- Lettuce – eat this sweet butter lettuce while it lasts! There is so much lettuce it warrants a salad every night.
- Fava Beans – Okay folks, this is it, last week of this early summer treat. Don’t be intimidated by the work involved, just shell the beans, blanch the beans and peel off the white coat over every bean and eat! You can prepare the beans as “ful” or with bacon or as you like, but don’t waste these summer delights.
- Kale or chard – “Greeeens every week? Yes, eat your greens every week”
- Green onions – remember these are the healthiest of all the alliums, you will have the first sweet onions next week, but for now, add these to eggs, salad or just grill them.
- Garlic – this is German red and it is getting more flavorful by the day, eat fresh or you can store this type. Some of the most beautiful garlic ever!
- Potatoes – hurray for potatoes! The first new potatoes of the season, their skins are sensitive so store in a paper bag and wash just before cooking.
- Beets or carrots – try these beets in juice, or peeled and sliced raw in salad. Don’t forget to eat the greens they are very flavorful and healthy.
- Cabbage or broccoli or cauliflower – welcome to “Carafex” the cone shaped cabbage and my personal favorite. There is little core to get rid of and mostly just sweet cabbage to enjoy.
- Cucumbers (a few, just getting started) – if it has a smooth skin it is a middle eastern variety and can just be rinsed and eaten, if it has a bumpy skin, you decide peel and eat or eat the skin, this is your classic slicing cucumber!
- Zucchini – bring on the summer squash. We love it cooked with garlic and dried pepper and a little salt. I have been making it into “spaghetti” in my spiralizer and eating it raw or just blanched. It can be sliced thin in salad too! You can hide it in tomato sauce by grating it.
- Cilantro, dill or parsley – add flavor to your veggies and other sauces and soups!
- Sugar snaps while they last – the hoop house peas are all but done, the outside beds were not very productive so this may be the last of spring.
This has been a busy social week at the farm. We welcomed many people to our farm for part of the summer. Our pal Pascal arrived from Switzerland, he is back for a while this summer to enjoy the Oregon summer, help on the farm and play ground hockey. Say “hello” when you see him. We also welcomed Alberto. He is an exchange student from Spain who will be with us through the end of July. He loves soccer, socializing and is a budding magician. James and his daughter Daphne are here for the summer from Italy. He will be working on our last outbuilding, turning it into a summer cottage while Daphne brushes up on her English.
We will have to get back to work this week to deal with all the weeds that early summer rain brought. We managed to get the onions in the field weeded and then the torrential rain began. We will be playing mop up for the next month as we try to beat back the new generation of pig weed, chick weed and lambs quarters that has germinated with the warm rains. We are busy turning under the old broccoli and pea beds and getting ready to plant more beans, cukes, and fall crops like celery, broccoli, cabbage and cauliflower.
The tomatoes are setting fruit, still hoping for an end of July harvest. The eggplants and peppers are in bloom and the bush beans are starting to set small beans. The onions did as they were signaled by the day length change and have begun to make bulbs. They will come out of the ground end of July to make room for kale, broccoli and cabbage. We managed to seed more beets before the rain so we are hopeful for good germination and nice fall and winter roots.
The flowers have loved the rain and they open daily! Business is still going strong at the Beaverton Farmers market. We are transitioning into the fall crops so look for kale, Brussels sprouts, broccoli and leeks starts to dominate. Don’t forget to continue to plant in your home gardens as September and October are still great months to get a ton of veggies. We arrange flowers for events and will continue to offer fresh cut bouquets through the end of October.
Do contact us for your meat orders. Juvencio has all the current pigs spoken for but continues to search for more as people are interested. The cost for pork this year is $3.75/# plus cut and wrap. The beef will be the same. We still have grassfed beef available, but let us know sooner rather than later as come the fall you will want to have your freezer full!
Mark your calendars for fall events:
1) Canning party – September 13th 9 – 5 – No experience necessary but a strong desire to learn and have fun.
2) Harvest festival – October 19th from 2-6 – dance and feast to celebrate the season
3) Last harvest end of October
Don’t forget to sign-up to help harvest! New list will be out this week! We need you to do your part.
Bittman curry creamed spinach w/potato crust. (4-6 svgs)
3 Lbs spinach or other greens, trimmed
2 tbs butter
2 tsp garam masala or curry powder
1/4 tsp nutmeg
2 c coconut milk
1/2 c yogurt
(1 brick extra firm tofu cut into 1/2″ cubes- I didn’t do this)
1 large russet potato, thinly sliced
2 tbs olive oil
Salt, pepper
1. Preheat oven to 425. blanch greens by dropping in salted boiling water x 1 minute, then plunge into a bowl of ice water to stop cooking, drain and squeeze out excess moisture. roughly chop.
2.melt butter and garam masalas and nutmeg in large skillet until fragrant, then add coconut milk, yogurt, spinach, tofu, and tsp salt. Bring to a oil, stirring at times until bulk of the liquid is absorbed. Transfer to oven proof dish.
3. Toss the potato slices with oil, salt, pepper, then lay over the spinach in a single layer. Bake until the potatoes are golden and crisp.
