CSA Fridays: Easy Summer Eating

I don’t even want to think about the fact that this is my last CSA Friday in July. That thought literally makes me want to cry, to feel a little panicked. I noticed one night this week that I needed to turn a light on earlier. I am trying to savor each moment of this magical season without thinking of the inevitable hell that is some of fall, all of winter, and much of spring, but it’s hard not to.

At any rate, our CSA share is showing its own love for summer in the bounty we have been provided. The past couple of weeks have introduced tomatoes, potatoes, garlic, lots of squash, and fields full of cucumbers in addition to various herbs and lettuces.

The new potatoes in our CSA last week were some of the most delicious potatoes I have ever tasted. Tender and buttery, they were perfect boiled up, then smashed with sautéed CSA onions, garlic, parsley, and butter. I let them sit until browned in the butter, and we ate them with a big salad. Simple, fresh, and local, this was one of my favorite dinners of the summer so far.

The arrival of heartier vegetables like carrots was more than welcome; these keep for longer than a few days and can still be eaten, lessening the frenzy to eat allthevegetables in one day.

Simple weeknight meals have included CSA carrots and squash mixed in with jarred sauce. I love this Golden Gravy, picked up at Fruit Center Marketplace in Milton. You can read about their amazing wine dinners here.  This butternut squash based gravy helped to turn our field veggies almost into a stew. It was perfect for some cooler nights.

A crazy abundance of cucumbers resulted in easy pickles. I simply cut the cukes into chips and set them aside while I boiled white vinegar, onion, garlic, sugar, and crushed red pepper. Once cool, I poured the vinegar mix over the cucumber chips and refrigerated. The end result was perfectly crisp, tangy pickle chips. The garlic from our CSA is something else. It is sweet and mild and easy to eat all on its own. It lends beautiful depth of flavor to dishes.

Finally, the last few weeks we have been devouring blueberries from our CSA. I planned rustic pies, but these are best eaten by the fist full. Sometimes they don’t even make it home. . .

My husband points out almost daily how my soul shines in the summer, and I am feeling it fully, from the tips of my sunbleached hair down to my bare toes. It’s been amazing to enjoy our CSA and the fruits of local farmers’ labor this year, summer coming inside our kitchen and staying, at least for now!

What summer foods have you been loving lately?