Marinated Tomatoes

1 large heirloom tomato, or two medium tomatoes of any color 1/4 cup vinegar (balsamic or wine vinegar's are the best with this recipe) 1/4 cup olive oil 2 cloves of fresh garlic, sliced or minced 1/4-1/2 tsp sea salt 1 Tbs herbs de Provence Freshly ground black pepper

Slice or dice the tomatoes into a wide bowl.  Combine gently with the rest of the ingredients and refrigerate for at least two hours.  Can save in the refrigerator for up to two days, but the tomatoes will become softer and lose their form as more time passes.  These are fantastic on a sandwich or as a relish or salad dressing.

Cucumber Salad with Blueberries & Basil

Ingredients:

1 Asian seedless cucumber

1 banana pepper

1 fennel bulb

20 basil leaves

1 cup blueberries

1 teaspoon dried whole fennel seed

2 oz goat cheese (optional)

Dressing:

2 garlic cloves, minced or crushed

3 Tbs extra virgin olive oil

1 Tbs white balsamic vinegar

1 Tbs Lucini dark cherry balsamic vinegar

1 tsp Alchemy Spice Jamaican Jerk Seasoning

Salt and pepper to taste

Prepare the dressing by mixing the garlic, oil, vinegars and seasonings together. Thinly slice the cucumber, banana pepper, fennel bulb and basil leaves.  Toss in a bowl with the blueberries and fennel seed.  Add the dressing and goat cheese (if desired) just before serving.

Zucchini & Black Beans with Pumpkin Seed Pesto

1 large zucchini or zephyr squash 2 cups cooked black beans 1/2 cup of Pumpkin Seed Pesto

Cook and drain the black beans.  Prepare one recipe for Pumpkin Seed Pesto.  Refrigerate or freeze extras. With a food processor or mandolin slicer with julienne attachment, slice the zucchini and/or squash into sticks.  You can use a sharp knife (and some patience) if you prefer to slice by hand.  Toss all ingredients in a bowl and serve.

Alternately, you can serve this dish warm if you prefer cooked squash.  Saute or steam the squash, then remove from heat and mix in the beans and pesto.

Cucumber & Fennel Sandwiches With Goat Cheese

Maybe it was Queen Elizabeth's Diamond Jubilee, or the upcoming Olympic games in London, or maybe it was simply the arrival of cucumbers in my box this week...but I had to indulge in a teatime sandwich recipe.  This zesty, light sandwich is certainly for raised pinkies, but it's not too dainty for the average picnic. You can substitute cream cheese if you prefer, but the goat cheese gives an added zing with the fresh fennel and cucumber.

Ingredients: Eight slices of freshly baked Soft Wheat Sandwich Bread (or your favorite from Niedlov's if you don't have time to bake) Seedless cucumber, sliced thinly on a mandolin slicer or with a sharp knife 1 fennel bulb* 1-2 Tbs chopped fennel leaf 4 oz plain goat cheese 3 garlic cloves, minced or pressed 1/2 lemon, juiced Freshly cracked black pepper Sea salt

Method: Mix the goat cheese, garlic, lemon juice, chopped fennel leaf, and some black pepper together in a bowl. Spread the cheese mixture onto the fresh bread, then layer cucumber slices and fennel.  Finish with a sprinkle of sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.  This is heavenly with a hot cup of pure Assam tea with a splash of milk.

*To slice the fennel bulb thinly, cut the bottom root stem from the bulb, and begin slicing from the bottom, working your way to the stems. This creates rings of fennel that are easier to bite into, and they have a nice appearance when layered on the sandwich.

Napa Farmhouse Salad With Sesame Dressing

This was my end-of-the-week salad, inspired by a lunch made for me once by CSA member Beth Capecchi.  Her's was an Asian salad with chicken, cabbage and ramen noodles.  It was delicious.  I didn't have ramen noodles for this one, but I did have a lot of crispy vegetables.  Nearly everything in this week's box can go in a salad, so you can pick and choose which ingredients to add or omit. If you are vegetarian, you can use extra Shiitake mushrooms or tofu for protein. This makes a large salad for 6-8 people, but if you have leftovers they will still be tasty the next day. Also, if sesame is not your favorite flavor, check out The Basics Of Vinaigrette recipe and create your own signature dressing!

Ingredients: 1 Head of Napa cabbage, sliced thinly Beet greens, sliced thinly 3 Green onions, sliced 2 Carrots, julienned 3-5 Radishes, sliced 6-8 Shiitake mushroom caps, sliced thinly 3 Beets (any color) cut into sticks and cooked to your taste. (I sauteed mine in oil with salt, then added a splash of white balsamic vinegar, some water, covered the pan and let them steam until they were tender.) 1 lb boneless chicken, cooked and shredded Thin style fried rice noodles for garnish (optional)

Sesame Dressing: 3/4 cup cold-pressed extra virgin sesame oil 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil 1/4-1/3 cup rice vinegar Juice from one lemon 4-6 garlic cloves, minced A 2-inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and grated. 1 Tbs local honey Sea salt to taste

Toss all ingredients in a large bowl, making sure the cooked chicken and beets have cooled first.  Whisk together Sesame Dressing ingredients until they partially emulsify.  Then pour the dressing over the salad and toss until it is coated.