• Kale
• Tomatoes
• Cherry tomatoes
• Sweet peppers
• Hot peppers
• Cucumbers (enjoy them while they last, they are on their way out)
• Zucchini
• Lettuce
• Basil or cilantro
• Onions
• Garlic
• Apples
• Eggplant
• Leeks
• Spaghetti squash
• Grapes

We made it through the week! Juvencio and Diego along with our loyal Wednesday harvesters finished in record time. He then tilled the beds in the greenhouse #2, fed the animals, did other errands and made it to the airport in time for his 6:40 flight. He arrived in San Pedro Sula to be met by his father and two youngest brothers. Our dear friend Vincent accompanied him and they are now enjoying the heat, warm rain and tamales together. My sister-in-law is taking good care of them. He will travel some to visit his eldest sister in his hometown and possibly to Lempira to see his brother Mario. I am sure as I write this they are gathering for a large family meal at his father’s house and a trip to the mausoleum where his mother is buried.

The downpour yesterday helped some crops, likely split many of the tomatoes and kept so many Oregonians away from the farmers market. It rained just at the opening of market yesterday and the crowd was cut by ¾! All those beautiful flowers had to be given away to other vendors at the end of the day. The good side is that I was able to make three wreaths for the fall market. I am scared to see what the rain did here on the farm, but cherry tomatoes don’t really like to get wet. Weeds do love to get wet. I managed to seed more cover crop before the rain so hopefully that will germinate and provide beautiful cover to our beds while adding nitrogen back in the spring.

Juve left me several beds in the greenhouses to plant for fall and winter, all but one are planted. After harvest today I will transplant lettuce into greenhouse #4 and hope that it is ready for late October harvest. Lettuce has been a battle since late July. It has been prone to “bolt”, go to seed and turn bitter. It has headed irregularly. I keep hoping each bed is better, but I am unsure if that will happen this week. I write this note in the early hours before the sun rises and sometimes when I get outside to the fields I find the items I planned are not as good as I hoped. At any rate there is plenty of food to share!

Every week I keep saying I am done canning and will do no more and every week I can more tomatoes and more juice of left over fruit. I have canned over 50 quarts of tomatoes and 60 pints of the same. I have made my chutneys and have enough juice for season. I am not sure how long the outdoor tomatoes will last as they look somewhat beat up. If you want to purchase extra tomatoes please do email or text me and I will send you a message when there is surplus. So far all those who have asked me have gotten 20 – 40# for canning or freezing. I am selling them at $1.50/pound (the same price I have sold them at for > 5 years.

Last night Virginia Garcia had their fall gala fundraiser. It was the first year they held it at the Tiger Woods Center at the Nike Campus. It was a huge event with a keynote by Senator Ron Wyden. We donated one of our subscriptions for next season (not the largest ticket item L) among other items (dinner with the mayor of Beaverton Dennis Doyle was a top winner) and >$100,000 was raised for the new wellness center in Beaverton. I have worked as a primary care physician for 18 years at Virginia Garcia Memorial Health Center.

The mission of the Virginia Garcia Memorial Health Center is to provide high-quality, comprehensive, and culturally appropriate primary health care to the communities of Washington and Yamhill Counties with a special emphasis on migrant and seasonal farmworkers and others with barriers to receiving healthcare.

For more information about Virginia Garcia and to learn how to donate to this organization please go to :

http://virginiagarcia.org/who-we-are/health-center/mission-history/

Another important organization that we belong to is PACSAC, Portland Area Coalition of CSA farmers. This organization works to promote the CSA model and bring farmers and eaters together. They are hosting a “pop-up” dinner on September 24, should be great food and conversation and goes towards providing funding for community supported agriculture.

http://us8.campaign-archive2.com/?u=7ffb83bc21b1ccf3735be3227&id=328c63c43f&e=

So, now down to the work of harvesting. I have to get going. Please remember that the harvest festival here at La Finquita is on October 9^th from 2-6. I sent out the flyer for you to have and share with family and friends. Please do plan on attending.

The harvest continues through the end of October as we turn to fall crops like broccoli and cauliflower, winter squash and leeks, enjoy the bounty!

 

Recipes Below:

Calabrian Bruschetta

from Verdura by Viana La Place

4 small Asian eggplants
Extra-virgin olive oil
3 ounces provolone or caciocavallo cheese
6 thick slices country bread
2 garlic cloves
3 red tomatoes, cored and thinly sliced
Extra-virgin olive oil

Trim the eggplants and slice them 1/4 inch thick. Arrange the eggplant slkices on a lightly oiled baking sheet and brush them with olive oil. Bake the eggplant slices in a preheated 376 degree oven for 10 minutes. Turn the slices over, brush with oil, and cook for another 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and set aside.

Using the large side of a four sided grater (or a potato peeler…), grate the cheese into long, thin strips.

Grill or lightly toast the bread. Rub with the cut side of the garlic cloves and drizzle with olive oil.

Place a few slices of eggplant on each bruschetta, top with some sliced tomato, and sprinkle a little shredded cheese over the top.

Place the bruschette under a preheated broiler and broil until the cheese melts. Serve immediately.

