Kolokithokeftedes

Kolokithokeftedes
Greek Zucchini Fritters

2 medium zucchini, coarsely grated
1 red onion, very finely chopped

1 clove garlic, minced (optional)

8 cherry tomatoes, finely minced (optional)
4 oz. feta cheese, crumbled
2 T. fresh mint, chopped
2 T. flat leaf parsley, chopped
¾ cup All-purpose flour
Salt & Pepper
Olive Oil

Salt the grated zucchini generously and put in a fine sieve (or a salad spinner). Place a bowl or pan of water on top of the zucchini to weight it down. Drain for at least one hour, stirring occasionally. Remove them from the sieve and squeeze out any remaining excess moisture by hand.

Beat the egg and then whisk in the herbs, onion, garlic, feta, chopped tomatoes, and a generous pinch of salt and pepper.  Then add the grated zucchini and the flour.  The finished batter should be rather thick (it should stand up when heaped on a spoon). Add more water or flour to achieve that thickness (the initial measurements here are only guidelines; it will all depend on how much liquid your zucchini expel).

Heat a touch of olive oil in a non-stick pan. Drop heaping spoonfuls of the zucchini batter into the hot oil, pressing them down slightly to form small patties about three inches in diameter. Fry until lightly browned on each side (about five minutes per side). Remove to a paper towel and continue frying until all the zucchini mixture is gone. Serve hot or at room temperature with some squeezes of fresh lemon or some tzatziki.

20 July 2012

 After a month without a drop, David reports that an inch and a half of rain fell on the farm yesterday.  All his soil conditioning and composting had kept his soil fairly moist during that drought, but they did need rain and he swears his “tomato plants all grew about six inches overnight.”

Things are ripening suddenly and the tomato harvest is just about to begin, about a month ahead of schedule.   The peppers and eggplants are about to come on as well, so prepare your kitchens for a deluge of late summer crops.

In your boxes this week, you’ll find:

Blueberries

Blackberries

Garlic (organically-grown by one of David’s Amish neighbors)

Green Peppers

String beans or Roma beans

Chayoga beets

Cucumbers

Red Potatoes

Roasted Beets and String Beans with Greek Yogurt and Garlic Oil

1 bunch beets, stemmed and peeled

1 pound string beans, stemmed

2 cloves fresh garlic

Extra virgin olive oil

½ cup plain Greek yogurt (preferably Fage “Total”)

Salt and Pepper

Thinly slice the garlic and add it to 1/3 cup of olive oil in a shallow pan or skillet over medium low heat.  Heat just until the garlic begins to cook slightly, then turn off the heat and allow the garlic to soften in the oil.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Toss the peeled beets with a splash of the garlic olive oil and a dash of salt and pepper, then wrap in two layers of aluminum foil, crimp tightly, and place on a sheet pan.  Roast until the beets are fork-tender, about thirty minutes.   Unwrap them from the foil and allow them to cool.  Then cut them into halves or quarters.  

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of generously salted water to a rolling boil.  While the beets are cooling, boil the string beans just until tender (about five minutes), then transfer them to a colander to drain.  They will continue to cook slightly in the colander, out of the boiling water. 

Re-season the beets with salt and pepper and then toss with the yogurt.  Toss the green beans in the remaining garlic oil and season with salt and pepper.  Arrange the dressed green beans on a pile in the center of a serving plate, then add the beets on top.  Serve while still slightly warm.

13 July 2012

Friday, July 13th, 2012

In your boxes this week:

Blueberries

Blackberries

Zucchini

Cucumbers

Roma beans

Swiss chard

Chayoga beets

Potatoes

Basil

Roasted Chayoga Beets 

with Basil & Greek yogurt

Trim beets of their root end and lop off the stems (reserve greens for braising or chopping into a salad).  Drizzle them with a little olive oil and then wrap them in aluminum foil and roast in a 400 degree oven for about one hour, until they are very tender.

Remove them from the oven and rinse them under cold water, using light pressure to remove their peels (they should come off easily).   Cut the roasted beets into halves or quarters and place in a bowl.  

In a small bowl, whisk together one tiny garlic clove (finely minced), six leaves of very thinly sliced basil, a good pinch of salt and pepper, and two tablespoons of your very best extra virgin olive oil.  Toss the roasted beets with the dressing, then top with a dollop of Greek yogurt.  Serve while still warm.