- • Lettuce
- • Sweet peppers
- • Hot pepper medley: Kung Pao (long skinny red), Jimmy Nardello (big long red), Hot Paper lanterns (red/orange papery looking), Habanero (orange and recognizable), Serrano and Jalapeno.
- • Green onions or leeks
- • Celery (strong flavored and full of nutrients)
- • Tomatoes
- • Winter squash (try a slice of the pink banana!)
- • Kale or chard
- • Napa cabbage or bok choi
- • Basil (the last of this amazing herb – “see you next summer”)
- • Zucchini or eggplant
Fall is here and what a beautiful weekend! The perfect weather may it stay like this through November. All the rain has really affected production of the summer crops. The cool nights near 39 degrees here have made basil, beans and tomatoes turn brown. The outdoor tomatoes (the heirlooms and paste tomatoes) have succumbed to blight. The leaves are brown and withered and the fruit is mushy. The broccoli hated the rain and cool temperatures and did not grow any new heads this past week. This is your week to make soup and cuddle by the fire.
I continue to read bits of the amazing book: Eating on the Wild Side, by Jo Robinson. The book is written for people like us. It talks about the specific nutrients each vegetable and fruit family has to offer and then gets down to the nitty gritty of which varieties are the best for you. So here are the pearls on Alliums (the onion, leek, shallot family):
1. Garlic is rich in nutrients and has a number of health benefits
2. Strongly flavored onions are best for your health
3. Shallots are mild but nutritionally potent
4. Eat plenty of onion and garlic chives
5. Scallions (you are getting them today) are more nutritious than most other alliums
The book also emphasizes how important it is to eat fresh seasonal vegetables as their nutrient content is better. The soil that vegetables are grown in and the sprays used on them to keep pests off affect them as well. Needless to say the best thing you can do is belong to a CSA! (alright this is my take on the bottom line of the book).
The harvest festival is scheduled for October 20th. We have a harvest to do prior to the party and the festivities begin at 2 p.m. You have been emailed a flyer to print out and share with family and potential members for the 2014 season. Here it is for those who want to see it and not print it:
Harvest Festival At the farm; 7960 NW Dick Road, Hillsboro 97124
Lots of fun for the whole family:
Swiss alp horns, Traditional Mexican dancing, Fiddler group, cider pressing, wood fired pizza oven, potluck, farm tours and festive fall wreaths and bird feeders for sale and much more
Please bring: your favorite pizza topping, a dish to pass, a mason jar for cider, plates, cups and silverware for your family, a check book or cash to purchase items and contribute to the performers
Contact Lyn Jacobs (503-568-5760) or Juvencio Argueta (503-830-0342) for more information
Please do remember to sign-up for help the harvest, we have 7 more harvests to complete before the season closes. The Thanksgiving harvest sign-up is in the cooler next to the weekly sign-in sheet please do let us know you want to purchase this basket. Have a great week.
Curried Winter Squash Soup
Farmer John’s Cookbook, John Peterson
Serves 6-8
• 3 T unsalted butter
• 1 cup chopped scallions (about 6)
• ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
• 1 jalapeno, seeded, finely chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 pounds butternut squash, about ½ a large squash, peeled, seeded, cubed
• 4 cups chicken or vegetable stock
• 1 14 ounce can whole tomatoes or 2 cups peeled, chopped fresh tomatoes
• 12 whole curry leaves (optional)
• ½ teaspoon ground allspice
• ¼ teaspoon ground mace (I skipped this)
• pinch freshly grated nutmeg
• 2 teaspoons curry powder
• salt
• freshly ground pepper
• ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
1. melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the scallions; sauté until soft and wilted, about 3 minutes. Stir in the parsley, jalapeno, and garlic,; cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes.
2. Add the squash and toss to coat it with the scallion mixture. Add the stock, tomatoes, curry leaves, all spice, mace and nutmeg. Bring to a boil; reduce the heat and simmer, covered until the squash is very tender, about 45 minutes. Let cool slightly.
3. Transfer the soup in batches to a blender or food processor; puree.
4. Transfer the soup back to the pot. Stir in the curry powder and add salt, pepper to taste. Return the soup to a simmer to heat through. Garnish with the parsley just before serving.
Sesame Cabbage
1/2 cup raw sesame seeds
1/4 tsp salt
1 dried red chili
1 head Cabbage, chopped
3/4 cup water
1 tsp salt
“Popu”
1 1/2 tbsp oil (olive, sesame, canola, etc.)
1 dried red chili, cracked
1 pinch fenugreek
1/4 tsp mustard seed
1 tsp cumin seed
Dry roast sesame seeds and dried red chili in a pan over medium heat. Stir often until majority seeds are brown. Remove from heat and cool. Once cool, grind in a food processor or blender with 1/2 tsp of salt. Excess ground sesame can be stored in the refrigerator for further use. To cook cabbage over medium heat, add chopped cabbage to 3/4 cup boiling water + 1 tsp salt. Cook until cabbage is desired texture. Once cooked, drain excess liquid. Add 1/4-1/2 cup ground sesame. Turn off heat.Prepare the “popu” in a separate pan by combing all ingredients, heating over medium heat, and waiting for mustard seeds to crackle. Once ready, add to cabbage, stir and heat over low heat for 1 minute. The “popu” can be prepared when the cabbage is nearly finished.