Layered Eggplant Casserole from Recipes from America’s Small Farms

2-3 TBS vegetable oil
1 large egg
2 TBS milk
¼ cup all purpose flour, more if needed
1 large eggplant, peeled and cut into ¼ inch thick slices
1 large onion, finely chopped
4 large tomatoes, cut into ¼ inch thick slices
4 ounces Monterey Jack or other cheese, grated
1 TBS unsalted butter

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Oil a 2-quart casserole. Beat the egg and milk in a bowl and spread the flour on a plate. Heat 1 TBS of the oil in large skillet. Dip each slice of eggplant into the egg mixture, and then flour on both sides. Place the slices in the skillet in a single layer and fry until golden on both sides. Continue frying the eggplant in batches, adding oil as necessary, until done. Layer the fried eggplant, the onion, the tomato, and the cheese until they are all used up; the final layer should be the eggplant. Sprinkle any remaining flour (or use another 2 TBS of flour) over the top. Dot with the butter. Place in the oven, uncovered, for about 45 minutes, until bubbling and the eggplant is tender. Note: instead of frying the eggplant slices, you can drizzle them with oil and bake them on a cookie sheet for about 30 minutes in a 350 degree oven.

Eggplant Pulp Facts from Recipes from America’s Small Farms No one ever said eggplant pulp was pretty, but it’s a beautiful base for spreads and salads. To make it, just puncture a large eggplant in a few places and wrap it loosely in aluminum foil. Place it in a 400 degree oven until it’s soft and mushy – it’s usually ready in about an hour, but longer baking won’t hurt it. Let it cool completely, then scrape all the flesh off the skin. You’ll get about 1 ½ cups of pulp from a medium eggplant. Add whatever other vegetables and herbs you like – the eggplant’s mild taste and pleasant texture blends and binds other ingredients.

Eggplant Rounds with Cheese and Tomato Sauce adapted from D. Madison’s Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone

6-8 eggplant rounds per person, grilled, broiled or fried (from the skinny asian eggplants, reduce number of slices if using the large purple ones.)
3/4 cup grated or sliced mozzarella
1/2 cup crumbled gorgonzola or goat cheese
about 4 cups favorite tomato sauce
chopped parsley or basil

Place the eggplant rounds on a sheet pan and cover with the cheeses. Bake at 375 degrees until the cheese melts. Serve with 2 or 3 spoonfuls of the sauce on each serving and garnish with the parsley or basil.

 

 

Spaghetti Squash and Herbs (Martha Stewart)

 

• 1 spaghetti squash (about 4 pounds), halved lengthwise, seeds removed
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for brushing
• 1 tablespoon packed light-brown sugar
• Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese (about 2 1/2 ounces)
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 1/4 cup blanched hazelnuts (1 ounce), toasted and coarsley chopped

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Brush cut sides of squash with oil, and sprinkle with sugar and salt and pepper to taste. Place squash, cut sides down, on a rimmed baking sheet. Roast until tender, about 45 minutes. Let cool slightly on sheet on a wire rack, about 10 minutes.
2. Scrape squash with a fork to remove flesh in long strands. Place in a large bowl. Add oil, Parmesan, parsley, cilantro, hazelnuts, 1 teaspoon salt, and pepper to taste. Toss, and serve immediately

 

 

 

Gazpacho

INGREDIENTS

• About 2 pounds ripe red tomatoes, cored and roughly cut into chunks
• 1Italian frying (cubanelle) pepper or another long, light green pepper, such as Anaheim, cored, seeded and roughly cut into chunks
• 1cucumber, about 8 inches long, peeled and roughly cut into chunks
• 1small mild onion (white or red), peeled and roughly cut into chunks
• 1clove garlic
• 2teaspoons sherry vinegar, more to taste
• Salt
• ½cup extra-virgin olive oil, more to taste, plus more for drizzling

Nutritional Information

PREPARATION

1. Combine tomatoes, pepper, cucumber, onion and garlic in a blender or, if using a hand blender, in a deep bowl. (If necessary, work in batches.) Blend at high speed until very smooth, at least 2 minutes, pausing occasionally to scrape down the sides with a rubber spatula.
2. With the motor running, add the vinegar and 2 teaspoons salt. Slowly drizzle in the olive oil. The mixture will turn bright orange or dark pink and become smooth and emulsified, like a salad dressing. If it still seems watery, drizzle in more olive oil until texture is creamy.
3. Strain the mixture through a strainer or a food mill, pushing all the liquid through with a spatula or the back of a ladle. Discard the solids. Transfer to a large pitcher (preferably glass) and chill until very cold, at least 6 hours or overnight.
4. Before serving, adjust the seasonings with salt and vinegar. If soup is very thick, stir in a few tablespoons ice water. Serve in glasses, over ice if desired. A few drops of olive oil on top are a nice touch.

 

Chicken with Green Goddess Dressing

INGREDIENTS

• 1 ½cups buttermilk or plain yogurt
• 1cup packed basil leaves
• ¼cup packed chives
• 2garlic cloves, peeled
• 2anchovy fillets (optional)
• 1scallion, white and green parts
• Finely grated zest and juice of 1lime
• 2teaspoons coarse kosher salt
• 1teaspoon black pepper
• 1(4- to 5-pound) chicken, halved through the breast and back bones, patted dry with paper towels
• 1 to 2tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling

Nutritional Information

PREPARATION

1. In a blender, purée buttermilk, basil, chives, garlic, anchovies (if using), scallion, lime zest and juice, salt and pepper until smooth.
2. Put chicken halves in a bowl or large heavy-duty resealable plastic bag and cover with three-quarters of the Green Goddess marinade. (Save the rest to serve as a sauce.) Refrigerate for at least 6 hours or up to overnight.
3. Heat oven to 500 degrees. Remove chicken from the marinade, shaking off as much liquid as possible, and lay the halves on a rimmed baking sheet. (Discard the used marinade.) Pat chicken tops dry with paper towels and drizzle with oil. Roast until cooked through, about 30 to 45 minutes. Let rest for 10 minutes before serving, with some of the reserved sauce if you like.