CSA Week #7
Decided to post a picture of the sign telling us what we get at the CSA pick-up rather than just hand-type it. So you have a better idea of amounts, as well.
Cucumber cocktails
Like last year, I started to get overwhelmed with cucumbers, and there was a party on the horizon, so I made cucumber cocktails. You start by juicing the cucumbers by peeling and pureeing them and then straining them. I put the dill in with the cucumbers in the mini-chopper, to give the cocktails a little extra something. You have to really push the puree into the strainer to get the most out of it.
Some people say you should make this with vodka. Those people are wrong. You mix 2 parts cucumber juice, one part gin, and a dash of sugar and lemon juice to taste. Sadly, these cucumbers didn’t make enough juice to really make a solid amount of cocktail to take to party, so I did a part tonic water/part cucumber mix to mix with the gin. Usually you would ice this down and strain it in a shaker, but I just poured it in a plastic bottle and refrigerated it instead. Because of this, I actually put another ½ part tonic water in to make up for the watering down properties of the ice.
Cocktails are totally vegan.
Dinner #1
Chopped up onion, zucchini, fennel and cooked it with some chickpeas, garlic and the purslane. Added basil, and of course salt and pepper. Served it with pita bread and yogurt. It was a super simple dinner, because I was feeling tired and not at all like cooking much. 
Dessert was peaches and blackberries with whipped cream.
Vegetarian
Dinner #2
Dig my new toy/tool? It’s so awesome. I bought one for a friend’s birthday and then had to get one for myself, it was so cool. Anyway, I used this toy to use up some onions and zucchini, by cutting them up and sautéing them with a bit of wine, garlic, salt and pepper. Then I added a can of diced tomatoes and then some basil from the garden. Served over farro. 
Vegetarian.
Dinner #3
I still had a ton of zucchini, so to use it all up, I made a zucchini-centric dinner. I grated all the zucchini I had, and put some of it in zucchini bread, and put the rest in a colander with salt for about half an hour.
I used the rest to make fritters using this recipe, except I added cornstarch, tumeric, and chili powder and baked it at 350 for 40 minutes (30 on one side, 10 on the other) instead, because it’s easier than frying and better for you. You serve these with yogurt. I ate one for breakfast with an overeasy egg on top.
I still had the Asian melon and some blueberries left, so obviously only one thing to do: fruit salad. I chopped up the melon and mixed it with blueberries, a touch of honey, lemon juice, and yogurt.
Vegetarian.
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I realize that canning etc takes a bit of equipment and depending on your space in the apartment it might be a little too bulky, but have you considered pickling your cukes? Not only is it a good way to preserve them, but if you find yourself completely inundated, you can just give jars away as gifts.
I picked some of my CSA scapes last weekend—we’ll see how they turn out! :D
One other recipe that’s a good way to get rid of cucumbers is the Whole wheat pasta with tofu and cucumber recipe from the Quick From Scratch One Dish Meals book. It’s vegan, it’s really delish, it’s cool on a summer day, and uses 2 whole cucumbers.
¾ lb whole-wheat spaghetti
1¼ lbs firm tofu, cut into ½” dice
1 tbsp + 4 tsp soy sauce
2½ tsp fresh ginger, grated
2½ tsp cooking oil
2 tbsp wine vinegar
1½ tsp lemon juice
1 tsp Asian sesame oil
¾ tsp lemon zest, grated
¼ tsp salt
⅛ tsp cayenne pepper
2 cucumbers, peeled, halved lengthwise, seeded, and cut into ¼” slices
3 tbsp fresh cilantro or parsley, chopped
In a large pot of boiling, salted water, cook the spaghetti until just done, about 15 minutes. Drain the pasta. Rise with cold water and drain thoroughly.
In a medium bowl, combine the tofu with the 1 tbsp soy sauce and ½ tsp of the grated ginger. Let sit for about 5 minutes.
In a large glass or stainless-steel bowl, combine the remaining 2 tsp ginger and 5 tsp soy sauce, 1½ tbsp of the cooking oil, the vinegar, lemon juice, sesame oil, lemon zest, salt, and cayenne.
In a large nonstick frying pan, heat the remaining 1 tbsp cooking oil over moderate heat. add the tofu and cook,stirring frequently, until browned, about 8 minutes. Add the tofu, pasta, cucumbers, scallions, and cilantro to the dressing in the large bowl and toss.