Basket #7... documented!

Sorry for the delay here; I'll include a pic and synopsis as has been standard... but the main thing is, I also wanted you to have a recipe for using the staghorn sumac seedheads to make a tasty sour beverage similar to lemonade. Anyhow, first things first:

Here's watcha got: one regular zucchini and one pattipan squash; sweet Hungarian peppers, purple and green basil, okra, cucumber, arugula (bagged), tomato mix (containered), spearmint

And now, a simple recipe for sumac-ade:

1) Clip ripe staghorn sumac seedheads (you know they're good if they are coated with white, or if you kick them and get a sour kick!)

2) Stuff the seedheads as densely as you can, into whatever jar you have. Keep the stemside up.

3) Fill water up to but not exceeding the cut stem-ends of the seedheads

4) Cap jar if you have a cap (ideal), and let sit for 24-48 hours (later = better sour twang). Shake for 30 seconds straight on multiple occasions within the day or so, to improve flavor!

5) Pour through filter/sieve to catch bits (tea leaves strainer works well) into another jar, add sugar to taste and shake to help dissolve the sugar

6) Chill and serve on ice

I will bring more next week, let me know how it goes!!!

Our sixth basket... having fun yet?

Love you all for sponsoring our caring for these plants, against all the odds! Hope you enjoy what's in this week's basket):

And a loose tomato, not pictured...

This week every basket got:

1) One GIANT zucchini (or, a large and small one = two in total)

2) One loose 'sandwich' tomato (ripe)

3) A container with a pittance of golden cherry tomatoes as well as both a mature and a 'needs to table-ripen' slicer tomato

4) not-hot banana peppers (loose) as well as hot cousins of them (in ziplock bag)

5) Lots o' cucumbers... here's a fun recipe (named 'Mizzeria' in Polish):

    - shave cucumbers into very thin coins, peeling first if desired

    - stir in sugar (only a sprinkling), salt & pepper, a splash of white wine vinegar and either high-fat yogurt or sour cream (preference)

    - serve as salad

6) Kale

7) Eggplant

8) Beets

9) Green beans

10 (not pictured) Collard greens -- batched in bundles of 8, these can be prepared pretty much any way cabbage can -- cooked or raw. Just don't expect the same 'snappy' texture =)

As I said, it means a lot to us that you join with us in this endeavor!!! Until next week...

Last week's share basket (#5) was our heaviest, largest-volume one yet...

 ...and yet, because of the crunch for time in putting it together, we didn't get to snap any photos of it. =( In any case, I just wanted to make this post to bookmark that last Wednesday's 20lb-baskets DID INDEED HAPPEN (and were not a figment of my imagination, etc.) LOL

Out of 30-ish broccoli heads grown so far, only this ONE has looked 'normal' / like a supermarket one... LOL

We figured that because you all would be able to recognize / already have recipe ideas for everything both in the basket and in the side bags, that not getting a separate basket picture this time would be sufferable. Anyhow, for the record, there was lots within (and without) the basket last week:

Potatoes, cabbage, zucchini, cucumbers (out the wazoo, officially), green beans, hungarian 'hot' (they're actually quite mild) as well as bell peppers, basil, and then lettuce and broccoli by choice (and in a separate grocery bag).

Won't be able to beat this week's basket for the rest of the season, I imagine... although we certainly will keep getting all that's good in the garden, out to you all every week. Looking forward to tomorrow already! =)