summer veggie sheet pan gnocchi
and my fool-proof summer jam "recipe"
Well friends, happy July… is your corn knee high?
The combination of consistent rain and hot, humid days we’ve had recently has resulted in epic growth over every inch of the farm – corn, weeds, and all. Below are two photos taken from the exact same spot looking at our winter squash patch, taken exactly ONE week apart. One week! Nature is wild (and wildly productive).
Also growing like crazy? The blackberries. SO MANY BLACKBERRIES. I may be tired and dirty and sleep deprived, but I never feel so rich as when the blackberries are ripe and I can drag through the bushes to pick plump, sun-warmed berries off the branches, eating them with abandon and leaving bright purple stains on my fingers and lips.
There are always more berries than I can keep up with, and most years I only have time to throw excess fruit in a bag and freeze them until the winter when I’ve got the capacity to mess with them. But by some miracle, last weekend I made time to whip up a big batch of blackberry jam, which means that later this year when it’s freezing cold and the trees are bare, I can open a jar of blackberry jam and be instantly transported back to sweet summer abundance.
My go-to fruit jam “recipe”:
When it comes to making jam, it’s important to have the right fruit / sugar / acid ratio (I don’t use pectin). So here’s a very basic recipe guide, broken into two categories – one for high acid fruits and one for low acid fruits.
HIGH ACID FRUIT
High acid fruits: raspberries, blackberries, strawberries, grapes, sour apples, any kind of citrus
Find your ratio: Weigh your fruit, add half that weight in sugar. For every 2lbs of fruit, use 1 ounce (2 tablespoons) of lemon juice
For example:
2 lbs fruit
1 lb sugar
1 ounce (2 tablespoons) lemon juice
LOW ACID FRUIT
Low acid fruits = figs, sweet apples, blueberries, peaches, pears, nectarines, sweet cherries
Find your ratio: Weigh your fruit, add half that weight in sugar. For every 2 lbs of fruit, use 2 ounces (4 tablespoons) of lemon juice
For example:
2 lbs fruit
1 lbs sugar
2 ounces (4 tablespoons) lemon juice
PS – to learn my basic method for making jam, check out this recipe for fig jam (and just substitute with whatever fruit you’re using).
In other news, this week we officially made it to the halfway mark in our Summer CSA! 5 weeks down, 5 weeks to go, and I feel like we’re really hitting our stride. Here’s a look at all the goodness that went into our boxes on Tuesday:
PS – reminder that if you have any gardening or cooking related questions, I’m here to help! Send in your questions on our private community HELP LINE, there’s no question too big or small. :)
Keep reading for this week’s new recipe, summer veggie sheet pan gnocchi. It’s the first Friday of the month, which means the recipe is available to ALL subscribers!
Ever since developing this recipe for sheet pan gnocchi with mushrooms & sausage, I’ve been DREAMING of a summer version, filled with juicy summer tomatoes, corn, zucchini, and fresh basil. I knew the herby/salty Boursin cheese would make an irresistibly creamy sauce to pair with those summer flavors, and let’s just say… I was not wrong.
You’re going to want to stock up on gnocchi, because I can pretty much guarantee that once you try it, this little number will be on constant rotation in your kitchen this summer. (You can use fresh, frozen, or shelf stable gnocchi… I prefer the shelf stable 1lb packages found in the pasta aisle).
All I can say is that as a tired farmer with lots of veggies but zero free time, this recipe is the epitome of eating like a farmer in the chaos of summertime – zero fuss, minimal dishes, heaps of nourishing veggies, maximum flavor.
Just trust me on this one!
Keep reading for the full recipe (and a handy 1-page PDF for easy printing).
PS – This week *everyone* gets access today’s recipe! If you enjoy this newsletter and want to receive a new hyper-seasonal recipe every Friday, consider becoming a paid subscriber. Paid subscribers also get access to my (ever-growing) full recipe archive, handy gardening guides, video tutorials, and access to our private community Help Line.
Summer Veggie Sheet Pan Gnocchi
Serves 4
INGREDIENTS
1lb (1 package) gnocchi (shelf stable, fresh, or frozen – I prefer shelf stable in pasta aisle)
1 pint cherry tomatoes (about 2 cups), left whole
3 ears corn, kernels removed
1 zucchini, cut in half lengthwise and sliced into thin halfmoons
1 small red onion, finely chopped
¼ cup olive oil, plus more for drizzling
1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 round Boursin cheese (5 ounces)
Handful fresh basil, thinly sliced for garnish
PREPARATION
Heat the oven to 425F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil or parchment paper.
On the prepared baking sheet, combine 1lb (1 package) gnocchi, 1 pint cherry tomatoes, 3 ears corn (kernels removed), 1 thinly sliced zucchini, 1 diced red onion, ¼ cup olive oil, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, and ¼ teaspoon black pepper. Use your hands to toss and coat everything evenly.
Move the veggies and gnocchi to make a small hole in the center of the baking sheet. Place 1 round Boursin cheese in the hole and put the baking sheet in the oven. Roast for 30 minutes, removing the baking sheet once halfway through cooking to stir the gnocchi + veggies – just don’t disturb the Boursin cheese in the middle!
When the veggies are tender and the Boursin is beginning to brown, remove the baking sheet from the oven and use a large spoon to stir everything together, combining the Boursin cheese with the gnocchi and veggies.
Serve immediately in bowls topped with a drizzle of olive oil and fresh basil.
That’s all for this week! If you enjoyed this newsletter, it means the world if you tap that “heart” button below, share this with a friend, subscribe, or leave a comment (it really helps more people find this newsletter)! Thank you so much for your support!
what a gift you have given us in this great way to enjoy the best of "Abbondanz of asummer and easy too
Finally got around to making this and it is delicious!!