Week #24, 2019

• Lettuce or radicchio 
• Leeks
• Sweet red peppers
• Hot peppers
• Cherry tomatoes
• Potatoes
• Onions
• Tomatoes
• Winter squash – you can always leave it on your counter (for months) and it will get sweeter.
• Thyme
• Kale
• Grapes
• Apples
• Zucchini or cukes or beans – all sadly on their way out

We have chanterelles thanks to Kris ! Beekeeper and master forager, Kris Schamp has brought us extras for sale while supply lasts. The Chanterelles are $10/pound, $3 cheaper than New Seasons! In the weeks to come he will have honey for sale as well. We have tons of cheese, the goats continue to produce and Juve is busy milking and starting the cheese while I finish it off. For pick-up sites you can order and I will send with your pick-up.

Tonight is the benefit dinner for Portland Area CSA farmers at La Finquita. Holly (our member!!) is the executive director and she and Mary have been working hard all week to transform the farm into a venue (we now have it!! Get ready). The outdoor kitchen is truly like an industrial kitchen, clean, organized and in working order (check it out Mary Kay – you will  be in heaven). The upstairs of the barn is magical, cobwebs cleaned, floors scrubbed, junk stowed away or thrown out and lights strung. Juvencio worked like a fiend to help organize, clean and support the general clean up of the farm. He mowed and weeded and worked his magic. 

I have been marching in the streets at the Climate Strike PDX, making wreaths (some on display for sale today, get them while you can!) and doing my doctor thing. We roasted two bushels of red sweet peppers and managed to peel and seed and package them all Friday night after the strike and before setting up for the Farmers Market. So much to do and so little time.

Our very own harvest festival 2019 is set for October 6th. Hopefully we can keep the farm fairly clean until then so the prep is less (although the pizza area is in disarray we have less to do than usual). We are busy pulling out summer crops and getting all the greenhouses planted for winter. I have radicchio, escarole, lettuce, kale, onions, parsely, celery, arugula and more to get planted. Juve will turn his attention from the party prep to the greenhouses and haven them ready to go in no time.

We are getting sign ups for Winter Share 2019-20. Think about it and take action as we are filling the 30 slots fast. We have 12 harvests over 5 months, (basically every other week except November there is more as we have so much more produce) Thanksgiving harvest is not included (that is an add on for all CSA members and the cost is $40) The cost for the 12 week subscription is $330.

On the home front, Luna heads to PSU on Friday. She will study biology a move into the dorm. I stay busy with benefits, politics and work and more work and try not to think about how empty our house will feel. I know this was part of the deal with motherhood, just can’t believe it is here, so when you see me with knitted brow or tears in my eyes you will know why. Thankfully she will be close for now (my sons are in Alaska and Costa Rica so I know this will change). I am reminded daily how precious life is and hope to live each day fully.

So, what have you done today to PROTECT, RESTORE AND FUND  our planet? For one thing you have invested in sustainable agriculture! The next thing you can do is watch Greta Thurburg in this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Q0xUXo2zEY please copy, past, spread this and take action today and every day. Stand up, join the movement – “Everything counts, what you do counts” More news coming from La Finquita in ways you can help us help the planet from local agriculture to reforestation on our land in McMinnville.

Time to harvest! See you around the farm . . .

Chanterelles Sauteed

INGREDIENTS

 2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) butter

 2 tablespoons olive oil 

8 ounces fresh chanterelle mushrooms, quartered if large 

1 teaspoon minced shallot 

1 garlic clove, minced 

PREPARATION Melt butter with oil in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms; sauté until lightly browned, about 6 minutes. Add shallot and garlic; sauté 2 minutes longer. Season to taste with salt and pepper. DO AHEAD Can be made 2 hours ahead. Transfer to baking sheet. Cover loosely with foil and let stand at room temperature. Before serving, rewarm in 400°F oven until heated through, about 5 minutes. 

Calabrian Bruschetta

from Verdura by Viana La Place

4 small Asian eggplants

Extra-virgin olive oil

3 ounces provolone or caciocavallo cheese

6 thick slices country bread

2 garlic cloves

3 red tomatoes, cored and thinly sliced

Extra-virgin olive oil

Trim the eggplants and slice them 1/4 inch thick. Arrange the eggplant slkices on a lightly oiled baking sheet and brush them with olive oil. Bake the eggplant slices in a preheated 376 degree oven for 10 minutes. Turn the slices over, brush with oil, and cook for another 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and set aside.

