• Lettuce
• Chinese broccoli
• Sugar snap peas
• Kale or chard
• Basil or parsley
• Cilantro
• Green onions
• Potatoes 
• Kohlrabi or fennel or radish (last for a while for these favorites you will see them again in the fall and winter)
• Zucchini
• Elephant Garlic – really in the Leek family, mild garlicky flavor
• Maybe broccoli

Happy Father’s Day! No rest for those fathers on this farm. We have work to do. We will take time for high tea to celebrate Juvencio (and Jacob as a father to be) once the harvest is done.

I have spent much of this week waiting for our grandbaby to arrive. She/he is quite comfortable in her habitat and has not yet made an appearance. By next Sunday there must be an announcement of the arrival of the baby!

We have also been vigilant as Juvencio‘s father‘s health has taken a turn for the worse. His family is once again gathering Around his father and he is preparing to head down again. We are taking it day by day.

There is much work to be done on the farm as the weeds take no vacations. Most of the onions have been salvaged from weed invasion. But the greenhouses have gone crazy both with cultivated and undesired crops. We will do our best to manage this farm while tending to our family life events.

Land use issues will take front and center once again as preparation for the 2025 legislative session gears up. But before this comes a pivotal national election that could send us back into autocracy. As you can sense  my attention is divided and sometimes one wishes to focus on the weeds, and not the forest.

The sugar snap peas continue to be absolutely wild, and any help harvesting them is appreciated. The tomatoes are setting fruit, the cucumbers are flowering, and the onslaught of zucchini is around the corner. I continue to seed every week in preparation for fall and anxiously await the end of this week to seed all 16 varieties of radicchio in one day.

As for Recipes, our website used to have hundreds of recipes under the recipe tab – I just looked today and they are all gone. I guess that is what I deserve for not attending to a new site for over 13 years. I promise that this winter I will transition the site to a new platform and make it shiny and new. For now, look back at all the notes from this year for great recipes to enjoy.

Here are some recipes for this week:

What to do with all that cilantro? Make Cilantro Rice!! https://www.loveandlemons.com/cilantro-lime-rice/

If you have not yet made my salad dressing:

Lyn’s Salad Dressing

1 cup olive oil

1/3 cup white balsamic vinegar

salt and pepper

1 teaspoon or more Dijon mustard

1 clove garlic pressed

Add all ingredients to a Mason jar and cover with a lid.  Shake until creamy and 

well blended.

From Sue Kass:

A brief note about kale:

A weekly dose of kale does you good but apparently some people (my beloved sister amongst them) find this oppressive.

Just remember that you can reduce that bunch of kale to about ½ cup by chopping it finely (clutching the bunch tightly and slicing thin ribbons does the trick) ,  putting it in a wide bowl,  sprinkling with olive oil and “massaging” it for a minute or two.  My sister thinks vegetables should not need self care (e.g. massage) but really it only takes seconds and the olive oil is good for your hands.  This would also be a cheerful task for young children.  Once your kale is massaged and wilted and really not that much,  you can store it like that in the fridge for at least several days to make a salad when you want it.

Some of my favorite kale salads are:

Ave Gene style: mix with grated rind and juice of 1-2 lemons,  salt and pepper.  At serving time toss with fresh grated parmesan and toasted bread crumbs

Mexican/Southwest Style: toss with chunks of avocado and toasted pumpkin seeds and a splash of rice vinegar.  Can add chunks of fresh mango or clementine/satsuma/mandarin

Greek salad: toss with a little more olive oil and red vinegar, red onion, sliced cukes,  kalamata olives and feta cheese

Creamy Kale Pizza

Yield:4 servings

• ½cup heavy cream
• 3 tablespoons finely grated Parmesan
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 garlic clove, finely grated
• ¼teaspoon grated nutmeg (optional)
• A large pinch red-pepper flakes
• Salt
• 4 packed cups coarsely chopped curly kale leaves (about 4 ounces, from ½ large bunch)
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for greasing
• 1 cup grated fresh or low-moisture mozzarella (about 4 ounces)
• 1 shallot, thinly sliced
• 1 pound store-bought or homemade pizza dough, at room temperature

·        Step 1

Place a sheet pan on the oven’s lowest rack and heat the oven to 450 degrees. In a liquid measuring cup or small bowl, stir together the heavy cream, Parmesan, lemon juice, garlic, nutmeg (if using), and red-pepper flakes. Season to taste with salt; set aside. In a medium bowl, sprinkle the kale with the olive oil and a big pinch of salt; squeeze with your hands until wilted.

·        Step 2

Place a kitchen towel on a work surface, then place an upside-down sheet pan or cutting board on the towel. (This will serve as your pizza peel; the towel stabilizes the setup as you roll the dough.) Line the upside-down sheet pan with parchment paper, lightly grease the parchment paper with olive oil and place the dough on top. Stretch or roll the dough on the parchment into a 9-by-13-inch rectangle. If the dough shrinks, let it rest a few minutes before continuing.

·        Step 3

Sprinkle the mozzarella over the dough, then add the kale in an even layer. Spoon the heavy cream over the kale, then top with the shallots.

·        Step 4

Remove the heated sheet pan from the oven and carefully slide the parchment with the dough onto the hot baking sheet. Cook until the cheese and the crust is golden brown, 14 to 16 minutes.

·        Step 5

Use tongs to transfer the pizza to a cooling rack, leaving the parchment behind. Let sit for a few minutes to crisp and cool slightly before cutting and serving.

Kale Tabbouleh

Yield:4 to 6 servings

• ⅔cup fine bulgur
• 3 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 shallot, finely chopped
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1¼teaspoons fine sea salt, more as needed
• ½cup extra-virgin olive oil, more as needed
• 1 bunch kale, stems removed, leaves finely chopped (5 cups)
• 2 large ripe tomatoes, diced (about 2 cups)
• ½cup torn mint leaves
• ½cup diced radish
• Black pepper, as needed

·        Step 1

Cook bulgur according to package instructions. Cool.

·        Step 2

In a small bowl, whisk together lemon juice, shallot, cumin and salt. Whisk in olive oil.

·        Step 3

In a large bowl, toss together bulgur, kale, tomatoes, mint and radish. Toss in dressing. Season with black pepper and more salt if you like, and drizzle with additional oil if desired.

• Spring Minestrone With Zucchini & Kale
• ¼cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 large shallots or 1 small onion, thinly sliced
• 2 celery stalks, thinly sliced
• Kosher salt and black pepper
• 2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger (optional)
• 2 tablespoons minced garlic
• 2 quarts low-sodium chicken or vegetable stock
• 1 cup ditalini or other small shaped pasta (about 5 ounces)
• 8 ounces asparagus, trimmed and sliced into ½-inch pieces (1½ cups), thinly sliced zucchini or chopped broccoli
• 1 cup fresh or frozen peas
• 5 ounces baby kale, baby spinach or torn spinach (about 4 cups)
• Store Bought pesto and grated Parmesan, for serving

·        Step 1

In a heavy soup pot or Dutch oven, heat the oil over medium heat. Add shallots and celery and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes.

·        Step 2

Add the ginger, if using, and garlic and stir until very fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add stock and bring to a simmer.

·        Step 3

Stir in pasta and cook according to package instructions until al dente. Stir in asparagus and peas and cook until vegetables and pasta are tender, about 3 minutes longer. Stir in kale and season with salt and pepper.

·        Step 4

Divide soup among bowls. Swirl in some pesto and top with Parmesan.