BABY GREENS WITH ROASTED BEETS AND POTATOES
for vinaigrette
1 1/2 tablespoons tarragon white-wine vinegar
1/4 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 cup olive oil
For salad
2 medium beets (1 lb with greens; 14 oz without greens), stems trimmed to 2 inches
1 lb small new potatoes (about 1 inch in diameter) or fingerlings (1 to 1 1/2 inches long), scrubbed well
1 teaspoon olive oil
1/8 teaspoon salt
5 oz micro greens* such as baby Bibb, red-leaf, and oak-leaf lettuces and baby arugula, or mesclun (about 10 cups)
4 cups baby spinach (3 oz)
1/3 cup lovage* leaves, coarsely chopped
1/3 cup fresh chervil and/or dill leaves
1/3 cup fresh tarragon leaves
20 unsprayed organic nasturtium blossoms*
Make vinaigrette:
Whisk together vinegar, mustard, salt, and pepper. Add oil in a slow stream, whisking until emulsified.
Roast beets and potatoes:
Put oven racks in upper and lower thirds of oven and preheat oven to 425°F.
Wrap beets individually in foil and roast on a baking sheet in upper third of oven until tender, 1 to 1 1/4 hours. Once beets have roasted for 30 minutes, toss potatoes with oil and salt in a small baking pan and roast in lower third of oven, shaking pan occasionally, until potatoes are tender, 25 to 30 minutes. Carefully unwrap beets and cool slightly, then slip off and discard skins.
Assemble salad:
Cut beets into 1/3-inch dice and put in a large salad bowl. Cut potatoes into 1/3-inch-thick slices and add to beets along with all greens and herbs. Add vinaigrette and toss gently to coat.
Sprinkle blossoms on top and serve immediately.
INDIAN SPICED CAULIFLOWER AND POTATOES
1 (1 3/4-lb) head cauliflower, cut into 3/4-inch-wide florets
1 1/4 lb Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
5 tablespoons vegetable oil
1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 medium onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 teaspoons minced fresh jalapeño, including seeds
2 teaspoons minced peeled fresh ginger
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1/4 teaspoon turmeric
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
1/2 cup water
Accompaniment: lemon wedges
Put oven rack in upper third of oven and place a shallow baking pan on rack. Preheat oven to 475°F.
Toss cauliflower and potatoes together in a bowl with 3 tablespoons oil, cumin seeds, and1/4 teaspoon salt. Spread in hot baking pan and roast, stirring occasionally, until cauliflower is tender and browned in spots and potatoes are just tender, about 20 minutes.
While vegetables are roasting, cook onion, garlic, jalapeño, and ginger in remaining 2 tablespoons oil in a 12-inch heavy skillet over moderate heat, stirring frequently, until very soft and beginning to turn golden, 8 to 10 minutes. Add ground cumin, coriander, turmeric, cayenne, and remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and cook, stirring constantly, 2 minutes. Stir in water, scraping up any brown bits from bottom of skillet, then stir in roasted vegetables. Cook, covered, stirring occasionally, 5 minutes.
Zucchini Trifolati (family favorite)
Sautéed Zucchini
The secret to this fabulous cooking technique is the long slow cooking which infuses all the flavors. Vegetables cooked this way make great pasta sauce or you can serve them as crostini. Try mushrooms with garlic and mint.
2 pounds Zucchini
4 cloves of garlic, sliced
chili pepper (or herbs)
Salt
Cover the bottom of a large sauté pan with olive oil. Add the sliced garlic and chile peppers to the pan; NOW turn on the heat. Slice the zucchini into thin slices and add to the golden garlic, salt and cover the pan. The salt will bring out the liquid in the zucchini and they will stew in their own juices and infuse with the garlic. Let them over cook. It is a pleasant surprise.
Roasted Garlic Cilantro Broth with Beet Greens and Hominy
The Oregonian
1 head garlic, left whole
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon olive oil
4 ½ cups chicken broth
1 cup chopped fresh cilantro
¼ brown or yellow onion, chopped
1 teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 bunch beet greens with 3 inches of the stem attached, chopped into quarter-sized pieces
2 cups canned hominy, drained
2 tablespoons sherry
1 – 2 cups water
Lime wedges for garnish
Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Peel away the outside layers of the skin on the head of garlic, making sure the head stays intact. Cut off the top of the head and drizzle 1 teaspoon of olive oil. Place the head on a piece of aluminum foil and enclose the garlic in the foil and place on a baking sheet; roast for 30 minutes. Squeeze 10 of the roasted garlic cloves into a blender, add the broth and cilantro and blend until the cilantro is reduced to little specks.
Heat remaining 1 table spoon of oil in a pan, add onion, salt and pepper flakes and sauté for 1 minute. Add greens and sauté 2 minutes. Pour sherry, garlic-cilantro broth, hominy and water. Start with 1 cup of water and add additional up to 1 cup more to reach desired consistency and flavor. Cover and bring to a simmer, then remove the lid and simmer uncovered to 10 minutes. Garnish with lime wedges.