- Daikon radish
- Kale or collards
- Cucumber
- Zucchini
- Parsley
- Basil
- Onions
- Potatoes
- Green and purple beans
- Cherry tomatoes
- Sweet red and yellow peppers
- Hot peppers
- Grapes
- Fruit bar – plums, apples and pears you choose
This week we harvested the second to last bed of potatoes. It was a Hail Mary to try and get as many of the seed potatoes as possible into the ground. They did not really like the heat of a hoop house, but those beds are now prepared for winter crops. Once it cools down tomorrow, I hope to Transplant, the spinach, Napa cabbage, and some of the final escarole. We were out surveying the beneficial insects and their effects on the aphid and white fly populations and honestly it’s hard to tell. There are quite a collection of those buggers already out there. We use an organic spray to fight back the aphids, but can’t really use that once we’ve put down beneficial bugs as the spray is indiscriminate. I guess we will have to cross our fingers that the beneficial insects multiply faster than the pests.
The squirrels are busy wreaking havoc where they can take a stronghold. We can continue to try and beat them at their own game. It feels like they might be winning. These hot days have been good for the flowers and the tomatoes but some of the fall crops are getting the signal that it’s time to bolt. I’ve already seen about 10% of the radicchio going upwards towards the sky – not a good sign.
Tomorrow afternoon Juvencio and I will attend the culinary breeding networks event at the Redd in Southeast Portland. There we will meet with Seed companies, breeders, and chefs as well as other farmers who are out to see the next best thing. I’m hoping to learn how to string up my dry crop tomatoes, get some special barley seed, and see the next generation of radicchio.
It’s hard to believe that we still have space in our Winter CSA but you heard it here first. We still have 10 spots so if you’ve been on the fence, you don’t want to miss this series of amazing harvests. We will have lots of good greens for you to enjoy during long winter nights and hopefully a steady supply of salad greens. There will be eight harvest over the five months generally two harvest per month except for in January and February.
The harvest festival is set for October 13 and we gain new performers by the minute. We hope you will come and enjoy the afternoon, filled with cider pressing, pizza making, music listening, and farm touring.
With kids back in school and college students about to depart it sure feels like fall. The weather has been a bit deceiving, but hopefully by the end of the week we will be feeling the crisp morning Temperatures and the afternoon highs in the 70s. I have been busy making dried flower wreaths, and birdfeeders in my spare moments between doctoring and farming and have many options for you to choose from. I am back at the farmers market where the full display is out. You all missed my studio in full show as no one stopped in , but by the end of the week there should be new additions. Please come visit me at the Beaverton Farmers Market on Saturdays 8:30-1:30 or reach out to me via text if you’re interested. Dried Flower Wreaths last for years, come with a box to store them if you want to use them on your front door for fall decoration. The birdfeeders make great gifts and can be special ordered.
Caldo Verde (Portuguese soup with collards and potatoes)
INGREDIENTS
Yield:4 servings
· 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for serving
· 1 medium yellow onion, halved and thinly sliced
· Kosher salt and black pepper
· 5 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
· 1½pounds Yukon Gold or yellow potatoes, peeled and cut into ½-inch cubes
· 1(3- to 5-ounce) chouriço, linguiça or any smoked garlic sausage link (in one piece)
· 6 cups low-sodium chicken broth
· 2 cups stemmed and finely shredded collard greens or kale (from 3 to 4 ounces unstemmed greens)
PREPARATION
1. Step 1
In a large Dutch oven or heavy pot, heat oil over medium. Add onion, season with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and lightly golden, about 8 minutes. Add garlic and stir until fragrant, about 1 minute.
2. Step 2
Add potatoes, the whole sausage link and broth; season with salt. Bring to a boil over high heat. Cover, reduce heat to medium-low and cook until potatoes are very soft and crush with no resistance, about 25 minutes. Transfer sausage to a cutting board to cool.
3. Step 3
Using a slotted spoon, reserve 1 cup of the potatoes. Purée the remaining soup in a blender (or use an immersion blender) until smooth. Return to pot and add collard greens and reserved potatoes. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring and mashing potatoes slightly, until greens are softened and soup is thickened, about 5 minutes; season with salt and pepper.
4. Step 4
Divide soup among bowls. Thinly slice the sausage and divide on top. Drizzle with oil and serve warm.
Chickpea Stew with Turmeric and Greens
INGREDIENTS
Yield:4 to 6 servings
· ¼cup olive oil, plus more for serving
· 4 garlic cloves, chopped
· 1 large yellow onion, chopped
· 1(2-inch) piece ginger, finely chopped
· Kosher salt and black pepper
· 1½teaspoons ground turmeric, plus more for serving
· 1 teaspoon red-pepper flakes, plus more for serving
· 2(15-ounce) cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed
· 2(15-ounce) cans full-fat coconut milk
· 2 cups vegetable or chicken stock
· 1 bunch Swiss chard, kale or collard greens, stems removed, torn into bite-size pieces
· 1 cup mint leaves, for serving
· Yogurt, for serving (optional)
· Toasted pita, lavash or other flatbread, for serving (optional)
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PREPARATION
1. Step 1
Heat ¼ cup oil in a large pot over medium. Add garlic, onion and ginger. Season with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally until onion is translucent and starts to brown a little at the edges, 3 to 5 minutes.
2. Step 2
Add 1½ teaspoons turmeric, 1 teaspoon red-pepper flakes, and the chickpeas, and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, so the chickpeas sizzle and fry a bit in the spices and oil, until they’ve started to break down and get a little browned and crisp, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove about a cup of chickpeas and set aside for garnish.
3. Step 3
Using a wooden spoon or spatula, further crush the remaining chickpeas slightly to release their starchy insides. (This will help thicken the stew.) Add coconut milk and stock, and season with salt and pepper.
4. Step 4
Bring to a simmer, scraping up any bits that have formed on the bottom of the pot. Cook, stirring occasionally, until stew has thickened, 30 to 35 minutes. (Taste a chickpea or two, not just the liquid, to make sure they have simmered long enough to be as delicious as possible.) If after 30 to 35 minutes, you want the stew a bit thicker, keep simmering until you’ve reached your desired consistency. Determining perfect stew thickness is a personal journey!
5. Step 5
Add greens and stir, making sure they’re submerged in the liquid. Cook until they wilt and soften, 3 to 7 minutes, depending on what you’re using. (Swiss chard and spinach will wilt and soften much faster than kale or collard greens.) Season again with salt and pepper.
6. Step 6
Divide among bowls and top with mint, reserved chickpeas, a sprinkle of red-pepper flakes and a good drizzle of olive oil. Serve alongside yogurt and toasted pita if using; dust the yogurt with turmeric if you’d like.