My Summer on a Farm: CSA Dinner

Every year John, Lissa, Grant and Christy invite all of the CSA members to come over for dinner. The dinner is an excellent way for the CSA to see the where and how their produce is grown as well as a chance to taste some unique ways to prepare the veggies they get. Lissa is an incredible entertainer and she always puts on such nice events.
The farm was decorated in all the beautiful colors of fall; pumpkins, gourds and squash perfectly placed on bales of straw.
We have been talking about the menu for the last couple of weeks. We wanted to make sure that our CSA had an opportunity to try some things they may have not had before....

Decorated tables

The menu:
Bacon, Jalapeno and Cheddar Dip: This was a great way to showcase the Jalapenos. Do not fear the heat of a jalapeno, the pepper can add great flavor with out making the dish hard to eat. The bacon and cheddar make it a perfect partnership.
Golden Tomato Soup: Using yellow tomatoes gave the soup a sweeter flavor, but satisfied like the classic red. It was a little cool out so this was a great way to start the dinner. Lissa added a swirl of home made basil oil.
Christy's Foccacia Bread: As far as bread goes...it doesn't really get any better. I have had the privilege to eat quite a bit of this bread this summer; it is perfectly seasoned and airy, seriously perfect.
Ratatouille: Christy used Julia Child's recipe and it was a great way to showcase lots of vegetables; she used eggplant, zucchini, onions, peppers, tomatoes, garlic and parsley were all from the garden. Ratatouille can be made using any of your favorite vegetables so try it at home.
Antipasto: An assortment of pickled vegetables including beans, peppers, carrots, radishes and cucumbers. There were both spicy and sweet pickles, can't wait to start pickling things this fall.
Cucumber, Tomato, Pepper, and Bulgur Salad: Bulgur is a great grain to try if you have not; it is very nutritious and will add a whole grain to your diet.
Patty Pan Squash: If you have ever read my blog you know how much squash we had this year. It seemed only right to make it the main course of the CSA dinner. Lissa hollowed the patty pans and stuffed them with green and yellow summer squash, purple onions, garlic, tomatoes, peppers, and cheese then topped with a tikka masala sauce.
Apple Pudding and Zucchini Cake: Dessert, some would argue the most important part of the meal. Dinner never really seems over until you have something sweet. Lissa made a chocolate zucchini cake that was moist and chocolatey. The apple pudding, kind of like apple crisp, was Lissa's mother recipe and tasted great.