- Collards or kale (see recipes below for Kale or collards with tahini or use the collards like grape leaves and stuff them)
- Tomatoes
- Cherry tomatoes (don’t waste a single one, if overloaded, roast them and they are like candy)
- Sweet peppers
- Hot peppers
- Pears (let them sit on counter or in the fridge for several days to a few weeks until yellow and ripe)
- Apples
- Eggplant or tomatillos
- Potatoes
- Cucumbers
- Zucchini
- Onions
- Garlic
- Basil or parsley
- Lettuce (see tips below for making these summer gems less bitter)
The heat of last weekend gave way to a cooler end of the week. it was delightful to work with cloud cover harvesting the last three beds of onions. Juvencio made quick work of that job, cleared the weeds as he harvested the onions and was able to till the beds by afternoon. The following day I seeded beets, radishes, Daikon and some specialty watermelon radishes and black Spanish radishes. I’ve never had much success with either so I’m hopeful that this year will prové different. The cool weather also allowed us to get in some late summer early fall spinach, replenish some of the lettuce and get those last few overwintering cauliflower in. We planted two beds of Chester which is the variety that comes in early May making it a Real treat for those first harvests in the regular 2021season.
Juvencio took advantage of the cool mornings and we prepared some of the greenhouses. Our intention is to have all of them filled and by the growing by the end of the month, growing with cool weather crops for fall and winter. I know it seems funny that for fall crops have to be planted in summer but, in order for plants to have any size before they go into the relative non-growing season of October – January they need the heat of August to get them started. The overwintering broccoli is already about a foot high, the cauliflower is getting established but they look relatively small. Crops like kale and collards that we want inside the hoop house need to be planted now so they can gain size before those slower months. We will turn over some of the cucumber beds. we will finish harvesting the potatoes in greenhouse #4 and get fall crops in.
We decided to harvest the lettuce. It is bitter but using the trusted technique of ice water bath and my salad dressing it was a nice fresh change. Therefore , eat the inside leaves and throw out the outside leaves. It is important to soak the leaves in ice water for at least 15 minutes and then spin dry. Meanwhile make my salad dressing and enjoy!
A side note on the last harvest of green beans . We had great helpers that week, and the farmers forgot to do quality control. They looked good, but tasted terrible. They were tough, stringy and basically inedible. The good news is all the old inedible beans are off the plants the next harvest will be delish! Sorry for the disappointment .
Another week of the coronavirus and still no national plan. This epic failure of the Trump administration to contain and then manage the pandemic should not be lost on anyone. We need a change in direction for this country to succeed.Currently by many measures we are a failed state and continue to unravel. The convention reminded me of what we had when the Obamas were in the White House and allowed a sliver of hope to enter. We still need to save the post office.There is so much work to be done before November.
There are many organizations you can support to move this nation forward. Virginia Garcia Memorial Health Center has its annual gala, our biggest fundraiser of the year. There is an online program for one hour this coming Friday, August 28th from 6 to 7. Follow this link to Prospera: https://virginiagarcia.org/prospera2020/ and join us live or make your donations beforehand. We continue to provide High quality culturally appropriate healthcare to Western Washington county including but not limited to migrant and seasonal farm workers and immigrant communities. We can use your support now more than ever as we struggle to make ends meet in a worsening economy. Other places to donate include the ACLU, the bail out project and the league of conservation voters.
If you have not signed up for the winter share we have only 20 slots left. Talk to any one of our year-round customers and you will see that the winter is a glorious bounty. You appreciate it even more in the cold months when the gray skies and rain falls and a basket full of winter greens and other surprises brightens your meal plan. The cost is $400 for 12 weeks. The vegetables are available for pick up at the farm on Sundays or at the Mallory Pick Up Site in Portland also on Sundays.
Thanksgiving will be different this year as everything has been in 2020 we hope you will consider purchasing the Thanksgiving share for $45. Don’t pay us yet just know that this is coming.
Recipes for this week:
Carla Hall’s Callaloo Collard Greens
This is the one I meant—I sent it for kale in the past but would work great with collards—only cooking is the farro (or one could do brown rice)
Lyn’s Salad Dressing
1 cup olive oil
¼ – 1/3 cup white balsamic vinegar (this is key, available at Trader Joes or New Seasons)
salt and pepper
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 clove garlic pressed
Add all ingredients to a Mason jar and cover with lid. Shake until creamy and well blended.
Baked Crispy Kale Recipe
Servings: 4 as snack Prep Time: 5 Cook Time: 13
The biggest secret to getting the kale super-crisp is to dry them in a salad spinner. If there is moisture on the leaves, the kale will steam, not crisp. Also, do not salt the kale until after they have come out of the oven. If you salt beforehand, the salt will just cause the kale to release moisture…thus steaming instead of crisping. Have fun with this recipe, I sometimes mix the salt with Cajun or Creole seasoning.
Ingredients:
4 giant handfuls of kale, tough stems removed (about 1/3 pound)
1-2 tablespoons olive oil
Romano cheese (Pecorino best, Parmesan OK too)
(I like to grate parmesan cheese over them before baking)
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Place the kale leaves into a salad spinner and spin all of the water out of the kale. Dump the water and repeat one or two times more just to make sure that the kale is extra dizzy and dry. Use a towel to blot any extra water on the leaves. Place the kale on the baking sheet.
3. Drizzle olive oil over the kale leaves and use your hands to massage the leaves and coat the leaves well with oil. Bake in the oven for 12-20 minutes (I find 13 minutes to be magical) until leaves are crisp. Take a peek at the 12 minute mark – the timing all depends on how much olive oil you use. Just use a spatula or tongs to touch the leaves, if they are paper-thin crackly, the kale is done. If the leaves are still a bit soft, leave them in for another 2 minutes. Do not let the leaves turn brown (they’ll be burnt and bitter) Remove from oven and serve.
North African Zucchini “Compote” Aljuk
1 lb zucchini, thickly sliced
1 large russet potato (1/2 lb) peeled and diced
2 Tbs lemon juice
2 Tbs olive oil
1-2 garlic cloves, mashed
1 tsp freshly ground caraway seed
3/4 tsp freshly ground coriander seed
1/2 tsp Harissa
Steam the veggies until very soft, then mash and blend in the
remaining ingredients. Use as a spread for pita or flatbread.