Week #4, 2020

  • Lettuce- 3-4 heads this week, enjoy the bounty as all the lettuce carefully seeded week by week comes ready at the same time!
  • Kale
  • Chard
  • Spinach
  • Bok Choy
  • Herb: parsley, dill, cilantro or thyme
  • Shallots( the last of these beauties until fall)
  • Walnuts
  • Chinese broccoli (hopefully enough for everyone – 🙂

Spring is as always, unpredictable! Nights are still cool and some days are quite hot. The rain was less than normal this last month and allowed us to till the fields and prep every bed. Juvencio made some of the most beautiful beds ever for planting onions and shallots. I am so close to being done with those alliums I can taste it. I got some help from family as we socially distanced and transplanted the Cipollini and Dakota Tears onion varieties. Today we hope to get the tomatoes in the ground. I am half way through (alright, maybe a bit optimistic) the peppers in our new hoop house and look forward to seeing how that low tunnel produces.

We are turning over the greenhouses from winter and spring to summer heat. The lettuce has gone crazy as I mentioned so it is really time to enjoy salad with every meal. Some or our favorite varieties are at their peak: Salanova butterhead, Salanova crisp, Rosaine mini-red romaine, Little Gem romaine, Nancy and Sylvesta are butterhead and some Deer Tongue.

If you have not made my dressing I can not help you, just try it! Recipe listed again below. The Kale Salad is also a winner, if nothing else just make the dressing!

The sugar snap peas are in full bloom, the garlic is pushing up it’s flower and the favas are knee high. It is crunch time on the farm right on que. Things seem normal and then they are not. Covid 19 has changed it all for us. Please continue to stay safe and keep your distance and wear your masks. We know how hard it is. We care about you and we care about our community. You have done a super job at coming to the farm and following the safety steps and we appreciate you. Please know that acts of kindness are not overlooked and are deeply appreciated. We will keep working to make this farm and our community .

You can still order veggie starts from our square site. I would love for you to pick up at the Beaverton Farmers market, but you can specify La Finquita and I will do what I can to have it come here to La Finquita if you can’t get there to pick up. Here is the site: https://pumpkinridgegardens.square.site/

Better.

Here is the first installment of “The COVID Kitchen”  or “How 2 adults consumed the full share from La Finquita in 1 week” by Sue Kass:

Sunday:Provencal greens soup (leftovers for Monday lunch)

Monday: Veggie pasta carbonara with spinach; kale salad

Tuesday: Greens with tahini, farro and pine nuts

Wednesday:

Swiss chard fritters:

“There’s something pure about these fritters – they’re all about the chard and herbs” – Yotam Ottolenghi Ingredients 400g /14oz Swiss chard leaves, stalks removed 30g / 1oz flat leaf parsley 20g / 3/4oz coriander 20g / 3/4oz dill 1 1/2 tsp nutmeg, freshly grated 1/2 tsp sugar 3 tbsp all-purpose flour 2 cloves garlic, crushed 2 eggs 80g / 3oz feta, crumbled 60ml olive oil Lemon wedges, for serving (I did not remove the stalks)

Method 1. Bring a pan of salted water to a boil, and simmer the chard for five minutes. Drain, squeeze dry, then whizz in a food processor with the herbs, nutmeg, sugar, flour, garlic, eggs, a third of a teaspoon of salt and some pepper. Fold in the feta by hand. 2. Pour a tablespoon of oil into a frying pan over medium-high heat and spoon in three heaped tablespoons of the mix, one per fritter. Press down gently to shape into 7cm wide, 1cm thick fritters, and cook for three to four minutes, turning once, until they take on some colour. Transfer to kitchen paper and repeat with the remaining fritter mix and oil. Serve hot with a wedge of lemon.

