Week #6
- Salad – bring on the lettuce!! Of course despite planting lettuce every week to mature every week it is mature on the same week!! Such is spring in Oregon.
- Chard
- Spinach
- Turnips or radish or dill of Kohlrabi : you choose the one you like most, none did well enough for everyone to take every item.
- Kale
- Garlic Scapes
- Green onions (Scallions)
- Chinese broccoli or petite main crop broccoli –The main crop broccoli hated this weather, it is blooming in miniature. We still maintain a glimmer of hope that removing the main stem will allow side shoots to form, but we may be stuck with this mini-broccoli.
We are seeing the effects of the very hot weather. The brassicas (broccoli, cauliflower and cabbage as well as kohlrabi) have really hated it. They are forming tiny heads in an effort to make seed. Many of the early greenhouse crops are unhappy as well with 90 – 100 degrees in the heat of day. We know this is farming, but man is it frustrating at times.
The beans I planted last week, the day it was 80 and the night it was in the 30’s look like they might make it. Their first leaves are withered but they have a hint of green on top. Juvencio worked hard to get their poles up so that when they decide to grow they will have a trellis to grow on.
We planted zucchini, beets and some greens under cover of agricultural fabric in an effort to ward off the cucumber beetles. Those crops got weeded this week and seem to be doing OK. We will see how they fair as we remove the blanket this week and move it to cover our winter squash. We have seen the striped cucumber beetles (our nemesis)busy mating on the uncovered row of zucchini so we know they are gearing up for the fight. Wish us luck and skill in getting enough in the ground for all of us and them.
We finally got the leeks and the last of the onions in the ground. These are long term investments as the leeks will come in the fall (and some next spring) and the onions will be ready in August. They are challenging as they need to stay fairly weed free. Many of our returning members know the familiar call, “Help! We need your help weeding the onions!”. We are ahead of them now but not for long.
We have most of the tomatoes and peppers in the ground. The eggplant will go in today as well as the first round of winter squash. We seeded the Brussels Sprouts and bunching leeks. We have much more to get in as well.
There are lots of greens at this time of year, but peas are on their way. We should have enough by next week for everyone to taste that spring treat. Greenhouse #2 has peas that reach up 8 feet! The peas in greenhouse #4, planted 1-2 weeks later has peas 4 feet high. We can try the same strategy in different places on the same farm and they don’t work out. Every aspect of farming is influenced by weather, soil structure and moisture and fertility. Every crop (we grow over 55 different varieties of vegetables) has a different trick and a different pest. Farming is never “figured out” we are constantly learning and relearning new details that apply to that particular year.
Enjoy your vegetables, cook with what you have;
Lisa Ard wrote:“I love Chinese broccoli and last night I adapted a recipe based on my Farm supply — macerated kale and chopped Chinese broccoli plus slivered red and yellow peppers marinated in a lemon-Dijon vinaigrette, topped with cooked lentils (with garlic curls and shallots) also in vinaigrette, with a spoon full of goat cheese on top – DELICIOUS!”
On a political note: please turn in your ballots! They are due on May 20th (Tuesday) and this is a very important election in Washington County. We need to vote to preserve farmland and have smart growth. The candidates that will do this are ELIZABETH FURSE, ALLEN AMABISCA and GREG MALINOWSKI.
RECIPES FOR THIS WEEK:
Kohlrabi Saute w/ Garlic & Lemon Juice:
2 med Kohlrabi bulbs
1 Tbls olive oil
1 Garlic clove, finely chopped
1 med Onion, chopped
1 Tbls Lemon juice
2 Tbls Parsley, chopped
2 Tbls sour cream
Salt & freshly ground pepper
Peel the tough outer skin from the kohlrabi, then coarsely grate the bulbs. In a skillet, heat olive oil. Add garlic, onion and kohlrabi and saute, stirring for 5 to 7 minutes until kohlrabi is tender crisp. Stir in lemon juice and parsley, then season with salt and pepper to taste. Stir in sour cream, and serve hot.
Creamy Kohlrabi with Parmesan.
