Marinated Zucchini and Yellow Squash Salad

Green Zucchini

Gadzukes! It’s time for zukes!

1/2 cup cider vinegar
4 tsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. salt, divided
3 zucchini (about 1 ½ lbs.)
2 yellow squash (about 3/4 lb.)
1 garlic clove, peeled
1/2 cup packed fresh basil leaves
1 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
1 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
3 oz. mozzarella cheese, cut into 1/4-inch cubes

Combine vinegar, sugar, and 1/4 teaspoon salt until sugar dissolves. Trim ends of zucchini and squash; cut into thin ribbons with harp-shaped peeler. Add to vinegar mixture. Cover and chill 2 hours or overnight.

Bring a small pan of water to a boil; add garlic. Remove with a slotted spoon after 1 minute. Rinse under cold water; set aside. Add basil to boiling water; immediately remove and rinse under cold water. Reserve 1 tablespoon of cooking liquid. Transfer garlic and basil to a food processor, and add lemon juice, olive oil, reserved water, and the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt. Process until smooth.

Drain squash, and divide among 4 plates. Top with cubed mozzarella, and drizzle with basil oil.

We thank Health.com for this recipe.

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Raw Cucumber Tomato Salad

cucumber slices

Are you as cool as this?

2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
1 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup coarsely chopped flat-leaf parsley leaves
1 Tbsp. dill
3 green onions, thinly sliced
2 cups coarsely chopped or sliced cucumber
½ cup cherry tomatoes (sliced in half)
2 Tbsp. pine nuts or walnuts, toasted

Combine first 4 ingredients in a medium bowl, stirring with a whisk. Add parsley, dill, onions, cucumber, and tomatoes; toss gently. Sprinkle with nuts. Enjoy!

Original recipe by Virginia Newman

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Raw Beet Salad with Creamy Dill Dressing

These bullsblood beets combine a sweet, red root with intensely deep-maroon leaves and vibrant, merlot-colored stems.

It’s easy to make a fresh crunchy salad with a lot of flavor!

1 lb. beets
1 minced shallot
2 tsp. Dijon mustard
¼ cup sour cream
Lemon juice to taste
Chopped dill

Grate the beets. Combine shallot, Dijon mustard, sour cream, lemon juice and dill in bowl and whisk together with a fork until smooth. Combine with beets. Chill in the fridge for about a half hour to blend the flavors. Use leftover dill to garnish the salad.

Recipe adapted from cooking.nytimes.com.

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Tomato & Carrot Salad

This is an easy-to-prepare fresh salad that combines what Nash’s carrots and a favorite summer fruit, tomatoes, for a deliciously satisfying summer salad. No cooking required!

Carrots bunched

They’re BAAAACK! It’s CARROT TIME!

3 cups mixed ripe large or cherry tomatoes
3 medium carrots, peeled and finely shredded or grated
1 bunch spring onions, trimmed and finely chopped
1 red chili, deseeded and finely chopped
¼ cup pumpkin seed
3 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
2 Tbsp. Balsamic vinegar

Chop the large tomatoes and halve the cherry ones into a large serving bowl. Add the carrots, spring onions, chili and pumpkin seeds, and toss together.

Mix the extra virgin olive oil with the balsamic, a pinch of salt and a good grinding of black pepper. Pour over the veggie mixture and toss together.

Recipe adapted from bbcgoodfood.com.

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Quick and Easy Chard Sauté

rainbow chardSeparate the stems of one bunch chard from the leaves. Cut the leaves into thin strips and set aside. Thinly slice the stems.

Heat 2 Tbsp. olive oil in a large skillet or pot over medium heat. Stir in 2 cloves sliced garlic, a pinch red pepper flakes, and chard stems, and cook for 3 minutes until the flavor of the garlic mellows and the stems begin to soften. Stir in the shredded chard leaves, cover, and cook 5 minutes over medium-low heat. Stir, recover, and continue cooking until the chard is tender. Toss with 1 tsp. lemon juice to serve.

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Kia’s One Pot Buttery Beets & Pasta

After a day of summer camp and sprinklers, my kids needed some nutritious refueling. I had some fresh beets with greens on hand, which inspired this quick, one pot dish for dinner. Colorful beets are high in phytonutrient pigments, and rich in antioxidants. They’re also high in folate and a B vitamin important for a healthy heart and for normal tissue growth. Hooray for beets!

