CSA Week 4

Hello, Misfit Members! Happy Thursday! Here's what's ripe this week:

-Kale: Red Russian, Toscano, Curly

-Broccoli

-Cauliflower

-Squash: Yellow Crookneck, Zucchini, Patty Pan, Zucchino

-Cabbage

-Green tomatoes

-Green Chili peppers

-Red Onions

-Cucumbers

This week we have started to see the summer cops really starting to come on, and the spring crops are starting to wind down. I've had more squash and zucchini than I know what to do with this week! The melon vines are really growing and I'm already starting to see blooms. Our first sweet corn crop is a couple feet tall, we have green tomatoes everywhere, and I see tiny starts of green beans and peas on the vines!

If you received a zucchino in your basket this week, they cook up and taste just the same as a zucchini or a yellow squash. Just a different shape!

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Stuffed Patty Pan Squash

Ingredients:

• 4-5 pattypan squash

• 6 slices of bacon

• 1/2 cup diced onion

• 1 1/2 cups soft bread crumbs

• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

• salt & pepper to taste

• any other herbs of your choice

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350.

2. Bring about an inch of water to a boil in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Add squash, cover, and cook for 10 minutes, or until a fork can pierce it with little resistance. Drain, and slice off the top stem of the squash. Use a melon baller to carefully scoop out the center of the squash, reserving the innards for later.

3. Cook bacon in a skillet over medium high heat. Place on paper towels, and set aside. Saute onion in bacon drippings. Chop the reserved squash pieces, and add them to the pan to saute for about a minute.

4. Remove the skillet from heat, and stir in the breadcrumbs. Crumble the bacon, and stir into the stuffing along with the Parm. Season to taste with salt and pepper & any other herbs desired. Stuff each squash to overflowing with the mixture, and place them in a baking dish. Cover loosely with aluminum foil.

5. Bake for 15 minutes in the preheated oven, or until squash are heated through.

* In the last 5 minutes, I like to add extra Parm to the top so it forms a crust, but that's optional!

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Well, we had a near tragedy at the farm this week. Miss Marie, my 14 year old goose, didn't go up before the automatic door went down last Thursday night. When that happens, Luna the guard dog usually sleeps outdoors to guard any bird that didn't make it inside. For whatever reason, she must not have heard the door go down to do her usual evening rounds. Something got into the pen and got ahold of poor Marie, and Luna didn't intervene until she heard the ruckus outside. We think it was probably a coyote or maybe a raccoon, but whatever it was got her pretty good. After I found her the next day and doctored her wounds, I realized that her right wing was so severely injured there probably wasn't any saving it. I took her to the vet who gave her pain meds and an antibiotic, and then amputated her wing a couple days later. So now Marie is a one-winged goose, which looks little funny, but she's pulled through, thanks to Dr. Sloan at Henry County Animal Clinic. She's even getting her attitude back!

She's on kennel rest in the makeshift infirmary I've made for her in my packing shed until her stitches come out and she's fully healed. I've been bringing her boyfriend Thomas in to see her so he's not worried about her. She's wearing an inverted dog cone collar to keep her from ripping out her stitches, but she's managed to get it off several times already. Thankfully she's leaving them alone but if she starts picking at them I'll have to get creative. Wish me luck for the next 2 weeks of giving her meds- I don't know if anyone out there has ever tried to give pills to a bird that has a bite force strong enough to cause instant bruises, but it's been quite the experience!!

That's all for this week- Have a great week and don't forget to wash your produce!