2 large or 3 medium kohlrabi, stalks and leaves removed, peeled, grated
2 tablespoons unsalted butter or olive oil, or combination
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Salt and pepper to taste
1 tablespoon minced parsley
Heat a medium skillet over medium heat. Add butter and/or oil. When hot, add kohlrabi. Cook, stirring frequently, until vegetable is tender, about 8 minutes. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Stir. Toss with cheese. Cook until cheese melts, about 1 minute. Garnish with parsley. Serve hot.
Milanese-Style Chard
from Recipes from a Kitchen Garden by Shepherd and Raboff
1 bunch Swiss Chard
1 Tablespoons olive oil
2 stalks green garlic, chopped
6 scallions, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1/4 cup chopped basil
pinch nutmeg
1/4 cup chopped prosciutto or ham
2 Tablespoons Parmesan Cheese
salt and pepper to taste
garnish: toasted pine nuts or walnuts
Trim the chard, discarding tough stems, and coarsely chop.
In a large, deep skillet, heat olive oil, add garlic and scallions and saute until softened and fragrant, 2 to 3 minutes. Add chard, parsley, basil, nutmeg, prosciutto or ham and mix well together. Cover the skillet and cook over medium heat until tender and wilted, 3 to 5 minutes. Mix in Parmesan Cheese and then add salt and pepper to taste. Serve garnished with pine nuts or walnuts.
Chinese Scallion Pancakes
recipe by Elsa Chen
Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups flour, plus more for flouring the rolling surface
1 cup water
2 teaspoons oil
A bunch of green onions, green and white parts, chopped medium-fine
A few tablespoons of oil to brush on pancakes (a mix of canola or corn oil and sesame oil is good) some salt A few tablespoons sesame seeds (optional)
Directions:
Mix together the first three ingredients by hand or in a food processor. Flour a surface and knead the dough. Let it rest for 20-30 minutes before continuing.
With a rolling pin, roll the dough out on a well-floured surface into a big, flat square or rectangle 1/8 to 1/4 inch thick.
Brush the pancake with a bit of oil, and sprinkle with spring onion pieces and a little salt. Starting at one short end, roll up the dough tightly, jelly-roll style, so you have a “snake.”
Cut the “snake” crosswise into 8 – 10 pieces. Then flatten each piece again gently with your palm and rolling pin to make a little rectangle. Don’t flatten it too firmly, because you want a little air to remain trapped between the layers of the pancakes so they’ll puff up a bit between the layers and be lighter.
Press one or both sides in sesame seeds (optional).
Heat a tablespoon or two of oil in a large skillet. Shallow fry the pancakes until both sides are golden brown and crispy. Drain on paper towels.
Serve plain or with dipping sauce. An easy sauce can be made by mixing soy sauce with a little minced garlic, scallion, and rice vinegar.
Green Onion Pancake by Stella Fong
2 cups flour
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1/2 cup boiling water
1 teaspoon salt
1/3 to 1/2 cup cold water
vegetable oil spray
1/2 cup minced green onions
Mix together flour and boiling water. Add 1/3 cup cold water and knead until dough is smooth and elastic. Add more water if necessary. Cover and let dough rest for about 15 minutes. In a small bowl, combine sesame oil, salt and green onions. Set aside. Divide dough into 10 pieces. Flatten each piece in the palm of your hand. Then roll out into a 6-inch circle. Spread each piece with the green onion mixture.
Roll up dough into a jellyroll. Then wind up into a snail shape. Flatten slightly; roll on lightly floured surface to 5-inch circle. Spray pan with vegetable oil spray. Heat over medium-high heat. Fry pancake until golden brown, about 2 minutes, turn and cook other side. Serve hot. Makes 10 pancakes
Asian Style Ginger Dressing
1/2 c rice vinegar
1 Tbs dark sesame oil
1/8 c. sugar or honey
1 Tbs grated ginger
2 tsp soy sauce
salt, pepper to taste
Delicious over a salad of chopped kale, mustard greens, spinach, etc–the addition of red bell pepper and/or
Cucumbers are nice too–then sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds.
Parsley-Lemon Salad dressing
1 c. coarsely chopped flat leaf parsley
1 1/2 tsp finely chopped fresh thyme leaves
1/2 tsp lemon zest
2Tbs lemon juice
1/4 c olive oil
salt, pepper to taste
Combine in a blender or food processor with a tablespoon or two of water until very smooth