Week #29
- Napa Cabbage or green cabbage
- Sweet peppers
- Hot peppers
- Stuffing peppers
- Kale or chard
- Eggplant
- Tomatoes (slightly green, they will ripen and they make great green tomatoes or green tomato pie)
- Green onions or leeks
- Onions
- Broccoli
- Cauliflower (look at these beauties! They are super roasted or in soup)
- Garlic
- Winter squash
- Brussels sprouts (still tiny, but a teaser for the Thanksgiving Harvest)
- Dill or parsley
- Small edible pumpkin or decorative gourds
We are finally here, the end of the 2015 season. The harvest festival last week turned out to be a smash hit. The morning was rainy and dreary. The texts started to come about 9:00 am, “is the harvest festival still on?” and of course my reply, “the show must go on, rain or shine”. As the afternoon progressed the clouds parted and we actually had sun for the afternoon kick off of the 2015 festival. The alp horns played there mournful tones. The Sheridan High School Taiko drummers mesmerized the crowd. “Mexico en la piel” danced for us with new and different costumes. The afternoon culminated with the sweet sound of the blue grass Finquita singers.
One of the very best things for us was to have our whole family here with us. Diego came home for the first time after setting off to study at OSU and that meant so much to us to have him come back for our farm celebration. Jacob also came home for the whole weekend to help out. Luna helped with harvest and set up for the event.It was great to be together to put on this culminating event.
Mary Kay and Mark worked the pizza making station and allowed Juve and I to circulate and enjoy the festival. There were many more helpers that I want to mention, but do not in fear of leaving someone out. Needless to say we appreciate you all and know that this would not be possible without the many hands that make this farm provide for our community. The walnut pick-up competition yielded about 100# of walnuts about 1/6th of the nuts that are on the ground. The cider press was used to make quarts of cider from apples from orchard. I think everyone had a good time at the celebration of the farm and the bounty of the land.
We enjoyed having Kate and Jessica, producer and cinematographer of the PBS documentary on the changing face of medicine. They first interviewed me in April in my day job as a family physician at Virginia Garcia Memorial Health Center. I invited them to see my other job (La Finquita) and film life on the farm and our celebration of the fall harvest. I think they got a real picture of the community we have created and they had fun as well. The documentary will be aired this spring on OPB , we’ll keep you posted.
The pumpkin patch is still open, plenty of carvers remain for the choosing. We have room for those who want to sign up for the Thanksgiving Harvest. We will have a wide selection of fall veggies for you that will likely keep for weeks, so even if you plan to travel for the holiday it will store well for your return.
Please take the time to answer our four questions:
1) What was your favorite part of being a member of La Finquita del Buho?
2) What vegetable would you like to see more of?
3) If you could change one (or more things) about your farm share, what would that be?
4) Will you continue your membership in 2016?
It is time to let us know about 2016. We will have space for you returning members and for new members! Send us an email (lynjuve@msn.com) or send us your deposit of $100 (non-refundable) to :
La Finquita del Buho
7960 NW Dick Road
Hillsboro, OR 97124
We look forward to seeing you later in the fall and next spring! Stay in touch, we will hibernate a bit but before long we will be ordering seeds and starting them in our hoop house. Thank you for a great season.
CAULIFLOWER GRATIN WITH GRUYERE AND HAZELNUTS
1 medium cauliflower
Salt and freshly ground pepper
½ cup crème fraiche (see note)
¾ c. shredded gruyere cheese
3 Tbsp. bread crumbs
3 Tbsp. hazelnuts, toasted and coarsely chopped
2 Tbsp. flat parsley for garnish
Butter a 2-quart baking dish or gratin pan. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Cut cauliflower into small florets. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and salt generously. Add cauliflower florets to pot and cook until tender, but not mushy, about 5 minutes. Drain florets and pat dry with a kitchen towel. Toss cauliflower with crème fraiche and half the cheese in the prepared baking dish. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Sprinkle remaining cheese over cauliflower, then top with bread crumbs and hazelnuts. Bake on center rack until cheese has melted and bread crumbs and nuts are golden, 20-25 minutes or more. Garnish with parsley. Serves 5 or 6. Note: you can make crème fraiche by whisking 1 cup whipping cream with 1/3 c. sour cream in a nonreactive bowl. Let stand at room temperature until thickened, 6 hours or longer; then cover and refrigerate. Makes about 1 1/3 cups. From Foodday.