Using the large side of a four sided grater (or a potato peeler…), grate the cheese into long, thin strips.

Grill or lightly toast the bread. Rub with the cut side of the garlic cloves and drizzle with olive oil.

Place a few slices of eggplant on each bruschetta, top with some sliced tomato, and sprinkle a little shredded cheese over the top.

Place the bruschette under a preheated broiler and broil until the cheese melts. Serve immediately.

Layered Eggplant Casserole from Recipes from America’s Small Farms

2-3 TBS vegetable oil

1 large egg

2 TBS milk

¼ cup all purpose flour, more if needed

1 large eggplant, peeled and cut into ¼ inch thick slices

1 large onion, finely chopped

4 large tomatoes, cut into ¼ inch thick slices

4 ounces Monterey Jack or other cheese, grated

1 TBS unsalted butter

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Oil a 2-quart casserole. Beat the egg and milk in a bowl and spread the flour on a plate. Heat 1 TBS of the oil in large skillet. Dip each slice of eggplant into the egg mixture, and then flour on both sides. Place the slices in the skillet in a single layer and fry until golden on both sides. Continue frying the eggplant in batches, adding oil as necessary, until done. Layer the fried eggplant, the onion, the tomato, and the cheese until they are all used up; the final layer should be the eggplant. Sprinkle any remaining flour (or use another 2 TBS of flour) over the top. Dot with the butter. Place in the oven, uncovered, for about 45 minutes, until bubbling and the eggplant is tender. Note: instead of frying the eggplant slices, you can drizzle them with oil and bake them on a cookie sheet for about 30 minutes in a 350 degree oven.

Eggplant Pulp Facts from Recipes from America’s Small Farms No one ever said eggplant pulp was pretty, but it’s a beautiful base for spreads and salads. To make it, just puncture a large eggplant in a few places and wrap it loosely in aluminum foil. Place it in a 400 degree oven until it’s soft and mushy – it’s usually ready in about an hour, but longer baking won’t hurt it. Let it cool completely, then scrape all the flesh off the skin. You’ll get about 1 ½ cups of pulp from a medium eggplant. Add whatever other vegetables and herbs you like – the eggplant’s mild taste and pleasant texture blends and binds other ingredients.

Eggplant Rounds with Cheese and Tomato Sauce adapted from D. Madison’s Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone

6-8 eggplant rounds per person, grilled, broiled or fried (from the skinny asian eggplants, reduce number of slices if using the large purple ones.)

3/4 cup grated or sliced mozzarella

1/2 cup crumbled gorgonzola or goat cheese

about 4 cups favorite tomato sauce

chopped parsley or basil

Place the eggplant rounds on a sheet pan and cover with the cheeses. Bake at 375 degrees until the cheese melts. Serve with 2 or 3 spoonfuls of the sauce on each serving and garnish with the parsley or basil.

Week #23, 2019

• Kohlrabi
• Potatoes
• Grapes
• apples
• Basil
• Radicchio
• Sweet Peppers
• Hot peppers
• Stuffing peppers
• Tomatoes
• Cherry tomatoes ! Do not leave these summer treats, they will not be around forever, they hate the rain. They can be roasted and turned into the most delicious tomato soup ever!! See recipe below
• Winter squash
• Parsley
• Celeriac?
• Eggplant
• Onions
• Cucumbers or Zucchini

Well, it is fall.

How sudden the weather has shifted from hot as hell to cool, wet and light starved. We are losing 5 minutes a day and can reasonably work only until 7:30 before we need a flashlight. This is cutting into my farm time as I race home from work to transplant, harvest or cut flowers. We are getting prepared for the big farm events coming in the next few weeks. On Sunday, September 22, we are hosting the first ever Farm to Table fundraiser for PACSAC (Portland Area Coalition of CSA farmers). We are excited and daunted by the prospect of having 75 people dine at the farm (on the upper level of the barn!). We are hoping to expose people to what CSA farming has to offer and raise funds to help promote CSA in general in our region. Please share this link with friends and family and consider coming to the event! 

https://farmfeast2019.eventbrite.com

On Sunday, October 6th we have our 20th Harvest Festival at La Finquita from 2-6 p.m. Please do plan on coming and bringing your family and friends. We will have the pizza oven fired up, the cider press ready to go and dancers and performers galore. Bring a dish to pass and your favorite pizza topping and join us for the fun.

