- • Lettuce
- • Carrots or beets
- • Spinach or chard
- • Kale
- • Broccoli (its back and its big! We love fall broccoli)
- • Tomatoes
- • Cherry tomatoes (love them while we have them the rain splits their skins)
- • Spaghetti Squash (did we overdo it???)
- • Cucumbers (they are winding down, enjoy while you can, just a few weeks left)
- • Sweet peppers (yellow “Palladio”, red “Lipstick”, “Carmen”, “Italian”)
- • Hot peppers (“Ho chi min”, “Kung pao”, “Cayenne”)
- • Onions
- • Garlic
- • Beans (they are back and they are sweet and long, enjoy!)
- • Fennel
- • Basil (If you need extra basil, purchase an extra plant $2, time to make your pesto)
- • Eggplant
The canning party went off without any major hitches. Thanks to Jay and Mary Kay the organization was smooth. They laid out the cement patio with food prep and canning areas and Jay was the master sterilizer. Peggy assumed his role when he finally had to go to another engagement. Mary Kay managed to distribute recipes and answer questions while making the entire pickled beet recipe. People trickled in and began to harvest for their chosen recipe. There were 20 participant households and everyone had a job to do. We chopped, grated, peeled and roasted the different vegetables and fruits. In the end we had 17 different recipes made yesterday! Jocelyn had made 2 different plum recipes on her own earlier in the week to share as well. A special thanks goes out to Dan, Dee and Roy who hung in until the bitter end when all the produce was put back in the barn and the outdoor kitchen was spotless.
We made:
1. Plum-pear jam
2. Chipotles en Adobo
3. Mexican Pickled jalapenos
4. Pickled beets
5. Dill pickles
6. Belizian Habanero Sauce
7. Indian Tomato hutney
8. Jardinière
9. Shallot Marmalade
10. Tomatillo sauce
11. Zucchini red pepper relish
12. Pickled green beans
13. Plum chutney
14. Hot, hot, hot salsa
15. Chipotle tomato salsa
16. Hot cumin pickled zucchini
17. Ginger lemon zucchini marmalade
18. Jocelyn’s version of Aunt Sarah’s plum jam
19. Jocelyn’s Ofen Pflaumennub
We canned 517 jars! Every participant got to take home over 20 jars of canned goods to enjoy during the off season. Some people even got the canning bug, some already had it. I will post some of the recipes on the web under a canning tab.
The rain this week was a mixed blessing. It was the first real rain of the season, soaking the ground and greening up the grass. The fall crops are ecstatic (anthropomorphizing I know), the tomatoes grew a foot but split their skins. The late planted zucchini went wild with powdery mildew. Such is the life of a farmer, you win some and you lose some.
Juvencio managed to get 3 new piglets and a new buck all in one day! He feels the season winding down and looks towards his new meat business. We still have beef for sale, please call Juve for details 503-830-0342. They will go to the butcher end of this month. There are at least 2 whole animals left, purely grassfed beef. We are happy to announce that we will have at least 5 free range turkeys available for purchase for thanksgiving. They will be butchered on November 26 and will be here fresh for your thanksgiving table. They will be $4/pound (ranging from 15 – 35#) plus butcher fee. First come first serve, a $50 deposit is required to save your bird.
We have 8 weeks to go (16 harvests) until the end of the season and they are generally huge harvests. We have very few people signed up to help in September and none in October. Please do lend a hand if you can. Our kids are busy with their sports and Jacob heads back to U of O this week, we need the extra help. We must call out a special thanks to our Wednesday helpers; Marianne, Eldon, Catherine, Ann, Bob and Jean. This crew has sent 2-3 members every week to help Juvencio throughout the season.
Mark your calendars for the following events:
1) September 22 – Helvetia culture fest 1-4 p.m.! 3 miles from La Finquita, details on the sign in table
2) October 20 – Harvest Festival at La Finquita. 2-6 p.m.!!
3) October 28,31 – last harvest of the season
4) November 24,25 – Thanksgiving harvest add on, sign-up early and get the best of the last of the season, $35
Enjoy your week and check out these recipes;
Basil Garlic Spread
1 clove garlic 1 cup cottage cheese
¼ cup basil leaves ½ feta cheese
1/3 cup green onion
In food processor, add garlic, basil, green onion; process until finely chopped. Add chesses, pulse until blended but still chunky. Chill before serving.
Beets with Fennel (My version as I couldn’t find the book I got the delicious recipe from)
1 bunch beets (steamed, leave 1” of tops and the whole root on, steam and then peel)
1 fennel bulb cut in quarters and then slice thinly
1 sweet onion, chopped finely
Toasted walnuts, about 1 cup
2 tablespoons of chopped parsley
Vinaigrette
4 T extra virgin olive oil (is there any other kind?!)
1 teaspoon walnut oil (I used sesame)
1 T, plus a dash more Champagne vinegar
Salt and pepper
Mix cooked beets, onion, fennel and walnuts together, add parsley and toss with vinaigrette. Chill or serve warm, we loved it.
