Recipe from the Farm Box: Using up tomatoes

ANNOUNCEMENT! 

Quick! Look to the left hand side of the blog... Do you see it? That's right! The Suggestion Box is up and running! This blog is constantly evolving, dear sweet readers, and in the end that evolution is all about YOU. So if you have a suggestion on how to make it better, or a recipe I should try, or anything you can think of, reach out to me at jackieandthefarmbox@gmail.com. 

Of course what I am SURE you are more excited for, is the prospect of being involved in the fantastic torture that is the Chopped Challenges. So if you have a suggestion of an ingredient he should try, or a combination of ingredients, now you can write The Husband at TheHusband519@gmail.com. 

You might just see your suggestions on this very page! 

Now Back to Your Regularly Scheduled Programing!

I've been slacking, dear sweet readers, The Box ingredients have been piling up in my Fridge and on my counter and some of them have gone to that sweet sad place, the trash, because of my neglect. So when The Husband walked through the door, The Box in hand,  I knew the goal was, this week, to get rid of some of the items I have in over abundance. Here is what I got:

• Dinosaur Kale
• Celery
• White Eggplant
• Red Tomatoes
• Heirloom Tomatoes
• Cucumbers
• Zucchini
• NY White Garlic
• Leek Flowers
• Peaches

Dear sweet reader, that brought the Zucchini count to at least 4 big fatties in my crisper drawer. The Green count to One HUGE bunch of Swiss Chard (about to go bad) and two kinds of kale. Three fat cucumbers, and an EXCESS of Tomatoes. This weekend will be about cleaning out my fridge BEFORE things go bad. The first step, USE UP SOME TOMATOES, and I know exactly how to do that.

Recipe From the Farm Box: Just Like Grandma Made It

My Grandmother was a saint. When I say Grandma Jenny was a Saint I don't mean she was a good person, I mean she is a literal Saint. Saint Jenny, at least she is well on her way. She was the Matriarch of a very Italian family. As smart as they come, never had an unkind word to say, deeply committed to her faith and her family. When she died in 2010 I knew that if she was right and there is a heaven, a god, and god had a son named Jesus like she believed so truly, then Grandma Jenny was up there talking his ear off while she watched our family grow. I miss her a lot. But her faith, her love and her intelligence isn't what convinces me she is on her way to sainthood. See to become a saint, in accordance with the Catholic Church, you need to perform at least two posthumous miracles, meaning from beyond the grave. And I know for a FACT my Grandmother already has ONE under her belt.

You see my extended family owns a house in Seaside Heights. This house is beloved by all who have spent many a summer there, and although my Grandfather and his brothers built it with their own bare hands it is fair to say that, well, it's a shore house and it's a little rugged. The shore house is a block from the Boardwalk, really prime location.  But when Superstorm Sandy Hit in 2012, the family was SURE it was gone. More modern homes had succumbed and squashed to nothing. The House had had a good run, we were prepared for the worse, but anxious for news. It took a while for the authorities to allow access to the Island, but when they did, wouldn't you know it, that old house was still standing. And more than that, it was standing with NO damage. Two blocks down, flooding, two blocks the other direction, wind damage, homes destroyed, millions of dollars of devastation, but our little shore house apparently stood its ground. Not even water on the first level and this year we celebrated its 50th anniversary. It was a miracle, I know it, and only one person had the love capable of preserving something so dear to the family she loved so hard, and that was my Grandma. Now I just need to keep my eye out for Miracle number 2 and I'll be direct dialing the Pope.

Anyway, ok dear reader, why am I, this little Jewish girl, telling you this story? Well because it's an awesome story, and so that you can understand why the simple recipe that follows remains one of my favorites. And it is deliciously created with only a few simple ingredients. One of which, is Broccoli.