As we prep for fall and winter we are clearing fields of potatoes and winter squash (well, the squash has yet to me harvested and that is a huge deal, but hopefully by the end of September). We are participating in a cover crop study and will be trialing different cover crops in different sections of the farm. We are excited to find ways to add nitrogen and nutrients without adding more phosphorus. We typically top dress our beds with compost that we make and this is great, but comes with extra nutrients we do not need. We are working with Nick Andrews from the OSU extension on this three year project.

We are clearing hoop houses of summer crops and planting them full of fall and winter favorites like radicchio, endive, lettuce, green onions, bok choi and arugula. We are battling pests that we have never had and trying to find biological pest control for these new and horrid invaders. It is hard to balance all that needs to happen on this farm! Harvests are huge with fruit as well as vegetables and many small picky items like beans and cherry tomatoes. We need our member helpers as much as ever to help get this bit or work done so we can be freed up to do the rest of the farm tasks.

Least you think this is it, there is the planet to save! It is time to strike for our world, we must wake up and take action or we will not have a place to live. The world climate strike is this friday September 20th and runs through September 27th. Please do join in the strike in any way that you can. Here is the link to events that are going on in the area. Join me on Friday in downtown Portland at 10:30. Please text me to coordinate location: 503-568-5760 if you are interested.

https://globalclimatestrike.net/ this site has logos, art ideas from real artists for bold signs. I will make some today and have a station set up in the barn if you want to make a sign!

Great Ideas for making your sign: https://vimeo.com/161333820

Here are recipes for this week, remember to nourish the ones you love. See you around the farm or on the streets! 

Tomato Bisque ( Family Favorite)

Use fresh tomatoes¹ to make a luscious creamy tomato soup². It is quite easy to make and much more tasty than canned cream of tomato soup. If you are lucky enough to grow your own tomatoes or have a good farmer’s market nearby, you can easily freeze tomatoes without the fuss of canning, and they will also taste fresher than canned. Simply wash, pat dry, place whole tomatoes in a freezer zip-top bag, suck out the air with a straw, seal, and freeze. When you thaw them, the skins will slip right off, and they are ready to go.

Ingredients:

·         3 Tablespoons butter (can use olive oil to make it dairy-free and vegan)

·         1 medium onion, coarsely chopped

·         2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour (I never add this)

·         2 cups water

·         4 pounds tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and cut into pieces (I use far less, often just tomato juice)

·         2 Tablespoons light brown sugar

·         6 whole cloves (I use ground cloves, this is key!)

·         1 teaspoon salt

·         Freshly ground black pepper

·         1 cup medium or whipping cream (I never add this, I simply use the vitamix and it tastes like it has cream!0

Preparation:

Melt the butter in a large saucepan. Add the onion and toss to coat. Stir over medium heat until the onion is tender. Sprinkle on the flour and continue stirring over medium heat until the mixture foams. Stir in the water and bring to a boil.

Measure out 3/4 cup of the tomato³ pieces and set aside. Add the remaining tomato pieces to the boiling mixture. Stir in the brown sugar and cloves. Reduce the heat and cook, uncovered, at the gentle bubble for 30 minutes.

Transfer to a food mill and force through. Return to the saucepan and stir in the reserved tomato pieces. Blend in the salt, pepper, and cream. Place soup⁴ over medium heat and warm gently, but do not boil.

Yield: 6 servings

Tomato and Sweet Pepper Salad

adapted from The Vegetable Market Cookbook by Robert Budwig

3 sweet peppers

4 ripe tomatoes

1/4 preserved lemon (or 2 teaspoons grated zest with some of the lemon’s juice)

2 cloves garlic peeled and crushed pinch sweet paprika

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 t black pepper

Grill or roast peppers, remove skins, cut into small cubes and set aside. Blanch tomatoes for 15-20 seconds in boiling water. Drain and remove skins and stems. Cut in half and remove seeds. Cut into small cubes. Rinse the preserved lemon under running water and remove the pulp. Cut the rind into fine dice. Arrange peppers, tomatoes and lemon in a dish. Mix remaining ingredients to make a dressing and pour over the salad. Mix well

Toro Bravo’s Radicchio Salad

• 2 to 3 heads radicchio
• 1/4 cup good-quality balsamic vinegar
• 1/4 cup good-quality sherry vinegar
• 1 red onion, chopped
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 3/4 cup olive oil
• 1 + 1/2 cups Manchego, grated and divided

In a large bowl, add the balsamic vinegar, sherry vinegar, and chopped red onion (I used 1/2 of a large red onion). Let it sit for 1 hour and then strain out the onions. (you can keep the pickled onions for another dish if you like)

Remove core from the radicchio and chop into 1-inch pieces. Place the chopped radicchio in a large bowl, fill with cold water and some ice cubes. Let it sit for 15 minutes to remove some of its bitterness, strain and then spin in a salad spinner until dry.