RADICCHIO SALAD WITH SPANISH BLUE CHEESE AND PEPPERED ALMONDS
1 head butter lettuce, torn into bite-size pieces
1 head radicchio, torn into bite-size pieces
8 ounces blue cheese (preferably Cabrales), crumbled
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
5 tablespoons almond oil or olive oil
Peppered Almonds
Combine lettuce, radicchio and cheese in large bowl. Pour vinegar into small bowl. Gradually whisk in oil. Toss lettuce mixture with vinaigrette. Season salad with salt and pepper. Sprinkle Peppered Almonds over and serve immediately.
Bon Appétit
March 2000
Asian Cabbage salad with Chicken
• 1 red jalapeño or Fresno chile with some seeds, chopped
• 1/3 cup vegetable oil
• 1/4 cup fresh lime juice
• 2 tablespoons reduced-sodium soy sauce
• 2 teaspoons light brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon fish sauce (such as nam pla or nuoc nam)
• 1 teaspoon grated peeled ginger
• Kosher salt
• 1/2 small head of red cabbage, thinly sliced (about 5 cups)
• 2 medium carrots, peeled, shredded
• 6 scallions, whites and pale greens only, thinly sliced
• 3 cups shredded rotisserie chicken
• 1 cup baby spinach, thinly sliced
• 1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 1/4 cup chopped dry-roasted peanuts
• 1/2 teaspoons toasted sesame seeds
Preparation: Whisk chile, oil, lime juice, soy sauce, brown sugar, fish sauce, and ginger in a large bowl; season with salt. Add cabbage, carrots, scallions, chicken, spinach, and cilantro; toss to coat. Top with peanuts and sesame seeds.
Kim Chee (use for Napa Cabbage, Daikon and other vegetables)
This is a general kim chee recipe, adaptable to any vegetable, sent to us by our friend Daniel, who did an internship at the Cultured Pickle in the Bay Area. While these instructions are for turnip, cauliflower and carrot, the method works for any combination of vegetable.
-Shredded pickles: this is essentially the same method for sauerkraut but it works really well with root vegetables. Basically you shred the vegetables (with a food processor is easiest) and then salt them. The salt draws moisture out of the veggies creating a brine. Here are step-by-step instructions for this method.
1. Wash the roots and cauliflower and trim off any soft spots
2. Weigh all the veggies and record the weight
3. Calculate anywhere from 1.5 – 2% of the vegetable weight and weigh out that much salt.
4. Shred the root vegetables and cut the cauliflower into small pieces combining all in a giant bowl as you go.
5. Thoroughly mix the shredded roots and cauliflower with the salt (you can add any spices, chopped garlic, shredded ginger, minced anchovies, herbs or citrus zests that you want at this point. Be aware that garlic flavor tends to bloom and get stronger during the pickling process).
6. Let the mixture sit for a couple of hours and see how the liquid is drawn from the vegetables.
7. Pack the vegetables with their liquid into a crock or as many gallon glass jars as it takes to hold them. Try to press out as much air as you can and leave some head room because the fermentation will bubble up.
8. Put some sort of cover on the surface of the veggies and a weight on top of the cover to keep them pressed under their liquid. I like to use the outer leaves from a head of cabbage folded as needed to cover the shredded vegetables with a gallon jug of water as weight.
9. Let the jars ferment for anywhere from 2 to 8 weeks. It should be in a corner somewhere with a temp around 60-65 degrees Fahrenheit. Taste it as it goes. Push it back down every once in a while. Skim off any mold or white yeast blooms that show up on the surface (they are not harmful, don’t worry).
10. When the flavor has gotten sour enough for you, pack the pickles into jars in the fridge to stop them changing further, or move them to a cool root cellar. (If you want the pickles to be stable for months and years at above refrigeration temperature, you can up the salt percentage to near 3%.
-Whole Brined pickles: these are very easy and quick and take less shredding.
1. Wash and trim the vegetables
2. Cut the cauliflower into florets and if the roots are large I would cut them into about two-inch chunks.
3. Make a brine: measure out enough water that you will be able to cover all the prepared vegetables in your crock or gallon jars. Then dissolve in this water 50 percent of its weight in salt. For example, 1 liter of water gets 50 grams of salt, 6 liters gets 300 grams of salt. Also add any flavoring to the brine like flowering dill and smashed heads of garlic. I like to add a bunch of dried chiles. Chile flakes and ground spices are good too. You can also heat the brine to dissolve the salt and add the spices like a tea for more flavor, just make sure it has cooled completely before the next step.
