Week # 8
- Fennel – sweet licorice flavor, new this week, see recipes below
- Potatoes – fresh new potatoes, enjoy their fresh flavor
- Kale – never can get enough of this amazing green
- Lettuce – we have tons and with the heat we had to harvest most of it and quick
- Green onions – again, the healthiest alium, add to just about any meal
- Sugar snap peas – the indoor peas are slowing and the outdoor peas are blooming, a small but steady stream of these sweet spring treats
- Swiss chard or spinach – spring is full of greens, add them to your morning smoothie
- kohlrabi – if you haven’t figured out how to eat this sweet bulb, just peel, slice and eat, like a turnip, otherwise go to the kohlrabi tab and look at a recipe.
- Carrots or beets – this will likely be the end of sweet carrots for a while. Germination challenges have plagued us and until we can find a new indoor bed to replant we will wait for fall. More beets on the way.
- Fresh garlic – the rust has finally done in the garlic. We will harvest it all today and hang it in the barn to dry. The rust affects the green growing part of the garlic so the heads are small. There is nothing we can do organically to control the rust and each year it is worse no matter where we plant the garlic.
Keeping up with the weeds is a full time job! We managed to finish the harvest early last week and our harvest helpers turned into weeders. We weeded the onions and Juvencio finished the bed. The rest of the week has been a slow haul through the garden, bed by bed pulling out generations of weeds. Don’t worry if you missed the fun there are plenty more on the way.
We said good bye to Maria, our Catlin senior student who spent the month of May helping and learning on the farm. She helped harvest, seed, weed and sell at the farmers market. It was fun to have her and the extra set of hands made our work better. We wish her the best of luck at U of O this fall and hope she will keep in touch.
It is not too late to plant your home garden. We still have some tomato starts, peppers, eggplant, cucumbers. Send me a text or email or catch me around the farm. I keep selling all these starts at the farmers market in Beaverton, but if you want to get that garden in now is a great time.
As spring turns to summer (to fast for us this week with record breaking temperatures) we look to warm weather crops. The transplanted tomatoes outside look green and will get a boost from warm. The hoop house tomatoes are about 2 ½ feet tall and got a heavy pruning this week and have been staked. The indoor peppers are bulking up while the outdoor peppers are not far behind. The eggplant and tomatillos are in the ground and look “shocked”, we know they will turn around. Juve retiled and composted the winter squash beds last night and we managed to plant 150 squash plants, about 1/3 of the entire crop. We covered it with reemay (agricultural fabric) to keep the cucumber beetles off of it for long enough for it to grow (about three weeks). Once it begins to flower we pull off the fabric, clear the weeds and watch it take off.
We will turn over greenhouse #1 (the goat ravaged greenhouse) this week or next and fill it with some other warm weather crops. We have more cucumbers and peppers to get in the ground and then we had better call it quits or we’ll be pickling all summer. We will hot water bath treat the fall broccoli and cauliflower seed this week and get those crops going. The spring broccoli looks quite unhappy, it may be a poor showing. We will have to wait and see how the upper beds look.
We appreciate the help with harvest, many hands make light work. Please do sign up to help us harvest it gives you a glimpse into the difference between gardening and farming, it helps connect you to others in the CSA and it helps your farmers get the harvest done and move on to the farm work of the day.
See you around the farm!
Cannellini Beans with Tarragon and Roasted Fennel || from Chef Jonathan Miller
I make some variation on this very often, as it can be made year round here. Some of you may recognize the flavor combination here from very similar recipes I’ve posted before in the Ladybug Postcard. I also made a version of this salad with raw fennel and grilled radicchio quarters and it worked very well. Kids love this bean salad because of its licorice overtones and the cheese.
1 c cannellini beans, soaked overnight in cold water
2 fennel bulbs, halved, cored, and thinly sliced crosswise
1 bunch tarragon, chopped
1/2 t fennel seeds, ground
4 T sherry vinegar
4 t Dijon
6 T crème fraiche
12 T olive oil
4 T parsley, chopped
8 oz Italian fontina, diced
Drain the beans and put into a pot with cold water to cover by at least 2 inches. Bring to a boil, skim any foam off the top, then lower the heat, add a generous amount of salt the pot, cover, and simmer slowly until the beans are soft, but not mushy, about 45-60 minutes. Drain.
While the beans cook, heat the oven to 400 and toss the sliced fennel with some olive oil and salt. Roast until colored and softened, and sweet, about 25-30 minutes.
Combine 2 T of the chopped tarragon, the fennel seeds, sherry vinegar, Dijon, and crème fraiche in a bowl. Whisk well. Add the olive oil and continue whisking until emulsified.
When the beans are cooked and drained, fold in the dressing, mixing thoroughly, but gently. Stir in the roasted fennel, the parsley, the cheese, and the remaining chopped tarragon. Taste to make sure you like it, and serve room temperature.
Fennel, Orange & Caper Salad
Note from Julia: I made this and it’s REALLY good. It’s pictured above. In the photo, I used kalamata olives instead of the capers.
2 bulbs fennel
1 Tablespoon cabers, drained
1 Tablespoon dill or chervil, fresh, chopped
Dressing
1/2 orange, seeded
2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
1 Tablespoon Dijon mustard
2 teaspoons sugar (I often omit this)
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 Tablespoons olive oil
Trim the stalks from the fennel, cut the bulb in half lengthwise; then cut crosswise into very thin slices. Place in a large bowl with the capers and the dill.. Make the dressing. Cut the quarter orange in small pieces and place in the work bowl of a food processor with the vinegar, mustard, and sugar and salt. .Process until smooth. With the motor running slowly, pour in the olive oil. Pour over the fennel, toss well and serve.
