A Farewell to Cucumbers
Like hypergiant stars, our cucumbers plants burn brightly but only for a relatively short period. The malevolent cucumber beetles, with their yellow and black stripes and insatiable appetites, always find the plants. If the beetles gluttony doesn't deal the plants a death blow, the disease they carry, bacterial wilt, does.
Next season we may experiment with a second cohort of cucumbers that would enter their productive stage a few weeks after the spring cucumbers stop producing. But as far as 2021 is concerned, our cucumbers are done.
Garlic in progress
Soon...
A tale of two salads
Here at the farm we experiment with more than just overplayed Dickens references. This weeks shares include two different kinds of salad mix.
The left mix are lighter cut leaves we direct seed into our garden beds. The right mix is composed of firmer lettuce that we seed indoors and transplant as heads into the field.
If you have a strong preference, or just enjoy both equally, you can let us know through the feedback link in the weekly CSA Members email.
Zucchini Lasagna
9 x 13 inch pan. Use glass for low stick, easy cleanup.
Ingredients
Zucchini - enough to slice lengthwise as noodles for 3 layers in pan
Yves ground round** (or ground beef) - 340 grams
Tomato or Pasta Sauce - 3 cups
Chopped Onion - 1 small onion
Chopped or Minced Garlic - to taste
Shredded Mozzarella Cheese - 1.5 cups
Grated Parmesan Cheese - 0.5 cups
Ricotta Cheese - 2 cups
Dried Oregano - 1 Tablespoon
Directions
Preheat oven to 375F. Bake in the lower part of the oven.
Sauce Preparation
Prepare zucchini - trimming off both ends, slice lengthwise 1/4 to 1/8 inch thickness.
In a skillet, saute the onion and garlic in a modest amount of oil. Once the onion has softened, add the ground round making sure to break apart to a crumble. (If using ground beef, cook it in advance and then add to onion)
When ground has heated through, add the tomato sauce and let simmer for a few minutes.
Lasagna Assembly
Lay zucchini strips to cover the bottom of the dish, slightly overlapping.
Evenly spread half of the sauce over the zucchini slices.
Distribute 1 cup of ricotta over the sauce and then 1/2 cup mozzarella.
Repeat with another zucchini layer, meat sauce layer, and mozzarella layer.
Cover with remaining zucchini slices.
Top with remaining 1/2 cup mozzarella and 1/2 cup parmesan.
Bake for about 45 minutes uncovered until the top is browned.
Let the lasagna rest for about 15 minutes to let it set and stop bubbling.
** We use the Ground Round because it is plant based and not greasy. Even the meat eaters in our family enjoy this dish!
This Week's Share
Head Lettuce
Salad Mixes
Zucchini
Carrots
Swiss Chard
Bunching Onions
Green Beans
Cherry Tomatoes
Food Bank Support
This season we've donated over 1,200 pounds of fresh produce to our local food banks through the Kawartha Lakes Food Source. Our donations are made possible by the support of our CSA members. Thanks so much!