2016 week 7

Returning from previous weeks:
Red Romaine
Carrots
Swiss Chard
Zucchini
Kirby pickles

New this week:
Spring Onion- This variety is called "candy". A nice sweet onion.
Cabbage - This varieties fitting name "Tender Sweet" lends itself to delicious slaw and stir fry.
Dill- Now is the time to make those refrigerator pickles!
Blueberries- I missed putting them in the picture.  But we are so excited to include blueberries from J&J Farms in Hammonton, NJ (the blueberry capitol of the world).  

2015 week 17

Cantaloupe are back after a painful hiatus.

New this week:

Plums from Circle M Farms in Mannington Twp.

2015 week 15!

Watermelon is here, and kale is back!

2015 week 14 -

New this week:

Cilantro!  Store in refrigerator with cut ends in a jar of water and leaves loosely covered with a plastic bag for several days.  Delicious in salsa!

Summer Crisp Lettuce - Lettuce in August is a new thing for us at Buzby Farm, we hope you enjoy these beautiful heads, much smaller than the spring heads, but so delicious!

Red Long Hots - We gave out long hots a couple weeks ago, these are from the same plant, the peppers just turned red from staying on the plant longer and having more time to ripen.  These would taste great in salsa!

2015 week 13

New this week poblano peppers, a hot pepper, that is great for roasting or stuffing!

2015 week 7

I don't know about you but for us the big news of the week is SCHOOLS OUT for summer!!!  Congratulations to the graduating class of 2015!  Let's celebrate with blueberries!

Returning from previous weeks:
Swiss Chard
Yellow Squash -lots of it! perfect time to make squash casserole!
Spring Onion

New this week!
Blueberries - we don't grow blueberries, but we get these direct from the grower J&J in Hammonton, NJ , "The Blueberry Capitol of the World"
Cabbage - This is a great variety that has tender leaves that are very sweet and crisp -  perfect form coleslaw or stir-fries.
Carrots! - Have you ever heard it said that carrots improve your vision? Well, that may not be entirely accurate. During World War II, the British government credited carrots with improving night vision which led to a sudden increase in Nazi bombers being successfully shot down at night. The real reason for the success was a secret new radar system. The carrot story offered the Nazis a plausible explanation and helped distract attention from the radar system. Thankfully, it is true that carrots are high in beta-carotene which may help reduce the risk of cataract and macular degeneration. Not bad! The photo shows rainbow carrots, but this week will actually be regular orange carrots and rainbow carrots will be coming next week.

2015 week 6

This week A.T. Buzby Farm was honored at the local FFA banquet for our support of FFA, its mission, and members.  FFA does a great job growing leaders for the agricultural industry and our communities.  We currently employ four current/past FFA state officers.  They are enthusiastic workers.  The future looks bright for New Jersey Agriculture.

Returning from previous weeks:
Romaine is back and looking so good!
Purple top turnips just the root.
Kirby pickles, probably their last week.

New this week:
Zucchini- such a versatile vegetable!  Our family's all time favorite recipe is Stuffed Zucchini, check it out here, it is THE best!
Yellow Squash- Saute it up with the onion in your share!
Spring Onion- The variety of onion we grew is called " CANDY". The perfect sweet onion.
Fennel-With the flavor of sweet anise, fennel is a great addition in soups, pasta, salads, and more.  To be honest fennel is completely new to me!  If you know and love fennel please reach out to me on Facebook or email and let me know your favorite way to prepare it.  I am planning to try this recipe later this week.

Grilled Veggies with Herb Vinaigrette!

I'm getting the grilled fired up and ready for the 4th of July. 

What's not to love about fresh veggies cooked with the heat of the grill! And it keeps my kitchen cool on hot days.

Here is what I am grilling today. Zucchini, Yellow Squash, and Eggplant.  

But peppers, onions, and mushrooms  are excellent candidates for grilling.

Let's prep the veggies.

Cut the eggplant in to thick slices. I like to cut the veggies lengthwise.  Then I have less to handle and they don't fall through the grill grates as easy. 

Same with the zucchini and yellow squash.

Aren't they so pretty?

Put about a 1/4 cup of olive oil in a bowl and brush over both sides of vegetables lightly with the oil.

Sprinkle both sides with kosher salt and freshly cracked pepper.

These babies are ready for the grill.

Start with a clean grill on medium-high heat.  To prep the grill I like to put some olive oil on the grates.  Fold up a paper towel and dip it in the olive oil.

Rub the paper towel on the grates. This leaves a nice thin coat of oil on the grill and prevents the veggies from sticking.

On go the veggies.  Squash and eggplant usually take 8-10 minutes on the grill. Peppers take a little longer like 10-12 minutes.

But you really have to watch because it all depend on your grill and how thick your veggies are.  

LOVE the pretty grill marks!

 You just might live in Salem County if you turn around from the grill and see this going down the road.  That is one crazy big planter.

Back to the grill.

It took me a couple batches to get all the veggies cooked on the grill, but its okay.  The vegetables can be served warm or at room temperature.  

I really didn't want crunchy vegetables. So be conscious of how stiff the veggies feel when you pick them up.  

The challenge is grilling them to just the right point--gently charred on the outside and tender within, not pale and crunchy or blackened and mushy.

Now to take these veggies to the next level: THE SAUCE

For the dressing: 2 Tablespoons of olive oil.

3 Tablespoons of red wine vinegar, or balsamic vinegar.  What ever you fancy.

Add 2 cloves of garlic minced.

Grab some fresh basil and parsley

Add the chopped herbs.  Whisk together adding salt and pepper to taste.

