- Lettuce
- Radishes
- Sweet peppers
- Hot peppers
- Dill or parsley
- Basil or shiso
- Spinach or chard
- Tomatoes
- Radicchio (please see recipe below, the key to removing the hint of bitter is to soak in ice water for at least 30 minutes before preparing) or broccoli (just poking along, not enough for the whole group)
- Carrots or beets
- Onions
- Leeks
- Potatoes
- Apples
- Cucumbers or zucchini (both are winding down so enjoy the last of these summer treats)
- Green Beans
We continue to plug away at two weeks worth of work, digging (literally) out of our back log of weeding, transplanting and cleaning from our vacation. We are two weeks away from our harvest festival and there is a lot to get ready and clean. The return to dry weather has been hard on our crops as they are stressed in the dry earth and the pest pressure is still super high. We are preparing to plant cover crop in the next weeks as well as garlic and we hope to keep our energy up as we near the end of the season.
We were inspired by all the cheese in Switzerland and sheep in Iceland and we have gone crazy. Juvencio has purchased a herd of dairy crossed with meat goats from a long time friend. These friendly goats will arrive in the next few weeks. He got two white Saanan does. They are skittish and shy but hopefully will be the basis for our dairy herd. He also got two colored Saana does who are at the breeder right now! Yikes, from 0 to 11 in two weeks. He brought the white does home yesterday and put them in the goat pen. We went on harvesting and within an hour we could not find them. Juvencio went racing over to the neighbors with the trailer as he saw two white forms in the distance. They were not there. He road the quad all over the area through the edge of the neighbor’s field and around the perimeter of our field and no sign of the new does. It was getting dark and we were resigned to having lost our new goats when Juvencio decided to look for a third time under the barn. There they were, resting under the barn, wide eyed. The goat stories begin.
He bought a new ram for our sheep, his name is Ramon. He is adorable, with a wiry coat instead of wool. He is like a dog rather than a ram and his owners promised he would not turn into an aggressive pain in the rear. He is a Dorper. This is a breed of sheep developed in South Africa in an effort to produce a meat sheep. They crossed the Dorset Horn with the Blackhead Persian sheep and developed this breed. They are stocky and have the ability to graze well in areas of irregular and low rainfall. They do not need to be sheered and we are hooked. Ramon is so cute and we can’t wait to see his offspring in the spring.
All of this activity on the farm happened with the backdrop of politics and senate hearings all week. So much could be said, I guess what I will say is I hope everyone is paying attention. Will this country go forward in placing another man on the supreme court who has credible allegations of sexual abuse against him? How far have we come since Anita Hill? Will we in Oregon change our values of fairness, openness and rejection of racial profiling? Or will we stand up and say no to measures 103, 104, 105 and 106? It is up to all of us to speak out, call our senators, walk the streets and tell our neighbors. Your farmer is encouraging you to use your voice.
Farm Events:
- Harvest Festival – October 14 from 2-6 p.m. bring a dish to pass and pizza topping as well as dishes and silverware for your family, see flyer!
- Thanksgiving Harvest – Sunday 11/18 thru Monday 11/19. This is a special harvest add on. The cost is $40 and the harvest is bountiful. We ask that you prepay and sign up in the cooler for this special harvest. We will have lots of fall favorites including but not limited to: spinach, brussels sprouts, broccoli, pumpkins and winter squash, onions, leeks, lettuce/salad mix and more.
- Accepting deposits for the 2019 season – $100 non-refundable deposit saves your spot for the 2019 season.
- Still time to sign up and help us harvest! There are so many veggies we can’t do it ourselves. Please do sign up, we are down to Juve (and me on Sundays when I am not on call).
See recipes below:
Spinach, Radish Slaw with Crispy Chiles and Pepitas
2 tablespoons Sherry wine vinegar
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
6 dried Anaheim or dried New Mexico chiles,* stemmed
Canola oil
2/3 cup shelled raw pepitas (pumpkin seeds)
4 9-ounce bags spinach leaves (not baby spinach)
2 10-ounce bunches large red radishes, trimmed
4 ounces Cotija cheese or feta cheese, crumbled
Whisk both vinegars and mustard in small bowl. Gradually whisk in olive oil. Season to taste with salt and pepper. DO AHEAD:Dressing can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate. Bring to room temperature before using.
Cut chiles in half lengthwise; discard seeds. Using scissors, cut chiles crosswise into 1/4-inch strips. Pour enough canola oil into large skillet to reach depth of about 1/8 inch; heat over medium-high heat. Add chiles and fry until beginning to crisp, about 45 seconds. Using slotted spoon, transfer to paper towels to drain. Add pepitas to same skillet and fry until golden brown and crisp, 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer to another set of paper towels to drain. Sprinkle chiles and pepitas with salt. Cool completely. DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 day ahead. Store airtight at room temperature.
Line 1 large bowl and 1 small bowl with paper towels. Working in batches, stack spinach leaves into piles and cut crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick strips. Transfer to prepared large bowl.
Using grating disk on processor, grate radishes. Place in strainer set over another bowl; drain 15 minutes. Transfer to small bowl lined with paper towels. DO AHEAD: Can be made 8 hours ahead. Cover; chill.
Place spinach, radishes, chiles, pepitas, and cheese in very large bowl. Toss with dressing. Season with salt and pepper.
* Available at some supermarkets and at specialty foods stores and Latin markets.
Bon Appétit
December 2008
by Tori Ritchie
RADICCHIO SALAD WITH SPANISH BLUE CHEESE AND PEPPERED ALMONDS
1 head butter lettuce, torn into bite-size pieces
1 head radicchio, torn into bite-size pieces
8 ounces blue cheese (preferably Cabrales), crumbled
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
5 tablespoons almond oil or olive oil
Peppered Almonds
Combine lettuce, radicchio and cheese in large bowl. Pour vinegar into small bowl. Gradually whisk in oil. Toss lettuce mixture with vinaigrette. Season salad with salt and pepper. Sprinkle Peppered Almonds over and serve immediately.
Bon Appétit
March 2000
Toro Bravo’s Radicchio Salad
- 2 to 3 heads radicchio
- 1/4 cup good-quality balsamic vinegar
- 1/4 cup good-quality sherry vinegar
- 1 red onion, chopped
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 3/4 cup olive oil
- 1 + 1/2 cups Manchego, grated and divided
In a large bowl, add the balsamic vinegar, sherry vinegar, and chopped red onion (I used 1/2 of a large red onion). Let it sit for 1 hour and then strain out the onions. (you can keep the pickled onions for another dish if you like)
Remove core from the radicchio and chop into 1-inch pieces. Place the chopped radicchio in a large bowl, fill with cold water and some ice cubes. Let it sit for 15 minutes to remove some of its bitterness, strain and then spin in a salad spinner until dry.
Add the honey and olive oil to the strained vinegars and whisk well, I use this stick blender which works great. Depending on the size of your radicchio you may not need all the dressing.
Toss the radicchio with the dressing until evenly coated. Add 1 cup of finely grated Manchego, salt, and toss again.
To serve, top the salad in a serving bowl with the remaining 1/2 cup grated Manchego. Serves 4-8.
Adapted from Food52’s Toro Bravo recipe