 egg, lightly beaten (basket!)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
• 1 1/2 pounds lean ground beef
• 1 1/2 cups cooked long-grain rice (I am totally in love with a blended rice I find at Ocean State Jot (chapter than Stop & Shop!)  Rice Select brand, Royal Blend  I'll never buy/cook Minute Rice again (sorry mom!)) 
• shredded mild Cheddar cheese - up to 1 cup

Directions

For the peppers:

Cut tops off peppers; remove seeds and membranes. Chop edible part of tops and set aside. Place peppers in a large pot; cover with salted water. Bring to a boil; reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 5 minutes. Remove from water (carefully) and let drain/cool in colander.

For the stuffing:
Heat olive oil and butter in a large skillet over medium heat until hot. Sauté chopped green pepper, onion, and celery for about 5 minutes, or until vegetables are tender. Add tomatoes, garlic, oregano, basil, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon of pepper. Simmer for about 10 minutes.  It should be on the thicker/chunkier side of tomato sauce.

In a large mixing bowl, combine egg with remaining 1 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper, and Worcestershire sauce. Add ground beef, cooked rice, and 1 cup of the tomato mixture. Mix well. Stuff peppers with meat mixture and place in baking dish. Pour remaining tomato mixture over the stuffed peppers. Bake at 350° for 55 to 65 minutes. If desired, top stuffed peppers with a little shredded Cheddar cheese just before peppers are done; bake until cheese is melted.I've been told that these freeze well, but I've never had leftovers to try it.This is also similar to my grandmothers golabki recipe (polish stuffed cabbage), and if the stinkin' deer didn't have an open buffet of the cabbage, I would have given you that recipe as well.  I imagine this stuffing would work with any vegetable of your choosing... peppers, cabbage, baseball-bat zucchini... all the same in terms of being a vehicle for stuffing :)

Moosewood Eggplant Almond Enchiladas     

One of the CSA members mentioned this past week that she was cooking a recipe out of the Moosewood Cookbook.  I fell in love with this cookbook in grad school, and one recipe in particular is a standout for me - particularly with the fields producing more eggplant than I know what to do with, and producing very limited zucchini and squash (for the Moosewood Ratatouille (also recommended!   I love this eggplant recipe - as the  food.com posting says - it's strangely addictive!

Moosewood Eggplant Almond Enchiladas

https://www.geniuskitchen.com/recipe/moosewood-eggplant-enchiladas-451156

Ingredients

Filling

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 cup onions, minced
• 6 cups eggplants, diced  
• 1 teaspoon salt ( possibly more, to taste)
• black pepper• 2 tablespoons garlic, minced
• 1 medium bell peppers, minced ( any color)
• 1 cup almonds, chopped, lightly toasted
• 1 cup grated monterey jack cheese, packed
• 12 corn tortillas

Mexican red sauce

• 1 -2 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 cup onions, minced
• 1 poblano chiles, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon salt ( possibly more, to taste)
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 3 tablespoons garlic, minced
• 3 cups tomatoes, chopped( canned OK - but why would you use canned when you have a CSA basket full of field-ripe tomatoes!)
• 1 cup water or 1 cup tomato juice  (save the juice from cutting up the tomatoes and squeeze 'em a little)
• black pepper and cayenne (optional)

Directions

Sauce:

• Heat the olive oil in a medium-sized saucepan. Add the onion, chili, and salt, and sauté over medium heat for 5 minutes, or until the onion becomes transparent. Add cumin, chili powder and half the garlic, and sauté for about 3 minutes longer.• Add the tomatoes and water or juice. Bring to a boil, partially cover, and turn the heat down as low as possible. Simmer for 30 minutes, adding the remaining garlic, and optional black pepper and cayenne to taste during the last 5 minutes or so.NOTE: You can leave the sauce in chunky form, or smooth it out by puréeing it in a blender. (I like to use a hand-held immersion blender for this. Be careful not to splash!).

Enchiladas:

• Heat the olive oil in a deep skillet or Dutch oven. Add onion, and sauté for about 5 minutes over medium heat.

• Add eggplant, salt, and pepper, and mix well. Cover and cook for about 10 minutes over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the eggplant is soft.

