Ann Bennett's Best Zucchini Pineapple Bread

For this recipe, you'll need 2 medium to large Ambler Farm zucchini.

Ingredients:
5 eggs, beaten until frothy
1-1/4 cups vegetable oil
2-1/2 cups sugar (or 1/2 cup brown sugar and 1/2 cup regular)
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
3-1/2 cups ubleached white flour, unsifted
1 cup toasted wheat germ
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1 tablespoon baking powder
3 cups firmly packed shredded zucchini (for which you'll need 2 medium to large zucchini)
1 cup drained crushed pineapple

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. To the beaten eggs, add oil slowly, then blend in sugar and vanilla. Beat until lemon-colored. Add remaining ingredients and mix well. Pour into three loaf pans (7x3 inches or 8x3). Bake for 1 hour or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Enjoy the bread!

Sauteed Squash Blossoms a la Michele Bennett

Squash blossoms bathe in sunshine at Ambler Farm.

Sautéed squash (or zucchini) blossoms

Rinse and pat dry 1-2 dozen blossoms.

Heat ½ inch canola oil in a wide sauté pan to 375 degrees (the surface of the oil should be shimmering, NOT bubbling).

While the oil is heating, beat two eggs in a bowl and add one-third to one-half cup whole wheat flour and beat mixture until thick. Using a hand beater, mix in 1/3-1/2 cup club soda until the consistency is a thin batter.

Using tongs, dredge zucchini blossoms in batter and carefully place in heated oil for about 3 minutes (do not stir).  Then flip each blossom over and saute for an additional one to two minutes. 

Remove to paper towel-lined plate to drain.  Season with salt and pepper.  Serve immediately.  These are also good with Chalula or Tabasco sauce.

 

Latest developments in the field

It’s vocabulary time at Ambler Farm, and the word of the week is: parthenocarpic. The term refers to the production of fruit and vegetables without fertilization (it comes from the Greek parthenos, which means virgin). What does it have to do with Ambler Farm? Here’s a clue: what do you think is growing under the two rows in the organic farm covered with the long white tents?

 Answer: cucumber and squash, both of which are parthenocarpic (that is, the varieties grown at Ambler Farm are). And since they don’t need to be pollinated, Farmer Ben is able to use row covers like the ones shown in the picture instead of pesticide to protect them from the cucumber beetle, which would otherwise be ravishing both their roots and leaves.

Also worth noting are the planting beds that lie under a stretchy black covering, with openings created for seedlings. This is a new biodegradable film made from corn-starch that breaks down into mulch and can also be composted. In the time it takes seedlings to set strong roots and begin to grow, the material interacts with temperature, humidity, and microorganisms in the ground and breaks down into water, carbon dioxide, and biomass without leaving any toxic residue behind. In the meantime, it keeps the soil warm, keeps out insects and weeds, prevents erosion and also promotes healthy plants by keeping dirt from splashing up onto their leaves.

 Developed in Europe, the bodegradable film has been approved for use in organic agriculture in Canada but not yet approved by the Organic Materials Review Institute in the U.S. Ambler Farm is one of the first in the area to try out this promising new technology.

In the next edition of this blog, we’ll publish a row-by-row map of the organic production garden, indicating exactly what’s growing where.







  RestaurantUpdate

Produce from Ambler Farm is gaining a following at restaurants around the area. So far, we’re selling mainly greens, but as the season goes on, we’ll sell other items as well. Barcelona and The Tuscan Oven have been serving Ambler Farm produce for a year or more. Now they're joined by some new names. Next time you dine at (or buy our produce from) any of the establishments listed below, please applaud their decision to support local food -- and Ambler Farm.



Barcelona
63 North Main Street
Norwalk, CT 06854-2703
www.barcelonawinebar.com

Dressing Room
25 Powers Court
Westport, CT 06880-3621
www.dressingroomhomegrown.com

LL Farmstand
730 Post Road East
Westport, CT

Martel Restaurant
2316 Post Road
Fairfield, CT 06824
http://www.martelrestaurant.com/hours.html

Schoolhouse Restaurant
25 Cannon Road
Wilton, CT 06897
http://www.theschoolhouseatcannondale.com/

Tuscan Oven
544 Main Avenue – Route 7
Norwalk, CT 06851
http://www.tuscanoven.com/

Post-script
If you haven’t heard the story about how the Schoolhouse’s e-mail mishap created an instant social network and won it some new friends, you can read all about it right here.