2-4 beets with greens
6-8 ounces pasta
Baby dill (or cilantro or basil)
Butter

Prep your veggies
Scrub beets clean, then chop into 1/2 inch slices (no need to peel!).

Rinse the beet greens and thinly slice them, stems and all.

Mince up a few big pinches of baby dill, or more if desired.

Cook everything in one pot
Get a medium pot of water boiling, and add the beets.

After 3-5 minutes, add the pasta to the beets, and note cooking time (my spaghetti package said 3-4 minutes). After 2 minutes, add the beet greens and dill. Stir pot occasionally.

When pasta has cooked, pour the whole pot through a fine meshed strainer so you don’t loose the greens and herbs. Transfer the pasta and veggies back into your cooking pot, but remove from heat.

Add two or three tablespoons of butter, more the better! Stir everything together and season with salt and pepper. You can also add cheese if desired, but we skipped it and the kids still devoured their dinner. Sweet, nutritious beets for the win!

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Sweet Cherry Feta Quinoa

We have been partnering with PDQ Farm in Zillah, WA, for over 10 years, and this is another example of how our Store supports Washington State organic farmers and their high-quality products. We picked up their beautiful Bing cherries on Wednesday, so they are fresh and delicious.

1 cup uncooked quinoa
1/2 cup peach or apricot jam
1/4 cup white wine or apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 tsp. Dijon mustard
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
2 Tbsp. water
1/2 cup fresh cherries, pitted, quartered
1 cup shucked fava beans, outer membrane removed, and steamed to al dente
1 celery stalk, chopped
1/4 cup red onion, finely chopped
1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
1/4 cup fresh mint, chopped
1/3 cup feta cheese, crumbled
1/4 cup sliced or slivered almonds, toasted

For the dressing, place the jam, vinegar, olive oil, Dijon, salt, and water in a small jar. Screw on the lid and shake until thoroughly blended and emulsified.

Rinse the quinoa and drain well. Bring 1 1/4 cups water and the quinoa to a boil in a large pot, cover, and then reduce to a simmer. Cook 10-12 minutes or until all the water is absorbed and the quinoa is just tender but still a little firm. Once cooked, remove from heat and let stand, covered, for 5 minutes. Fluff with fork, and then drizzle about 1/2 of the vinaigrette over the quinoa and toss to coat. Allow to cool.

Add the cherries, favas, celery, onion, herbs, and feta to the quinoa. Toss to combine and refrigerate until ready to serve. Before serving, sprinkle with toasted almonds and drizzle with additional vinaigrette.

We thank fountainavenuekitchen.com for this delicious recipe.

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Bre’s Basic Scones

Bre is one of the farm’s unofficial Makers of Snacks. She spoils us with tasty treats! In addition to occasionally baking for us, she also works on our Harvest Crew and at farmer’s markets.

Bre has picked up a few baking tips over the years. “Try to have all your ingredients the same temperature before you mix them. Get a good sifter to thoroughly mix your dry ingredients. Keep that journal, because if you make a slight change that works well, you want to remember it!”

2 cups flour (can be different kinds)
2 Tbsp. sugar
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 cup chilled and cubed butter
3/4 cup buttermilk
1 egg, separated

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Next, prepare your floured surface for shaping the dough.

(Option if you don’t have buttermilk: Prepare “buttermilk” by combining 1 cup milk and 1 tablespoon lemon juice in a bowl. Let stand 5-10 minutes and measure 3/4 cup liquid from the bowl.)

Combine the dry ingredients in a large bowl or a food processor. Either cut in the cold butter with a pastry cutter or pulse in a food processor until a sandy texture is reached. (Larger butter chunks will lead to flakier scones)

Whisk egg yolk and buttermilk together. Then combine with dry ingredients with a wooden spoon until a dough forms. If it feels too wet or sticky add a small handful of flour and mix until just combined. Trust your instinct!

Pour dough onto a floured surface and shape into a 7 inch disc. (Optional: knead in dried fruit, chocolate chips, raisins, nuts, etc.) Then cut into 8 equal wedges.

Place on your baking sheet and brush on reserved egg white. For softer scones, place touching each other in a tight circle. Bake 25-29 minutes or until barely brown on the edges. Place the sheet on a rack to cool for 10 minutes.

Once cooled, feel free to add a powdered sugar drizzle (see below) or top with preserves.

