Baked Green Bean Fries

This recipe is such a hit in my house. I often double it and serve it as a snack!

Ingredients
1/2 pound fresh green beans

Flour Mixture
1 cup flour
2 teaspoons garlic powder
2 teaspoons paprika
1 teaspoon onion powder

Egg Mixture
1 egg
1 cup milk (I used 2%)

Breading Mixture
2 cups panko breadcrumbs
(I had a seasoned panko on hand, if you have plain, season it with some salt & pepper)

Directions
Preheat over to 425 degrees.

Cover a large baking sheet with foil and lightly spray with non-stick spray and set aside.

In a medium pot, add 2-3" of water and some salt and bring to a boil.

While you're waiting for the water to boil (put a lid on the pot to speed it up), trim the ends off the green beans.

Once the water is boiling, add the green beans and boil for approximately 3 minutes.

Meanwhile, add ice and water to a large bowl to make an ice bath.

After 3 minutes, drain the green beans and add them to the ice bath. Let them cool down, then drain and pat the green beans dry.

For the Flour Mixture
In a small bowl, add the flour, garlic powder/salt, paprika, and onion powder. Whisk it together and set aside.

For the Egg Mixture
In another bowl, whisk together the egg and milk. Add about 2 tablespoons of the flour mixture to the egg mixture and whisk it to combine. Set aside.

For the Breading
In a third bowl, pour in your panko bread crumbs. If you're not using the seasoned kind, sprinkle in some salt and pepper and stir to combine. Set aside.

To Assemble
Set up an assembly line in the following order - green beans, flour mix, egg mix, bread crumbs, pan.

Dredge each green bean into the flour, then dip it in the egg mix, then dip it in the bread crumbs. Make sure you fully coat the green beans with each step. Line them in a single layer on your baking sheet.

Bake the green beans for around 15 minutes, until the breading is golden brown and crispy. You can sprinkle with salt when they come out but I skipped this step since I had used garlic salt and salted the boiling water.

I mixed up a dipping sauce of ranch with a little bit of Frank's hot sauce. Simple & so good.

Recipe from: Persnickety Plates

Watermelon Mint Salad

Ingredients 

4 pounds of rind on watermelon
1/4 cup of chopped fresh mint
1/4 cup of lime juice, around 2 limes

Directions
Use a melon baller to scoop watermelon off the rind and add to a large bowl. Chop mint and juice the limes and add to the bowl.
Toss gently using your clean hands. Serve chilled.

Recipe from: A Healthy Jalapeño

Watermelon & Mint Iced Tea

Watermelon and mint make the perfect pair. Check out this refreshing iced tea recipe!

Ingredients:

1    quart    tea, black ( cooled )
2    cups    watermelon ( cubed )
2    tablespoons    mint ( crushed )
2    teaspoons    sugar ( or sweetener of your choice )

Directions

Chop watermelon into cubes about an 1 1/2 inch pieces, and fill your container about 1/3 of the way full with the watermelon cubes. Drop in a two or three tablespoons of crushed mint; more if you really like that mint flavor. Add sugar.  Add tea, and fill to the top.

 Now stir with a large spoon crushing the watermelon against the sides of the pitcher along with the mint. The more you stir and crush, the more flavor you will have.

Chill and enjoy :)

Recipe from: Family Home and Life

August 8 & 10 CSA Boxes

Good Afternoon All!

I hope that you all had a fabulous weekend and are enjoying the great weather we are having this week already.

We are getting lots done this week including picking watermelon for your shares this week! That's right! WATERMELON :)



Also,  tomatoes are in ready for both full and half shares as well!

Here is what else you can find in your boxes this week:

HALF SHARE
pint	blueberries
3	nectarines
3	peaches
1	watermelon
1 bunch	mint
quart	green beans
2	tomatoes
2	cubanelle peppers
4	potatoes

FULL SHARE
2 pints	blueberries
6	nectarines
6	peaches
1	watermelon
1 bunch	mint
1 quart	green beans
2	tomatoes
4	cubanelle peppers
4	potatoes
1	white onion
1	red onion
1	yellow onion

Sweet Corn Storage & Preparation

There is no doubt about it! Sweet corn is a favorite among NJ residents.

