- Lettuce
- Greens braising mix
- Chard or kale
- Spinach
- Walnuts
- Radishes
- Bok Choi
Farming has been challenging this week due to weather and visitors. Juvencio made up for the short break he took showing his sister and nieces around the pacific northwest by getting several of the hoop houses into amazing order. He cleared winter crops (bye-bye purple sprouting broccoli, escarole, calcots and parsley) and prepped the beds for spring and early summer. Once the harvest is done today I will endeavor to get all four beds of tomatoes (1 cherry and 3 early season) transplanted. I will get a couple of beds of summer squash in the ground as well.
Before the downpours last week Juve, Luna and I moved the huge black plastic tarp we invested in last fall to a new area that Juvencio had prepped. This keeps those beds dry from rain and will mean we can get them transplanted with the last of the spring broccoli and more onions later this week. Our cover crop will also be cut later this week and allowed to die back, making soil rich in nitrogen for summer crops like tomatoes, squash and beans.
Our seeding greenhouse is brimming with vegetables that need to be transplanted and so the delicate balance continues. Mother nature and farmers working together to produce food. We are constantly reminded that we are not in charge but rather stewards that take their lead from nature. Sometimes we try to push our luck, sometimes we win and sometimes we lose. Cucumbers have not been happy with me pushing them, they continue to drop dead in the hoop house even before they are transplanted. I am stubborn and keep on seeding more.
If you are interested in vegetable starts please visit our square site. I run this part of the business with my friend Polly from Pumpkin Ridge Gardens. We sell vegetable,herb and flower starts at the Beaverton Farmers Market every Saturday thru July. You can order from the square site and have them for pick up at our farm or the market. The list of available items is updated weekly so check often and reach out to me directly if there is something you want that you do not see. https://pumpkinridgegardens.square.site/
Enjoy the greens this week – We are trying to provide variety and bounty remember to cook with what you have!
My favorite salad dressing recipe:
Lyn’s Salad Dressing
1 cup olive oil
1/3 cup white balsamic vinegar
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.
Green Tacos
More Greens recipes:
BROCCOLINI (SPROUTING PURPLE BROCCOLI) & MUSHROOM PASTA STIR FRY
FOR THE PASTA:
- Kosher salt and black pepper
- 1 pound spaghetti or other long pasta
- 4 tablespoons neutral oil, such as grapeseed
- 1 pound mushrooms (any small variety), trimmed and cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices
- 2 garlic cloves, grated
- 1 ¼ teaspoons five-spice blend
- ¾ pound broccolini, trimmed and cut into 3-inch pieces, thick stems halved lengthwise
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 scallions, thinly sliced
FOR THE SAUCE:
- 2 tablespoons oyster sauce (or vegetarian mushroom oyster sauce)
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup or brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon chile oil or chile crisp
PREPARATION
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook according to package instructions, until al dente. Reserve 1 cup of pasta cooking water, then drain the pasta.
- Meanwhile, heat a large (12-inch), deep skillet over medium-high. When hot, add 2 tablespoons oil and the mushrooms. Cook for 7 to 8 minutes, giving it a stir every 2 minutes or so. The mushrooms will release lots of liquid, but it will evaporate as it cooks. When the mushrooms start to turn golden, add the garlic, five spice and 1/2 teaspoon each salt and black pepper, then cook for 1 minute. Transfer the mushrooms to a plate and set aside.
- While the mushrooms are cooking, make the sauce: In a small bowl, whisk the oyster sauce, maple syrup, soy sauce, sesame oil and chile oil with 1/4 cup water until combined. Set aside.
- Heat the same skillet back over medium-high. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons oil and the broccolini. Season with salt and pepper and cook for 4 to 5 minutes, tossing occasionally, until the broccolini is tender but still quite crisp.
- Add the pasta to the pan, along with the sauce and the butter. Using tongs, toss to combine, then add the reserved pasta cooking water, 1/4 cup at a time, just to loosen the sauce. When the butter has melted, add the mushrooms and toss again. Remove from the heat. Serve topped with scallions.