• Add garlic and bell pepper. Stir and cook 5 minutes longer, or until the pepper is tender. Taste to correct salt.

• Remove from heat; stir in almonds and cheese.

• Preheat oven to 350°F• Moisten each tortilla briefly in water then place approximately 1/4 cup filling on one side and roll up. Gently place the filled enchiladas in a baking pan, and pour a full recipe of Mexican Red Sauce over the top. Bake uncovered for about 30 minutes, or until heated through. Serve hot, with beans, rice, and green salad.

I've also figured out that if you're too tired/busy/lazy/crazy/all-of-the-above to make individual enchiladas, you can layer the mexican ingredients like an italian lasagna. Lightly cover bottom of dish with sauce, cover entire bottom with tortillas, eggplant/almond/cheese, tortillas, sauce, cheese -- bake -- YUM!  

Bruschetta   
This week's recipe is one of my favorites (do I say that for every recipe, or does it just seem that way??).  With long hours at work, a whinoceros of a toddler (get it?  whine + rhinoceros = whinoceros!!  HAAAA! I slay me!), and long evenings on the farm, I have to admit that full sit-down dinners that would have made my Gramma proud have gone out the window.  I'm happy that I manage to limit take-out to one night a week, but that still leaves a lot of dinners that end up being thrown together.  Fortunately, both Mike's are happy with an almost-vegetarian summer because of all the goodies we have at hand.  Michael's new favorite is a 'brown grilled cheese' that I make with pumpernickel bread (who woulda thunk a 2 year old would like pumpernickel??  All i ever got was Wonder Bread!) and  sliced up cherry tomatoes.  For Mike and myself - I make a grown-up version...

Long Entry Farm Bruschetta

Ingredients:

• 1 loaf of LEF Herb Bread -- sliced
• 2 tomatoes (from LEF, of course!) -- sliced, seeded, and then chopped(I prefer mostly yellow with a bit of heirloom mixed in for color (yes, that's important to me... not so much for Mike))
• 1 handful basil (LEF!) -- zip zip in a food processor with some olive oil (not too much - should be thick pesto), or a chop chop with knife, or snip snip with (clean) scissors
• Favorite cheese -- Herbed Brie, Buffalo Mozzarella, Sharp Provolone are all delicious with this recipe -- sliced to fit on bread
• Fresh ground pepper & sea salt

Directions:

Slice bread ~1/4" thick,  drizzle with olive oil & crack fresh pepper  (careful about olive oil dripping in to the bottom of the toaster oven and catching fire... that's uummmmm.... bad.... and requires a quick removal of said device to the outside).

Chop tomatoes, gently mix with dollop of herb olive oil  (you can store leftover herb/oil for the bruschetta you'll make tomorrow night by placing leftovers in a narrow container and covering the top with a layer of olive oil (the layer of oil prevents the oxidation of the basil leaves ). Store in fridge for up to a week.  

Toast bread using a toaster oven or broiler until lightly browned.  Carefully flip bread over and toast another minute or two.

Carefully spoon on tomato/basil mix.  Toast for a minute.  
Carefully lay sliced cheese over toastey tomato mix.  Toast for a minute to melt. 
(hhmmm... lots of 'carefully's in there... can you tell i've had issues with our toaster oven?? stupid thing tries to burn me at every go!  Or the house... that's definitely worse...)

Remove to plate.  Crack pepper & salt to taste.  Maybe drizzle some balsamic vinegar (for me... both depend on the cheese type.... ).

Serve & enjoy.