We pick all of our corn fresh every morning and often times we are waiting for the corn to be picked so that we can pack your shares.

After many years of our own experience, here is the best way to keep your corn fresh and sweet for up to a week!

• Leave the husk on the corn. Don't even pull the tops back! This will help the corn retain its moisture and sweetness.
• Place the corn in your fridge.
• Only take it out right before you are about to eat it.

Preparation

There are several different ways to prepare your sweet corn.

BOILING

• Shuck your ears of corn.
• Bring a large pot of water to a boil
• Carefully drop your ears into the water
• When water returns to a boil, let boil for an additional 1-2 minutes.
• Remove from water and enjoy

GRILLING

• Peal the husks back but do not remove
• Brush corn kernels with olive oil (butter may burn)
• Pull the husks back on the corn
• Wrap ear in aluminum foil
• Place on grill and turn occasionally for about 15 minutes or until husks are charred and toasted
• Remove from grill and let cool
• Pull husks back and enjoy

MICROWAVE

• Leave the husks on the corn
• Micowave on high for 4-5 minutes
• Let cool and husk the corn (you will find that the silks come off very easily with this method

Freezing:

This is a great idea for those of you who want to enjoy your corn all season long. Do a few ears per week so that you have a decent stock pile for those cold winter months.

• Remove the husks from the corn
• Bring a large pot of water to a boil
• Carefully place ears into the water and set your timer for 5 minutes
• Get a large bowl of very cold water ready for the ears
• After 5 minutes is up quickly remove the ears from the boiling water and place in cold water for 5 minutes
• Remove from water and remove kernels. I received the OXO Corn Kernel Remover (you can find this at Bed Bath & Beyond) as a wedding gift and it has been the best! It keeps the kernels from going all over the place and is much safer than a knife.

 

• Place desired amount into Ziploc freezer bags and press out as much air as you can to prevent freezer burn
• Label it with the date and place it in your freezer for up to a year!
• To prepare, remove from freezer and microwave for 2-3 minutes. It is already cooked. It just needs to be heated up.
• Or use it in your favorite dish :)

I hope that you all enjoy your first corn of the season!

August 1 & 3 CSA Update

Good Morning Members!

In your shares you will find either bicolor or white corn. We did not have enough of one kind to put in all of your shares.  We have been having them both for dinner and I don't prefer one over the other. They have both been amazing this year :)

Your peaches and nectarines are both yellow this week.

Remember that you are getting two different kinds of hot peppers this week in addition to your bell peppers.

Hot Hungarian (mild-moderate heat)

Jalapeño (mild-moderate heat)

 

 

 

Basil Mayonnaise

Two wonderful members recommended that I look into this recipe and, let me tell you, it is amazing and will forever be part of our recipe book. I put it on sandwiches or your could use it as a dip with veggies, crackers, your finger...ANYTHING. This is absolutely worth a try if you still have basil left from last week!

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 cup mayonnaise
• 1/3-1/2 cup basil leaves, firmly packed (the more leaves you use, the stronger the basil flavor–I make it with 1/2 cup!)
• 1 Tbsp. lemon juice
• 1/4 tsp. garlic powder (optional)
• dash of salt and pepper,  or to taste (optional)

Put the mayonnaise, basil leaves, and lemon juice in a blender or small food processor; blend until smooth (you may still have some small bits of basil in the mayonnaise if using a blender). Add in garlic powder and salt and pepper to taste, if desired, and blend well. Use immediately or store in a small container for future use.
You can make a great sandwich by spreading 2 slices of bread with the basil mayonnaise, then topping one of the slices of bread with slices of tomatoes and some mozzarella cheese. Place the other bread slice on top, and cut in half.
If you like basil and pesto, you’ll want to try this out!

Recipe from: NancyCreative