Fennel Salad
Make 4 servings
Preparation time: about 20 minutes.
NOTE: The amounts are all approximate and flexible. This is a very improvisational recipe.
Ingredients
1 small head organic butter (Boston) lettuce, cleaned and spun dry
1 medium-sized bulb organic fennel, sliced paper thin (a mandolin works best.)
2 organic navel oranges, peeled and sliced into thin rounds
15 oil-cured or Kalamata olives, pitted and sliced
5 or 6 organic dried figs, cut into small pieces
1 – 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon organic lemon juice, plus more to taste if you like
1/2 cup blanched, slivered almonds, lightly toasted (optional)
Directions
- Wash and dry the lettuce, then tear it into bite sized pieces into a large salad bowl. Add the fennel, oranges, olives, and figs, and toss.
2. Drizzle the salad with the olive oil, and toss until everything is lightly but thoroughly coated. Sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper, if you like, and toss again. Refrigerate until serving (but not longer than about 1 hour).
3. Just before serving drizzle in about 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice and sprinkle in — or top with —the almonds and cheese shavings, if you like. Toss quickly but thoroughly, and serve right away.
Beets with Fennel (My version as I couldn’t find the book I got the delicious recipe from)
1 bunch beets (steamed, leave 1” of tops and the whole root on, steam and then peel)
1 fennel bulb cut in quarters and then slice thinly
1 sweet onion, chopped finely
Toasted walnuts, about 1 cup
2 tablespoons of chopped parsley
Vinaigrette
4 T extra virgin olive oil (is there any other kind?!)
1 teaspoon walnut oil (I used sesame)
1 T, plus a dash more Champagne vinegar
Salt and pepper
Mix cooked beets, onion, fennel and walnuts together, add parsley and toss with vinaigrette. Chill or serve warm, we loved it.
ROASTED NEW POTATOES WITH SPRING HERB PESTO
3/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
1/3 cup chopped fresh chives
3 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon grated lemon peel
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 1/2 pounds red-skinned new potatoes, halved lengthwise
Blend parsley, chives, rosemary, 1 tablespoon olive oil, garlic, lemon juice, lemon peel, and 1/2 teaspoon salt in processor to coarse puree. (Pesto can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate.)
Preheat oven to 400°F. Toss potatoes and remaining 2 tablespoons oil in large bowl. Sprinkle generously with salt and pepper. Arrange potatoes, cut side down, on rimmed baking sheet. Roast until potatoes are golden brown and tender, about 40 minutes. Using spatula, transfer potatoes to large bowl. Add pesto and toss to coat. Serve.
LEG OF LAMB WITH MINT PESTO, NEW POTATOES AND BABY CARROTS
has been sent to you from lyn
You can view the complete recipe online at: http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/recipe_views/views/1721
LEG OF LAMB WITH MINT PESTO, NEW POTATOES AND BABY CARROTS
1/3 cup walnuts
6 large garlic cloves
2 cups fresh mint leaves
1 cup fresh basil leaves
1/2 cup olive oil
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar or red wine vinegar
1 5- to 6-pound leg of lamb
2 pounds baby new potatoes, large ones halved
12 ounces baby carrots, trimmed, peeled
Fresh mint sprigs
Finely chop walnuts and garlic in processor. Add 2 cups mint leaves and basil and chop finely. Add oil and vinegar and blend until pesto is smooth. Cut excess fat from lamb, leaving thin layer. Set lamb in large roasting pan. Make several slits in lamb with tip of small sharp knife. Reserve 1/2 cup pesto for vegetables. Spoon some pesto into each slit; rub remainder into lamb. Sprinkle lamb generously with salt and pepper. Let stand 1 hour at room temperature or cover and chill overnight.
Preheat oven to 350°F. Roast lamb 45 minutes. Add potatoes to pan and turn to coat in pan juices. Roast 30 minutes. Add carrots and reserved 1/2 cup pesto and turn to coat carrots and potatoes in pesto and pan juices. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Continue roasting until thermometer inserted into thickest part of lamb registers 140°F. for medium-rare, about 45 minutes longer. Remove from oven and let stand 15 minutes.
Carve lamb into thin slices. Arrange on plates with potatoes and carrots. Garnish with fresh mint leaves.
Salad of New Red Potatoes
Chinese Cuisine, Susanna Foo
1 pound new red potatoes
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons corn oil
2 garlic cloves, finely minced
1 teaspoon coarse or kosher salt
1 jalapeno pepper seeded and julienned, or ½ teaspoon hot red pepper flakes
1 tablespoon chopped fresh peppermint or other mint leaves
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar (optional)
Scrub the potatoes and cut into julienne. As you cut, immediately place potatoes in a bowl filled with cold water and wash under cold running water to remove any excess starch.
Bring 2 quarts of water to a boil over high heat and blanch the potatoes for 2 minutes, just until they become transparent and lose their raw taste.
Drain the potatoes and place them in a colander. Rinse under cold running water to stop the cooking.
Place the potatoes in a medium bowl and toss with the lemon juice; they should be crisp and white, set aside.
Heat the oil in a small skillet. Add the garlic and cook over high heat, stirring for 1 minutes. Remove from the heat. Add the salt and the jalapeno pepper or hot pepper flakes. Stir to mix.
Spoon the garlic mixture over the potatoes and toss gently to combine. Add the chopped mint, toss again and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, or until ready to serve. Sprinkle with balsamic vinegar, if using, over the potato salad just before serving.