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MEADOWLARK FARM SUMMER CSA NEWS 8-27-10 Dear friends Boxes are overflowing today with the beauty of summer married with a teasing hint of fall to come. We have tomatoes galore on the top and they are heirloom and so, so good. Do you need a few suggestions for what to do with fresh tomatoes? Have you had a really good BLT yet this summer? We like to freeze tomatoes that we've cored, cut into chunks and placed in Ziploc bags. No peeling, no seeding just pure tomato action that you can cook down as needed in the winter time; it doesn't get much easier! We also are big fans of roasting tomatoes, which is something you can try on a small scale now and if you like it, when we have canning tomatoes available, you can really go for it. To roast tomatoes, just slice and layer in a baking dish. You can stack the layers many thick, drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt. You can add garlic, leeks, onions or fresh herbs, but I prefer mine plain because then later the tomatoes are extremely versatile. Set the oven to 300 degrees and roast until almost all, but not all of the liquid is evaporated. Be prepared as this will take many hours. You can easily walk away from this project without worry. Stir occasionally, moving browned tomatoes toward bottom and moving the bottom layer to the top. Then you puree the tomatoes in a food processor until smooth. You can then either can or freeze this sauce which is heavenly, complex tasting and great for pasta, pizza, Mexican dishes, soups, curries or any number of winter time uses.....now all of this is only if you feel overwhelmed with eating fresh tomatoes! How about some fresh salsa? Just chunk some tomatoes, sweet red pepper, onion, garlic, fresh lime, cilantro and salt and get out the tortilla chips... Remember that even though the fruit flies may have found you, heirloom tomatoes are really a fruit and would rather not be put into the fridge where the sugars will start turning to starch. Also, remember to wash the organic spray that may be on the skin off before eating. It comes right off in water and won't hurt you if you eat it, just a recommendation. Boxes include: savoy cabbage, rainbow carrots and beets, ailsa craig sweet onions, garlic, Yukon gold potatoes, zucchini, cucumber, eggplant, sweet red peppers, green beans, rainbow chard, cilantro, salad mix heirloom tomatoes galore and for premiums arugula, extras, tomatillos. Savoy cabbage is beautiful, more tender than regular cabbage and to me, looks fresh from Farmer McGregor's patch(Beatrix Potter, remember?) We encourage you to make a cabbage salad or slaw this weekend as the temperatures stretch higher and higher. We like to make a homemade mayonnaise and then add poppy seeds and little bit of honey. Here is nancy's homemade mayo recipe that is also delicious on potatoes for salad: HOMEMADE MAYONNAISE -1 egg -1-2 tsp Dijon mustard -2 TBL lemon juice or wine vinegar, as need -3/4 c. olive oil -salt and pepper -herbs of choice such as Italian parsley, tarragon, chives or celery leaf or to make aioli, add ½ tsp minced garlic or roasted garlic Puree egg mustard and lemon juice/vinegar together in a food processor. With the machine running, slowly add the oil in a thin stream until it pools on top of the mayo and won't absorb anymore. Add salt and pepper to taste and adjust as needed. For a slaw add poppy seeds and honey or sugar to taste. Have a great weekend and enjoy the beaches...love, the meadowlarks
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