Powdered Sugar Drizzle (Optional)
1 cup powdered sugar
2 Tbsp. water or milk
1 Tbsp. vanilla.

Combine all drizzle ingredients in a small bowl, adjusting quantities to your desired consistency or top with preserves

Bre’s Baking Tips

Breanna (Bre) Krumpe came to work for Nash’s several years ago and has become one of our most valued employees. She works with the harvest and packing crews, and is also a solid marketeer, anchoring our Seattle markets several times a month. In addition to being a talented musician, she enjoys baking and has been experimenting with different types of flour from Nash’s Farm..

She started her baking “career” while working in a corporate office in Portland.She felt that the atmosphere was too sterile and cold, so she boosted morale and built friendlier relations with her co-workers by baking something for each person’s birthday. “I’m good with spices and flavors, and I like to experiment,” Bre says. “I’ve gotten to the point where flavors are usually good, so now I’m playing with textures.”

Once on the farm, Bre realized she had access to lots of different kinds of grains and flours. She began trying the different kinds, keeping a journal of her recipes and how things turned out when she changed one flour for another. “I bake lots of scones because they are pretty easy and the taste of the flour doesn’t have to compete with other flavors, so you can really compare flavors and textures.”

  • Her favorite of Nash’s flours, so far, is the triticale. “I love the nutty flavor for cookies an brownies.”
  • Nash’s soft white wheat flour is more delicate. “It puffs up more, so my scones are more like cake.”
  • The hard red is more grainy and rustic, good for bread. “It’s so ‘alive.’ I use it for sourdough bread, and each loaf is unique.”
  • She’s just started playing with barley flour. “It makes a fluffier scone than triticale, and has an earthier flavor, but it crumbles a little. I may have to add more oil or moisture.”
  • Combining flours makes for even more interesting flavors. “Buckwheat is almost sweet, so I combine buckwheat and triticale for great taste and texture.”

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Fava Bean Pasta Salad with Garlic Scape Pesto

fava beans

Fava pasta!

This is a delicious spring recipe perfect for a picnic lunch. Serve the pasta salad atop fresh spinach to increase the nutrient density of your meal!

1 cup coarsely chopped garlic scapes
⅔ cup shredded Parmesan
½ cup shelled pistachios
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. freshly ground pepper
½ cup olive oil
2 lb. fava beans
1 lb. Gemelli (corkscrew) pasta, cooked
6 oz. crumbled feta

In the bowl of a food processor, combine garlic scapes, Parmesan, pistachios, salt, and pepper, and pulse to coarsely chop. While machine is running, gradually add oil until pesto is pureed but still a bit chunky. Set aside.

Bring a medium pot of water to a boil over high heat. Add fava beans and cook for 3 minutes. Drain and rinse beans with cold water. Remove the tough outer skin of each by pinching the outer skin to pop out the darker-green bean inside. Discard skins and place beans in a large bowl. Add pasta and feta, and then toss with pesto to coat. Serve at room temperature or after chilling.

We thank CountryLiving.com for this recipe.

Gemelli Pasta

Gemelli pasta is the type of pasta that is tightly twisted around itself like a corkscrew. (But I’m sure any type of pasta would work here!)

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Sweet and Sour Strawberry Semifreddo with Black Sesame

strawberries

Semifreddo is a kind of frozen mousse and looks like ice cream — except you don’t need an ice cream maker to create this cool summer treat!

1 lb. strawberries, hulled, quartered
⅓ cup sugar
1 Tbsp. white wine vinegar
3 Tbsp. black sesame seeds
2 cups heavy cream
Pinch of kosher salt
⅔ cup sweetened condensed milk
½ cup plain whole-milk Greek yogurt

Cook strawberries and sugar in a medium pot over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until strawberries have broken down into a thick, chunky jam (they should not be syrupy), 10–15 minutes. Stir in vinegar; let cool.

Meanwhile, toast black sesame seeds in a dry small skillet over medium heat until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Let cool.

Whip cream and salt until cream holds a medium-stiff peak. Gently whisk in sweetened condensed milk and yogurt until completely blended. Gently fold in half of strawberry jam, just enough to create streaks, then gently fold in remaining jam. Mixture should look marbled with pockets of jam.

Transfer to a medium bowl or loaf pan and freeze until firm, at least 4 hours and up to 3 days. Serve topped with toasted sesame seeds. Serves 8.

  We thank bonapetit.com for this tasty summer recipe.

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