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).  

2016 week 6

New this week!
Cauliflower- always good roasted, but my new favorite way to eat cauliflower is riced.  Pulse the cauliflower in your food processor or grate with a box grater. Here is a recipe for "10 Minute Cauliflower Rice"
Carrots- Beautiful root crop enjoy raw or cooked
Basil- The smell of summer.

Here is a perfect recipe to make this week.  Carrot Top Pesto!

2016 week 5

New this week:

Kirby pickles - you can use these just like cucumbers, but they are especially great for pickling. Here is a link to a great refrigerator pickle.

Sugar Snap Peas are so delicious eaten raw. Or added to a stir fry. The snap peas are a pick-your-own crop for those picking up at the farm.  Come ready to take a 100 yard walk to the field and spend a little time picking.

Zucchini is such a versatile vegetable!  Our family's all time favorite recipe is Stuffed Zucchini, check it out here, it is THE best!  What will you make with yours? zucchini bread, zucchini "crab" cakes", minestrone with zucchini, grill it, roast it!

Kohlrabi, swiss chard, garlic scapes are back and looking good. We are squeezing another week out of the strawberry patch. Yay!


Saturday was a beautiful day for a farm tour and pick your own strawberries.  Thank you to all who came and helped make it a great day.  If you missed it we are sorry, and hope you can make it next year!

Some of you requested the cake recipe. . .

Kentucky Butter Cake (actually there is no butter in this recipe. . . it's all margarine)

3 cups flour
2 cups sugar
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 cup buttermilk
1 cup margarine, softened
2 tsp. vanilla
4 eggs
Heat oven 325F.  Grease and flour two loaf pans.  Mix  all ingredients until moist.  Beat 3 minutes at medium speed.  Pour into 2 pans evenly.  Bake 60-70 minutes or until cake tester comes out clean.  When the cake comes out of the oven poke a bunch of holes in the cake with a wooden skewer. Pour glaze slowly over cakes.  Let the cake cool completely before taking out of pans.


Glaze: 
In a small saucepan melt :
3/4 cup sugar
1/3 cup margarine
3 Tablespoons water
Take off the heat and add 1 1/2 tsp. vanilla.

2015 week 19

And just like that the 90 degree temps of last week are but a fading memory and it feels like FALL! The CSA share is representing fall with squash!

New this week:

Red October Pumpkin- A winter squash with thick skin and delicious flesh good for purees and pies. Have you ever cooked a pumpkin before, it really is not that difficult and the results are so delicious!

4 Easy steps to cooking a pumpkin:

1. 1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F .
   2. Cut pumpkin into small manageable pieces and scoop out seeds.
   3. Place cut pumpkin skin side up or down (I have done it both ways) in a large roasting pan. Cook until very tender 40-50 minutes depending on size.
   4. When cooled, peel away skin and mash with a fork or puree in food processor. You can use it right away or put it in freezer bags for the future.  
2. 
   

Butternut squash- is a winter squash very similar to pumpkins. Butternut squash is wonderful roasted, pureed in soup, or mashed to mix into casseroles, bread, or muffins.  Here is a link to my favorite butternut squash soup, Oh So Good! I tailor the recipe to suit me by -- only using butternut (no acorn squash, I like butternut flavor better) and I don't normally make the fancy toast to go with, crackers work in this house.

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 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.

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.

THE BEST STUFFED ZUCCHINI EVER

Hi. I love this food.

If you have been hanging around the CSA for a while, you have seen this recipe.  I give it out every year,  but this time with pictures.

Take 3 zucchini and cut the top and bottom off.  This recipe works best with medium to large zucchini.

Then cut in half length wise.

Now you have your 6 halves ready to get in the hot tub. 

Bring a big pot of water to a rolling boil. Add the zucchini halves and let boil for about 10 minutes. 

Kinda keep your eye on them.  You need them cooked enough so you can scoop the insides out, but you don't want them too soft or they'll break.

Meanwhile, chop a small onion and a clove of garlic. 


Take a pound of Italian sausage out of its casing and start cooking in a skillet.
(Not pictured, because raw meat didn't look so appetizing in the picture)

After about 5 minutes, add the onion and garlic. Continue to cook until sausage is cooked through.

The zucchini is ready to come out of the boiling water. 

This part can be tricky, those zucs are slippery when wet!

***I serve stuffed zucchini with pasta(rigatoni or rotini) and sauce, so after the zucs come out of the pot I use the same water to cook the pasta.  Just make sure it comes back to a boil before putting the pasta in.
Let the zucchini cool a bit. Then scoop out the guts. Save the guts in a bowl.

Now you have your zucchini boat.  Fancy, Right?!?!

 Place the boats in your baking dish.

Now mash the guts of the zucchini.

Drain the mashed guts. They are very watery.

Add the drained, mashed guts to the skillet.

Next add Italian bread crumbs

About 1/3 cup of them.

Now your stuffing is ready!

Spoon the stuffing into the zucchini boats.

Shake on some Parmesan. I know.... shaker cheese is not real Parmesan. If you have the real stuff, go for it.

Sprinkle some mozzerella on top.  

Bake at 350 for 30 minutes. Enjoy.

Now stop yourself from eating the whole pan before your family gets to the table.

**Mom, if you are reading this, sorry, that is your towel. I guess, I forgot to return it.  But doesn't look really nice next to the stuffed zucchini?

Stuffed Zucchini

3 medium-large zucchini halved lengthwise

1 lb. Italian sausage

1 small onion, chopped

1 clove garlic crushed

1/3 cups bread crumbs

1/4 cup parmesan

1 cup shredded mozzarella

Cook zucchini in boiling salted water for 10 minutes. Drain, then scoop out insides leaving 1/4 inch shell.  Mash insides, drain well.  Put boats in shallow baking dish.

Remove sausage from casing, brown for 5 minutes.  Add garlic and onion and saute until meat is cooked through and onions are tender.  Stir in mashed zucchini and bread crumbs.  Spoon into boats.  Sprinkle with cheese.  Bake 350 for 30 minutes.

Zucchini is so versatile. The possibilities are endless.  But if your brain is fried and you can't come up with what to do with your squash check out Kalyn's Kitchen . She has 20 zucchini recipes at the ready.

What is your favorite way to use zucchini?