CSA Pickup #6

This is remote CSA blogging, as I'm still on the cape, and Libby & Rob are picking up the share. However, according to the email from the farmer, Ted Blomgren, here is what we got:

Two sweet Italian peppers, a handful of flat, white onions, three cucumbers, three yellow or green zucchinis, a pound of Swiss chard, a head of lettuce, a mix of teenage lettuces, a green cabbage, and a green garlic bulb.

He mentions that 'the garlic won't keep long because it hasn't been cured, so use it soon. Peel off the out-most layer of skin and you'll find a bright white bulb underneath. We'll begin the process of harvesting and curing the garlic in our barn toward the end of this week. So far, bulb size appears to be fairly good.'

Libby, Rob, if you happen to read this and would like to comment on predicted vs. actual, or any thoughts on use of the veg, please do. [Update: This distribution was never picked up, so it remains forever a mystery.]

Ted also enclosed a recipe for zucchini:

Parmesan-Crusted Zucchini
From Molly Katzen's The Vegetable Dishes I Can't Live Without

Yields 4 to 6 servings
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil; 2 teaspoons minced or crushed garlic; 4 small zucchinis; salt, to taste; freshly ground black pepper, to taste; 1 to 2 tablespoons fine bread crumbs (optional); and 2 to 3 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese.

Preheat the broiler. Place a medium-sized skillet over medium heat. After about a minute, add the olive oil and swirl to coat the pan. Turn down the heat, add the garlic, and sauté over medium-low heat for just a minute or two, being careful not to let the garlic brown.

Place the zucchini halves face down in the garlic butter and sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper. Sauté over medium-high heat for about 5 minutes, or until the zucchinis are just slightly tender when poked gently with a fork. Turn the zucchini over and sprinkle generously, first with bread crumbs, if desired, and then with Parmesan. You can also combine the bread crumbs and Parmesan, and sprinkle them on together as a single mixture, if you like. Any spilled topping can be left in the pan to melt into an additional, delicious crust. Cook for just a minute or two more, then transfer the skillet to the broiler.

Broil for 3 to 5 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and golden brown. Serve hot, and don't forget to scrape up the spilled, now-crispy Parmesan from the bottom of the pan.