Add the honey and olive oil to the strained vinegars and whisk well, I use this stick blender which works great. Depending on the size of your radicchio you may not need all the dressing.

Toss the radicchio with the dressing until evenly coated. Add 1 cup of finely grated Manchego, salt, and toss again.

To serve, top the salad in a serving bowl with the remaining 1/2 cup grated Manchego. Serves 4-8.

Adapted from Food52’s Toro Bravo recipe

Cherry Tomato and Olive Relish from Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone by Deborah Madison

1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved or quartered if large

1 or 2 yellow or other tomatoes, seeded and finely diced

24 nicoise olives, pitted and halved (I use the already pitted kalamata from trader joes, I chop them roughly for this recipe)

1 tablespoon capers, rinsed

1 tablespoon chopped parsley 

2 teaspoons chopped marjoram (I use oregano when I don’t have marjoram available)

5 basil leaves, thinly sliced

1 Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

fresh lemon juice to taste

salt and pepper

Put the tomatoes in a bowl with the olives, capers, and herbs. Moisten with the oil, then season to taste with the S & P & lemon juice. Serve right away, or at least within the hour of making it.

Marinated Cherry Tomatoes 4 servings

2 baskets Cherry tomatoes, cut in half

1 small onion, coarsely chopped

1/4 cup Finely chopped parsley 

1 Tablespoon Finely chopped rosemary 

3 Garlic cloves, minced

1/3 cup Extra-virgin olive oil

3 Tablespoons Balsamic vinegar

Salt & freshly ground black pepper to taste

Mix tomatoes, onions, parsley, rosemary, garlic, olive oil and vinegar in a shallow bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Cover the bowl and let tomatoes marinate at room temperature at least 1 hour, but preferably 3 to 4 hours or overnight. Stir occasionally. Enjoy with crostini or as a side dish.

Cherry Tomato & Avocado Salad

1 basket cherry tomatoes, halved

2 Tablespoons chopped scallion or other mild onion

1 cup (approx.) chopped avocado 

2 tablespoons chopped herb (such as parsley, cilantro, dill….)

optional vinaigrette to coat (whirl 2 T lemon juice or vinegar, 1 small clove garlic, 1 t mustard, pinch salt and pepper, with 1/2 cup olive oil in blender.) Gently mix all ingredients. Serve. (The avocado is optional but delicious)

Eggplant recipe:

My favorite eggplant (M. Henny’s):

Slice lengthwise,  score lightly and place skinside down in gratin pan.  Drizzle w/EVOO and then sprinkle with 3 Tbs or so of chopped fresh herbs—can be all basil,  or mix w/thyme/oregano/rosemary. salt & pepper to taste. Cover with light layer (1/4 c) freshly grated Parmesan. Slice whole tomatoes in half around the waist,  and place skin side up on top of eggplant. Scatter a bit more cheese on top, drizzle w/EVOO and bake at 400 until tomatoes are almost blackened—usually 30-40 minutes. Serve as side or with good bread to mop up juice.  Great cold on good bread as a sandwich.

• Grapes !! our sweet purple grapes make a great snack
• Sweet Peppers
• Hot peppers
• Spaghetti squash
• Tomatoes heirloom
• Cucumbers
• Onions
• Basil
• Apples (MacIntosh)
• Plums , more for the picking if you want to make a compote, sauce or other dish
• Asian pears or pears
• Eggplant
• Zucchini
• Potatoes
• Cherry tomatoes 
• Leeks
• Beans

It was a busy week. I took my mom on an unplanned trip to Los Angeles to visit an ailing uncle leaving Juvencio to run the ship alone. Of course he is well versed at that but it coincided with Luna being away as well. The trip was excellent timing to offer help to family and enjoy conversations with an uncle (cousin) who has been prominent my whole childhood. We had not been back to LA for 8 years, we marveled at how clear the air was and the amazing amount of traffic. I made it back for the farmers market and the first wreath sales on Saturday. It was a great market, wiping out my supply, so I am busily writing while thinking in colors and styles for my next creations.