Thursday:  Indian night—saag paneer and cauliflower masala:

Small head of cauliflower, broken into bite-sized pieces and steamed until tender

1 tsp vegetable or coconut oil

1 tsp cumin seeds

1 tso grated ginger

1 shallot or small onion minced

2 green chiles (jalapeño) minced (deseed if want less heat)

10 curry leaves or handful fresh cilantro, chopped

1/2 tsp turmeric

1/2 c frozen peas

juice of one lemon

Heat the oil and add cumin seeds and toast until start to darken a bit;  then add onion, ginger, chiles and curry leaves. Saute until onions soften and fragrant. Add turmeric and stir well,  then squeeze in lemon juice,  salt to taste.

Friday:

leftovers with large salad

Saturday:  stir fried veggies (bok choy, radishes) with tofu.

Here is my salad dressing:Lyn’s Salad Dressing

1 cup olive oil

ÂĽ – 1/3 cup white balsamic vinegar (this is the key ingredient)

salt and pepper

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1 clove garlic pressed

Add all ingredients to a Mason jar and cover with lid.  Shake until creamy and well blended.

Here is what to do with Bok Choi:

Bok Choy:

from a CSA member:

Bok Choy: (the bok choy in the box was amazingly good!)

1 T oil

1.5 lbs bok choy

1 T light soy sauce

2 T chicken stock or water

Heat wok over moderate heat. Add oil and then bok choy. Stir fry 3-4

minutes, until leaves have wilted a little. Add soy sauce and chicken stock/water.

Continue to stir fry for a few more minutes, until the bok choy is done until still slightly

crisp.

Very easy, very good.

Source: Ken Hom’s Chinese Cookery

(very good recipes, clear instructions, and excellent taste)

SAUTEED BOK CHOY W/ CASHEW SAUCE

Serving Size : 4

1/2 c Cashews — roasted

1/4 c White vinegar

1/4 c Water

1/4 c Sugar

1/4 c Soy sauce

1 tb Ginger — minced

7 dashes Tabasco sauce

2 tb Basil — finely chopped

2 tb Mint — finely chopped

1 1/2 lb Bok choy — washed & dried 1/3 c Peanut oil 1. In a food processor or blender, combine the cashews, vinegar, water, sugar, soy sauce, ginger, Tabasco, basil and mint, and puree. 2. Separate bok choy leaves from stalks, and cut stalks into 1-inch-long- pieces. In a large sautĂ© pan, heat oil over high heat until hot but not smoking. Add bok choy and cook, stirring briskly, for 1 1/2 to 2 minutes, until it is bright green and well seared. Remove from heat, drape with cashew sauce and serve at once. Yield: 4 servings. Approximate nutritional analysis per serving: 340 calories, 25 grams fat, 0 milligrams cholesterol, 1,065: milligrams sodium, 7 grams protein, 25 grams carbohydrate. ** New York Times — Living Arts section — 29 November 1995 **

Bok Choy Stir Fry

This is an easy recipe.

1 1/2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce

1 tablespoon dry Sherry

1 teaspoon oriental sesame oil

1 teaspoon cornstarch

2 teaspoons vegetable oil

3 large garlic cloves, minced

1 tablespoon minced peeled fresh ginger

1/8 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper

3 1/2 cups thinly sliced trimmed bok choy

1 5-ounce can sliced water chestnuts, drained

3 green onions, cut into 1-inch pieces

10 1/2 ounces extra-firm tofu, drained, cut into 3/4-inch pieces

Combine first 4 ingredients in a small bowl; mix well. Heat vegetable oil until very hot in a heavy large wok or skillet over high heat. Add garlic, ginger and crushed red pepper. Stir-fry until aromatic, about 30 seconds. Add bok choy and stir-fry until just wilted, about 2 minutes. Mix in water chestnuts and green onions and stir-fry until onions are tender, about 1 minute. Add tofu and lightly stir-fry until tofu is just heated through, about 2 minutes. Pour over the soy mixture. Stir-fry until liquid boils and thickens, about 1 minute.

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