Drizzle dressing over platter of veggies. Serve warm or room temperature.

Since I already had the grill warmed up, I threw a steak on for a perfect supper!

Yum Yum Yum.

Fixin' to make some Squash Casserole for Ya'll.

Pour yourself a nice big glass of sweet iced tea and join me on the porch swing while we chat about yellow squash.

Just kiddin'.

But I do think on Yellow Squash Casserole as being "southern food." And with cheese and bacon you can't go wrong.

Lets Git-R-Done.

 Cut up some yellow squash.

Put your cut up squash in a saucepan add just enough water to cover. Bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 10 minutes or until squash is tender.

Drain your squashes.

Then mash 'em.

In a skillet cook 4 slices of bacon.

I cut my bacon slices in half before I put them in the pan.  They fit better in my pan and are easier to handle.

Drain cooked bacon on paper towels.

Mince an onion.  You need about 1 cup of minced onion.  I used half of a big onion.

This is drugs.  This is your brain on drugs.  Any questions?

 Hold up.  Are we in the 80s?  Tell me I'm not the only one that thinks of that commercial every time I hear butter sizzling in a pan.

Back to 2012 and squash casserole.  Add 2 tablespoons of butter to a skillet.

Add the minced onion and saute in butter until tender.

You will need 18 crackers.  I used Ritz, but use what ever you have on hand.

Take 12 crackers and smoosh them into crumbs.  Add to the sauted onions.

Shred up a nice pile of sharp cheddar cheese.

Beat 2 eggs.

Now combine: in this pan we have the sauted onions, smooshed crackers, drained and smashed squash, cheddar cheese, crumbled bacon, beaten eggs and a little salt and pepper.

Stir it up.

Pour the mixture into a small casserole dish.  Smoosh the remaining 6 crackers on top.

Bake at 350 for 45 minutes.

I guess a real southerner would add pimientos or paprika, but I like it without those extras.

Yellow Squash Casserole

2 pounds yellow squash sliced, about 3-4 

1 cup minced onion

2 tablespoons butter

18 Ritz crackers, divided

1 1/2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese

2 eggs, beaten

4 slices of bacon, cooked and crumbled

salt and pepper

Combine squash and water to cover in a saucepan; bring to a boil.  Cover, reduce heat, and simmer for 10 minutes or until squash is tender. Drain well, and mash.

Saute onion in butter until tender.  Combine onion, squash, cracker crumbs from 12 crackers, cheese, eggs, and bacon.  Pour into a small casserole dish.  Sprinkle with remaining crackers crumbs.  Bake 350 for 45 minutes.

Happy Cooking Ya'll

Martie

CSA Share 2012: week 7

 Starting at top right and continuing clockwise.  Sweet Corn, beets, yellow squash, zucchini, string beans, carrots. 

I wish you all could have been there when Gail, Angie and I were pulling carrots this morning.  Pulling these beautiful carrots up from the earth could only be followed by great squeals of delight.  We were like giddy school girls, so excited with our harvest.

Beets!  I love them roasted.  Check out this recipe for Roasted Beets with Balsamic Glaze. It's my favorite beet recipe...... the orange, with the balsamic, and the beet. Ummmm, yeah, amazing.  And don't throw away the tops, you can cook the the beet greens just like you would, collards or kale. 

I would like to proudly announce the arrival of SWEET CORN to the CSA share this week.  Nothing tastes like summer like some corn!

We grow about 90 acres of corn every year.  It is all hand picked by an elite crew of specially trained guys.   Here at A.T. Buzby Farm, we are sweet corn snobs.  The lengths that we've gone to for this corn are remarkable. The corn that you are getting this week was started in the greenhouse and transplanted to the field, then covered with a mini-greenhouse. check it out here. It has been cultivated, irrigated and cared for. We harvest it at just the right time, when the flavor is at it's best and we harvest first thing in the morning, when the corn is the most turgid (crisp) and cool.  So I have some specific directions for you so that this extra special corn is cared for properly.

For the best flavor eat your corn as soon as possible.  I mean the same day you pick up.  If you can.

Although, if you can't eat your corn that night leave the husk on and store it in your refrigerator.  Refrigeration really helps to slow down the loss of the corns sweetness.  We have had many customers tell us that they leave their unshucked corn in the fridge for up to 7 days and it still tastes great!

To prepare your corn, husk and wash the corn.  Bring a big pot of water to boil.  Toss the ears in, cook for about 5 minutes.

What I normally end up doing is tossing the ears in the boiling water, bring it back to a boil, and then shutting the burner off.  Then I just let the corn sit in the water until we are ready to eat.  This works well for me because, I don't always know when Eric will come in for dinner.  This way the corn stays warm until I need it.

Corn is going to be a regular in the share for july and august.  If you ever have a week when you can't eat all the corn or it just isn't fitting into your meal plan. Freeze it!  It is so easy. Just cut the corn off the cob, stick it in a freezer bag, and toss it in the freezer. Done! If you're feeling extra ambitious, you can date the bag. Once you get used to eating this frozen corn, you will be ruined for all other frozen corn.

CSA Share week 6, 2012

Week six brings blueberries and string beans, along with romaine, zucchini, yellow squash, and pickles!!!  The blueberries are from "The Blueberry Capital of the World", Hammonton, NJ.  Everything else is straight from our farm.  I've got 2 fantastic recipes coming your way to help with the abundant squash harvest. 

We are busy bees at the farm. Today we planted the 2nd field of watermelon, planted more corn, pulled weeds in the peppers and onions, laid plastic for the 4th tomato field, picked, packed and shipped 400 bushels of pickles, and seeded the pumpkins.