For a paste that adds the essence of the summertime in the Mediterranean to any dish, try this easy flavor spike. 

In a mortar and pestle, or in a blender, mash together 3 Tablespoons dried organic lavender buds, 3 fresh garlic cloves, 1 piece of candied ginger and 1 2inch cinnamon stick. Use fresh or freeze in an ice cube tray. 

Uses as a flavor hit for stir-fried vegetables, mashed or puréed vegetables and rice, pasta or whole grain dishes.

If you came to our garlic braiding class we had a sample of this on a dish of oven baked carrots drizzled with butter.

This grown-up take on childhood treat would make a perfect party starter!

note: (Ancho chili powder, spicy and smoky can be found on the supermarket spice shelf )

In a small bowl, combine 1/4 cup of dried currants and 2 Tablespoons of Scotch Whiskey and let stand for 30 minutes, or until the currants have softened and absorbed the Scotch. in the mean time in another small bowl, with an electric mixer, beat 1 log (4 ounces) of soft goat cheese until smooth. Beat in 2 Tablespoons of mango chutney (finely chopped), 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard, 1/2 teaspoon ancho chile powder, and 1/4 teaspoon of kosher salt.

Fit a pastry bag with a decorative tip and fill with the cheese mixture ,pipe the cheese mixture into 3 inch lengths of celery and sprinkle with currants and 1/4 cup of toasted, coarsely chopped pecans, pressing to adhere.

 The staples of summer produce!  This week we have golden plums, Chinese apricots, tomatoes, basil, greens, cucumber, garlic, summer squash, celery and mingle of another veggie.

Looks like the girls added ~ ONE bagel peach!  okay, so that is only a tiny taste, but they couldn’t wait till we had a bunch of ripe peaches.  These little treats will be found in your baskets next week.  They are very tender and sweet.  You will love them!

Throughout the summer months we will do our best to give you greens of one kind or another.  these are great in stir fries, green smoothies or chopped in salads.  Basil is also great added to green smoothies and we should seeing this in the baskets every few weeks.

 It’s hot out there!  Keep hydrated and eat lots of fruit!  We are over loaded again this week. This week you will find apricots, 3 or 4 different varieties, pluots, golden plums, a few white peaches (some need a little time on the counter to fully ripen) and some type of berry for your fruit fair fancy.  Veggies will include a red onion, garlic, beets OR white turnips, dill head and carrots. Greens this week will be kale. While summer crops are just starting to come on we will have a mix of other veggies as well. We also have some extra Napa cabbage.  If you get a “green” tomato in your basket, rest assured we weren’t just over eager to pick, they are RIPE!  These are heirloom tomatoes and come in many shades as you’ll find out over the summer season.

Look for a few extras this week in our box. We had a few zucchini get away from us and got a bit large, but you can stuff them, make zucchini bread or dry them into veggie chips.  Also we have a small box (7 lbs) of very ripe apricots.  These are great for making cobbler, fruit leather or freezing for smoothies, but need to be used up quickly. Napa cabbage and scallions as well will be in the mix.  A few bug holes, so they are ugly, but still very good to stir fry or chop up in salads. Take one extra item only please so others can benefit as well.

It has begun!  Summer shares start today with plenty of sweetness.  Pluots, Apricots and berries!  The pluots are green on the outside and red on the inside.  They will keep on the counter for a few days and will keep up to two weeks in the frig. Rinse your berries, dry and store in the refrigerator as well, or better yet, eat them up quickly!  We are just in the beginning stages of apricots, so get out your recipe books and find some new ideas to use them up.  Of course you will find garlic in your basket.  It is garlic season and it’s so good for you.  Herbs this week are fennel and dill.  If herbs aren’t used during the week you can dry them in a food dehydrator or even in a very low temp oven to save for later in the season.  Our tomatoes are just starting to ripen, along with summer squash and a few of these will be in your share as well, along with greens and other veggies in season. We are adding a small amount of lettuce this week and then it will come to an end until later fall.  As the season goes, you will be finding heirloom tomatoes, squash and peppers of different colors.  If you are into adventurous cooking and want to increase your cookbook library, we suggest and love…love…love the book called “Plenty” by Yotam Ottolenghi.  EVERYTHING we have tried in this book has been excellent.  I think it will open up a new way of cooking for you!

Look for the pretty!  The onion scape is not only pretty, but very flavorful in salads, pastas or as a finishing touch for roasted veggies.  Just cut the flower tops off and sprinkle away.

Toss Onion Scapes on top of Salads!

We will be adding some recipes this week to inspire your taste buds that you will be able to use throughout the summer season.

See you all later today between 4 pm and 7 pm!