Week #6 (July 19-22)

What’s in the big box?     What’s in the little box?

Zucchini                                  Zucchini

Cucumber (picklers!)             Cucumbers (picklers!)

Green Beans                          Green Beans

Romano Beans                      Romano Beans

Tomatoes (1 qt)                     Tomatoes (1 qt- 2nds)

Lettuce                                   Lettuce

Blue Berries                           Blue Berries

Broccoli                                   Broccoli

Garlic(!)                                  Raspberries (1/2  pint)

Scallions                                 Scallions

Kohl Rabi

Cabbage

Carrots

Kale

Raspberries

FFore hlhAsAsjnflksdf   Tips, Tricks & Recipes:

PICKLES; my absolute favorite event of the summer (next to peaches).  Rather than supplying a real deal canning recipe (see your mother’s cook book for details), I leave you with the simplest recipe for pickles I know…  The REFRIGERATOR PICKLE.  The recipe is idiot proof.  Trust me, I know.

1.       Purchase your very favorite store bought pickles.

2.      Eat the pickles.

3.      Slice the pickling cucumbers found in the box into quarters and place inside jar with juice.

4.      Let it sit in the fridge overnight. 

5.      Chomp away!!  I guarantee you these cukes will taste better and crunchier than the original pickles the jar supplied.

An aside: you can use and re-use the same pickle juice/jar.  Just keep those picklers coming- soaking up all that good juice until there is no more left. 

Braised Romano Beans
Adapted from Laura Sbrana via The _NYTimes 08/12/08  posted by smitten kitchen.com
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil                            1/2 cup minced celery
1/2 cup minced carrot                                      1 cup minced red onion
1 clove garlic, crushed                                     2 sprigs fresh rosemary
1 teaspoon tomato paste                                              Salt and freshly ground black pepper 
1 cup peeled, crushed ripe tomatoes, preferably plum tomatoes, with their juices
1 1/2 pounds romano beans (flat green beans), ends trimmed (or fresh cranberry beans in their shells).
1. Heat oil in a deep skillet or a shallow three-quart saucepan. Add celery, carrot and onion and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until vegetables barely begin to brown, about 25 minutes. Add garlic and rosemary and cook until fragrant, a few minutes. Stir in tomato paste and tomatoes. Bring to a simmer. Season with salt and pepper. Simmer until mixture is well combined, about 5 minutes.
2. Add beans, setting them in pan all in one direction. Add 1/2 cup water. Bring to a simmer. Baste beans, season with salt, reduce heat to low. Cook gently, partly covered, turning beans in sauce from time to time, until beans are very tender, about 40 minutes. Adjust seasoning and serve hot or at room temperature.
Yield: 6 servings.