Author: ds83473@gmail.com

Makes 4-5 large pies
Takes about about an hour not counting chilling time for the crust. Instead of a homemade crust you could make these with store bought puff pastry; instead of pleating the edges, a flop-over and crimp style is recommended – something like this.

Pie crust:
1 1/2 cups flour (unbleached white or whole wheat)
good pinch salt, unless you’re using salted butter
2 teaspoons sugar
6 tablespoons butter, either salted or un-
3 tablespoons vegetable shortening or lard
2-4 tablespoons cold water

Filling:
3-4 Roma tomatoes, or 2-3 slicing tomatoes
1/4 to 1/3 cup pesto
4-6 ounces mozzarella or Provolone, grated (a generous cup of grated cheese)
4-6 tablespoons cup grated Parmesan
egg wash: 1 egg beaten with a splash of water

Make the crust: measure the flour, salt and sugar into the bowl of your stand mixer (my favorite method), your food processor, or a mixing bowl. Slice the butter and shortening over the top and combine with the flour mixture, using the paddle attachment of the mixer, by pulsing the processor, or using a pastry blender, 2 knives or your fingers, until you have a crumbly mixture with no butter lumps bigger than currants. With the mixer or processor running, or while stirring with fork, drizzle in the water by tablespoons, until the mixture just starts to come together in clumps. Stop before you have one big ball. Turn the crust out onto a floured surface and knead lightly to bring it together. Gather it into a ball, flatten into a disk, wrap (in plastic, wax paper, one of your reusable snack/sandwich bags), and chill for about an hour, and up to 2 days.

Assembly: If the dough has been chilling, get it out of the fridge about 15 minutes before you want to roll it out, to soften just a bit.

Slice the tomatoes and arrange them on paper or dish towels to drain. Grate the cheeses.

Heat the oven to 400° and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.

Roll out the dough and cut it into 4 or 5 rough squares, each approximately 6 inches. Brush each square with some of your egg wash, and spread some pesto in the center. Arrange about 3 tablespoons of the mozzarella over the pesto, and top with as many tomato slices as will fit. Seal the pies by pleating the edges, brushing with more egg wash as necessary to make them stick. Use 2-3-inch round cookie cutter to cut a center opening. Sprinkle Parmesan over the top. Bake for 20-25 minutes until the cheese is melted and the crust is nicely browned.

CSA box recipes week 15, August 25, 2021

Adapted from Deborah Madison’s “The Savory Way”
Makes 4 servings
Takes about 20 minutes to assemble and 35 minutes to bake.

One nice thing about this dish is that it can be served warm or at room temperature, so on a hot summer day it can be be baked in the cooler morning for serving later. It’s also a great brunch dish, served accompanied by scrambled eggs with cheese.

about two tablespoons of olive oil
1 onion, peeled and thinly sliced, pole to pole (1 1/2 to 2 cups slices)
2 garlic cloves, peeled and slivered
2 tablespoons chopped fresh herbs (parsley, sage, rosemary, thyme) if available or 1 1/2 teaspoons dried thyme or herbes de Provence
salt and freshly ground pepper
1 1/4 pounds zucchini or summer squash sliced into thin rounds
1/2 pound plum tomatoes, sliced into rounds
4 black olives (like Kalamata) pitted and sliced into quarters

Heat the oven to 375°. Lightly oil a shallow baking dish that holds about 6 cups. Warm a scant tablespoon of the oil in a skillet and cook the onions over medium heat until they are softened, about 5 minutes. Transfer them to the dish, and add half the herbs. Warm another tablespoon of oil in the same skillet and cook the zucchini with a little salt, stirring frequently, until it starts to color. Add the rest of the herbs, and distribute the zucchini over the onions in the baking dish. Tuck in slices of tomato and olives, and drizzle the remaining olive oil over the top. Cook covered for about 25 minutes, then uncover for another 10 or so to evaporate the juices.

CSA box recipes week 15, August 25, 2021

[Click photo & scroll down for recipe]
Photo by Lauren Rudersdorf
While we are still in the midst of corn and tomato season, it’s a great time to bring back this recipe from Lauren, from summer 2020. I have to say, agreeing with Lauren, definitely one of the best things I ate last summer!

3 medium cucumbers, peeled if desired, seeded and sliced (2-3 cups slices)
one small red or white onion, thinly sliced (about 1/3 cup onion slices)
1 teaspoon coarse salt
1 tablespoon white vinegar
1/4 cup sour cream
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1 TBLS sugar
ground black or white pepper to taste

Place the cucumbers and onions in a colander and sprinkle with salt. Let stand 15 – 30 minutes. Pat dry, and transfer to a bowl. Mix the vinegar, sour cream, mayonnaise, and sugar, and pour over the cucumbers and onions. Add the pepper, mix well, and chill.

