Week #14

• · Lettuce – with the heat some of the lettuce gets bitter, feel free to remove the outer leaves and eat the sweet hearts
• · Cucumber – hurray, they are finally here, get ready for the on slot, there are many varieties from “Genuine” to Middle Eastern (small with thin skins you can just wash and put in your mouth) to Suyho Long (a huge bumpy cuke that is sweet but needs to be peeled)
• · Zucchini – green, striped, yellow, yellow and green, patty pan, take your pick and try them all
• · Basil – enjoy fresh on sandwiches or in sauces but don’t leave it behind
• · Fennel – nice sliced thin, see recipes below
• · Kale
• · Green and purple beans – first of the season and just getting started enjoy steamed, raw, stir fried and pickled
• · Cabbage or cauliflower
• · Carrots or beets
• · Garlic
• · Chives – we chopped them fine into grass fed beef hamburgers, delicious
• · Walla Walla onions – these were planted in March and are just sizing up, you’ll love them sliced or sautéed

Weeding and cleaning have occupied much of this week. The corn grows taller but so do the weeds. The hoop houses are cleared of their spring crops and many of them are reseeded with crops that will be eaten in fall and winter. Beets, carrots, and daikon are seeded and more green beans are transplanted.

Some of my time was taken up writing letters and strategizing about how to save Helvetia from urbanization right on the UGB. Washington County has extra money for the Brookwood parkway expansion project and they are looking to build roads. These roads increase traffic and change the rural scenery forever. Witness the horrid McDonalds at the corner of Cornelius Pass Road and West Union. We will once again be testifying about the value of rural lands, our farm and local food. We need your help as we continue to push to save farm land.

We sent out an urgent email this week about Washington County’s plan to direct traffic from the Silicon Forest below Hwy 26 north to our backyard on Dick and West union. We asked members to send in letters of comment to present to the planning commission. We received a few letters and realize it was short notice, but the response was fairly anemic given we have over 100 member families. Please take time to get involved. We know it is tiring, believe me, to have to continually be vigilant about land use issues, but they (City of Hillsboro and Washington County) will not be satisfied until The urban sprawl consumes all close in farmland. Please write a short letter and bring it signed to the farm and we will present it to the Commission on July 24^th when we take time from farming and my other job to present our case to the Planning commission.

Last of the farm news for now: tomatoes are on the way, we hope to have enough cherry tomatoes and other early varieties to offer them by the end of July! Keep your fingers crossed. Thanks to those who show up to help harvest, the work continues. Mark your calendars for the Harvest Festival October 14^th and afternoon of fun and celebration of the farm. The canning party may or may not happen I haven’t been able to find a date that works with all that is going on in September, I will keep you posted.

Becca’s favorite Thai Cumber salad with Roasted Peanuts

¼ cup fresh limejuice
1 ½ tablespoons fish sauce (nam pla)
1 ½ tablespoons sugar
1 ½ tablespoons minced seeded jalapeno chili (about 1 large)
2 garlic cloves
1 ½ English hothouse cucumbers, halved, seeded, thinly sliced
¾ cups sliced red onion
2 tablespoons fresh mint
3 tablespoons coarsely chopped lightly salted roasted peanuts

Whisk first 5 ingredients in medium bowl.  Place cucumbers, onion, and mint in large bowl.  Add dressing and toss to coat.  Season salad to taste with salt and pepper.  Sprinkle on peanuts and serve.


Basil Pesto

• Basil leaves (removed from tough stems, washed and dried gently)
• Galic cloves minced
• Pine nuts
• Olive oil
• Parmesan cheese

This recipe doesn’t have exact measures but I usually start with the cheese in the food processor and grind it fine. Then I remove it and all basil leaves and garlic to the bowl. Grind fine then add 1-4 tablespoons of pine nuts and then while motor is running add a stream of olive oil and the parmesan. I like the consistency to be pasty not too dry. I then add this to 1 pound of cooked pasta al dente. Mix well and serve with additional cheese on top.

Fennel and Goat Cheese Salad

1 large round fennel

fine sea salt

¼ pound goat (creamy) cheese

black pepper from a pepper mill

3 T olive oil

Thinly slice fennel place in bottom of deep serving dish and sprinkle with salt. Add cheese in 1/4” rounds place over fennel. Pepper on medium grind liberally and drizzle with oil. Serve.

Zucchini Pesto

Lyn–this is the one that was in the Oregonian–it’s quite good! Pretty tasty straight up, but seems like it would be great on crostini or pizza, or w/chicken or fish, for instance…

1/2 c olive oil
1 large shallot chopped (I used a sweet onion)
6 garlic cloves
3 Tbs toasted blanched almond slivers
1 medium zucchini, cut into 1/2 ” dice
1 c basil leaves
1 tsp lemon juice
salt and pepper to taste.

Sauté garlic and onions in 1Tbs oil until softened, not browned. Transfer to blender or processor and blend with remaining ingredients (except oil) until smooth. Gradually add in oil with blender running until smooth and creamy. Season w/S&P to taste.

Apparently keeps several days in fridge or freezes well

Zucchini with Opal Basil, Pine Nuts, and Parmigiano-Reggiano, Local Flavors, Deborah Madison

1 pound or more zucchini, 6 to 8 inches long

sea salt and freshly ground pepper

¼ cup pine nuts

extra virgin olive oil

freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano

10 large opal basil leaves, or other basil, torn

1. slice the squash in half lenghwiise, then steam or simmer in salted water until tender. Meanwhile, toast the pine nuts in a dry skillet over medium heat until golden.

2. When the squash is done, arrange it on a platter, cut side up. Drizzle olive oil over it and season with salt and pepper. Grate a veil of cheese over the squash, add the pine nuts and basil and serve

Fennel and Quinoa salad with Parsley and Dill

Living, Martha Stewart

serves 4

1 medium fennel bulb, trimmed

1 cup quinoa

2 cups water

1 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves

2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill

¼ cup fresh lemon juice (from 1 to 2 lemons)

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

1 teaspoon coarse salt

freshly ground pepper to taste

1. Prepare an ice-water bath. Cut fennel bulb in half lengthwise. Using a sharp knife, slice lengthwise as thinly as possible. Place in ice-water bath.
2. Toast quinoa in a saucepan over medium heat, stirring constantly, for 5 minutes. Add water, raise heat, and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer; cover, and cook for 15 minutes. Remove from heat and let stand, covered, for 5 minutes. Transfer to a bowl; refrigerate, uncobered, until cool, about 1 hour.
3. Drain fennel and pat dry. Add parsley, dill, lemon juice, oil, salt, and pepper, and toss. Divide quinoa among bowls. Top with the fennel mixture.