This Week’s CSA

This week you will find potatoes, carrots, corn, cucumbers, red onions, summer squash, a head of endive, a head of romaine, napa cabbage, tomatoes, dragon tongue beans, and parsley in your veggie box.

Storage Notes

Parsley will last longer if stored upright in a glass with a bit of water in the bottom.  To prevent the delicate leaves from wilting, cover with a plastic produce bag.   The dragon beans will do great stored like any other bush bean.

Usage Notes

Leon reported that some of the potatoes may be large, making them perfect candidates for baked potatoes or potato salad.  Several of the veggies this week are perfect for pickling, including the corn.  To add corn to a vegetable pickle mix, leave on the cob and slice 1/2 inch thick.  The summer squash can be treated like zucchini for any of your cooking needs.

The bright colored dragon tongue beans are considered a heirloom Dutch wax type green bean that originated in the Netherlands.  This yellowish-green bean with variegated purple strips is great both raw and cooked.  Once cooked or pickled, the purple color tends to dissipate.  Like other varieties of bush beans, dragon tongue beans have an edible shell.   Just remove the stem end before cooking.  If not serving raw, these beans will make a great addition to bean salads, stir fries, salads, or cooked on their own for a side dish.  With the corn, dragons tongue beans can be used to make a succotash that can be served as a main course or side salad.

In addition to the traditional corn on the cob or succotash, sweet corn makes a grate addition to salsa.  Grilled corn kernels (remove kernels with knife after corn has cooled), roasted peppers, red onion, garlic, black beans, cilantro and lime juice will make a delicious salsa that goes well with tacos and grilled pork or fish.

Recipe

Sweet Corn Souffle

(serves 4)

4 to 5 ears of corn, husked and shucked (about 2 cups)

3 tablespoons unsalted butter

2 scallions, finely minced

1/3 cup all purpose flour

3/4 cup milk

3 eggs, carefully separate the whites from the yolks

salt and freshly ground pepper

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.  Generously a soufflé dish and set aside.

Cut the kernels from the ears of corn with a sharp knife.  Try to do this over a dish that can catch any of the starchy white milk from the corn.  Go back over the cobs and scrape out as much liquid as possible; you should have 2 cups of kernels and liquid.

In a large skillet, melt the butter and sauté the kernels, their liquid and the scallions for 3 minutes.  Add the flour and blend thoroughly.  Stir in the milk, whisking to break up any lumps of flour.  Season to taste and cook for 2 to 3 minutes.

Remove the mixture from the heat and let cool 10 minutes.  Meanwhile, lightly beat the egg yolks and mix well with cooled corn mixture.  With a stand mixer and whisk attachment, beat egg whites until stiff peaks form and slightly dry.  Gently but thoroughly fold in the beaten egg whites.

Pour mixture in to prepared soufflé dish.  Bake 20-25 minutes until puffed and golden.  Remove from oven and serve immediately.