It seems like a lot of steps, and I'm sure you could just shovel everything on and toast it (that's truthfully what mike does)... but the extra steps really make it extra special yummy :))

Stuffed Summer Squash 

The baskets are definitely at their peak - they are heavy with juicy tomatoes, eggplant, peppers, cucumbers... all the staples of summer.  There's also swiss chard (yummy recipe here:  HYPERLINK "http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Sauteed-Swiss-Chard-with-Parmesan-Cheese/" \o "blocked::http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Sauteed-Swiss-Chard-with-Parmesan-Cheese/"http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Sauteed-Swiss-Chard-with-Parmesan-Cheese/ ) and an experiment... a barq squash.  Apparently it's a summer squash.  To be honest - I've never had it, and didn't even know we planted it until I was putting together the baskets tonight and found them in the handle basket from the field.  And I still had no idea what it was until Mike finally came in from 'shooing' the deer from the fields and we looked at the seed order.  And, of course, as you see (or read), it's 10pm, and i'm not cooking up one of these now....  Sooooo... ummmmm.... how's it feel to be guinea pigs??  :))   Ah, the joys of a CSA :))

After some google-ing and some yahoo-ing, I've found that they're a summer squash... sometimes called lebanese, sometimes italian...  but regardless of the cultural 'mine mine mine', they just look perfect for stuffing. 

Here's the recipe I would try if it weren't 10:30 already:

Stuffed Summer Squash

Ingredients:

• 1 barq summer squash (included in your basket)

• salt and black pepper to taste

• onion, garlic, mushrooms to taste  

• 4 tbsp olive oil, divided

• 6 oz goat cheese (or your favorite cheese)

• 1/2 to 1 cup bread crumbs  (included in your basket)

Preparation:

Cut the summer squash in half.   Using a spoon, or melon baller, scoop out the seeds in each side of the squash. Arrange cut side up on a lightly oiled baking sheet. Salt and pepper generously, and drizzle over 2 tablespoons of the olive oil. 

Roast on a grill or in the oven until easily pierced by a fork.  

Scoop out the cooked squash in to a bowl, making sure to leave skin in tact for stuffing.  In a medium saute pan over medium-high heat, heat olive oil, then the onion and garlic and saute until the onion is softened and translucent, 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in the mushrooms and continue to cook until they are tender and lightly browned, another 5 to 6 minutes. Stir in the squash flesh and combine, scraping any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Remove from heat and set the squash filling aside to cool slightly. 

Crumble a tablespoon of cheese on each squash. Combine a half cup to a cup of breadcrumbs with the squash filling, and fill each half of squash. 

Bake in a 400 degree F. oven for about 20 minutes, or until the tops are browned and the squash tender, but still a bit firm.

Long Entry Farm's "One of Everything"

With the long days, busy evenings, and late nights of summer, I'm always looking for quick and easy recipes - and I only cook those if they require very little thought.  Fortunately, the baskets of veggies straight out of the gardens lend themselves to thoughtless cooking.   My basic summer recipe is "one of everything"... I literately serve this at least 4 times a week,  varying what it's served with or over...  Fast, easy, and simple... fits my summer just right.

Long Entry Farm's "One of Everything"

Wash & dry veggies-of-a-sort.  Chop up veggies to roughly the same size/thickness -- eggplant, bell peppers, sweet peppers, broccoli, zucchini, squash, tomatoes*, garlic... one (or two (or three)) of everything.  Place in really large bowl.  Drizzle olive oil over veggies - enough to coat, but not enough to pool on bottom of bowl (your arm-hair will thank you for it (because you'll still have it!)).  Toss veggies with olive oil, salt & pepper (don't be afraid - season before it's cooked will mean significantly less salt added at the table).

Preheat grill with a grill basket to medium-high heat.  Don't have a grill basket???  You really need one!  Search Amazon for 'grill basket' for 200+ recommendations - or any box store should still have them.  And if you don't have a grill... you can do this just as easy under the broiler (but again, mind the amount of olive oil!).  Don't have a grill basket, and don't want to heat the oven?  chop the veggies large enough to not fall through the grill grates, reduce heat to medium, may have to grill longer b/c of size.

Add the veggies to the grill basket; close lid.  Open lid. Stir.  Close lid... repeat occasionally.  You actually want a little browning on the veggies, so don't stir constantly.  Cook for 15-20 minutes.  Both grill temperature and time can be adjusted up or down depending on preferred veggie 'squishiness', and what else you're cooking.  Easy, right!?

(* grilling tomatoes -- these actually are best if you do these separately straight on the grill b/c they're fairly delicate. Slice in half, drizzle EVOO, salt, pepper, and roast on each side for a few minutes until charred)

Carefully remove veggies from grill basket; serve over rice, couscous, salad, steak... anything you like.  

