Squash Caponata

I know what you're thinking - isn't caponata an eggplant dish? Okay, so maybe you weren't thinking that, but I was... I clearly didn't read this week's farm delivery email well because I thought we were already getting some eggplants in. I was all tee'd up with my Eggplant Caponata recipe to go and then I get home to more summer squash. So, I thought - this might work, I'll make a squash caponata (if there can be such a thing). This makes a great side dish or appetizer on top of crackers. So here we go-

Squash Caponata
EVOO
3 medium summer squash
1 cup onion (again, you can use whatever kind you've recently received)
1 garlic scape
1 small can diced tomatoes, drained
1/2 cup sliced almonds
1/3 cup golden raisins
salt, pepper
1.5 tsp red wine vinegar
--> In a large pan with EVOO over medium-high heat, saute half of the squash in a single layer. Cook until golden brown and softened, stirring occasionally, ~10-12 min. Remove from the pan and drain on paper towels. Add a little more EVOO and repeat with the rest of the squash.
--> Reduce heat to medium and add EVOO, along with onion and garlic. Cook, stirring frequently, until they soften. Add the tomatoes, stirring and crushing them as they cook. Stir the squash back in along with the almonds and raisins. Cook together for a couple minutes.
--> Remove from heat and stir in salt, pepper and vinegar. Serve warm or at room temperature. I think this will keep 3-4 days but I haven't tested that theory yet :)

Baked Ziti with Radicchio

Another CSA green that I've had my doubts about is radicchio. Similar to collard greens, my first experience with radicchio didn't leave my mouth watering for more. Well, this year, a new recipe came across my inbox from Chow and I thought it was worth a try. I'm still not the biggest radicchio fan, but in this recipe, the tastes come together so that the greens are a complement to the rest of the dish. It's basically a veggie baked ziti - so you can actually use more CSA veggies than just your radicchio and it's pretty simple.

Vegetable Baked Ziti (with Radicchio)
Ingredients:
1 box of your fave pasta (I used bowties)
1 head radicchio
1 garlic scape
1 cup onion (can use leeks, red onions, green onions - whatever has arrived in your basket)
1 pepper
1-2 summer squash
1 jar of your favorite marinara sauce
1 cups shredded mozzarella cheese (depends how cheesy you like your baked ziti)
1/2 cup grated Parmiggiano-Reggiano cheese
salt, pepper, EVOO

--> Cook pasta according to directions but for only ~1/2 the indicated time. Drain and layer into a baking dish. Set aside.
--> In a medium to large stir-fry pan (sprayed with Pam or EVOO), saute garlic and onion for ~3 min over medium heat until slightly browned. If you have peppers or squash that you want to add to your dish, this is the time to do that. Add them to your stir fry pan and saute until they start to soften, about 5 min. Also make sure to season with your stir fry with some salt and pepper at this stage. Then add in radicchio leaves and let wilt up, mixing occasionally - this takes about 5-10 minutes depending on how big your pan is. Remove from heat.
--> Add the veggie mixture to the baking dish with the pasta, mix well. Add in marinara sauce and then top with the cheese. Bake at 375 for 20 minutes or until the top gets golden brown.

2010 Season Update

The 2010 season has been off to a great start. In the northeast, we have had a long streak of hot, dry weather which is a stark contrast to the 2009 season which was cold and rainy through all of June and into July. Unfortunately for me, I have been without a stove or oven for over a month now, which is why there hasn't been much posted. But - lucky for oven-less me and all of you, the first month of the CSA season is mostly greens which are great for salads. We have been making big hearty salads with lots of different lettuces - escarole, spinach, green solix lettuce, red tide lettuce, romaine, boston lettuce and cabbages. Two weeks ago one of my favorite items arrived which made the salads that much better - sugar snap peas! This week we got a good amount of summer squash and I am ready with many different squash recipes for the upcoming weeks, so stay tuned!

Also, fruit deliveries started last week - currants, blueberries, cherries, gooseberries (a new one!), and peaches... recipes to come!

Rat Tail what?!

One of the amazing things about being part of a CSA is that a couple of times a season you get a completely new vegetable or fruit - it'll be something you've never heard of before, but I can assure you that these weird things are staples in CSAs. Last week, we got this season's delivery of Rat Tail Radishes. These radishes are milder in flavor than traditional pink radishes, but they are still a great addition to a salad. For three years now I have scoured the internet for something different to do with these interesting veggies, but alas, nothing. So for now, I will keep adding Rat Tail Radishes to my fresh, organic salads straight from the farm.