• Cabbage
• Salad mix
• Parsley
• Watercress
• Leeks
• Onions
• Winter squash
• Daikon 
• Turnips
• Young fennel frond

Things on the farm seem quiet but we are gearing up for the regular season CSA that starts on 4/13/2025. We seeded some arugula and spinach directly into the hoop houses in hopes that it will be glorious for you all in March for our last two harvests. Juvencio has been plugging away at the greenhouses, turning over beds, pulling out weeds and getting them set for transplanting. I have flats of tiny seedlings sprouting and soon they will be ready to get in the ground. This next week will have very cold nights so we will cover them with agricultural fabric. I hope to transplant them out into the greenhouse by early February.

It is time to sign up for the 2025 season. I sent out an enrollment form to all winter share members. We will have limited membership this year, down to 60 from 80 due to all the changes in our household. We will no longer have the amazing help of Luna as she and Kody will move in early spring. We are not quite sure how we will manage but cutting the number of subscribers is a way we are thinking we can do this. We will depend more on subscribers to help us bring in and organize the harvests. You can email us for the enrollment form at lynjuve@msn.com. Our website is under construction and will have the enrollment form soon.

The first lambs of the season were born today. Two little black males were up and nursing shortly after birth. They are resting on hay in the barn and should be running around by next week. We have so many sheep and goats to give birth this season, fingers crossed all goes well.We do have a buck in with the ewes and does so keep an eye out for “Black Phillip” as he can be unpredictable.

In under 10 days our country will be altered for ever. The unimaginable will happen, the felon president will return to office. Please join me at the People’s March this coming Saturday January 18, 2025 from 10 -12 at Terry Schrunk Plaza

431 SW Madison Street

Portland, OR, 97204

United States

https://action.womensmarch.com/events/people-s-march-portland-or?source=rawlink&utm_source=rawlink&share=aa38d851-d5df-4a74-bd6f-6c46502eca7c

Protest, Resist and stand up for our democracy, our neighbors and our friends.

The fires in Los Angeles are a direct result of climate change. We have watched in horror at the devastation as we check in with family and friends in the area. I grew up in LA, in a town called Alhambra just south of Pasadena. I have many family and friends still in the area. All whom I have reached are fine, some evacuated and others able to stay home. There are ways to help Los Angeles area residents affected by the wildfires:

I looked at the NYT article: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/01/09/us/help-california-la-wildfires-victims.html

I then donated to the LA food bank:

https://secure.lafoodbank.org/site/Donation2?idb=623060092&df_id=5221&mfc_pref=T&5221.donation=completed&idb=623060092

I then donated to World Central Kitchen:

https://donate.wck.org/give/654000?_gl=1*quzyos*_gcl_au*MjA2NzcxNzM1Mi4xNzM2NDYxNTM1*_ga*MjA1NTk2Nzc0OS4xNzM2NDYxNTM1*_ga_5WKVY8503C*MTczNjQ2MTUzNS4xLjEuMTczNjQ2MTU3Ny4xOC4wLjA.#!/donation/thank-you?tid=129620052

I am  including many recipe ideas this week. I have been loving the winter squash with chile sauce and yogurt and plan to make this version tomorrow night. The fennel frond pesto looks delish, inspired by my binging of Top Chef. 

Don’t get bummed out by cabbage – it is a great food and makes a great main or side dish: try this recipe: 

https://www.wellplated.com/sauteed-cabbage

Roasted Cabbage

(Our families new favorite way to eat cabbage 2014)

1 head cabbage

Extra virgin olive oil

Salt

Pepper

Parmesan cheese

Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Cut the cabbage in half and now cut into wedges 3- 4 per half leaving a bit of the core on each wedge. Arrange the wedges on a cookie sheet, sprinkle with olive oil, salt and pepper and now turn over and do the same. On the second side sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Put the cabbage in the oven for 20 – 30 minutes, it should be golden brown and crispy on the outer leaves. Remove from the oven and enjoy! We will never let another cabbage head go to waste.

Fennel frond pesto

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup Walnuts 
• 1/4 cup Olive Oil
• 1/4 cup Distilled Water
• 2-3 cups Fennel Fronds
• 2 Garlic Cloves
• 2 tsp Fresh Lemon Juice
• Sprinkle of Salt to Season

Instructions

1. Wash Fennel Fronds and remove hard woody center stems.
2. Place all ingredients EXCEPT Walnuts in a Nutribullet or food processor. Blitz until combined and fronds have broken up into small pieces. 
3. Add the Walnuts and blitz to combine. If the mixture looks a little thick or dry add in an extra dash of water or olive oil.
4. Taste and add extra salt if needed and ready to serve!

