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.

Pan-Seared Brussels Sprouts

1 stalk of Brussels sprouts Canola oil Sea salt Toasted garlic drizzling oil

Thinly coat the bottom of a large skillet with oil. Remove Brussels sprouts from the stalk, including any stray leaves.  Cut the larger sprouts in half and place them cut-side down in the pan.  Place the rest of the smaller buds and leaves in the pan, trying to keep everything in an even layer.  Turn the heat on to medium or medium-high.  Do not disturb the sprouts while you are waiting for them to brown.

Sprinkle a little salt over the tops when they begin to turn bright green.  When the sprouts begin to brown on the bottoms you can give them a stir to make sure they are cooking evenly, but do not over-cook them.  They should still have a little crunch when done.  Remove from heat and drizzle toasted garlic oil on top, and salt to taste.

Cucumber Soup with Fennel and Fresh Herbs

Ingredients: 3 seedless cucumbers, peeled and cut into chunks 1 yellow onion, diced 1 bulb of fennel, diced 3 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped 1 vegetable bouillon cube (Rapunzel: with sea salt & herbs) 1 cup of water 3 green onions, chopped 3 sprigs of fresh mint, stems discarded and leaves minced 1/4 cup of fresh cilantro, minced 2-3 stems of fresh dill, minced 1/2 Cup of sour cream or plain yogurt Juice from 1/2 lemon Salt and pepper to taste 1 cup ice Toasted garlic drizzling oil for garnish

Method: Saute the yellow onion, fennel, and garlic in a little oil on medium heat.  When they are soft, add the vegetable bouillon cube plus 1 cup of water and let simmer until the bouillon cube is dissolved.  Remove from heat and let cool to room temperature.

Place all ingredients except the sour cream and ice in a blender and puree until smooth.  Add the ice and blend until smooth again.  Finally, add the sour cream and blend on low until combined.  Adjust seasonings to taste.  Serve right away, or chill for up to 2 hours.  Float toasted garlic drizzling oil on top for garnish.

Steelhead Trout With Radish & Fennel Salad

I won't lie.  I saw a beautiful photograph of a bacon and radish crudo on the St. John's Restaurant facebook page, and thought to myself..."I should go there and eat that".  The next best thing, though, is to make something that looks as beautiful with the little treasures in our CSA share. I tried a few flavor combinations with the salad, but this one was the winner.  So glad we had some fresh basil this week!

Salad: 1 fennel bulb, finely diced 2-3 Tbs chopped fennel leaf 6 radishes, finely diced 10 basil leaves, thinly sliced 1/2 lemon, juiced 2 Tbs Lucini Dark Cherry Balsamico 3 Tbs Extra Virgin Olive Oil Sea Salt Freshly ground black pepper Mix ingredients together in a bowl and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Fish: 4 portions of Steelhead Trout, skins and bones removed Dry the fish with a paper towel, thin sprinkle salt and pepper on both sides On Medium-high heat, melt a little oil or butter in a skillet.  Gently place the fish in the pan and cook about 3 minutes on each side, (less or more depending on the thickness of the fish and how well done you like it.) Remove fish from pan and let rest on a warm plate.

Add 3-4 minced garlic cloves to the pan, plus 1 cup of dry white wine.  Reduce heat and simmer for about 5 minutes, or until the alcohol burns off.  Salt to taste.

Pasta: Cook 4 portions of angel-hair pasta according to packet directions and drain. Drag each portion of cooked pasta through the garlic and wine sauce before plating.

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.