Week #15
• Tomatoes!!! First of the season, we pick them slightly under ripe so that they will last for you this week (they may not make it home as you’ll want to pop them in your mouth as you drive home)
• Currants – slightly tart and bright red, these delicious berries make good jelly or an addition to a fruit salad or tart.
• Lettuce
• Sweet onion – these are fresh not cured so they are not meant to hang around for weeks, but rather be used this week
• Cauliflower – she’s back! for each and that is it until the fall!
• Cilantro, dill or parsley
• Green peppers
• Basil – it’s time to make pesto
• Kale or chard (gotta eat those greens)
• Beans
• Cabbage – some are huge, make salad, roast them or make kraut
• Cucumbers
• Summer squash, aka zucchini
• Garlic
• Green onions
We keep working away. Weeding, seeding, transplanting, trellising and harvesting. The weeds periodically look like they will win, but then we get the better hand. The onions are almost ready for harvest, likely they will be at their peak when we are off in Honduras. That being said, one more weeding and they will really size up. So, if you want to lend a hand and love weeding let us know and we can direct you to the “save our onions” project.
You will notice form the list, we are moving away from brassicas and into the night shades, peppers, tomatoes and eggplant soon to come. We will have an amazing second crop of potatoes coming soon. Sebastian, Arlene and Jasmin helped me plant a late fall crop of potatoes in the greenhouse #2 on Thursday night. They also seeded beets! It was a fun way to finish out the day getting ahead for fall.
Please do sign up to help harvest. We seem to have quite a good crew some weeks and sometimes those who sign up don’t show up ☹. Please do set your alarm or mark us on your calendar as part of what makes this crazy farm work is a few extra hands on harvest days. There are three harvests while we are gone and we need you to help us , many have volunteered, but that Wednesday harvest needs a few of you to step up.
The canning party is set for September 17, sign up in the barn! Many more details to come closer to the event, like what to bring what it costs etc. Just put it on your calendar! The harvest festival is also on the calendar for October 15th.
Running now to harvest for the Sunday/Monday group, should be a nice harvest.
BACHELOR’S JAM
In a large, nonporous, nonreactive crock or jar with a lid, layer chosen fruit with sugar and spirit. For each pound of fruit, add 1 cup fine white sugar. Add spirit to cover by an inch or so, beginning with 6 to 8 cups, and making certain all fruit is submerged with each successive layer. If necessary, you can weight the top layer with a plate. Do not stir as you build the layers. When mixture nears the top of the crock, cover securely and place in a cool, dark spot for six weeks minimum, and preferably several months. When ready to serve, stir together gently once.
An earlier version of this post incorrectly stated the amount of sugar needed for every pound of fruit. It is a cup of sugar per pound, not a pound of sugar per pound of fruit.
Massaged Kale Salad with Apples and Gorgonzola
Bastyr adjunct faculty member Jennifer Adler M.S., C.N. contributed this recipe. I love to watch Jennifer work with food because she loves to use her hands. She touches and loves food into magnificent flavor and tenderness. Jennifer likes to make a bunch of this salad at once to ensure that she have dark leafy greens ready when busy days are ahead. It tastes better as the days go by.
1 LARGE bunch kale
1 teaspoon sea salt
1/3 cup sunflower seeds, toasted (or Sweet Glazed Nuts)
¼ cup diced red onion
1/3 cup currants
¾ cup diced apple, (½ apple)
¼ cup olive oil
2 tablespoons unfiltered apple cider vinegar
1/3 cup gorgonzola cheese, crumbled
1. Be sure to choose a large bunch of kale (or two small ones) or the salad will be overly salty and over-dressed. By large, I mean 16-20 leaves that are at least 12″ long.
2. De-stem kale by pulling leaf away from the stem. Wash leaves. Spin or pat dry.
3. Stack leaves, rollup and cut into thin ribbons (chiffonade).
4. Put kale in a large mixing bowl. Add salt, massage salt into kale with your hands for 2 whole minutes. The volume of the kale should reduce by about 1/3.
5. To toast seeds, put in a dry skillet over low to medium heat and stir constantly for a few minutes until they change color and give off a nutty aroma.
6. Put kale in a fresh bowl and discard any leftover liquid.
7. Stir onion, currants, apple and toasted seeds into kale.
8. Dress with oil and vinegar and toss. Taste for salt and vinegar, adding more if necessary. When at desired flavor, toss in cheese.
Preparation time 15 minutes
Makes 6 servings
Maryanne’s Tian of Basil
• 2 medium- small zucchini, thinly sliced
• 4 bunches basil, 4 cups loosely packed fresh basil, stemmed and coarsely chopped
• 3-4 ripe tomatoes, thinly sliced
• ¾ cup or less shredded kasseri, gruyere or Swiss cheese,
• ¼ cup or less fruity extra virgin olive oil
• Salt and pepper to taste.
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Oil a shallow (about 2 inches deep) ovenproof serving dish. Place the zucchini slices over the bottom and press chopped basil leaves firmly over the zucchini (the basil will cook down the way spinach does).
2. Arrange the tomato slices over the basil. Then scatter the cheese evenly over the tomatoes, drizzle with olive oil and back about 35 minutes, until hot through and cheeses are melted
Cranberry-Cream Scones (use currants instead!)
From The San Francisco Chronicle Cookbook
2 C all purpose flour, plus flour for dusting
1/3 C sugar
3 tsps baking powder
¼ tsp salt
½ C fresh cranberries (use currants instead)
1 1/3 C whipping cream
1 Tble butter, melted
1 Tble powdered sugar
Position the rack in the lower third of the oven; preheat to
375 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Sift together the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt into a
large bowl. Mix the cranberries into the flour mixture. Whip the cream
in a bowl until soft peaks form.
Fold the whipped cream into the dry ingredients just until it
forms a rough semicohesive mass. (It’s OK that some parts are moister
than others.)
Transfer the dough to a lightly floured work surface and knead
only a few times until the dough holds together. Lightly flour your
hands and pat the dough into an 8-inch circle; place on the baking
sheet. Brush the surface with the butter and sprinkle with the
powdered sugar.
Cut the circle into 10 wedges without detaching them.
Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until golden brown. Cut into the
premarked wedges. Serve hot or at room temperature. Yields 10 scones.
Luna’s chocolate Zucchini Cake
½ c soft butter 1 c sugar (can be cut down) 2 ½ c flour
½ c cooking oil 1 tsp. Vanilla 1 tsp soda
2 eggs ½ c sour milk (buttermilk) ½ t salt
½ c chocolate chips 4 T cocoa ½ tsp. Cinnamon
2 c grated zucchini
Mix butter,oil, eggs, sugar, vanilla and milk together. Add cocoa, soda, cinnamon and salt and mix well. Add flour, mix well, add zucchini, chocolate chips. Mix well. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes. 13 X 9 inch pan or 2 loaf pans.