• Red Haven Peaches
•  “Rainbow” Swiss Chard (Cut stems & large veins from leaves; chop leaves & set aside. Chop stems & sauté in a little olive oil or butter over medium heat. When tender add leaves. Cook another 3-5 minutes. Add salt & pepper to taste. Then drizzle with a little bal-samic vinegar. Serve. You can also substitute Swiss Chard in one of the Kale recipes from last week’s CSA newsletter.)
•  Tomatoes—these will taste like real tomatoes!
• Beans—Blue Lake or Italian Romano.
•  “Cheddar” Cauliflower—you’ll need to add your own cheese! This cauliflower is a little sweeter than white cauliflower.
• Kohlrabi—‘Kolibri’ (purple) or ‘Superschmelz’ (green)

Green beans & other beans (kidney beans, navy beans & black beans) are all known scientifically as Phaseolus vulgaris. They are all referred to as "common beans," probably owing to the fact that they all derived from a common bean ancestor that originated in Peru. From there, they were spread throughout South & Central America by migrating Indian tribes & into Europe around the 16th century by Spanish explorers re-turning from their voyages to the New World.

 Green Beans are an excellent source of many minerals, particularly manganese, & Vitamins K & C. Also a very good source for Vitamin A & dietary fiber.
 Green beans, otherwise known as snap or string beans, are the most popular edible pod bean in the US.
 January 6 is National Bean Day

Storing: Keep green beans dry in a plastic bag in the refrigerator. They should stay fresh for 4-5 days. Wash beans thoroughly when ready to cook. Either leave beans whole or cut. If you want sweet tasting, crisp fresh beans, cut them as little as possible. Whatever cooking method you choose, remember to cook beans as little as possible, using the least amount of water possible.

Serves 4

Ingredients

Coarse salt & ground pepper

1 pound green beans, ends trimmed, halved crosswise

1 pound shrimp peeled & deveined medium shrimp, tails removed

1 cup couscous, you could use whole wheat couscous if available

1/2 cup fresh basil leaves, torn into pieces

2 tablespoons white-wine vinegar

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 cup chopped, fresh tomato

(Substitution options: cooked, diced chicken for shrimp; sesame oil for olive oil; cilantro for basil, rice vine-gar for white-wine vinegar. Could also add chopped onion, minced garlic, pinch red pepper flakes to bump up the flavor.)

Preparation
1. In a large saucepan with a lid, bring 1 cup salted water to a boil. Add green beans. Cover, & cook over medium-high heat until crisp-tender, 4 to 5 minutes. Add corn & shrimp. stir to combine. Cover, & cook until shrimp are opaque throughout, about 2 minutes.

2. Add couscous, & stir to combine; cover, & remove from heat. Let stand 5 minutes. Add basil, vinegar, & oil; sea-son with salt & pepper, & fluff with a fork. Top with chopped tomatoes. Serve.

Ingredients & Preparation:

To Sauté: Trim stem ends from beans. Blanch beans in boiling, salted water for 3-4 minutes, immediately cool down in ice bath. Dry. Heat 1 tablespoon oil/ butter in a large sauté pan over medium heat. (If using) add 1/2 cup chopped onions or shallots & 2 cloves garlic, minced & cook, stirring frequently, until soft & caramelized, 8-10 minutes. BE CAREFUL not to burn the garlic! Add green beans & raise heat to medium-high. Cook until heated through & beginning to brown in places, 3-4 minutes. Season with salt & pepper. Serve immediately.

Spicy version: Add 1/4 teaspoon red-
pepper flakes with onions & garlic.

Mushroom version: Add 1/2 pound sliced mushroom with onions/shallots & garlic.

To Steam: Bring 1 inch water to boil in large pot fitted with a steamer basket. Trim stem ends from beans. Add beans to steamer. Cover; steam until crisp-tender, 5-8 minutes.

With Nuts: Toast 1/2 cup coarsely chopped nuts in 350˚ oven for 6-7 minutes. Place steamed beans on a serving dish, drizzle with 1 tablespoon olive oil & season with salt & freshly ground pepper. Top with nuts. (can be served hot or at room temperature.)

With Pine Nuts: Toast 2 tablespoons pine nuts in a dry sauté pan over medium heat, until toasted, about 5 minutes. Season steamed beans with 1 tablespoon olive oil, salt & pepper. Top with pine nuts.

With Vinaigrette: Steam beans. Cool in an ice bath & dry. Transfer to a large bowl. In a small bowl whisk 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, 1 table-spoon white-wine vinegar, 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard, 1 teaspoon coarse salt, 1/4 teaspoon ground pepper until thickened & combined. Pour over beans, toss to coat.

With Dill Butter: Steam beans. Season with 1 tablespoon butter, 1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill (or 1/4 teaspoon dried) salt & pepper.

With Lemon Butter: Steam beans. Season with 1 tablespoon butter, 1 tablespoon lemon zest, salt & pepper. With Tarragon or Summer Savory: Steam beans. Season with 1 tablespoon butter, 1 tablespoon fresh tarragon or summer savory leaves, salt & pepper. These recipes suggest about 1 pound fresh green beans. About 4 servings.

Swiss Chard Frittata

www.marthastewart.com

Serves 4

Ingredients

1 large egg

 10 large egg whites

1/3 cup fresh part-skim ricotta cheese, pressed through a fine sieve

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil

2 leaves Swiss Chard, sliced 1/2 inch-thick (about 1 -1/4 cups), stalks removed & chopped into 1/2-inch pieces (1/2 cup)

1/2 large onion, thinly sliced crosswise (1/2 cup)

Preparation
Preheat oven to 375˚ degrees. Whisk together egg, whites, ricotta, salt, & pepper in a medium bowl.

Heat oil in a 10-inch ovenproof skillet over medium -high heat. Add Swiss Chard stalks & onion, & cook, stirring until onion is tender, about 4 minutes. Add Swiss Chard leaves, & cook, stirring until tender, about 1-1/2 minutes. Add egg mixture, & stir to distribute vegetables evenly. Place skillet in oven, & bake until eggs have set, about 13 minutes.

 Serve immediately.