This past weekend was the fall open house and potluck at our CSA farm, Potomac Vegetable Farms. We stopped by Crooked Run Orchard for apple and pumpkin* picking first. It was such a gorgeous, warm fall day to be out in the orchards. When we arrived at PVF, we had missed the hayride but set to work breaking apart garlic cloves to be planted for next spring. The potluck was full of wonderful, nutritious food and the kids had quite a spectacular hay-fight in the wagon.

For the potluck, I brought mini muffins because they’re easy finger foods, always popular, and guarantee there will be something the toddler will eat. I had been meaning to try a chocolate zucchini bread recipe, and came across this one. I modified it slightly to incorporate my local, organic buckwheat flour. (Adding fiber to compensate for the sugar!)

Recipe: Whole-Grain Chocolate Zucchini Muffins
Adapted from The Barefoot Kitchen Witch

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 c unbleached flour
• 1 c buckwheat flour (or whole wheat)
• 1/2 c turbinado sugar
• 1/2 t salt
• 1/2 t baking soda
• 1 t baking powder
• 3/4 c milk
• 1/2 c oil
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 t vanilla
• 1 oz grated unsweetened fair-trade chocolate
• 1 c shredded zucchini

Instructions: Preheat oven to 350*. Lightly oil muffin tin. Combine dry ingredients and wet ingredients in separate bowls, then gradually pour dry into wet and stir until smooth. Pour into muffin tin and bake for 12-15 minutes for mini muffins (18-22 for regular size muffins). Makes 36 mini muffins. Enjoy!

*Crooked Run uses integrated pest management (IPM) techniques which means their apples are minimally-sprayed, better than conventional but not organic. Their non-tree crops are “eco-ganic.”

On last year’s trip to the Oregon coast, my mom and I visited the Lincoln City Farmers Market and came across the largest zucchini I’d ever seen. This year, we headed to the source, Barking Dog Farms, just south of Lincoln City at the base of the Siletz River. This was perhaps the greenest, lushest little farm I’ve ever seen, clearly benefiting from the cool, damp climate. The toddlers snacked on watermelon and picked dandelions while the rest of us checked out the offerings.

My sister-in-law chatted with the owner about their heirloom seed supplier as we drooled over the beautiful tomatoes, zucchini, and cut-to-order herbs and greens. I brought back a large, freshly harvested leek, garlic chives, romanesco zucchini, black russian tomato, pluots and some local goatzarella cheese from Fraga Farm. The leek and chives were used in my oven-roasted salmon, and I made a roasted zucchini, tomato and goatzarella salad to serve on the side. Just two of those hearty zucchini fed the entire family of 10!

Hitting the road soon? Check out Culinate’s “Local 50: Good things to eat in every state.”

This was another improvisational pasta night dish, as my original plans to use the last of my fresh ricotta were thwarted by the cheese having spoiled (so tragic). Fortunately, I still had some cream from last week’s shortcake, so this evolved into a springy green alfredo sauce. I thought it was yummy, but the husband felt it would be better if I had used bacon instead of zucchini …. you could certainly add meat to this recipe if you’re so inclined. I bet some Italian sausage would be good.

Recipe: Zucchini Alfredo Sauce

Ingredients:

• 1 c. shredded zucchini, strained/squeezed of excess liquid
• 1 white onion (fresh CSA spring onion)
• 1/3 c fresh parsley, finely chopped
• 1 T butter
• 1 T olive oil
• salt & pepper
• 1/2 c cream
• 1/4 c grated parmiaggiano

Instructions:

Melt butter and olive oil in saute pan over medium heat. Add onion and cook until onion begins to brown, about 8 minutes. Stir in zucchini and cook 2 minutes more. Add pinch of salt and pepper and cream and cook about 5 minutes, until cream begins to bubble. Stir in parsley and cheese and remove from heat. Toss with cooked pasta (used tagliatelle here) and enjoy!

Submitted for next week’s Presto Pasta Night, hosted by Once Upon a Feast. Check out this week’s round-up at Chew on That.