Secret Chocolate Cake from Simply in Season by Mary Beth Lind and Cathleen Hockman–Wert

2 c beets (cooked, peeled, and chopped)
1/2 c applesauce
Puree in blender until smooth, set aside

1 1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup oil
1/2 cup plain yogurt
3 eggs
Combine in large mixing bowl. Beat with electric mixer 2 minutes

1/2 cup cocoa (sifted)
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
Add along with puree beets: beat another 90 seconds.

1 1/2 c flour
1c whole wheat flour
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp ground cinnamon (optional)
Gradually sift into the batter, mixing it win with a spoon but stirring only until blended.

1/2 c chocolate chips and/or nuts (chopped)
Stir in. Pour into greased 9 x 13 inch/ 3.5 L baking pan. Bake in preheated oven at 350F (180C) until knife inserted in center comes out clean, 40-50 min. To bake in a bundt pan, pour half of batter into greased pan, sprinkle chocolate ships evenly on top, then add remaining batter.

Modified Version
For those of you that have tasted and enjoyed the modified version (albeit, less healthier), here are the following modifications:
1 a little more apple sauce, all made straight from apples, no sugar added (approx 1/4 cup)
2 add a extra heaping 1/2 c sugar
3 a healthy 1/4 c more of oil (or butter)
4 a bit less than 1/2 c extra of cocoa
5 All white flour instead of whole wheat, or just less whole wheat.

Martha’s Salsa Recipe

Ingredients:
1/2 Bushel tomatoes (paste)
jalapeno peppers to taste
4 white onions
1red onion
1 head garlic (minced)
Parsley
3 cups vinegar
3 tablespoons salt

Method:
1 Core and peel tomatoes
2 Coarsely chop tomatoes and drain some juice
3 Chop remainder and add to tomatoes in a pot (except parsley)
4 Add vinegar and salt
5 Simmer 15 minutes, add chopped parsley
6 Process in jars 15 min

Winter Warmer Soup from The Complete Encyclopedia of Vegetables and Vegetarian cooking by Roz Denny and Christine Ingram

3 medium carrots, chopped
1 large onion, chopped
1 large potato, chopped
1 large parsnip, chopped
1 large rutabaga, chopped
2 tbsp vegetable oil
2 tbsp butter
salt and ground pepper
1 piece fresh ginger, grated
1 1/4 cups milk
3 tbsp cream
2 tbsp dill
fresh lemon

1 Put the carrots, potato, parsnip, turnip and onion into a large saucepan with the oil and butter. Fry lightly, then cover and sweat the vegetables on a very low heat for 15 minutes, shaking the pan occasionally.

2 Pour in the water, bring to a boil and season well. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes until the vegetables are soft.

3 Strain the vegetables, reserving the stock, add the ginger and puree in a food processor or blender until smooth.

4 Return the puree and stock to the pan. Add the milk and stir while the soup gently reheats.

5 Remove from the heat, stir in the cream, dill, lemon juice and extra seasoning, if necessary. Reheat the soup, if you wish, but do not allow it to boil as you do or, or it may curdle.

Hi Martha
Here are the 2 recipes I promised. I hope you get time to make them. Soooooo good.
Colleen

Borscht (my own)
6 medium beets 5 cups water
1 medium onion 4-6 cloves garlic 2 T veg. oil
1 lb. lean ground beef 1/2 tsp white pepper
28 oz plum tomatoes 1 cup carrots (thinly sliced & cooked)
2 T red wine vinegar 2 T white sugar
dill & parsley to taste 2 bay leaves

Peel & quarter the beets & cook until tender in the 5 cups of water. Set aside the water until later. Skim if necessary.
In a large frying pan, sauté onion & garlic in vegetable oil until soft. Add ground beef, white pepper and the dill & parsley. Cook until meat is done. Drain any grease. Chop up plum tomatoes (drained, but reserve the juice) & add to cooked meat. Add carrots.
Pour all the meat ingredients into the reserved beet water.
Mix vinegar & sugar until dissolved. Add this to soup mixture.
Add bay leaves. Can add reserved tomato juice if prefer.
Simmer 1 hour.
Serve hot with a dollop of sour cream and crusty bread.

Curried Butternut Squash Soup (Silver Palate Cook Book)
4 T butter
2 cups finely chopped onions
4 – 5 tsp curry powder (we like 8-10 )
3 lbs squash (2 med. size)
2 apples, peeled, cored & chopped
3 cups chicken stock
1 cup apple juice
salt & freshly ground pepper to taste
1 unpeeled, shredded apple (garnish – optional)

Peel & dice squash. Set aside.
Cook onions & curry powder in a large heavy pot until onions
are tender. Add chicken stock, squash & chopped apples & bring to a boil. Reduce heat & simmer, partially covered, until squash & apples are tender.
Pour soup through a strainer & reserve the liquid. Gradually add solids & liquid to a blender. Process each batch until smooth.
Return pureed soup to the pot & add apple juice until soup is of the desired consistency.
Season with salt & pepper & simmer briefly to heat through.
Serve hot. Garnish with shredded apple (optional)

Here are two easy to make soup recipes from CSA member Becky Schindler.