EGGPLANT, ZUCCHINI, RED PEPPER, AND PARMESAN TORTE
2 large onions (about 1 pound)
1 garlic clove
about 1/2 cup olive oil
a 26- to 32-ounce container chopped tomatoes
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh sage leaves
1 1/2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh thyme leaves
2 large eggplants (about 2 1/2 pounds total)
4 large zucchini (about 1 3/4 pounds total)
4 large red bell peppers
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 cup milk
1 cup heavy cream
3 large eggs
6 ounces freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano (about 2 cups)
Halve onions through root end and thinly slice. Finely chop garlic. In a large heavy skillet cook onions with salt to taste in 2 tablespoons oil, covered, over moderately low heat, stirring occasionally, until soft, about 15 minutes. Add garlic and cook mixture, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until any liquid onions give off is evaporated. Add tomatoes with juice, sage, and thyme and simmer, stirring occasionally, until excess liquid is evaporated and mixture is very thick. Season mixture with salt and pepper and cool. Preheat oven to 450°F. Brush at least 2 shallow baking pans with some remaining oil.
Cut eggplants crosswise into 1/3-inch-thick rounds and arrange in one layer in baking pans. Brush eggplant slices with some remaining oil and roast in upper and lower thirds of oven, switching position of pans halfway through roasting time, until tender and golden, about 20 minutes. Cool eggplant 5 minutes and transfer with a slotted spatula to paper towels to drain.
Cut zucchini lengthwise into 1/3-inch-thick slices and roast in same manner until tender and pale golden, about 25 minutes. Cool zucchini 5 minutes and transfer to paper towels to drain.
Quarter bell peppers lengthwise and discard stems, seeds, and ribs. Arrange peppers, skin sides up, in oiled baking pans and brush with some remaining oil. Roast peppers in same manner until tender and lightly browned, about 20 minutes. Cool peppers 5 minutes and transfer to paper towels to drain.
In a 1 1/2- to 2-quart heavy saucepan melt butter over moderately low heat and whisk in flour. Cook roux, whisking, 3 minutes and whisk in milk and cream. Bring mixture to a boil, whisking, and simmer, whisking occasionally, 2 minutes. Remove pan from heat and cool sauce 5 minutes. Whisk in eggs, two thirds Parmigiano-Reggiano, and salt and pepper to taste.
Preheat oven to 400°F. and lightly oil a 14- x 10- x 2 1/2-inch or other 3 1/2-quart shallow baking dish. In baking dish arrange half of eggplant, overlapping slices to form an even layer, and season with salt and pepper. Top eggplant with half of tomato mixture, spreading evenly, and pour about one third Parmigiano-Reggiano custard over it. Nestle half of zucchini in custard and season with salt and pepper. Top zucchini with half of peppers. Repeat layering, reserving half of remaining custard for topping. Pour reserved custard over final layer of peppers and sprinkle with remaining grated Parmigiano-Reggiano.
Bake torte in middle of oven until custard is puffed and golden brown, about 35 minutes. Let torte stand 10 minutes before serving.
Fennel and Red Pepper Salad
By MARTHA ROSE SHULMAN
This is one of my favorite salads. I make it for buffets all the time because it never gets soggy — the longer the vegetables marinate, the tastier the salad is.
For the salad:
1 pound trimmed fennel bulbs, quartered and cut into very thin crosswise slices
1 large red bell pepper, seeded and cut in thin 2-inch slices
1 to 2 tablespoons minced parsley
1 tablespoon minced chives
1 ounce shaved Parmesan
For the dressing:
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon sherry vinegar or champagne vinegar
1 small garlic clove, very finely minced or puréed
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
Combine the salad ingredients in a large bowl. Whisk together the lemon juice, vinegar, garlic, salt, pepper and olive oil. Toss with the salad and serve.
Yield: Serves six.
Advance preparation: This is a great keeper. The vegetables marinate in the dressing, and they don’t get soggy, just saturated and extremely tasty.
Nutritional information per serving: 137 calories; 11 grams fat; 2 grams saturated fat; 4 milligrams cholesterol; 8 grams carbohydrates; 3 grams dietary fiber; 128 milligrams sodium (does not include salt added during cooking); 3 grams protein
Provencal Zucchini and Green Torte (serves 8)
1 lb. greens, stemmed
2 Tbs olive oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
2 lbs zucchini cut into 1/4 inch dice
2-3 large garlic cloves, crushed
1/2 c. chopped parsley
1 tsp fresh thyme
1-2 tsp fresh chopped rosemary
3 large eggs
1/2 c. Arborio rice, cooked until tender
1/2 c.shredded Gruyere cheese
1 recipe yeasted Olive Oil Pastry
Before starting, make the olive oil dough and set it to rise while
you prepare filling.
Blanch the greens until just tender; drain and cool. Squeeze out
any excess water and finely chop.
Heat the oil in a large pan, then saute onions until tender. Stir
in zucchini, season with salt and cook until just tender–about 8
minutes. Stir in garlic and heat for 1 mnute more, then add
greens, herbs, mix well and remove from heat. Season with salt and
pepper.
Beat eggs in a separate bowl and reserve 2 Tbs for brushing crust.
Combine eggs, rice, cheese and veggie mixture.
Heat oven to 375. Oil a 10-12″ springform pan. Roll out 2/3 of
dough into a large circle to line springform with edges overhanging.
Scrape in filling. Roll out remaining dough to fit pan and place
onto filling; crimp edges together and brush with remaining egg.
Bake 40-50 mnutes.
Olive Oil Pastry
2 tsp yeast
1/2 c lukewarm water
1/2 tsp sugar
1 beaten egg
1/4 c olive oil
2 c. flour (can be up to 1/2 c. whole wheat)
salt
Dissolve yeast in water with sugar and let sit 5-10 minutes. Add oil
and eggs, then beat in flour and work just until a smooth elastic
dough. Place in an oiled bowl to rise for 1 hour until doubled
before using,