I would like to wax on about how delish our watermelon was. It was juicy, sweet, lite and crunchy. So juicy it ran down your chin and I think I ate about 1/5 of the melon the first day. I did vary it though…I ate it plain. I ate it with lime juice squeezed on top. I ate it with a bit of salt. Really, really, really good. I dare say, the best watermelon I have ever had.
So lets talk about tomatoes? Salted, peppered and tossed with a little peeled cucumber and a dash of EVOO and the tomato water mixes with it and makes a light vinaigrette. I had an extra share from my friend who was on vacation this week and made sauce with the tomatoes, peppers, chard and onion. It will be nice to taste a small ray of summer sun in the fall while we heat hot bowls of pasta or slabs of cheesy lasagna made with our CSA sauce. I reccomend a dash of red wine if you have it or some Balsamic vinaigrette works well also. Don’t forget the sugar and the bay leaves. If you sauce is thin, I like to add a can of either tomato paste or a can of tomato soup (weird?). If you have little ones who might say things like, “ICK, what is the green stuff? What is the chunky thing?” Use a hand blender or regular one to puree your sauce.
You can use it for pizza sauce too and I like buying the premade dough from Trader Joes to make quick pizza’s with whatever is left over in the fridge or freezer. The sauce is also good for Eggplant Parm …..and we all know how MANY eggplants we have. I am finding those are harder to use up than the beets were! While I adore Eggplant Parm..I can only eat it so often and I have to lie to my children and tell them its chicken. I know I am horrible.
Have a great CSA week…if someone wants to take pictures and send them to me I will post them when we get back from our camping trip. I hope I don’t miss more raspberries because they were SO good!
xx
Beth said,
August 21, 2007 @ 2:53 am
Any ideas for what to do with patty pan squash? Any?
Jodean Marks said,
August 27, 2007 @ 5:13 pm
I asked the very same question of a farmer at a farmer’s market. She said, “I just chop them up and put them in a pan with a little butter.” Another customer added, “They’re good with cheese.” I took the farmer’s advice, added salt, pepper, and some green herb or other, covered the pan, and let them cook till tender.
My mother used to make fritters of them. There are recipes for squash fritters on the Net, I’m sure. Any recipe for zucchini or yellow summer squash can also be used for patty pan squash.
There is a basic, popular recipe that involves sauteing chopped summer squash lightly with onion and garlic and baking it in a casserole with beaten egg, cottage cheese, cheddar cheese, and rice or (more usually) dry cubed bread. I would add dill, marjoram or thyme, salt, and pepper. Again, try a cookbook or a Net recipe site for exact proportions.
Sorry this is so late; I just saw your comment today.
Beth said,
August 28, 2007 @ 4:35 pm
Thanks! I’m going to try that casserole…and hoping for no more patty pan squash! : )
jsutter said,
December 12, 2007 @ 3:16 am
Hi, Jodean.