Don't Judge a Book by its Cover

This not-so-pretty tomato from our garden became part of an incredibly delicious tomato sauce that accompanied fried green tomatoes.

Zucchini Lasagna

Whipped up a scrumptious zucchini lasagna for the fam a few nights ago. I didn't take any pictures, but here's the rundown:

Ingredients:

• 2-3 Medium Zucchini, enough for two layers in your baking dish
• 3-4 cups Tomato Sauce (you can use your fav, the thicker the better)
• 2 balls no-salt Mozzarella Cheese, cut into 1/4 inch slices
• Romano Cheese, shredded (NOTE: don't buy pre-shredded cheese, there are lots of extra ingredients added to prevent drying)
• Sweet Italian Sausage, 6-8 links, remove casings
• Olive Oil
• Salt & Pepper
• Sage, Basil & Thyme (preferably fresh; sliced or torn)

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 350° F, and oil a glass baking dish. In a medium saucepan cook sausage, breaking up and stirring frequently. Place cooked sausage in a colander to drain. Cut zucchini into 1/4 inches slices, and line the baking dish. Season with salt, & cover with 1/2 the tomato sauce, 1/2 the sausage, 1/2 the mozzarella slices, and 1/2 the shredded romano. Repeat the layering starting with the zucchini. Top with fresh sage, thyme, and basil. Cover with foil and bake for 45 minutes. Raise temperature to 375° F, uncover lasagna, and cook for an additional 15 minutes. Remove from oven, let sit for 5 minutes before serving.

Zucchini (or any squash), makes a great substitute for pasta in lasagna. I'm thinking of using squash substitutes, especially zucchini because we always grow a lot, for other pasta dishes and maybe in place of bread. I'm having so much fun figuring out new ways to use different foods, I barely miss the things I've cut out of my diet!

CSA!

A welcome addition to my fresh, whole foods journey was my dad deciding to join a CSA. That would be Community Supported Agriculture, a farm that offers shares to the public. As a shareholder you receive a weekly bounty of farm-fresh veggies, and the farm receives the financial support they need to continue producing crops. You interact directly with the producer, and are able have any questions or concerns answered face-to-face. Additionally, it is a great way to become part of a greater community of conscious buyers/eaters. Another benefit is the crops are organic & pesticide free. There is some risk involved, if you participate during a season that doesn't bode well for the crops, your share would be smaller than in a better season.

Gloria, one of the owners of Red Oak Ranch, our CSA farm, let us know that it is still quite early in the season, so as the weeks progress our shares will be much larger, and include a greater diversity. Even without this knowledge I was quite satisfied with the wealth of veggies, and wonder how I'm going to use them up in a week!

Carrots, Green Beans, Cabbage, Boston Lettuce, Zucchini, Scallions (and hiding Radishes)

Corn & Garlic

Look at all those veggies!

So of course I made a salad, all from the CSA veggies

(and some canned Tuna, it's going to be one of my vices for awhile)

Boston Lettuce, Carrots, Radishes, Scallions, Green Beans, Homemade Balsamic Vinaigrette & Tuna

I wouldn't be exagerating to say it was one of the best salads I've ever eaten. I'm looking forward to learning new & creative ways to prepare veggies. Hopefully I'll find a few that my family loves, and I can keep them eating fresh (at least in part) all summer!

If you want to find out more about CSA's check out Local Harvest, they give you a nice description of the program and help you find farms in your area.