One way to use your roasted vegetable sauce is in this zucchini, or eggplant, or summer squash, Parmesan!

2 pounds zucchini, eggplant, or summer squash – or some of all three!
2-3 tablespoons of olive oil
1 cup of ricotta cheese
1 egg
a few grates of nutmeg
grated zest of half a lemon
4-6 ounces grated mozzarella (OK to sub other cheese)
salt & freshly ground black pepper
3 cups roasted vegetable sauce
1/2 cup grated Parmesan or Asiago cheese

If using zucchini or summer squash, cut it into long planks. If using eggplant, cut into rounds, place them in a colander and sprinkle with coarse salt. Let stand for about 30 minutes, then pat dry and proceed. Heat the oven to 425°. Pour about 2 tablespoons of the oil into a rimmed baking sheet. Lay your vegetable slices on the sheet, flipping them to get them nicely coated with oil, and adding more oil as necessary. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, place in the oven, and roast until tender. Remove from the oven and cool. Turn the oven down to 375°.

Meanwhile, mix the ricotta, egg, nutmeg, lemon, and grated mozzarella – you’ll want about 2 cups of filling. Season with salt and pepper.

Spread a generous cup of sauce in a 2-qt. shallow baking dish, and arrange a layer of vegetables on top. Blob the filling in and spread it out – OK if it’s not perfect! Add another layer of vegetables, and top with a thick layer of the remaining sauce.

Bake the dish for 20-30 minutes, until firm and bubbling around the edges. Top with the grated Parmesan and bake anther 10 minutes. Let rest for 10 minutes before cutting. Serve with garlic toast!

Alternatively, prepare the vegetables like these Love and Lemons zucchini chips from the week 6 newsletter!

Here’s versatile sauce recipe that takes advantage of late summer bounty. It freezes well, and since it’s relatively fat-free, can be enriched later on with additions such as sausage or cream!
Takes just a few minutes of chopping, 1 hour to roast
Makes 3 cups to 1 quart of sauce.

You will need about 6-8 cups of assorted vegetables; here are suggestions:
5-6 tomatoes, depending on type & size, chopped (peeling and seeding optional)
1-2 onions peeled and quartered
2-4 cloves of garlic, peeled
1-2 red bell peppers
1 carrot, scrubbed and cut into chunks
1 summer squash, cut into chunks
2 tablespoons of olive oil
salt & freshly ground black pepper
a handful of your choice fresh herbs, rinsed and large stems removed

Heat the oven to 375°. Combine your vegetables in a baking pan – a glass 13 x 9 x 2 works well for this. Add the olive oil and salt and pepper and toss well. Roast for one hour until everything is nice and soft and starting to caramelize. Remove from the oven and cool. Scrape everything into a food processor, and pulse to puree. Add the herbs and whiz a bit longer to chop them. Taste and adjust seasoning. You could also do this by transferring the roasted vegetables a deep bowl and pureeing with an immersion blender. Chop the herbs and add them.

Takes 30 minutes not counting chilling
Makes 8-10 servings

Salad:
1/2 pound elbow macaroni
3/4 cup frozen peas – or green beans, cut into 1-inch lengths and cooked till tender
1 bell pepper diced
1 carrot peeled and diced
1/3 cup finely chopped sweet onion or purple onion
3 tablespoons chopped parsley, or basil, or dill

Dressing:
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoons sweet pickle relish (recipe in the week 9 newsletter)
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon cider vinegar
A few shakes of hot pepper sauce, like Frank’s, or to taste

Boil the macaroni in salted water until it’s tender. Place the peas (if using) in your colander and pour the hot macaroni over to thaw. Rinse with cold water and allow to drain. Combine the green beans (if using), bell pepper, carrots, and onion in a large bowl. Add the macaroni. Whisk together the dressing ingredients, pour over the salad and mix well. Taste for seasoning, and chill. You might need to add a bit more mayo before serving.

CSA box recipes summer 2021

Serves about 6
About 40 minutes to prepare, plus time to chill
Based on my grandma Mollie and Mollie Katzen, this is a meatless sweet sour soup that’s a beautiful color.

1 1/2 pounds of beets
3 cups of water
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons lemon juice
3 tablespoons sugar or honey
2 cups buttermilk
Optional garnishes: chopped fresh dill; cucumber – peeled, seeded, and grated; chopped pickles; sour cream

Trim and peel the beets, and place them in medium sauce pan with the water and salt. Bring to a boil, then partially cover and lower the heat and simmer until the beets are tender – about 20-30 minutes. Remove the beets with a slotted spoon, and transfer the water to the container you plan to chill the soup in. Add the lemon juice and sugar to the water. When the beets are cool enough to handle, grate them and add them to the container. Cover and chill until very cold.

When you’re ready to serve, add the buttermilk, and taste for seasoning. Serve with the optional garnishes.

CSA Box Recipes Summer 2021