• Watercress
• Daikon
• Celeriac 
• Cabbage
• Herb (thyme, cilantro or parsley)
• Radicchio- special Treviso
• Shallots “braid” bunch
• Winter tomatoes while they last or popcorn (maybe?)
• Winter squash or pie pumpkin
• Salad mix
• Leeks
• Potatoes
• Garlic

Happy Solstice, Feliz Navidad, happy Hanukkah , happy Kwanzaa and happy New Year. Today is the last harvest of 2024. We are crawling out of bed  on one of the darkest days of the year in the northern hemisphere to gather what we can from our fields and storage room. Last night my family surprised me with a fantastic 60th birthday party. On Friday Juvencio had taken me to Astoria for a birthday getaway while my kids, sister, nephew and Polly turned our place upside down and created a winter wonderland. I was truly surprised and loved seeing so many of my friends from near and far. I shed many tears of joy. It is such a busy time of year and so many people made space in their holiday celebrations to come by and spend it with me.

I was made aware that my last note might have sounded like Juvencio and I are giving up La  Finquita and moving south to Honduras. That is not the case at all. We are forging ahead here in Oregon and planting trees, coffee and other tropical delights in Honduras. We are not moving on but rather expanding. We are lucky to have Juve’s brother Will and Nephew Edwardo who are agronomists  and are loving working on our land down there.

We are giving my very special radicchio this week. This variety: Treviso Sile Radicchio. We harvested it back in November and have had it in our storage room forcing it in darkness to grow new tender leaves in the center. These leaves are now sweeter and are like Belgian Endives. I tasted them at Wild Roots Farm in Troutdale and was hooked. They can be mixed into salads or enjoyed in their own special plate. I love them but share your feedback as the extra effort may not be worth it. Read here an article on this type of radicchio if you are interested on its origins: https://www.intrieste.com/2021/02/06/the-wondrous-life-of-radicchio-rosso-di-treviso-from-field-to-your-plate/

Another item this week that I have been working on and not yet succeeded is the dry farmed tomato. Here is what I was aiming for: https://sirenuse.it/en/journal/best-of-the-coast/good-things-the-hanging-tomatoes-of-vesuvius/

And you will see what I got. Many of the tomatoes did not hold well and I did not do enough per strand. I did have a friend take some and make them into a sauce (the healthy ones) and she said it was fine. They were supposed to be a winter treat for you all but I will have to work at the presentation. There may be some good enough to use and I may just decide I am too embarrassed to share them this year.

I am off to harvest. Our next pick up in January 12th, so enjoy your veggies now and your holidays and see you in the New Year

A Great place to get recipes is at the PNWCSA website that helps support consumers and farmers of locally grown produce. Their recipes are tried and true and offer suggestions for all the items you might find in your share each week. Here is the general link: https://www.pnwcsa.org/consume-something-amazing

Here is where to find specific recipes for radicchio:

Radicchio

https://www.pnwcsa.org/_files/ugd/d96ec6_219e4e1a87bc417182d73a9b1d6c1902.pdf

https://www.marthastewart.com/286437/radicchio-recipes

Watercress, Radicchio, and Radish Salad

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 2 teaspoons country Dijon mustard
• Pinch of sugar
• Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 bunches watercress, cut into 2-inch pieces (5 cups)
• 1 head radicchio, cut into 1-inch slices (½ cup)
• 1 bunch radishes, trimmed and thinly sliced (1 cup)

Directions

• In a salad bowl, whisk together lemon juice, Dijon, and sugar; season with salt and pepper. Slowly add oil, whisking constantly, until emulsified. Add watercress, radicchio, and radishes. Toss to evenly coat in dressing; serve.

Cook’s Notes

For a more festive-looking salad, use a variety of radicchios, such as Treviso, radicchio variegato, and radicchio rosa.

Originally appeared: Martha Stewart Living, January/February 2018

For Celeriac:

https://www.pnwcsa.org/_files/ugd/b45960_762e787d9fd94fe9a636cf55082782f0.pdf

Here is my favorite watercress soup: (note that I use leeks, onions, watercress and potatoes all ingredients you got in today’s basket and you can use less watercress to make it more of a potato leek soup with watercress)

Watercress Soup Recipe

Ingredients:

• 1 onion, peeled and roughly chopped
• 2 tablespoons (5.25 teaspoons) butter
• 1.5 cups potatoes, peeled and diced
• 2.5 cups chicken stock
• 1-2 bunches watercress, roughly chopped (about 2 x 85g bags)
• 4 tablespoons (10 teaspoons) cream

Instructions:

1. Heat the butter in a large pot over medium heat. Add the chopped onion and sauté until softened, about 5 minutes.
2. Add the diced potatoes and cook for another 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
3. Pour in the chicken stock and bring the mixture to a simmer. Cook for about 15-20 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender.