You Joined a CSA...Now What?

Just yesterday a friend of ours asked, "What are you doing with your CSA [Community Supported Agriculture] squashes? I have an abundance of summer squashes, and I'm out of ideas about what to do with them."

Every Thursday when we pick up our First Light Farm CSA pack, we discover veggies we've never used before (like garlic scapes), or familiar ones we’ve never used that MUCH of before, and it's like a creative puzzle figuring out what we'll do with them that week!

Summer squashes (yellow, zucchini, etc) are coming into season, and CSA packs are full of them! Following are some of our favorite squash recipes to help you use up every last veggie morsel in your pack:

SUMMER SQUASH SOUP
2 T olive oil
2 carrots
2 stalks celery
1 small onion
1 garlic scape (or clove of garlic)
4 C summer squashes (yellow, zucchini, etc)
¼ t cayenne pepper
2 ½ t paprika
2 C almond milk (1 part almonds to 3 parts water, blended, strained)
Water – if needed
S&P to taste

Cook all ingredients in a large pot or crock pot. Pulse a couple of times in a blender, leaving it “chunky”. Serve hot OR cold! Freezes well.

ZUCCHINI PESTO “PASTA”
2 medium zucchini, spiral sliced

1 avocado
3 C fresh basil
½ C pine nuts
½ C olive oil
Juice from 1 lemon
S&P to taste

Process pesto ingredients in a food processor until creamy. Coat zucchini “pasta” in pesto. Serve as a side, on top of salad, or as the main event! Pesto will keep for up to one week in the fridge, or one month in the freezer.

GLUTEN-FREE ZUCCHINI BREAD
3 C King Arthur gluten-free flour
2 C granulated coconut crystals (or brown sugar)
2 t baking soda
1 t baking powder
1 t Celtic salt
3 t cinnamon (or one each of cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice)
15 ounces of zucchini, pureed
1 C coconut oil
1/3 C maple syrup (or coconut nectar)
1/3 C water (if needed)
1 C raw walnuts (optional)

Pre-heat oven to 325 degrees F for convection ovens, 350 for conventional ovens. Grease and flour 2 loaf pans. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, salt and spices. In a separate bowl whisk together zucchini puree, oil, maple syrup and water. Add wet ingredients to the dry and use a spatula to fold all ingredients together. Fold in the walnuts. Divide between the two loaf pans. Bake for 1 hour. Test at 45 minutes with a toothpick.

Hint: if you’re ever wondering what’s in your CSA “basket” or what to do with it, ask! Often the farm will include a list of what is in the pack each week along with sample recipes. You’re also welcome to visit us at Each Peach Cafe and ask us what we’re doing with our CSA veggies that week!

Lori and Augusta

PS. Our CSA pick-up is every Thursday… Be the first to taste our new CSA creations on Fridays... Last week the big hit was our vegan gluten-free Broccoli “Cheddar” soup!