Wednesday, June 27, 2012

Tree and Twig Summer CSA -Week One


When I began delivering veggies for my CSA baskets some 15 odd years ago, my daughter Emily was 9 years old and a regular rider on the veggie route.
In my old turquoise blue Astro van, aptly named "Happy" we bopped along to the ever so cool tunes of N'Sync.
Who didn't love them?
It was nice today to have Emily, now a beautiful young woman accompany me today. No N'Sync this time. Just mom music- Q107! No Happy van, just my old Honda Civic which can carry 15 flats of tomatoes or 30 baskets of veggies. Amazing.
Today's baskets contained salad mix, radish microgreens, raspberries, lots of various basils and a head of fresh (not cured) garlic to make pesto, chard/kale, baby carrots or beets and a little bit of lemon grass and lemon catnip.
The summer season is just beginning!
In the garden it seems to me like it will be the year of the peppers and basils. These plants are all looking especially good, and the peppers have quite a few good looking fruit on them.
I have more than 100 varieties of peppers and 53 or so varieties of basil. Lots of hot peppers, so get yourselves ready for that.
Some of the basils are quite distinct-particularly the lime, lemon, cinnamon and spice. All basils are NOT created equal.
Try making a beautiful basil flavoured vinegar with them, or, or course take advantge of the ultra pungent fresh garlic head, and make a batch of pesto.
So good!

(from Canadian Living)

Ingredients

Preparation

In food processor, finely chop together basil, Parmesan cheese, pine nuts, salt and pepper. With motor running, add 1/3 cup (75 mL) of the oil in thin steady stream. Stir in garlic.
Divide among four 4-oz (125 mL) airtight jars; top with remaining oil. (Make-ahead: Refrigerate for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 6 months.)





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