4. Put all the prepped vegetables in your fermentation container and pour the brine over to cover them completely.
5. Again put some sort of cover with a weight to keep the vegetables from coming to the surface.
6. Let them ferment for at least two weeks. Check them as they go.
7. Refrigerate to stop the process or put in a cool place to slow it down.
Kohlrabi and Chicken Stew
Posted by Seth Just – June 1st, 2011
• 3-4 lb. Chicken
• 2 lb. kohlrabi/broccoli stems
• 3/4 lb. Carrots
• 4 Tb butter
• 4 cups sliced onions
• 1 cup peeled, chopped tomatoes
• 2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp black pepper
• pinch saffron threads
• 1/4 tsp turmeric
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 2 tsp ground coriander
• 1 quart chicken broth or water
• 4 sprigs parsley
• 1/2 small cabbage
Cut chicken into serving pieces. Peel kohlrabis and/or broccoli stems; cut larger ones into 1-inch chunks. Cut cabbage into 1/4-inch strips. Peel carrots and slice diagonally into 1/2-inch thick pieces.
In a large saucepan, heat the butter and sauté the onions, tomatoes, salt and spices for 4-5 minutes. Add the chicken and cook for 5 minutes. Add the broth or water and parsley. Bring the broth to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer for 20 minutes. Add the kohlrabis and carrots, cover, and simmer for 10 minutes. Finally, add the cabbage and simmer, uncovered, 10 minutes longer or until all the vegetables are completely tender.
Adapted from The Victory Garden Cookbook by Marian Morash
Celeriac Recipes
Celeriac and Tomato Soup
4 tomatoes 2 cups water
2 # celeriac ¼ cup lovage chopped (optional)
3 leeks 1 onion
1 clove garlic 1 large carrot
1 tablespoon olive oil 2 T butter
3 sprigs parsley 6 cups chicken broth
salt and freshly ground pepper
Peel, seed, and roughly chop tomatoes. Peel sufficient celeriac to make 1 ½ pounds trimmed flesh, then cut into ½ inch cubes and drop into acidulated water. Wash and trim leeks and, using only the white and light green parts, thinly slice. You should have 1 ½ cups. Chop onion and combine with leeks. Chop garlic. Thinly slice carrot. Heat together oil and butter and sauté leeks and onion until wilted. Add garlic and carrot, and cook for 5 minutes longer, Add one third of the tomatoes and cook until they are lightly browned on the edges and the juice is evaporated. Add drained celeriac, the rest to the tomatoes and the parsley sprig. Cook together for 10 minutes. Add chicken broth, water and lovage (if using). Bring to a boil and reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes. Puree, season with salt and pepper, and serve with croutons on the side. (serves 8) For thinner soup only use 1 pound celeriac and 3 tomatoes.
CELERY ROOT BISQUE WITH THYME CROUTONS
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter
1 cup chopped celery
1/2 cup coarsely chopped shallots (about 3 large)
2 pounds celery roots (celeriac), peeled, woody parts trimmed and discarded, cut into 1/2-inch cubes (about 5 1/2 cups)
1 10-ounce russet potato, peeled, cut into 1-inch pieces
5 cups low-salt chicken broth
1 1/2 teaspoons minced fresh thyme
1/4 cup whipping cream
Additional chopped fresh thyme
Melt butter in heavy large pot over medium heat. Add celery; cover and cook until slightly softened, about 3 minutes. Add shallots; sauté uncovered 3 minutes. Stir in celery root cubes and potato, then broth and 1 1/2 teaspoons thyme. Increase heat to high; bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until vegetables are very tender, about 40 minutes. Cool slightly.
Working in batches, transfer soup to blender and puree until smooth. (Can be prepared 2 days ahead. Cool slightly. Cover and refrigerate.)
Stir cream into soup and bring to simmer. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Ladle soup into bowls. Sprinkle with additional chopped thyme and serve.
Bon Appétit
November 2005
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
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.
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.
Transfer the soup in batches to a blender or food processor; puree.
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.
BUTTERNUT SQUASH SOUP WITH STAR ANISE AND GINGER SHRIMP
24 large shrimp in shell (about 1 lb), peeled, leaving tail and first segment of shell intact, and deveined
1 tablespoon finely grated peeled fresh ginger
2/3 cup chopped shallot
1 garlic clove, thinly sliced
3 whole star anise
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 3/4 lb butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cut into 1/2-inch pieces (5 cups)
4 cups chicken stock or broth
2 cups water
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
Garnish: fresh cilantro sprigs
Toss shrimp with ginger in a bowl and marinate, chilled, 30 minutes (do not marinate any longer or enzymes from ginger will begin to cook shrimp).
