- Lettuce
- Onions
- Green onions (the most healthy type of onion!)
- Fennel (see recipes below)
- Kale
- Spinach or chard
- Beets or carrots (appreciate those carrots they were a labor of love)
- Chinese broccoli
- Herb (parsley, cilantro or dill or oregano or sage)
- Sugar snap peas
- Radishes
This week weeding took priority. The onions have had their 2nd of four weeding sessions and they are really starting to grow. These next three weeks are critical for onions as their greens grow until about June 21 (the summer equinox) and then their attention turns towards creating a bulb. We have more onions than ever and they look better than they have in years past. We are still haunted by what happened to one of our prize crops last year during the heat dome. We have a couple of varieties planted from a small bulb which should give us earlier onions. The last of our overwintering onions come out either today or tomorrow. They are the size of grapefruits. Thanks to Courtney who did a great job of weeding them during the winter, they have thrived.
Most of the lower garden has been planted. I have six precious beds left. One will be for potatoes and 2 to 3 will be for fall brassicas such as brussels sprouts, cabbage and cauliflower. Pretty soon we will start clearing more spring planted beds and be able to plant some of those fall crops in the hoop houses. Keeping up with it all seems near impossible but so far so good. The annual flowers are starting to bloom and many of my perennials that I put in last year are providing beautiful color for bouquets. The sweet William is glorious. Last year my nephew worked at Portland nursery and I took advantage and bought some Yarrow and euphorbia,things that are hard to start from seed and they are huge and full of blooms. As the weather once again is raining on a Saturday I should have plenty of flowers left over from the farmers market if anybody wants to make an order or take their chances at seeing what remains when they come to pick up their vegetables.
Juvencio spent a lot of time getting trellises in place. The cucumbers and beans are beginning to climb, the tomatoes are getting fortified and we even saw the first bloom on a cucumber. We had our harvest helpers busy at work harvesting everything from radishes to peas from here on out there will be lots to do. We will head out in the break in the weather to get the harvest done.
Our family has been loving the parsley in pesto form called
Pesto al Limone e Prezzemolo (Parsley and Lemon Pesto)
Makes about 1 cup
1 cup parsley leaves, either flat-leaf or curly
½ garlic clove
½ cup dried breadcrumbs
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2/3 cup olive oil
1 tablespoon grated lemon zest
1 pinch of salt
Black pepper to taste (optional)
Instructions: Add all ingredients to a food processor and blend until smooth. Use a spatula to scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed. Taste and adjust ingredients as preferred.
Adapted from “Cook Italy” by Katie Caldesi
Special feature this week: FENNEL
Using the fennel fronds sounds tough but—just pull ’em off!—and incorporating them into dishes, especially dishes where you’re already using fennel bulb, is a no-brainer. We use them in the same way we’d use other fresh, soft herbs like parsley or dill. You can mix chopped fennel fronds into pestos, salsas, stocks, curries, and vinaigrettes for an added hit of freshness. You can use them to top yogurt dips, eggs, stir-fries, toasts, and seared meats. And they’re delicious when tossed into green salads or strewn on top of roasted vegetables.
There are a ton of ways to take advantage of the delicate flavor that fennel fronds have to offer. It really doesn’t matter what you do with them, as long as it’s something. We just want to make sure you’re not missing out on nature’s finest deal: fennel fronds.
I like to add fennel stalks to a vegetable broth, especially if I plan to use the broth in a fennel dish—they lend quite a bit of anise flavor. The stalks also freeze well in plastic bags for later use.
You can use the mildly anise-flavored fronds as you would a fresh herb in several ways:
In salads, especially if the salad contains fennel
Tucked in the cavity of roasted chicken or whole fish, alone or with other aromatics
Chopped and added to marinades for fish or meat, along with garlic and other herbs
Added to chunky vegetable soups during the last minutes of simmering
As a bed for roasting swordfish or halibut filets (both fronds and stalks)
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Fennel Fronds Pesto
A fresh, green and vegan Fennel Fronds Pesto with pumpkin seeds and garlic. Vegan, soy-free, nut-free and dairy-free.
Prep Time
10 mins
Total Time
10 mins
Course: CondimentCuisine: Italian fusion, nut-free, Soy-freeDiet: Gluten Free, Vegan, VegetarianKeyword: Fennel Fronds Pesto Servings: 8 servings Calories: 96kcal Author: Vaishali · Holy Cow! Vegan Recipes
Equipment
Food processor
Ingredients
4 packed cups chopped fennel fronds (from two bulbs)
2 cloves garlic (crushed and chopped)
1/2 to 1 tsp ground black pepper
1/4 cup unsalted pumpkin seeds (you can use salted, but dial down the added salt in that case. You can also use nuts like walnuts, pecans, cashews or pine nuts)
4-8 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Salt to taste
Juice of 1 lemon
2 tbsp nutritional yeast (optional)
Instructions
Place all the ingredients except the oil in a food processor except the olive oil. With the blade running, drizzle in the olive oil until you have a coarse paste. Check for salt and pepper and add more if needed.
Notes
Recipes for this week:
How to use fennel
Kale and Sugar Snap Pea Salad
Dressing:
3/4 c canola oil
1/2 c peeled chopped ginger
1/4 c miso paste
1/2 c rice vinegar
Finely grated zest and juice of 2 lemons or limes
1/4 c sugar
salt and pepper
For the salad:
2 Tbs sugar
6-8 dried apricots
1 bunch kale, coarse stems removed and coarsely chopped
2 c sugar snap peas
4 oz crumbled feta
1/4 c toasted and coarsely chopped almonds
2 Tbs freshly chopped mint leaves
Combine dressing ingredients in a blender or food processor. and process for 30 seconds to form a creamy emulsion
In a small saucepan over medium-low heat, combine the sugar in 1/4 c water. Add the dried apricots and poach 2-3 minutes then remove from heat.
In a serving bowl combine the kale, snap peas and feta. Add dressing to taste and toss well. Sprinkle with almonds and garnish with poached apricots and mint and serve