Hey all!
Hope you have had a great week! Thank you all for making the extra effort to pick up your shares in a timely manner this past weekend - it is so appreciated!
I just have a few items for tonight's newsletter as it has already been a thirteen hour day (but who is counting??). James and I feel like the bee in the photo, ready to sleep wherever we land.
I'm not sure if you can feel it, but there is a shift in the air, and I call it ripening weather, when the squash come in heavy, the corn smells sweeter than honey in the morning air (yes, corn flowers really smell!), onions and garlic begin to develop their dry skin and there is a fullness in the fields. We hope that you sense that abundance in your farm shares as well!
I am including a special recipe, courtesy of kitchen wizard Kaelin from Awn Kitchen, for a dish that makes delicious use of zucchini, something that we have a lot of these days. I made it this evening and even my zucchini haters went for seconds, so I hope you try it. It is fresh and summery and perfect!
Zucchini and Lemon Pasta
- 500 g dried pasta (linguini or spaghetti)
- 900 g zucchini
- 1 medium onion
- 4 cloves garlic, crushed
- olive oil
- 1/4 tsp chilli flakes
- 50 g parmesan cheese, grated
- 125 ml cream
- 1 lemon, zest and juice
- a good handful of parsley, chopped
Grate the zucchini using the course side of a box grater, toss with a teaspoon of salt, place in sieve and let drain for up to two hours. When you are ready to make your pasta, place the zucchini in a clean towel, wrap it and wring it out. Removing the liquid this way is an important step! Heat a glug of olive oil in a deep frying pan, add the chopped onion and saute until soft and just turning colour. Add the garlic and chilli flakes and cook until the garlic is becoming fragrant (around 30 seconds). Add the zucchini, season with salt and pepper and stir.
Bring a large pot of water to boil, season well with salt, add the pasta and cook to the package instructions. Cook the zucchini mixture until any moisture has cooked off, the mixture is beginning to stick together and to the base of the frying pan. Set aside. When the pasta is cooked, remove 11/2cups of cooking liquid and set aside.
Strain the pasta, add to the zucchini mixture along with some of the cooking water to loosen it, turn the heat on low, and toss together before adding the parmesan and cream. Cook until you have a thick, creamy sauce, adding more pasta water if needed. Remove from heat, add lemon zest and juice and parsley. Taste, correct and season with fresh lemon juice, salt and pepper. Serve with freshly grated parmesan.
We love seeing what you make with your veggies on Instagram, so keep on sharing!
We hope you have a wonderful week,
Jenny and James
