Week #11
• Lettuce
• Garlic
• New potatoes
• Zucchini
• Basil
• Parsley
• Kale or chard
• Broccoli
• Green onions (scallions)
• Sugar snap peas – last week
• Cabbage – we have two round types and the beautiful and sweet cone shaped variety “Carafex”. Try my roasted cabbage recipe and you will never have a wasted cabbage!
• Fava beans – last week
• Beets
• Cucumbers – just a few, but get ready by next week we should have enough for everyone
• Cauliflower
Happy Solstice! Happy Father’s Day! Today is the longest day of the year and the turning point for the onions. They will start to bulb today and be ready to harvest is 3-6 weeks. We doubt there will ever be a year like last year with 2-3# white onions and a bumper crop, but we may come close. We managed to get the garlic out of the field and replanted that same space with fall and over wintering cabbage and some of the Brussels sprouts. There is more to plant today and in the next few days before the heat wave hits. These spurts of 90 degree days are not helpful to the crops as they stress them out. Many vegetables get the message to bolt (go to seed) and then they become bitter. Such is the gamble of farming.
Juvencio managed to turn over greenhouse #3 and it is ready to have fall crops put in, but they have to be able to tolerate the heat, we may let some of it rest until August when we can plant crops for winter. The peppers and tomatoes are in full bloom, hopefully we will be able to taste our first tomatoes by mid to end of July. We will shut off their water by August 1st so they better get setting their fruit.
Our winter squash is going wild. I felt deprived of pumpkins last year so of course I over compensated this year. I have 10 varieties of pumpkins and decorative gourds and tried my hand at the illusive “Dill’s Atlantic” giant pumpkin. I keep hoping to find the perfect drip for that pumpkin to grow one >150#. Alas I think the real giants need constant attention, something that these farmers can’t manage.
Flowers have gone wild. I am taking orders. I am happy to make you a bouquet and set it aside with your name just text me your order. I do have a day job so Sundays and Wednesday nights are best to send me that message . I would love standing orders for a bouquet every week and I will be sure to have it there for you. I sold out at the Beaverton Farmers Market! I cut 19 buckets from our fields.
Still no baby goats! How long will we have to wait?? They don’t look like they can get any bigger and yet they continue to grow and waddle around the farm. Before the end of June we will see those babies prancing about. Speaking of babies our hen hatched 9 chicks and they are so colorful and cute. We hope she is a good mama and can raise up the next generation of layers. Juve set 2 more hens on a dozen eggs each so we will watch our flock grow. The meat chickens will go to the butcher this week. See our email for details and contact us STAT if you are interested.
Ok, tons of veggies this week. Please don’t despair. Remember you can roast your beets, cauliflower, cabbage and they are delicious! We see the end of the peas and favas this week. Beans will be with us in short order. Remember a plant based diet is the healthiest diet for us humans!
ZUKE SOUP
2 lbs. zucchini
2 Tbsp. butter
1/3 c. chopped onions or shallots
5 c. chicken broth
½ tsp. cumin
½ tsp. chili powder
¼ c. corn meal
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1 c. sour cream
Peel and roughly chop zucchini, reserving ½ a zuke to slice into paper-thin slices. Melt butter, cook onions or shallots until wilted. Add chopped zucchini, broth, cumin and chili powder. Bring broth to a boil, whisk in corn meal. Cook until soft. Puree. Before serving, reheat and thin if necessary with water. Whisk in half of the sour cream, garnish with zuke slices. If you wish, this can be served cold, chilling instead if reheating. Serve remaining sour cream at table as a garnish.
Provencal Zucchini and Green Torte (serves 8)
1 lb. greens, stemmed
2 Tbs olive oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
2 lbs zucchini cut into 1/4 inch dice
2-3 large garlic cloves, crushed
1/2 c. chopped parsley
1 tsp fresh thyme
1-2 tsp fresh chopped rosemary
3 large eggs
1/2 c. Arborio rice, cooked until tender
1/2 c.shredded Gruyere cheese
1 recipe yeasted Olive Oil Pastry
Before starting, make the olive oil dough and set it to rise while
you prepare filling.
Blanch the greens until just tender; drain and cool. Squeeze out
any excess water and finely chop.
Heat the oil in a large pan, then saute onions until tender. Stir
in zucchini, season with salt and cook until just tender–about 8
minutes. Stir in garlic and heat for 1 mnute more, then add
greens, herbs, mix well and remove from heat. Season with salt and
pepper.
Beat eggs in a separate bowl and reserve 2 Tbs for brushing crust.
Combine eggs, rice, cheese and veggie mixture.
Heat oven to 375. Oil a 10-12″ springform pan. Roll out 2/3 of
dough into a large circle to line springform with edges overhanging.
Scrape in filling. Roll out remaining dough to fit pan and place
onto filling; crimp edges together and brush with remaining egg.
Bake 40-50 mnutes.
Olive Oil Pastry
2 tsp yeast
1/2 c lukewarm water
1/2 tsp sugar
1 beaten egg
1/4 c olive oil
2 c. flour (can be up to 1/2 c. whole wheat)
salt
Dissolve yeast in water with sugar and let sit 5-10 minutes. Add oil
and eggs, then beat in flour and work just until a smooth elastic
dough. Place in an oiled bowl to rise for 1 hour until doubled
before using.
Roasted Beets w/ Feta
Directions
Peel 4 medium beets and cut into 1/2-inch pieces. Toss with 1 tablespoon olive oil, 1 teaspoonsalt, and pepper to taste on a baking sheet. Roast at 450 degrees F, stirring once or twice, until tender, 35 minutes. Transfer to a bowl; toss with 4 chopped scallions and 2 teaspoons lemon juice. Top with crumbled feta.
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/food-network-kitchens/roasted-beets-with-feta-recipe.html
Zucchini and Egg Casserole
Sauté 3 cups of Zucchini chopped
1 medium onion
crush 2 cloves of garlic
Mix: 4 eggs
1/4 cup dried or fresh parsley
1/2 cup parmesan
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon basil
1/4 black pepper
1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary
Then add to above and mix well. Place in an 8 X 8 baking dish gently oiled with butter or pam. Bake for 25 minutes and then add 1 cup of jack cheese to the top of the dish.
BEET SOUP (AKA Root vegetable soup)
Small bunch of beets
Small bunch of carrots
Onion or shallots or leeks
Garlic or green garlic
Cabbage (if you have it 1/3 head)
2 – 4 TBSP Olive Oil
Fresh dill
Small can tomato paste
1 tsp salt or as needed
1 tsp carroway seeds ground, or as needed
sour cream
Chop garlic & onion & gently saute
Chop or juliane beets, carrots, & potato & stir fry with onion &
garlic, about 10 min until just starting to get tender
Add cabbage if you have it
Add 1 – 2 cups water and about 1 – 2 small cans of tomato paste (to
taste)
Cook
When vegetables are tender it’s done.
Serve with a dollop of sour cream.
Laura