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 sauté 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 small bowl; mix well. Heat vegetable oil until very hot in 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 soy mixture. Stir-fry until liquid boils and thickens, about 1 minute.
Celery Stew
from the Victory Garden Cookbook by Marian Morash
A quickly made stew with good, fresh vegetable flavor.
4 cups celery in ½-inch chunks
1 sweet red pepper
1 ½ cups sliced onions
3 Tbs. butter
1 Tbs. olive oil
1 clove garlic
½ tsp. celery salt
4 tomatoes
1 Tablespoons freshly chopped chervil
½ cup chopped celery or lovage leaves or dill
½ cup hot broth
2 cups cooked white kidney or shell beans
salt and freshly ground pepper
Blanch celery for 5 minutes in boiling water; drain. Peel pepper if you wish. Slice pepper and cook along with onions in butter and oil until wilted and lightly browned. Chop garlic, add to pan, and cook for 1 minute. Stir in celery and celery salt; cover and cook over medium-low heat for 20 minutes stirring occasionally. Peel, seed, and chop tomatoes and add along with herbs and broth. Cover pan and cook for 10-15 minutes longer or until celery is tender. Stir in beans and cook until heated through. Season to taste ans serve hot. Serves 6-8.
Celery, Tomato, and Basil Salad
4 large tomatoes, sliced crosswise OR 1 clamshell mixed cherry tomatoes cut in half, or a mix
3-4 small purple onions or 1/2 larger onion sliced crosswise
4 stalks celery with leaves, thinly sliced crosswise, leaves torn
Small handful fresh basil, torn
1/4 cup olive oil
3 tablespoons champagne or sherry vinegar
3 tablespoons heavy cream
S & P to taste
In a large bowl, combine the tomatoes, onion, celery, celery leaves and basil; set aside.
In another bowl, whisk together oil, vinegar, and cream; to combine.
Season with salt and pepper. Pour over salad and toss to coat; serve immediately.
THE FARMACY
Celery is very low in calories, and makes a great snack. Just chewing celery burns nearly as many calories as the celery contains. Even though celery’s calorie content may be low, it provides about 12% of the RDA of Vitamin C for both men and women and 14-16% of the RDA for Folacin
BRAISED CELERY
1 head celery
Several slices onion or leek
1 carrot, thinly sliced
aromatics: a few sprigs of parsley, thyme, and a bay leaf tied together
Salt
3 Tablespoons butter
Celery or Parsley leaves, chopped
Remove leafy ends of the celery and peel the large outer ribs. cut all the ribs into 3- to 4- inch lengths. Put the leek, carrot, aromatics, 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1 tablespoon of the butter, and 3 cups water in a wide skillet. Bring to a boil, add the celery, cover and lower the heat to simmer until tender when pierced with a knife, about 30 minutes. Arrange the celery on a platter and strain the liquid into a saucepan. Boil until 1/2 cup remains, then whisk in the remaining butter to make a little sauce. Pour it over the celery and garnish with chopped parsley and celery leaves.
Cabbage Salad with Peanut Oil Dressing
3/4 lb Napa cabbage quartered, thinly sliced
1/2 lb Savoy cabbage, thinly sliced
(I’ve used chinese cabbage, or all Napa)
1 bunch scallions, julienned
2 Tbs finely chopped mint
1 Tb finely sliced basil (preferably Thai)
1/2 c chopped peanuts
Toss greens and herbs together; toss with dressing. Add chopped
nuts just before serving.
Peanut Dressing
1/4 c roasted peanut oil
2 1/2 Tbs rice vinegar
1 Tbs soy sauce
1 clove garlic, minced or crushed
1/2 serrano chile, thinly sliced or 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
2 scallions thinly sliced
8 mint leaves, finely chopped
2 Tbs basil, finely chopped
2 Tbs chopped cilantro
Salt to taste
Sweet Pepper and Lentil Soup
inspired by a recipe in Not Your Mother’s Slow Cooker Cookbook by Hensperger and Kaufmann
2 Tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, or 2 leeks, chopped
3-5 cloves of garlic, chopped
1 teaspoon freshly purchased paprika or smoked paprika
1-3 sweet peppers, depending on their size, seeded and finely chopped
1 cup dried brown or black lentils, picked over and rinsed
5 cups broth or water
S & P to taste (at least an entire teaspoon of salt for this one)
1-2 Tablespoons champagne or sherry or rice vinegar to finish the soup
Cook the onion in 1 Tablespoon oil over medium heat in a skillet until the onion/leeks begin to soften. Stir in paprika and allow it to cook for about a minute more. Add the chopped sweet pepper and cook for another 2-3 minutes, until everything begins to soften. Scrape all this into a slow cooker. Add the lentils and broth (or water) and stir to combine. Cover and cook on low until the lentils are completely soft, 7-9 hours. Season the soup with S & P (more salt if you used water, less if you used purchased broth), and last Tablespoon olive oil. Stir in 1 Tablespoon of one of the vinegars, adding more if needed. Serve hot.