- Parsley
- Basil
- Tomatoes
- Cherry tomatoes
- Sweet peppers
- Hot peppers
- Cucumbers
- Zucchini
- Green onions
- Fruit bar: apples, pears, plums grapes
- Eggplant
- Padron peppers, tomatillos or green beans
We have been transplanting, weeding and turning over beds. Pretty standard fare for this time of year. We have had to fill in previously transplanted areas as that hot spell fried some of the earlier crops. The weeding is ridiculous, that bit of rain last week was needed and served to germinate the next generation of pigweed, lamb’s quarters etc. The fall crops have a carpet of weeds coming beneath them that has to get out ASAP.
The fruit trees are bursting with apples, pears, plums and the like. The grapes are sweet and splitting with the moisture. Take your selection from the fruit bar and know there is more to be had on the trees if you ask we will point you in the right direction. There are still black berries in the field for you pick, just follow the fence lines and they are there.
I am back at the Beaverton Farmers Market. Luna helped me brave the first market as Polly is off in Italy. I will be there Saturdays through November 18th. My studio is cleaned out and wreaths will be available at market or by special order.
Washington County and the cities of Hillsboro and North Plains continue to gobble up farm land with disregard to Urban Growth Plans and promises made years ago. We fought hard for a 50 year reserve process that planned for growth and preserves our precious land resources. Now the fight is in North Plains as we lost over 1000 acres in Hillsboro. Please do sign on to the petition:
Order your t-shirts now! Last date to order in advance and ensure your size is available 9/15/2023:
https://forms.gle/wAx9M5mq8yQSw4Yj9
Recipes to enjoy this week:
Quick cherry tomato with pasta
Serves 4-6
- 1 pound fusilli pasta
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, more for drizzling
- 6 ounces pancetta, preferably thick cut, diced
- 6 garlic cloves, smashed and peeled
- Pinch of red pepper flakes
- Fine sea salt and black pepper, as needed
- 1 quart cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
- 3 tablespoons butter
- Fresh ricotta cheese, for serving (optional)
- 3 cups whole mint leaves, torn (could use basil instead)
- 4 scallions, preferably red scallions for color, thinly sliced
- Flaky sea salt, to finish
1. Step 1
Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook until 1 minute shy of al dente. Drain pasta, reserving ½ cup pasta cooking water.
2. Step 2
Meanwhile, heat a large skillet over medium-high heat for 15 seconds, then add the oil and heat until it thins out and easily coats the pan when swirled. Add pancetta and cook until it starts to render its fat, about 2 minutes. Add garlic, red pepper flakes and a large pinch of salt and pepper and cook until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add tomatoes and cook until they burst, turn golden at the edges and shrivel up slightly, about 5 to 8 minutes.
3. Step 3
Add pasta to pan and toss with tomato-pancetta mixture; if the mixture looks dry add a little pasta cooking water a few tablespoons at a time. Cook over high heat until the pasta finishes cooking in the sauce. Add the butter and toss until it melts and coats everything.
4. Step 4
Divide pasta among warmed pasta bowls. Garnish with dollops of ricotta if desired, and top with a generous mound of fresh mint and scallions. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with sea salt and more pepper before serving.
- If you would like to leave out the pancetta (making the dish vegetarian), toss ⅓ cup grated pecorino in the pasta along with the butter.
- I threw in a cup of toasted chickpeas to make it more substantial
Marie Helene’s Apple Cake (could use ripe pears too—great use for slightly bruised/imperfect fruit)
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
Pinch of salt
4 large apples (if you can, choose 4 different kinds)
2 large eggs
3/4 cup sugar
3 tablespoons dark rum
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1. Step 1: Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Generously butter an 8-inch springform pan and put it on a baking sheet lined with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper and put the springform on it.
Step 2: Whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt together in small bowl.
Step 3: Peel the apples, cut them in half and remove the cores. Cut the apples into 1- to 2-inch chunks.
Step 4: In a medium bowl, beat the eggs with a whisk until they’re foamy. Pour in the sugar and whisk for a minute or so to blend. Whisk in the rum and vanilla. Whisk in half the flour and when it is incorporated, add half the melted butter, followed by the rest of the flour and the remaining butter, mixing gently after each addition so that you have a smooth, rather thick batter. Switch to a rubber spatula and fold in the apples, turning the fruit so that it’s coated with batter. Scrape the mix into the pan and poke it around a little with the spatula so that it’s evenish.
Step 5: Slide the pan into the oven and bake for 50 to 60 minutes, or until the top of the cake is golden brown and the cake may pull away from the sides of the pan. Transfer to a cooling rack and let rest for 5 minutes.
Step 6:Carefully run a blunt knife around the edges of the cake and remove the sides of the springform pan. Allow the cake to cool until it is just slightly warm or at room temperature. If you want to remove the cake from the bottom of the springform pan, wait until the cake is almost cooled, then run a long spatula between the cake and the pan, cover the top of the cake with a piece of parchment or wax paper, and invert it onto a rack. Carefully remove the bottom of the pan and turn the cake over onto a serving dish.
Chopped salad with tahini and za’atar
The addition of tahini paste to a familiar tomato and cucumber salad is a revelation. Serves four.
6 ripe plum tomatoes, cut into 1cm dice
2 mini-cucumbers, trimmed and cut into 1cm dice
1 red pepper, seeds, stalk and pith removed, cut into 1cm dice
5 spring onions, trimmed and thinly sliced on an angle
15g coriander leaves, roughly chopped
2 tbsp lemon juice
3 tbsp olive oil
Salt
200g feta, cut into 4 rectangular blocks (optional)
4 tbsp tahini
2 tsp za’atar
Put the chopped tomatoes in a sieve over a bowl for 20 minutes. Discard the resulting juice and put the tomatoes, cucumbers, pepper, spring onions and coriander in a large bowl. Add the lemon juice, oil and half a teaspoon of salt, and stir gently to combine.
To serve, arrange the feta (if using) on four plates and spoon the salad on top, making sure some of the feta remains visible. Pour a spoonful of tahini over each portion and finish with a sprinkle of za’atar.