Panzanella Salad

Panzanella salad is such a treat this time of year!

All I do is:

• chop up some tomatoes
• add chopped cucumbers or onions if you'd like
• sprinkle on some salt and pepper
• sprinkle on some chopped basil
• toss with vinaigrette- I used balsamic vinaigrette
• toss mixture with homemade croutons or spoon over crostini
• finish with a little sea salt, more black pepper and a little good olive oil

homemade croutons

• slice a baguette into cubes (excellent way to use up day-old bread)
• spray on a little olive oil (preferably a spray bottle that you fill up)
• sprinkle with salt and pepper
• bake at 400 degrees until golden

This photo does not do this delicious salad any justice. I took the photo in the ultra bright sunlight at mid-day which washed out the vivid orange and red color of the heirloom tomatoes. I made this salad for lunch and then made it again for dinner with my family.

Week 15: Share Contents & Whole Foods Cost Comparison

Below are the contents of my farm share this past week. It's quite clear that it's the height of summer.

While shopping for a client at Whole Foods this week, I jotted down how much each of these items would have cost there. Based on my estimates, this farm share would have cost me $49.47 at Whole Foods, but because I am a member of a CSA, I only paid $29.11 ($25.88 per week for the produce and $3.23 per week for the eggs). That's a savings of $20.36!

Not only did I save $20.36,

• I received a larger watermelon than the ones sold at Whole Foods
• I received better quality basil than what is sold at Whole Foods, and paid less for it
• I didn't have to drive to the grocery store
• I didn't have to spend time thinking about what vegetables to buy and pondering their origins, price, freshness and seasonality.
• I didn't have to load the vegetables into a dirty grocery cart, unload them onto a dirty cashier belt, load them into my car, only to unload them once I got home.
• I also saved fuel resources because my farmer only had to drive 18.5 miles to deliver the produce to my neighborhood, and I only had to drive 3 miles from my house to pick it up.
• I supported a local farmer and my local economy.
• I taught my two-year old that good food comes from a farmer, although I'm afraid he gets confused at pick-up and might think that the house we go to is the actual farm.

This week's farm share and what each item would cost at Whole Foods:

A big watermelon= $5 (Graceland Farm's watermelon was much larger than the ones at WF)

6 large heirloom tomatoes $4.99/lb = $15 (each tomato weighs about a half pound)

2 pints of cherry tomatoes $3.99/ pt= $7.98

7 small peppers $3.99/ lb = $3

large bunch of basil $2.50 per dinky plant = $5

2 cucumbers- $.75 each = $1.50

4 Japanese eggplants- $4.99/lb = $4.99

6 ears of corn- $.50 each = $3.00

& a dozen farm eggs- forgot to check, but somewhere around $4

Total: $49.47

Corn Fritters

When I have corn on hand, I usually steam or boil it, take it off the cob, and toss it with vinaigrette and crunchy vegetables to make a light side dish. Corn salad is great, but now I'm on a corn fritter kick. I've made this recipe twice in one week, and so far I've found that no one turns down the offer of a corn fritter. Once again, it's a Cooks Illustrated recipe.

CORN FRITTERS WITH CHEDDAR AND CHIVES

Makes 12 fritters. Published November 3, 2006.

Tangy cheddar cheese partners well with the corn and flecks of green chives give the fritters a light, oniony flavor.

1 ½ pounds fresh corn (2 large or 3 to 4 medium ears), husks and silk removed

1 large egg , beaten lightly

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

3 tablespoons cornmeal

2 tablespoons heavy cream

1 small shallot , minced

1/2 teaspoon table salt

Pinch cayenne pepper

1/3 cup shredded cheddar cheese

2 tablespoons minced fresh chives

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

½ cup corn oil or vegetable oil, or more as needed

INSTRUCTIONS

1.Using chef’s knife, cut kernels from 1 to 2 ears corn and place in bowl (you should have about 1 cup whole kernels). Grate kernels from remaining 1 to 2 ears on large holes of box grater (you should have generous 1/2 cup grated kernels) into bowl with cut kernels. Using back of knife, scrape any pulp remaining on all cobs into bowl. Stir in egg, flour, cornmeal, cream, shallot, salt, cayenne, cheese, chives, and mustard to form a thick batter.


2.Heat oil in large heavy-bottomed, nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Drop 6 heaping tablespoonfuls batter in pan. Fry until golden brown, about 1 minute per side. Transfer fritters to plate lined with paper towels. If necessary, add more oil to skillet and heat until shimmering; fry remaining batter. Serve fritters immediately.