I do believe we will be the first in the area with summer squash, and I’m really excited about it!   I remember Mother’s Day this year covering our tender plants to protect them from frost.   We still lost a few, but have since replanted those, and the ones that made it are ready to go.   We also have a couple of other things growing up and ready for their trip to your table too.

We also have some beets coming to you, and I have a recipe for you to try using the beet tops too, so don’t throw them out, they are good and good for you.

Beet Greens Recipe

Makes 4 servings

2 bunches of beet tops

1 strip of bacon (optional)

1/4 cup of chopped onions

1 garlic clove minced

3/4 cup of water

1 T granulated sugar

1/4 t crushed red pepper flakes

3 T apple cider vinegar

Wash the greens in a sink filled with cold water. Drain greens and wash a second time. Drain greens and cut away any heavy stems. Cut leaves into bite-sized pieces. Set aside.

In a large skillet or 3-qt saucepan, cook bacon until lightly browned on medium heat (or heat 1 Tbsp of bacon fat). Add onions, cook over medium heat 5 to 7 minutes, stirring occassionally, until onions soften and start to brown. Stir in garlic. Add water to the hot pan, stirring to loosen any particles from bottom of pan. Stir in sugar and red pepper. Bring mixture to a boil.

Add the beet greens, gently toss in the onion mixture so the greens are well coated. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 5-15 minutes until the greens are tender. Stir in vinegar. (For kale or collard greens continue cooking additional 20 to 25 minutes or until desired tenderness.)

Beets Infused with Garlic and Olive Oil

4-6 medium beets, scrubbed clean, then covered with water and boiled on a stovetop or zapped in a microwave until a fork stuck in the middle slides in effortlessly. (I don’t skin my beets). Slice the beets thinly and cut each slice into quarters, then eighths.

In a small bowl, mix together:

1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

4-5 cloves of garlic, crushed, preferably with a garlic press, or minced really fine.

Juice of 1 lemon

Salt to taste

Pour the oil-garlic-lemon mixture over the beets and toss well.

Set aside for about half an hour for the flavors to infuse. Serve at room temperature.

Squash and Onions with Brown Sugar
serves 2

1 large yellow squash (or 2 medium)
2 small onions (or one medium)
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 1/2 tablespoons brown sugar

Slice the squash into 1/2-inch rounds, cutting large ones in half. You should end up with roughly 2 cups of cut squash. Cut the onions into similar-sized slices.

Add the butter to a wide sauce pan that has a lid and heat over medium heat. When the butter has melted, add the onions and cook until soft, about 4-5 minutes. Add squash, salt, pepper, and brown sugar. Stir, then cover and cook for about 20 minutes, until squash is very soft.

Remove the cover and continue to cook for about 8 minutes, just to give the juices a chance to evaporate slightly. There will be some liquid in the pan, but it should be thicker than water, almost like a glaze. Season with more salt and pepper, if needed, and serve immediately.

Here’s the line up for this week’s CSA shares-

1.   Peas- lots more than last week:)

2.   Beets

3.   Onions

4.   Radishes

5.    Salad blend lettuce

6.   Zucchini

7.   Mustard Greens

8.   Kale