AND

If you happen to have leftovers, these veggies make the best sandwich wrap!  Smear a Laughing Cow cheese wedge on a tortilla (any kind will do - I definitely prefer whole wheat), add veggies, and wrap.  Yum Yum Yum! AND healthy!!!

AND

If you want an extra kick, mix up some of Emeril Lagassi's BAM! spice mix, and sprinkle over veggies before grilling (omit salt and pepper in above recipe - it's in the BAM!).

I make this full recipe and store in my spice cabinet.  It takes less than 5 minutes to make, doesn't contain any MSG (like some premade spice blends), and I use it all month long.  This is a great spice over steak, chicken, and (I presume) tofu (if you 'fu' the 'to' instead of chicken).  If you're a townie - I have to give a shout-out to Dino's Grocery store - they have great spices at a great price.

Emeril's BAM

8 tablespoons paprika
3 tablespoons cayenne
5 tablespoons black pepper
6 tablespoons garlic powder
3 tablespoons onion powder
6 tablespoons salt
2 1/2 tablespoons dried oregano
2 1/2 tablespoons dried thyme

Combine all in a small tupperware container with tight lid.  Shake to mix.  Use sparingly or pour it on to taste.

Long Entry Farm’s Grilled Pesto Pizza

Also this week - I've included unbaked 100% whole wheat dough for the Grilled Pesto Pizza recipe (below).   When storing the dough in your refrigerator, leave the corner of the container open to vent.  The dough is freshly made with no preservatives of any kind, so it should be used within 3 days of pickup/delivery.  

Prep Time - 30 Minutes
Cook Time - 10 minutes
Inhalation Time – Mike’s personal best – 4 minutes (tongue still recovering)
Makes (2) 9-inch pizzas

Ingredients
16 oz Pizza Dough, included in your CSA basket 
1/4 cup virgin olive oil 
1 cup packed Basil leaves, included in your CSA basket 
8 oz Buffalo Mozzarella 
1-2 cups chopped tomatoes, included in your CSA basket 
Various veggies of choice, included in your CSA basket -- cooked

Directions 
Prepare the toppings
In a food processor, zip-zip the basil and olive oil up to make a quick pesto; no need to puree – big chucks of basil are preferred.  Season to taste with salt & pepper.  Chop up the tomatoes in to a 1/4-inch-ish dice.  Place in small bowl with a dollop of the pesto; stir to incorporate. Chop up any other veggies of interest – sauté, steam, or grill as needed – they will not have time to cook once on the pizza on the grill.   Slice the buffalo mozzarella into ¼” slices, or open bag of shredded cheese of choice. 

Prepare the dough
Keep the dough in the fridge until ready to use – it works best when cold. Sprinkle some flour on the countertop.  Sprinkle some flour over the dough. Sprinkle some flour over your hands. Take each half of dough and work it in to a circle, rectangle, or chevron – makers choice – about ¼” thick.  The goal is to work quickly, not to incorporate the sprinkled flour in to the dough or to knead the dough.  This step should take less than a minute!   Sprinkle more flour on a cookie sheet; place pizzas on to rest (do not overlap!) 

Light the Grill Preheat grill on high heat Bring all ingredients out to the grill area – this is a quick-paced cook 

Cook it up
When grill is hot, spray the dough with Pam Olive Oil spray (regular Pam works fine, too… I just prefer EVOO) Lift the dough gently by the 2 corners closest to you, and drape in onto the grill.  Don’t try to move it if it isn’t perfectly draped – your fingers will hate you for it, and it doesn’t really matter what shape it ends up.  It’s totally counter-intuitive, but the dough does not ooze between the grill grates… I promise! Within a minute or two the dough will puff slightly, the underside will stiffen, and grill marks will appear.  (I recommend not walking away to get the toppings that are in the house, watch a minute or two (or four) of the Olympics, run out, run back in to get the tongs…  or the pizza will have a nice layer of charcoal on the bottom… just sayin’… ) Using tongs, flip the crust over.  Immediately TURN THE GRILL DOWN TO MEDIUM-LOW HEAT. Quickly brush the grilled surface with basil pesto.  Scatter the tomatoes & veggies over the dough.  Strategically place the mozzarella for maximum visual appeal.  (Here’s a novel thought – they don’t have to be all the same! yes – that took me some time to come to)  Close lid and cook for 5-6 minutes.  Check occasionally to make sure crust isn’t charcoaling.  Pizzas are done when the cheese is melted. Drizzle with balsamic vinegar for an extra ooomph :)

Cucumber Salad  

With the bumper crop of cucumbers - I always remember my Polish grandmother's recipe for cucumber salad...

