What’s GREAT at the Market?
Although considered a summer vegie, ZUCCHINI (also known as courgettes) grow beautifully in spring in the Tweed especially on a sunny slope like the Bilambil Heights site that Jumping Red Ant leases or in a sheltered sunny area such as at Bio Organic Farm that has both outside growing areas and in their greenhouses. Sylva Lining Organics has zucchinis in abundance too with a special on them this week.
Did you know that although the zucchini is used and enjoyed as a vegetable, botanically, zucchinis are fruits, a type of botanical berry called a “pepo”!! So let’s try some new “pepo” recipes this week and enjoy this low calorie vegie.
On hot days it is delicious spiralized and used with a pesto dressing and some olives or maybe in a *zucchini, thyme and pecan salad. Served over a rocket base – or any mixed greens as a base it makes a cooling and delicious easy to prepare lunch or vegie accompaniment to dinner. AND …. freshly picked zucchini have a delightful crispness about them that makes them perfect for salads and that is why paddock to plate is so much better. Zucchini that have been stored or travelled distances lose that shiny surface that is indicative of very fresh zucch’s.
Basil glorious basil is in abundance at Bio Organic Farm right now too so enjoy a traditional basil pesto or simply add it to your pizza for the delightful authentic Italian pizza experience.
Recipe below.
- Stallholder Changes this Week:
ABSENT this week:
- Tusta’s Heart and Halo PLUS his turmeric chai for real spicy chai lovers AND
- Leanne and Anne Marie’s Doggie-licious treats
- One Organics
They’ll all be back next week.
Entertainment: Tin Parlour – Jane Garrett with Chris on base and Thom on drums.
Weather Mostly sunny and very warm with overnight temperatures of around 11 and 15 degrees with daytime temperatures reaching 26 to 31.
Produce of the week (newest season produce is in bold):
- Apples –
- Avocados – Hass and Reeds at JRA; Hass at Everest Farm and Narbey’s Best Avocados
- Bananas
- Beans
- Beetroot
- BLUEBERRIES
- Broccoli
- Capsicum
- Cabbages
- Carrots
- Cauliflowers
- Celery
- Cucumbers
- Custard apples
- Eggplant
- Fennel
- Kale
- Leafy greens
- LEEKS
- Limes
- Microgreens and sprouts
- Passion fruit
- Paw Paw
- Pears
- Peas
- Radish
- Rhubarb
- Silverbeet and spinach
- STRAWBERRIES
- SUGAR CANE JUICE
- Tomatoes
- Zucchini
Zucchini, Thyme and Pecan Salad
(adapted from Yotam Ottolenghi’s Courgette, thyme and walnut salad)
This needs to be dished up the moment it’s made, before the courgettes start ‘weeping’ and losing their freshness, so don’t let it sit around for too long. It goes well with meat from the grill or alongside a bunch of meze.
Prep 10 min
Cook 15 min
Serves 4
3 tbsp olive oil
10g thyme sprigs
1 lemon – peel finely shaved into 6 strips (avoid the bitter white pith), then juiced, to get 2 tbsp
1 garlic clove, smashed with the flat side of a knife
600g courgettes (zucchini) (a mix of green and yellow looks great, if you can find both), trimmed and shaved into long, thin ribbons with a potato peeler or mandoline
60g walnut halves (pecan halves – I always add more ) roughly chopped
Salt and black pepper
15g basil, roughly shredded
Put the oil, thyme, lemon peel and garlic in a small saucepan on a low heat and leave to infuse for eight minutes, until the oil becomes aromatic and the garlic, lemon and thyme start to colour. Take off the heat, leave to cool, then strain the oil into a large bowl. Pick the leaves off the sprigs and add to the oil; discard the sprigs, lemon and garlic.
Put the courgettes, walnuts, lemon juice, a third of a teaspoon of salt and plenty of pepper into the oil, then massage the courgettes for a minute or so – they will break up a little – then stir in the basil and serve at once.