Juvencio managed to harvest the third to last bed of potatoes that I had planted with the Zell family back in late May or early June. They were quite productive despite the massive amounts of weeds that were growing with them. He also cleared greenhouse #2 in preparation for fall and winter crops. Prior to leaving on Wednesday I had finished transplanting and seeding by headlamp greenhouse #1. We have lettuce, radicchio, endives, daikon, cilantro, dill, green onions, bok choi, arugula and more growing. I plan to seed beets (again) and transplant mustard, kale, celery and more later today. We have 5 covered greenhouses and the remaining three are filled with mostly summer and fall crops. They will have to be turned over and as crops fade. I have the small greenhouse that I use for seeding full of seedlings, ready to go once space opens up. It is like a perfectly orchestrated symphony that has not been practiced for some time. Hopefully it will all work out.

We are busy preparing for the benefit dinner and harvest party. Actually we are just stressing about cleaning the barn, the grounds and the kitchen for the events. We are trying to pull together some of organizer members to lend a hand next Sunday afternoon. So if you are moved to do so, show up on Sunday afternoon and we can get this place into order.

Mark your calendars for CSA benefit farm to table dinner at La Finquita on September 22 here is the link to buy your ticket: https://farmfeast2019.eventbrite.com 

September 27 – Prospera! annual fundraising gala for Virginia Garcia Memorial Health Center, sit at my table by letting them know you want to sit with Lyn and Juvencio buy tickets here: https://virginiagarcia.ejoinme.org/MyEvents/Prospera2019/Tickets/tabid/1060827/Default.aspx 

October 6 – Harvest Festival – free to all, bring family and friends and show off your farm! See attached flyer, print and post. 

La Finquita Del Buho presents:

The 20^th Annual

Harvest Festival

Sunday October 6, 2019 from 2- 6 p.m.

At the farm; 7960 NW Dick Road, Hillsboro 97124

Lots of fun for the whole family:

Swiss alp horns, Traditional Mexican dancing, Music, cider pressing, wood fired pizza oven, potluck, farm tours and festive fall wreaths and bird feeders for sale and much more

Please bring: your favorite pizza topping, a dish to pass, a mason jar for cider, plates, cups and silverware for your family, a check book or cash to purchase items and contribute to the performers

Contact Lyn Jacobs (503-568-5760) or Juvencio Argueta (503-830-0342) for more information

Recipes for the week:

Try this amazing cheesecake made with our eggs and our goat cheese: https://www.bonappetit.com/recipe/goat-cheese-cake-with-mixed-berries

Green Bean & Fingerling Potato Salad

2 pounds purple and/or white fingerling potatoes, scrubbed

1 pound green beans, trimmed

chives and garlic chives (with blossoms, if desired) and thyme, parsley, mint and summer savory leaves

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1/2 teaspoon freshly grated lemon zest

In a large kettle, simmer potatoes in salted water to cover until tender when pierced with a fork, about 10 minutes, and drain in a large colander.

In a large saucepan, cook beans in 3 inches salted boiling water over high heat until crisp-tender, about 3 to 5 minutes. With tongs or a slotted spoon, transfer beans to colander with potatoes and drain well.

In a large bowl, toss together warm potatoes, beans, herbs, oil, zest, and salt and pepper to taste. Salad

may be made 1 day ahead and chilled, covered.

Serve salad warm or at room temperature. Serves 12 as part of a buffet. adapted from Gourmet

Cream of Tomato Soup, Indian style

adapted from Madhur Jaffrey’s “World of the East Vegetarian Cooking” (with adaptations by Sumana’s husband, Vikram)

Serves 4 – 6

this tomato soup recipe is one Vikram considers his signature dish. He adds a lot of fresh curry leaves, and leaves out the cream. 

1 1/2 lbs. red-ripe tomatoes, chopped

1 tbsp. sliced lemon grass (I usually leave out)

1 tbsp. dried or fresh curry leaves (can only find in Bay Area Indian stores – has a wonderful aroma that’s hard to substitute, but okay to omit if not available).

