- Cilantro or dill
- Lettuce (two heads this week – the tight heads with small leaves are “Salanova” a delicious lettuce bred for all small leave production)
- Kale
- Spinach
- Turnips (make sure to use their tender greens as well)
- Green garlic (this is the only garlic this year, we had such a failure last year we did not grow seed for this year – use as you would regular garlic and see recipes below)
- Bok Choi (quick growing Asian veggie great in stir fry or soup)
We were lucky this week with the weather. (until yesterday we got around an inch of extra rain) Juvencio took the opportunity just before the rain restarted to till several beds in the lower half of the field. The soil was perfectly dry enough to make nice clean beds with little dirt clumping. We haven’t used the specific tractor in a long time and forgot how beautifully it prepares the soil. I was able to plant all four beds of zucchini and seed some more radishes as well as planting the last broccoli and the only cauliflower. All of the greenhouse tomatoes are planted with three beds of regular tomatoes and one bed of those delicious cherry tomatoes.
At this time we have all the greenhouse beds full of crops that will come over the next 2 to 3 months. Within the next two weeks we anticipate turning over greenhouse number two,which supplied our early spinach, lettuce, and arugula. I will plant cucumbers and basil. The extra long high tunnel which currently is filled with spring delicacies will be turned over into peppers both sweet and hot sometime in the next couple of weeks. It is crunch time at the farm as days lengthen and we have about six weeks before the summer equinox. We have a lot of crops to get in the ground.
The cover crop got measured and cut and turned over. That means the entire field is mostly prepped and ready to go. The small area where we did a Cover crop project to increase organic matter is still shoulder high in spelt.Juvencio let our only steer and the sheep get inside and start munching. The root system of this crop should be about as big as the above ground foliage. We are hopeful that this will be a productive area for radicchio and fall broccoli.
Despite 20 years of farming we still have a hard time anticipating exactly where each crop will go. It is always hard to leave space for those fall crops as we feel so limited in space to farm. That is why we don’t grow crops like corn which require a ton of space and lots of water. The water that we use out in the field comes from our own well and that piece of land does not have a working well. The fantasy of dryland farming always seems good in the winter but by the time spring comes and there are dry days we end up irrigating as best we can.
We are feeling the pinch on farm help. Jacob and Courtney took off last week to spend the summer months in Homer Alaska. We miss them so much already. Luna and Kody take off for London tomorrow and will be gone through mid next week. It is hard to have to split my time between clinic work and farm work especially right now with more work at both places than 1 person can accomplish. The pandemic continues to take its toll on personnel as we struggle to meet the unattended needs of so many vulnerable people. Our staff are leaving for higher pay. All of us who work at Virginia Garcia Memorial Health Care came because of a commitment to the mission of providing high quality health care to the most vulnerable people in our community. Employees are being siphoned off by other healthcare organizations with deeper pockets. Who will help us care for the most needy? I face these questions every day at work as we have clinicians, nurses, medical assistants leaving for higher pay and easier work with those who have access to healthcare in the private sector. If you have any answers send them my way – for now I am unable to give up or give in.
Enjoy some recipes this week. Make sure to use those Turnip greens.
Ottolenghi Bok Choy with Oyster Sauce Garlic and Peanuts
3 Tbs peanut oil
3 garlic cloves peeled and finely sliced
3 cm piece of ginger, peeled and cut into this julienne strips
3 thin strips orange skin
20g salted roasted peanuts, roughly chopped
550g bok choy, stalks and leaves separated, stalks cut into 5 cm pieces
1 1/2 Tbsp oyster sauce
2 tsp light soy
Heat the oil in a small sauce pan on medium high heat, fry the garlic, ginger, orange peel and peanuts for 2-3 minutes. Tip into a small bowl and set aside, put the pan aside for later.
Steam all the bok choy for about 90 seconds in a steamer., then transfer to a plate.
Return the peanut pan to high heat and warm through the oyster sauce, then pour it over the bok choy and sprinkle with the nut/aromatics mix and serve at once
Rainbow Chard with Orange, garlic and caraway
2 Tbs olive oil
4 thin strips of orange peel
2 garlic cloves, peeled and sliced thin
1/2 tsp caraway seeds
400g rainbow chard, washed and stalks and leaves separated, stalks cut into 2 cm pieces and leaves left whole
S& P, 1/2 tsp lemon juice
Heat the oil in a large sauté pan over medium high heat. Add the orange peel, garlic and caraway and fry for a minute or two. Add the chard stalks and leaves, stirring so that the leaves start to wilt and you can fit it all in. Sauté, stirring frequently, for 8-9 minutes or until stalks are soft. Season w/ salt and pepper, and serve as a side dish hot or at room temp, drizzling lemon juice on just prior to serving
Green Garlic Tabbouleh
3/4 tsp salt
1 c bulgur
2 Tbs lemon juice, more to taste
1/4 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp black pepper
Pinch allspice
1/2 c EVOO
2 1/2 c coarsely chopped parsley leaves
1 1/4 c finely chopped green garlic, tender stems and tops only—save bulbs for another use
1/2 c chopped fresh mint
1 c diced tomato
1 c diced cucumber
1/2 c thinly sliced scallions
In a small pot bring 2 c well salted water to boil, add bulgur, cover and simmer for 8-12 minutes or until tender. Drain well and transfer to a large bowl.