Slice cucumbers into shallow soup bowl (I don't know why this makes a difference, but she yelled at me if I used the wrong bowl...)

Mix/whisk with fork (what can I say... she was particular!) in large measuring cup:2 tablespoons mayonnaise (Hellman's if you don't want to upset the deceased)2 tablespoons white vinegar (Heinz, if you must know)2-3 tablespoons milk (there was only ever whole milk in my house...)

Pour dressing over cucumbers & garnish with chopped dill (crap! now I have to go pick dill for your baskets!!! where's Mike!?)Let stand 30 minutes to meld... (not that it actually happens at my house... but it does taste even better the next day).

Japanese Eggplant   

One of my favorite veggies that we grow are the japanese eggplant.  These make a perfect appetizer..  Just slice them lengthwise, brush with olive oil and sprinkle italian seasoning & salt & pepper, and grill for 3-4 minutes per side on med-high heat.  Yum Yum!

A surprise favorite are the beets!  Who knew that beets were actually good!??  Well - not the ones my mom tried to serve me when I was a kid (blech!), but fresh-from-the-dirt, not-inside-a-tincan roasted beets are fabulous!   I was totally surprised...    I clean them up, chop off the greens about an inch from the beet (you can cook up the greens in a quick saute) and place them in a big piece of tinfoil with grated ginger and some orange juice... seal up the packet and toss on the grill for 20-30 minutes (depending on the size) .  Beets are done when you can stick a fork in 'em fairly easily (be careful opening the packet - it'll be full of OJ/Beet steam...)  

Stir Fried Bok Choy   

This was my first recipe I used with Bok Choy -- I go back to it again and again -- and add in other goodies from the farm like the Swiss Chard (also in your basket this week -- surprise!).  I use a bit of the hot peppers instead of the red pepper flakes for a nice kick :) and top with fresh cut basil & serve over rice.  If you don't have sesame oil - I recommend you pick some up (easily found at Whole Foods, Stop & Shop, or an Asian Market) - it truly has a unique and yummy taste.

I hope you enjoy!

Stir-Fried Bok Choy
original recipe link:    HYPERLINK "http://www.chow.com/recipes/28071-sauteed-bok-choy" \o "blocked::http://www.chow.com/recipes/28071-sauteed-bok-choy"http://www.chow.com/recipes/28071-sauteed-bok-choy
HYPERLINK "http://www.chow.com/stories/12018" \o "blocked::http://www.chow.com/stories/12018"

INGREDIENTS
2 tablespoons vegetable oil 
2 medium garlic cloves, minced 
1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger (from 1/2-inch piece) 
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes 
1 1/2 pounds bok choy (about 2 medium bunches), cleaned, ends trimmed, and cut on the bias into 1-inch pieces 
1 tablespoon soy sauce 
1 tablespoon water 
1/4 teaspoon toasted sesame oil 
Salt (optional)

INSTRUCTIONS
In a large frying pan with a tightfitting lid, heat the vegetable oil over medium-high heat until shimmering.
Add the garlic, ginger, and red pepper flakes and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant but not brown, about 30 seconds. 
Add the bok choy and, using tongs, fold it into the garlic-ginger mixture until coated, about 1 minute.
Add the soy sauce and water, cover, and cook until steam accumulates, about 1 minute.
Uncover and cook, stirring occasionally, until the greens are just wilted, the stalks are just fork tender but still crisp, and most of the water has evaporated, about 2 minutes. 
Turn off the heat, stir in the sesame oil, and season with salt if desired.