Summer Squash Soup from Epicurious.com
Ingredients
3/4 stick (6 tablespoons) unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1 medium onion, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced crosswise
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 lb yellow summer squash, halved and thinly sliced
2 carrots, thinly sliced
1 yellow-fleshed potato (1/2 lb), peeled, halved,and thinly sliced
4 cups chicken stock or reduced-sodium chicken broth

Make soup:
Melt butter in a 6- to 8-quart wide heavy pot over moderate heat, then cook onion with salt, stirring, until softened, about 8 minutes. Add squash, carrots, potato, and stock and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, then simmer, partially covered, until vegetables are very tender, about 20 minutes. Remove from heat and cool soup, uncovered, 10 minutes.Working in batches, purée; soup in a blender until smooth (use caution when blending hot liquids) and transfer to a bowl. Return puré to cleaned pot and thin with water if desired; simmer 3 minutes. Season with salt.Swirl 1 tablespoon pesto (recipe on blog) into each bowl of soup.Cooks’ notes:-Soup (without pesto) can be made 2 days ahead and cooled, uncovered, then chilled, covered. Reheat before serving, thinning with additional water if desired.

-We make this soup every week…we have added some things to this basic recipe and used all kinds of different squash and it is excellent every time. There is no way to mess it up, it is pretty much fool proof. Makes a beautiful meal for my friends babe!

Leek and Potato Soup by Jill Wilcox

Ingredients
1 lb. leeks (about 3 medium)
3 tbsp butter
1 cooking onion, chopped
1 rib celery, finely sliced
2 medium potatoes, peeled and diced
3c water, chicken or veg. stock
2c milk or cream
chopped chives for garnish

To make the soup
1. trim the coarse green portion of the leeks. Cut leeks in half lengthwise, leaving the bulb end intact and clean well under running water. Shake off excess moisture and slice the leeks thinly, discarding the root end when you get to it.
2. In a stock pot, melt the butter over medium-high heat. Cook the leeks, onion and celery about 5 minutes until soft.
3. Add the potatoes and water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook about 25 minutes or until the potatoes are soft.
4. Add the milk (or cream) and return to a bare simmer. Season with salt and white pepper to taste. (You can puree the soup with an immersion blender at this stage if you wish or pass it through a food mill.)

Ever end up with more lettuce than you can get through in a week? Here’s soup that a group of CSA members found to deal with extra lettuce!

Choisy Soup(From Ricardo & Friends, Ricardo Larrivée )
Yield: 4
Ingredients:
Choisy Soup
1 x onion, chopped
2 tbsp (30 ml) butter
2 cups (500 ml) milk
3 cups (750 ml) chicken broth
3 cups (750 ml) potatoes, diced
Salt and pepper
6 cups (1.5 litres) left-over lettuce, coarsely chopped
1/4 cup (60 ml) sour cream
Cherry tomatoes cut in quarters
Directions:
Choisy Soup
Soften the onions with butter in a saucepan until tender.
Add milk, chicken broth and potatoes.
Bring to a boil. Cover and simmer over low heat for 20 minutes or until the potatoes are tender.
Add the lettuce and continue heating for 3 to 4 minutes.
Pour the soup in a blender to obtain a smooth purée. Put the purée through a strainer. Adjust the seasoning.
Pour the soup into four bowls. Garnish with sour cream and the cherry tomatoes.

The following is an email from CSA member, Helene Wyles, with a link for making ointment from calendual flowers as shown in the picture from our cutting garden.

Here is a link to make(edible) marigold ointment. I made it several years ago and gave it to a friend of mine who had sores on his legs. All the different meds the doctor prescribed did not help, but the ointment worked like a charm. I did use pure lard and the odour was not to my liking and I think vegetable shortening will work as well, the fat only is used to make the medicinal ingredients spreadable. Helene http://www.swedishbitters.com/calendula.htm

Are you wondering what to do with all the onions you received last week? Here is an idea for an unusual main course pie. There are more onions to come so if you have other good onion recipes please share them.

ONION PIE (Zwiebel Kuchen) from Farm Journal’s Country Cookbook c. 1959
A main-dish of German origin

Pastry for baked 10″ shell:
1 1/2 c. sifted flour
3/4 tsp. salt
1 1/2 tsp. caraway seeds
1/2 c. shortening
2 to 3 tbsp. water

Filling:
3 c. peeled onions, thinly sliced
3 tbsp. melted butter, margarine or fat
1/2 c. milk
1 1/2 c. dairy sour cream
1 tsp. salt
2 eggs, well beaten
3 tbsp. flour
Bacon slices

-Combine flour, salt and caraway. Add shortening; cut into flour until mixture resembles small peas and coarse cornmeal.
-Stir water in lightly with fork; stir until mixture adheres and follows fork around bowl.
-Turn onto floured board; roll to 1/8″ thickness. Fit into 10″ pie pan.
– Bake in hot oven (425 degrees F.) 10 minutes, or until lightly browned.

To make filling:
Saute onions in fat until lightly browned. Spoon into pastry shell.
-Add milk, 1 1/4 c. cream and salt to eggs.
-Blend flour with remaining 1/4 c. cream. Combine with egg mixture; pour over onion mixture.
-Bake in slow oven (325 degrees F.) 30 minutes, or until firm in center.
-Garnish with crisp bacon. (optional) Makes 8 servings.