In a small bowl, whisk together lemon juice and spices, then whisk in oil. Pour dressing over bulgur and toss well to coat. Toss in remaining ingredients and mix well—taste to adjust seasoning if needed.
Green Garlic Toast
Slices of crusty bread
1/2 c unsalted butter, softened
1/2 c grated parmesan
2 1/2 tablespoons chopped young green garlic stalks, white and green parts
1 Tb minced chives
1 regular garlic clove, halved
1/4 tsp each salt, pepper; large pinch of red chile flakes
Heat the broiler. Broil the bread slices on a baking sheet, flipping over halfway until golden on both sides. Keep warm
In bowl, stir together the butter, cheese, green garlic, chives and spices.
Rub the toasts with the cut side of the regular garlic, then spread with the green garlic butter. Broil again for 30 seconds to 2 minutes, until lightly browned. Serve hot or warm.
Spicy Green Garlic Chicken Soup
FOr the soup:
4 large chicken legs—about 3 lbs
kosher salt and black pepper
2 Tbs EVOO
1 large onion diced, about 3 cups
4 medium carrots, peeled, cut into 2” chunks
1 celery stalk, diced
1 bay leaf
1 cove
2 bunches of green garlic shoots—about 12 shoots
For the salsa:
1 small white onion, finely diced (about 1/2 c)
3-4 large tomatillos, husked and finely diced (about 1/2 c)
1-2 jalapeño peppers, seeds removed, finely chopped
3 Tbs lime juice
lime wedges for serving
Season chicken generously with salt and pepper. Pour olive oil into a Dutch oven over medium high heat. Add chicken legs and brown well, about 3 minutes per side. Remove and set aside. Add diced onion and cook, stirring frequently until browned and softened. Add carrots, celery, bay, clove and return chicken to the pot.
Add 10 c water and 1 Tbs Kosher salt and bring to a boil; then simmer until chicken is tender, about 1 hour. Turn off heat and skim fat from surface of the broth.
While chicken is cooking, prepare the green garlic. Peel aware tough outer layers and roots , then rinse well. Split lengthwise and chop both white and tender green parts. Set aside
Combine the salsa ingredients in a small bowl.
Just before serving, reheat soup, add the chopped green garlic to the pot and simmer 5 minutes. To serve, place one chicken leg in a bowl and ladle soup over it, then serve with the tomatillo salsa and lime wedges.
Stir Fried baby turnips with spring onions, green garlic and tofu
7 oz firm tofu, drained and cut into dominos (1/4” x 1”)
1 bunch baby turnips, with greens
1-2 Tbs soy sauce, to taste
1Tbs Chinese rice wine, or dry sherry
1/4 c chicken stock, veg stock, or water
1 tsp honey
2 Tbs neutral oil (sunflower, canola, grape-seed)
salt and pepper
1 bulb green garlic, papery shells removed and mined
1 Tb minced ginger
1 bunch spring onions or 2-3 bunches of scallions, sliced (about 1 1/4 c)
1/2 c coarsely chopped cilantro
Drain and dry tofu slices on paper towels. In small bowl, combine the soy sauce, rice wine, stock or water and honey.
Cut away greens from the baby turnips. Scrub the turnips and if small, cut in half—if larger than a ping pong ball, quarter.Stem greens, wash well and chop coarsely
Heat a large wok over high heat until a drop of water evaporates when added to the pan. Swirl in 1 TB of the oil, then add tofu and stir fry until lightly colored, 1-2 minutes. Remove to a plate
Swirl in remaining oil, add garlic and ginger and stir fry for no more than 10 seconds. Add onions and stir fry for 1 minute. Add turnips and stir fry for another minute of two, then add soy sauce mixture. Add greens and stir fry until crisp tender. Return the tofu to the wok and toss all with the cilantro. Stir fry for 1 minuet and remove from heat. Serve with hot rice or noodles.
Don’t forget a spring favorite of mine introduced to me by Diego’s best friend Mohsen’s mom – a Persian delight – Kuku: https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1018062-fresh-herb-kuku