CSA Week Ten: September 7 – 12

I’m beginning to see some leaves start to change color on my morning drive to the farm each day- but if you look in our CSA bags or in the produce cooler, it still looks like the middle of summer! Lots of tomatoes and peppers have been leaving the farm, especially for wholesale, as well as specialty crops like husk cherries and African eggplant. 

If you’re like me, you might be feeling exciting about the cooler weather to come, and leaning in to all things autumn already. If so, this post is for you- I’ve included some soup recipes to try out this week. It may be wishful thinking on my part, but luckily there are lots of fun soup recipes out there that make the most of the crops you’ll still be seeing in your CSA! 🙂

Tarragon Lemon Summer Squash Soup

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 large yellow summer squash, sliced and quartered, or chopped if preferred
• 2 green onions (scallions), light green and white parts, chopped
• ¹/₂ medium onion, chopped
• 1 tablespoon butter
• ¹/₂ tablespoon olive oil
• 1 tablespoon fresh tarragon leaves, chopped
• 1 garlic clove, finely minced
• Ground black pepper, to taste
• 3 cups chicken or vegetable broth
• Juice of 1/2 large lemon
• ¹/₂ cup milk or cream
• Tarragon, snipped chives, shredded Parmesan cheese, and croutons, for garnish (optional)

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. In a soup pot, sauté the squash and onion in the butter and olive oil until onion is tender, about 7 to 10 minutes. Add the garlic in the last minute or so.
2. Season with black pepper to taste, add the tarragon, then pour in the chicken broth and lemon juice and stir.
3. Cover and bring to a simmer for about 10 to 15 minutes until the squash is tender all the way through.
4. Remove from heat and add the milk or cream. (Optional)
5. Purée about half the soup with whatever device you have, then return to pot.
6. Serve immediately, and garnish with additional tarragon, chives, shredded Parmesan cheese, and croutons, if you like. Or, you may chill and serve it cold.

Recipe from https://food52.com/recipes/22700-tarragon-lemon-summer-squash-soup

Summer Vegetable Black Bean Chili

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 small eggplant, cut into ½ inch cubes and salted
• 2 cups diced zucchini and summer squash, baby varieties work well
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 2 bell or sweet peppers, diced (any color)
• 1 jalapeno, seeded and diced
• 3 cloves of garlic, minced
• approximately ½ cup extra virgin olive oil, divided
• 2 cups chicken or vegetable broth
• 1 can diced tomatoes, with juice OR 2 cups fresh tomatoes diced, with juice
• 1 small bunch of fresh basil leaves, chopped
• 2 tablespoons chili powder
• 1 tablespoon ground cumin
• 1 tablespoon dried oregano
• 2 cups cooked black beans
• 2 cups fresh corn kernels
• ½ cup fresh cilantro, for garnish
• 1 cup grated Monterey Jack cheese, for garnish
• 1 cup sour cream, plain yogurt, or creme fraiche, for garnish

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. In a large pot, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil. Add the eggplant and squash in batches and saute for about 5 to 6 minutes, or until lightly browned and softened, adding olive oil as needed. Using a slotted spoon, remove cooked squash/eggplant to a separate bowl and set aside.
2. Add a couple more tablespoons olive oil and saute the onion, peppers, jalapeno, and garlic for about 5 minutes, or until softened.
3. Add the broth, tomatoes, and spices to the pan with onion mixture. Bring to a boil then reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes.
4. Add beans and corn kernels and simmer for an additional 20 minutes. Stir in the cooked squash and eggplant and simmer for 10 minutes more. Adjust seasonings to taste.
5. Serve with garnishes.

Recipe from https://somethewiser.com/2014/08/summer-vegetable-black-bean-chili.html

And if you’re still trying to hold onto summer, this recipe is for you…

Chilled Roasted Beet and Carrot Soup with Parsley Lime Cream

INGREDIENTS

• 1 1/2 pounds (about 6 medium) beets
• 1/2 pound (2 or 3 large) carrots
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• Sea salt
• 6 cups vegetable stock (homemade or low sodium) or water
• 1 2-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and thinly sliced
• 3 large sprigs parsley, leaves finely chopped and stems reserved
• 1/2 large sweet onion, chopped
• 1 large clove garlic, finely chopped
• 2 limes
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1/3 cup crème fraîche or sour cream

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Heat the oven to 450 degrees. Peel the beets and carrots and cut them into 1/2-inch pieces. Spread them on a rimmed baking sheet, toss them with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil and sprinkle them generously with salt. Roast the vegetables until they’re soft (the carrots should brown a little), turning them once or twice with a spatula; this should take about 45 minutes.
2. Put the stock or water in a medium saucepan, add the ginger and parsley stems and bring to a boil. Turn off the heat and let the stock infuse while the beets and carrots cook.
3. Put the remaining olive oil in a large saucepan and set it over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring often, until softened and lightly caramelized, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, cook for another minute, and then add the beets and carrots.
4. Remove the ginger and parsley stems from the stock and add the stock to the pot with the vegetables. Bring to boil and lower the heat so the soup is simmering. Cook for 5 minutes.
5. Puree the soup until smooth, adding a little water if it seems thick. Add salt and pepper to taste, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours. (If you prefer hot soup, just keep going with the directions from here.)
   In a small bowl, combine the creme fraiche or sour cream, lime zest, chopped parsley and a generous pinch of salt. Serve the soup in individual bowls with a dollop of the creme fraiche.

Recipe from https://food52.com/recipes/28436-chilled-roasted-beet-and-carrot-soup-with-parsley-lime-cream