1-inch sliced fresh ginger

4 tbsp. unsalted butter or ghee

1/2 C heavy cream or milk (Vikram leaves this out…)

2 tbsp. white flour

2 1/2 C milk

1/2 tsp. ground roasted cumin seeds

pepper to taste

1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper

2 tsp. lime or lemon juice

1 tbsp. minced fresh cilantro

Combine the tomatoes, lemongrass, curry leaves, ginger, 1/2 tsp. salt and 1/2 cup water and bring to a boil. Cover, lower heat and simmer gently for 15 minutes. Put the tomatoes through a sieve (you should have about 2 cups of thick tomato juice). Bring this juice to a simmer and keep on a low heat. Melt the butter in a heavy saucepan. Add flour. Stir and cook the flour on low heat for 2 to 3 minutes. Do not let it brown. Pour in the hot tomato juice, stirring all the time. Add cream and 3/4 tsp. salt. Simmer and add rest of ingredients except cilantro. Serve garnished with cilantro. May serve cold. This recipe is very tolerant of changes in quantities or omission of flavoring ingredients.

PEELING SWEET PEPPERS: Lay the peppers in a broiler pan, and broil until their skins blister (2-3 minutes). With a tong or long fork, slightly rotate them and continue turning until the peppers are completely charred, then pop them into a paper bag. Close the bag and the let the peppers sit in it for 15-20 minutes: the charred skin steams loose from the flesh. Then, holding each pepper over a bowl, slit down one side, open it up, and discard the seeds, ribs and stem. Cut the pepper into 2-3 pieces, and peel off the loosened skin with a paring knife. The bowl collects the pepper juices, which can be used to store the peeled peppers up to 2 days, if you wish. Or, drain the skinned and seeded peppers on a rack. If you have a gas stove, you could also char the peppers over the flame, or you can use an open grill.

Sweet Pepper and Lentil Soup

inspired by a recipe in Not Your Mother’s Slow Cooker Cookbook by Hensperger and Kaufmann

2 Tablespoons olive oil

1 onion, or 2 leeks, chopped

3-5 cloves of garlic, chopped

1 teaspoon freshly purchased paprika or smoked paprika

1-3 sweet peppers, depending on their size, seeded and finely chopped

1 cup dried brown or black lentils, picked over and rinsed

5 cups broth or water

S & P to taste (at least an entire teaspoon of salt for this one)

1-2 Tablespoons champagne or sherry or rice vinegar to finish the soup

Cook the onion in 1 Tablespoon oil over medium heat in a skillet until the onion/leeks begin to soften. Stir in paprika and allow it to cook for about a minute more. Add the chopped sweet pepper and cook for another 2-3 minutes, until everything begins to soften. Scrape all this into a slow cooker. Add the lentils and broth (or water) and stir to combine. Cover and cook on low until the lentils are completely soft, 7-9 hours. Season the soup with S & P (more salt if you used water, less if you used purchased broth), and last Tablespoon olive oil. Stir in 1 Tablespoon of one of the vinegars, adding more if needed. Serve hot.

Romesco Sauce for Crostini, Pasta, or as a vegetable dipper

4 large roasted yellow, orange, and or red peppers

1/2 cup toasted almonds

2 cloves garlic

1 ripe tomato

1 tsp salt

2 thick slices from a baguette

1 tsp paprika

½ cup or less olive oil

Fresh basil leaves if available

2-4 Tablespoons sherry vinegar

Whirl everything in a food processor. Serve with vegetables such as carrot sticks, lightly steamed broccoli and caulifower florets, etc. Bread and crackers work well too.

Spaghetti Squash and Tarragon From Chef Jonathan Miller

1 spaghetti squash, halved lengthwise and seeded
1/4 c white wine
1/4 c pine nuts
1 T white wine vinegar
zest of half a lemon
juice from half a lemon
leaves from 2 thyme sprigs
crushed red pepper flakes
1/4 c olive oil
leaves from 3 sprigs tarragon, chopped
1/3 c grated ricotta salata

Heat oven to 350. Baste the spaghetti squash flesh with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Put cut side down in a baking sheet and pour in the wine and about a third cup of water. Roast for about 50 minutes, until just barely tender, then remove from the oven and flip the squash over to cool. While the squash roasts toast the pine nuts until nicely golden.
Combine the vinegar, lemon zest, lemon juice, thyme, crushed pepper and a little salt in a bowl. Whisk in the olive oil until emulsified.
Scrape the squash out of its skin with a fork, separating it into strands and put in a large bowl. Toss with the dressing, then finish with the tarragon, ricotta salata, and the pine nuts. