Week #28

• Lettuce
• Radishes
• Parsley
• Cilantro or dill or basil
• Cabbage
• Kale
• Tomatoes (say good bye to summer, try adding roasting them and adding them to soup)
• Sweet peppers red and green
• Hot peppers
• Winter squash
• Onions
• Garlic
• Kohlrabi
• Celeriac (celery root, great for soups)

Harvest Festival TODAY from 2-6!  Come party with us here at La Finquita! We have set up our pumpkin patch. We have a walnut collecting race, farm tours, pizza making, cider pressing, pepper roasting. “Mexico en la Piel “ , (Mexico in my skin) will be dancing at 4:30, Blue grass pick up band to follow. I have new ceramics and festival fall wreaths for sale as well as bird feeders. Bring your friends and family and come join us at the farm today.

Next week is the last harvest for the regular 2017 season. Please let us know if you want to purchase the Thanksgiving basket,($40) packed with all the delicious veggies you will want to use at your Thanksgiving table. Going away for Thanksgiving?? No worries these veggies travel well, take them to your host and enjoy them there or store them easily until you return. No excuses not to enjoy another week of fresh fall and winter veggies.

Earthquake Relief

We are collecting new or old tents and tarps to send to Oaxaca. Please consider donating one of these items. So often we send money not knowing if it will reach the people we want to help. This is a direct way to contribute to people most in need. Bring your items and leave them in the designated box in the barn. Last Day to drop off is 10/15/17.

CSA Coalition Hiring!

CSA Coalition is hiring by forwarding this to your members, friends, coworkers, family, neighbors, etc. You can find the application here: portlandcsa.org/jobs.

“We are hiring a part-time Program Director to take the lead implementing all of our programming: annual share fair, SNAP processing, tabling at events, website maintenance, and community outreach/marketing. First and foremost we are looking for someone with demonstrated passion for helping small farms thrive and a commitment to seeing this job through the next few years. Our ideal candidate would also have a flexible schedule and excel when working alone. Finally, just like a farmer, we need a candidate who is a jack-of-all-trades with an array of skills in areas like marketing, event planning, fundraising, grant writing, website design, social media, computers and more.”!

Sign-up for:

• Thanksgiving share – sheet in the cooler! (available for pick up November 19,20)
• 2018 Season – sheet in the cooler! (same price as this year!)
• Ground Beef – sheet in the cooler! ($6/#) coming next week.
• Please complete your survey and send it to us at La Finquita, your feedback is appreciated!

Take Action:

• If you live in Hillsboro get out and work to help pass the school bond. This bond does not increase taxes you are already paying, but rather renews a tax you are paying and directs those funds towards upgrades in classrooms, seismic upgrades and increased security at our schools. Visit https://www.hsd.k12.or.us/bond

• Tell your MOC to support the Dreamers and sign on to co-sponsor legislation to make their path permanent. Here are some direct links to action:
  1. https://act.credoaction.com/sign/DACA_Dems?t=3&akid=25327%2E1822401%2EHG_riN
  2. http://ijpr.org/post/immigrants-make-mark-oregons-economy#stream/0 My friend and colleague is featured here, see her family story here how twin sisters, daughters of migrant farmworkers became family physicians working to serve the most needy in our community.
• Tell your MOC to pass restrictions on bump stock attachments to make semi-automatic rifles fully automatic.
• Send money to help hurricaine victims, earthquake victims, fire victims and the families who have been affected by the horrible shooting in Las Vegas. (the list gets longer every week! I can’t stand this!)
  1. Donate to the tarp and tent project here at La Finquita
  2. Donate to Mercy Corps
  3. Donate to Doctors Without Borders
  4. Listen and donate to this: https://www.newyorker.com/culture/listening-booth/lin-manuel-mirandas-proud-star-filled-tribute-song-for-a-puerto-rico-in-need

Pasta with Butternut Squash and Kale Pesto

INGREDIENTS

1 ½ pounds butternut squash

½ cup extra virgin olive oil, more for drizzling

¾ teaspoon kosher salt, more for squash

Freshly ground black pepper

1 small bunch (about 1/2 pound) lacinato kale, center ribs removed

8 ounces pasta (penne rigate works well)

⅓ cup toasted pine nuts

2 large garlic cloves, roughly chopped

Finely grated zest of 1 lemon

Freshly squeezed lemon juice, to taste

Grated Parmesan cheese, for serving

PREPARATION

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Use a vegetable peeler to peel squash, then halve it lengthwise and scoop out seeds. Dice squash flesh into 1-inch pieces, place on a baking sheet, and toss with olive oil and season generously with salt and pepper. Spread pieces into an even layer, making sure there is space between them. Roast, stirring squash pieces once or twice, until golden brown and tender, about 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil; have ready a bowl of ice water. Drop kale into boiling water and cook for 45 seconds. Use tongs or slotted spoon to transfer kale to ice water. Bring water in pot back to a boil, adding more if necessary so there is enough to cook pasta.

Drain kale well, then wrap tightly in a dry kitchen towel and squeeze thoroughly to remove any excess moisture. Roughly chop leaves. When water in pot comes back to a boil, cook pasta according to package directions.

In a food processor, pulse together kale, nuts, garlic, salt and lemon zest until mixture is smooth and salt has dissolved. With motor running, slowly drizzle in the oil until fully incorporated. Taste and add more salt dissolved in a little lemon juice, if necessary.

Drain pasta, reserving a little cooking water. Toss pasta with kale pesto and some pasta cooking water if necessary to help it coat pasta. Add cheese, lemon juice and salt to taste. Serve topped with squash and more cheese.