This week’s box included: garlic, cucumbers, yellow squash, zucchini, tomatoes, cherry tomatoes, bell & Italian peppers, watermelon, cantaloupe, potatoes, okra. You can see a photo that can help with identification on our Facebook page or check out our weekly video on Instagram.
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This week the most exciting thing in our box was not the wonderful personal sized cantaloupes or even the perfect watermelon, but that clamshell container of red and yellow little plum tomatoes. And that’s because I saw the recipe for Cold Noodles with Tomatoes and I think it’s the perfect dish for hot, hot July. I cannot wait to make it! I don’t have radishes, but I’ll substitute some thinly sliced cucumber and I have a few green onions from a farm box I picked up in South Carolina a week ago, so I’m think I’m good.
I’m going to put some of that melon into use in a salad from Garnish & Gather, the local meal prep people. A combination of cantaloupe and cucumber, it sounds delicious. And I just did a story about Rosemary & Thyme Creamery, a sheep’s milk dairy that sells at the Marietta, Peachtree Road and Grant Park farmers market and I have a container of their plain chevre in the refrigerator that’s been waiting for me to put it to use. We have some tiny arugula plants that are going to seed, so except for having to make a trip to Pine Street Market for some of the speck they cure, undoubtedly, from Riverview pork, I’m ready to indulge.
And if you want to do something different with that watermelon, how about making watermelon dressing for a panzanella salad?
And I have a bowl full of avocadoes I needed for a recipe which took FOREVER to ripen and ripened long past when I needed them for a recipe I was testing. So I’ll make the Cucumber Salad with Avocado and Capers below to use some of those up.
Need more ideas for watermelon, okra, tomatoes, cucumbers or potatoes? We’ve got you covered at grassfedcow.com.
Melon & Cucumber Salad
From Garnish & Gather
1 cantaloupe
1 or 2 Kirby cucumbers, cut into thin slices
A few handfuls of arugula, torn into bite size pieces
1 oz Pine Street Market speck, chopped
1 1/2 tablespoons champagne vinegar
3 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
Salt
2 oz goat or sheep’s milk chevre
3 tablespoons thinly sliced mint leaves
2 tablespoons chopped pistachios
Cut cantaloupe in half, then remove seeds and peel. Cut cantaloupe into 1” wide wedges, then cut 1 of these wedges into cubes. Cut cucumber into thin slices (or use a vegetable peeler for ultra thin slices).
Make vinaigrette: In a blender, combine melon cubes, champagne vinegar, minced garlic, olive oil and salt to taste.
Layer arugula with cantaloupe wedges, cucumber, speck, and chevre, then sprinkle with mint and pistachios. Drizzle with melon vinaigrette.
Country Panzanella With Watermelon Dressing
Recipe from Gabrielle E.W. Carter, founder of Black Farmer CSA in North Carolina.
For the Dressing:
1/2 pound piece of skin-on watermelon, seeds discarded
1/4 cup granulated sugar
Kosher salt
2 garlic cloves, peeled and grated
1 tablespoon whole-grain mustard
1 1/2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves
1/2 teaspoon red-pepper flakes
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 cup white wine vinegar
1/2 cup olive oil
For the Salad:
1/2 loaf day-old ciabatta, cut into ½-inch cubes (about 4 loose cups)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
2 pounds watermelon, rind discarded cut into 1-inch pieces (about 4 packed cups)
3 medium heirloom tomatoes (about 1¾ to 2 pounds), cut into 1-inch-wide wedges (about 5 loose cups)
1 medium seedless cucumber (about ½ pound), trimmed, halved lengthwise then sliced ¼-inch-thick (about 2 cups)
1 small red onion (about 4 ounces), peeled and sliced (about 1 loose cup)
1 cup fresh basil leaves
1/2 cup crumbled feta
Make the dressing: Using a coarse grater set over a medium bowl, grate the watermelon flesh then rind, grating the rind all the way to the skin. (You should have about 1 cup grated watermelon.) Discard the firm skin. Add the sugar and 1 teaspoon salt; stir to dissolve the sugar and salt grains. Allow the mixture to sit for at least 10 minutes. Add the garlic, mustard, thyme leaves, red-pepper flakes, ground black pepper, vinegar and oil. Whisk together (or transfer to a mason jar, cover and shake vigorously). The dressing makes 2 cups, and will keep, refrigerated, up to 1 week; shake before use.
Make the salad: Heat the oven to 425 degrees. On a small sheet pan, toss the cubed bread, olive oil, thyme and sea salt together. Spread in a single layer and bake for 8 to 10 minutes, until toasted and golden brown.
In a large serving bowl, combine the watermelon, tomatoes, cucumber and red onion. Drain any excess liquid before adding the toasted bread cubes and half the basil. Drizzle with 1/4 cup of the dressing and season with salt and pepper. Divide among individual bowls, if you like. Top with crumbled feta, remaining basil leaves and spoon additional dressing over the top.
Clean Green Cucumber, Avocado and Caper Salad
From “Champneys The Cookbook: Food For Wellness”
1 large cucumber, deseeded and sliced
1 ripe avocado, peeled, pitted and chopped
2 tablespoons capers, drained
1 tablespoon chopped coriander leaves
1 tablespoon chopped parsley leaves
1 tablespoon finely chopped chives
1/2 garlic clove, finely grated or minced
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons lime juice
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Put the cucumber in a large salad bowl with the avocado, capers, herbs and garlic. Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste and drizzle with the olive oil and lime juice. Toss gently to coat, then serve.