Notes

If you want to preserve, divide the extra mixture into ice trays and freeze. I use large Ice trays. Then once it has frozen place in an airtight, freezer-proof container until you are ready to use.

Tamarindo-maple-glaze winter squash with chili yogurt

By Gregory Gourdet 

Serves 6

For the Dish

¼ cup salted roasted pepitas (hulled pumpkin seeds)

1 lime, for zesting

Small handful small cilantro sprigs

For the Chile Yogurt

1 dried ancho chile

1 dried chipotle chile

2 cups plain almond or coconut yogurt

1 teaspoon kosher salt

For the Glazed Squash

2 medium acorn squashes, seeded and each cut into 8 wedges

1 teaspoon kosher salt

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

3/4/ cup maple syrup

/3/4 cup Tamarind Water

MAKE THE TAMARIND WATER

Put the pulp in a large mixing bowl and add 5 cups of hot tap water. Let the tamarind soak and soften for 30 minutes. Every 5 minutes or so, use a whisk or sturdy spoon to break up large chunks and stir vigorously since the tamarind flesh sticks to the pod and fibers and dislodging it takes a bit of force.

Set a fine-mesh strainer over a medium mixing bowl. Pour the mixture into the strainer, then stir, press, and smash the solids to extract as much liquid and pulp as possible. Return the remaining solids to the mixing bowl and add 1¼ cups of hot tap water and vigorously stir it (I like to use a whisk) to get the last bits of pulp off the pods and fibers. Strain the mixture again through the strainer into the bowl and this time discard the solids.

The tamarind water will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 weeks and in the freezer

(in 1-cup portions for ease of use) for up to 3 months. Stir well before each use.

MAKE THE CHILE YOGURT

Put the ancho and chipotle chiles in a small skillet, set it over high heat, and cook, flipping them frequently. until fragrant, I to 2 minutes. Stem the chiles, combine them in a small bowl, and cover with hot tap water.

Let them soak until softened, about 20 minutes,

Drain, discarding the water, and finely chop the chiles. Serape the chiles and their seeds back into the bowl, add the yogurt and salt, and stir really well,

It keeps in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.

COOK AND GLAZE THE SQUASH

Preheat the oven to 375°F. Divide the squash, skin-side down, between two large, heavy skillets- using skillets, rather than a large sheet pan, will help you when basting. Evenly season the flesh with the salt, then drizzle with the olive oil, and roast until a knife meets with no resistance when inserted into the thickest part of the squash, about 30 minutes.

In the meantime, combine the maple syrup and tamarind water in a small saucepan, set it over medium heat, and bring to a boil. Cook, stirring frequently, until reduced by about half (it’ll be glossy and molasses-thick), 5 to 7 minutes.

Once the squash is roasted, drizzle the maple glaze onto the flesh and return the skillets to the oven. Cook for 5 minutes to give the glaze a chance to thicken a bit, then remove the skillets from the oven and baste the squash with the syrupy liquid, tilting the skillets and using a large metal spoon to scoop the liquid onto the squash three or four times. Keep roasting for 5 minutes, then baste again the same way and cook until the squash is glossy, sticky, and lightly charred at the edges, about 3 minutes more. Let the squash cool slightly.

MAKE THE DISH

Spoon the chile yogurt onto a platter and top with the squash, drizzling on any glaze left in the skillets.

Sprinkle with the pepitas, use a Microplane to grate on the lime zest, then sprinkle on the cilantro. Serve right away.

Watercress Salad with Lime Vinaigrette

2 T olive oil

1 garlic clove, minced

1 teas. Grated lime zest

2 T fresh lime juice

1 teaspoon sugar

Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

2 bunches watercress, tough stems removed

¼ cup sliced almonds, toasted

 Mix oil and garlic and heat in a small pan over medium heat for 1-2 minutes until garlic softens; remove from heat stir in lime zest, line juice, sugar and salt and pepper.  To serve, toss the watercress with just enough of the dressing to coat well.  Divide among four salad plates and sprinkle with almonds.