- Zucchini
- Basil
- Herb( parsley or thyme)
- Cherry tomatoes
- Tomatoes for slicing including heirlooms
- Hot peppers
- Sweet peppers (Red – Ace and Carmen the later being pointed and elongated, so sweet)
- Lettuce or radicchio (reminder Radicchio can be bitter, soak in ice water for 15 minutes to remove the bitter)
- Potatoes
- Onions
- Eggplant
- Cucumbers
- Fruit: plums, pears , grapes and apples ( choose 10 pieces)
And another big week of work. Harvesting, weeding, transplanting. We have 8 weeks left of the regular season. These are all big harvests with the end of summer and beginning of fall overlapping. The cool nights and very hot days make crops confused and definitely affect yields. This week looks like another big tomato week but tomatoes don’t like cool nights. We will have plenty of cherry tomatoes if you have too many make sure that you roast them. I usually spread them out on a baking sheet with a drizzle of oil , salt and pepper, put the oven on at 350 and leave them there for about 45 minutes. Especially the smaller ones turn to caramelized candy and they’re absolutely delicious. I can just pick them off the tray and eat them or toss them into a soup or Luna‘s favorite is to put them on a sandwich with cheese and pesto and any other delicious item that you want to add. They are so sweet.
It’s almost time to seed the cover crop but that is hard to do when our fields are still planted. We will hope to seed them in between the rows and that they will get the first rains to help them germinate. We are trying to plant every space in the greenhouses for the winter share but some of them are still filled with summer crops like eggplant, tomatoes and peppers. Juvencio is convinced that he’s going to take an entire greenhouse and turn it into a living space for the sheep and the goats. Of course I am opposed as I want every space growing this winter. We will see who wins out. The animals may help clear the debris, fertilize the soil and prevent young weeds from growing. Their shelter greenhouse may be the first greenhouse that gets seeded in February. Anything will be better than last winter where we had three greenhouses without plastic so having one out of commission greenhouse will feel luxurious. We have begun the winter squash harvest with some interesting items. There is one “squash“ that looks like a combination of a gourd and a squash and most likely is a bitter dud. I do hope with all my heart that it is a squash, there are tons of them. The fact that this is such a prolific “squash” makes me suspicious that it is inedible.
Last summer I planted butternut squash which is not usually my favorite and typically I ignore it. It was so outstanding that I have gone crazy for butternut this year. I planted a whole bunch of different varieties of butternut squash basing my choices on descriptions in the catalog. I am hopeful that come December I will get to taste some of these sweet squash treats.
This week was the first week back at the Beaverton farmers market. Despite having a vacation of over a week I managed to make about 30 wreaths and about 25 birdfeeders and came home with 10 items. I have my work cut out for me for the next eight weeks making enough supply to go to market especially since this batch took me an entire month to get made.
Lastly, as all of you know by now, Delta is surging in Oregon and across the U.S. Any thoughts or dreams I had of holding a harvest festival have been dashed. For a second year in a row we will sadly not hold our annual celebration. I hope that we come up with a way to celebrate you all sometime in October so keep your eyes on our newsletter, something will come your way
My mind has been busy juggling all of the tragedies of this country and around the world. The draconian abortion law that went into effect in Texas – giving rights to vigilantes over the rights of woman to control our own bodies. The horrible effects of hurricane Ida and the most vulnerable in every community taking her brunt. The US pullout of Afghanistan leaving the people to fend for themselves against a brutal regime, the list goes on. I am trying to focus on contributing to local work, people I am connected to and organizations that are doing strong work. A piece of good news is that the Newberg School Board rescinded their ban on “political” speech which prevented students and teachers from wearing or posting BLM or pride signage. I am feeling hopeful that a recall of that school board is afoot.
Some recipes to enjoy:
One Pot Spaghetti w/Tomatoes and Kale. 20 min serves 4
1 lb spaghetti
1 lb cherry tomatoes, halved (about 2 pints)
2 lemons, zested
1/4 cup + 3 Tbs olive oil
2 tsp kosher salt
1 bunch kale or spinach, leaves only, washed and chopped
pepper
Parmesan for serving
Bring just over a quart of water to boil.
Meanwhile, place spaghetti, tomatoes and lemons zest, oil and salt in a large dry shallow pan—the pan should be large enough to let the spaghetti lie flat.
Carefully add the boiling water to the pan. Cover and bring to a boil, then remove lid and simmer for about 6 minutes, stirring gently a few times so spaghetti doesn’t stick. Add greens and cook until pasta has cooked through. Season w/salt/peepper, Parmesan.
Halloumi with Corn Cherry Tomatoes and Basil
2 tsp EVOO
12-14 ounces halloumi cheese, diced into 1” cubes and patted dry
2 c halved cherry tomatoes
2 c corn kernels, fresh (or frozen and thawed)
1 jalapeno, seeded and thinly sliced
1 tsp cumin seed
1 tsp kosher salt
3/4 c thinly sliced red onion
1/2 c chopped fresh basil
1 lime, cut into wedges
SAlt/pepper to taste
In a large skillet heat 2 Tbs of oil over med-high about 30 seconds. WOrking in batches, add cheese in one layer and cook 1-2 minutes until golden, then flip to other side and cook 1minute longer. Transfer to papertowel lined plate and continue with remaining cheese.
Add remaining oil to the pan and heat over med-high. Add corn, tomatoes, jalapeño, cumin seeds and salt and cook 5-10 minutes until the corn and tomatoes have softened.
Remove from heat and stir in the cheese, sliced onion and basil. Squeeze a lime or two over everything and season with salt/pepper. Servee immediately
Sheet baked feta with Broccolini (or green beans) tomatoes and lemon
4 svgs 25 minutes
1 bunch broccolini cut into bites sizded pieces (I have used broccoli, cauliflower and green beans all w/good results)
1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
1 small red onion, peeled and cut into 2” wedges
1 lemon, 1/2 cut into very thin rounds and the remaining half saved for serving
3 tbs EVOO
1 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
2 6-8 0x blocks of feta, cut into 1” slices
Heat oven to 400.
On sheet pan combine everything but the feta, then nestle the feta slices on top. Bake 15-20 minutes, stirring gently 1/2 way through to mix veggies but leave feta intact.
Serve over farro, orzo or rice. Drizzle with lemon juice before serving.