summer CSA, week 11

[cellio]

• 1 giant leek
• 4 ears sweet corn
• 1 cantaloupe
• small bunch parsley
• cup or so of blueberries
• 6 peaches
• 2 small delicata squash
• 2 heirloom tomatoes

(Small share got: corn, cherry tomatoes, blueberries, delicata squash, beans, and peaches.)

The manifest said "white or yellow peaches"; some of these look a little different on the outside than others, so I wonder if I got some of each. I'll know more when I cut or bite into them. :-)

When I saw both parsley and tomatoes on the list I though of tabbouleh, which they also suggested, and put bulgur wheat on the shopping list. This doesn't seem like enough parsley for that; I mean, yes, I could make a very small bowl of tabbouleh, or buy more parsley, but perhaps I'll use it in something else instead -- or maybe a tabbouleh-inspired salad with parsley, tomato, crumbled feta, cucumber, and a suitable dressing. (I have all that already.)

We haven't had fresh corn yet this season, so that will be a treat.

I've seen a few recipes using squash in things like curries or parmesan-crusted treatments, and none of them say to peel it first. Some have pictures that clearly show the peel present. Is the peel on this type of squash edible? It's not on butternut or spaghetti squash, but those are bigger.

I also got a few things on the side, which started because they were offering "seconds" of those delicious little watermelons from last time at a good price. (Then it was a matter of making the minimum order.) So I also have a pair of those, a bag of banana peppers (which I will stuff with something, not sure what yet), a bag of mixed carrots, and a bag of shallots.

Comments

[hlinspjalda]

This is the most enticing week yet! So many of my favorites in this photo.

I'd definitely peel that and any winter squash that you're not roasting to serve in its skin. Summer squashes are tender and don't need to be peeled, but winter squash has a very thick peel that's unpleasant to eat.

[cellio]

This is a very nice haul, yes! And I didn't expect to get "fall" squash this early. (I really like the fall varieties.)

Dani observed that this one is 50% fruit by category, though he admits that he's invoking a technicality for the tomatoes. By being biweekly we missed out on both strawberries and cherries, so I'm glad to have peaches and melons now.

[magid]

There are definitely people who say that delicata squash skin is edible. I'm not particularly convince for myself, but have seen others eat it. (Too much brain confusion for me to do this.)

I'm envious of your corn. My go-to thing to do with farm share corn is to cut it off the cob and put it in salad with tomatoes, maybe some lime juice and mayo. (Last year I got a lot of ears of corn and never boiled one of them). It does take the time to cut the kernels off the cob, but it's not *that* much work....

[cellio]

I usually roast ears of corn with either butter or olive oil. I haven't actually tried cutting the kernels off the cob; what's the best technique for that? Sweep down from the thick end with a knife, getting a few lines at a time?

[magid]

What's worked for me is putting a shucked ear flat(ish) on the cutting board, then making a single cut through 3-5 rows of corn, then rotating the ear to the now-flat part, cutting again, all the way around. At the end, I cut any kernels I missed at the end, then hold the cob vertically to scrape out the bits that are still left.

If you're truly dedicated & have lots of ears, after doing that you could boil them for the basis of a corn stock....

[cellio]

Thanks!

[damont]

Yum...