Make soup while shrimp marinate:
Cook shallot, garlic, and anise in butter in a 3-quart heavy saucepan over moderate heat, stirring, until shallot is softened, about 5 minutes. Add squash, stock, and water and simmer, uncovered, until squash is very tender, about 20 minutes. Remove star anise.
Purée soup in 2 batches in a blender (use caution when blending hot liquids) until very smooth, about 1 minute per batch, then transfer to cleaned pan and keep warm, covered.
Sprinkle marinated shrimp with salt. Heat oil in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking, then sauté shrimp in 2 batches, stirring, until just cooked through, about 3 minutes per batch, transferring to paper towels.
Bring soup to a simmer and season with salt and pepper. Divide among 8 shallow soup bowls and mound 3 shrimp in each bowl.
Cooks’ note:
. Soup (without shrimp) can be made 3 days ahead and chilled, covered. If making soup ahead, begin marinating shrimp about 40 minutes before serving.
Gourmet
December 2002
DELICATA SQUASH WITH ROSEMARY, SAGE, AND CIDER GLAZE
This is my favorite way to cook winter squash. You peel, and slice it, then cook it in a skillet with cider and
winter herbs. When most of the liquid boils away, the cider forms a tart-sweet glaze around the now-tender squash.
Delicata is a wonderfully firm-textured squash that’s not too sweet and almost like a potato. Other varieties like
acorn, turban, or kabocha will make good substitutes, but they may not hold their shape quite as well through the
braising.
2 medium delicata squash (about 2 pounds) or other firm
winter squash
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/4 cup very coarsely chopped fresh sage
1 tablespoon coarsely chopped fresh rosemary
1 1/2 cups fresh unfiltered apple cider or juice
1 cup water
2 teaspoons sherry vinegar
1 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground black pepper
- Squash. If using delicata squash, peel it with a vegetable peeler, cut it lengthwise in half, and scrape out the seeds with a spoon. Cut each piece lengthwise in half again, then crosswise into 1/2-inch -thick slices. Other types of squash should be peeled with a chef’s knife, seeded, cut into 1-inch wedges, then sliced 1/2-inch thick.
- Herb Butter. Melt the butter in a large (12-inch) skillet over low heat. Add the sage and rosemary and cook,
stirring, until the butter just begins to turn golden brown, 3 to 5 minutes. Do not brown the herbs. Cooking the herbs in butter mellows their flavor and improves their texture. - Cooking the squash. Add the squash to the skillet, then the apple cider, water, vinegar, and salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, over medium heat at an even boil until the cider has boiled down to a glaze and the squash is tender,
20 to 30 minutes. Taste and season with pepper, and additional salt if needed.
Makes 6 servings.
Roasted Winter Roots with Whole Garlic Heads
From The San Francisco Chronicle Cookbook
All vegetables may be cooked in the oven at the same time. The heads
of garlic, roasted alongside the vegetables, become a self-contained
spread that is delicious on country-style bread. Be sure to allow one
garlic head for each person.
4 carrots, about ½ pound total
2 parsnips, about ½ pound total
2 turnips, about 1 pound total
1 rutabaga, about 1 pound
2 yellow onions, about ¾ pound total
3 russet potatoes, about 1 ¾ pounds total
4 heads of garlic, about ½ pound total
1/3 C olive oil
1 ½ tsps salt
1Tbles freshly ground pepper
4 fresh thyme sprigs, or 1 tsp dried
4 fresh rosemary sprigs, or 1 tsp dried
4 fresh sage sprigs, or 1 tsp dried
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Peel the carrots, parsnips, turnips and rutabaga. Cut the
carrots into 2 inch lengths. Halve the parsnips crosswise, separating
the tapering root end from the thick upper portion. Cut the upper
portion lengthwise into 2 pieces. Quarter the turnips and rutabaga.
Peel the onions but do not cut off the root ends. Quarter the onions
lengthwise.
Scrub the potatoes and cut them lengthwise into quarters, then
in half. Cut off the upper quarter of the garlic heads, leaving the
heads intact, skin and all.
Combine half of the olive oil, the salt, pepper, thyme,
rosemary and sage in a large bowl. Add all of the vegetables,
including the garlic. Stir them until they are well coated with the
seasoned oil.
Arrange the vegetables in a single layer on 2 baking sheets.
Roast for 30 minutes. Stir the vegetables and baste with some of the
remaining olive oil. Continue roasting, stirring once or twice and
basting with olive oil, for 30 to 45 minutes longer, or until all the
vegetables are tender and are easily pierced with a fork. Remove from
the oven and transfer to a platter.
Serve hot or at room temperature. Serves 4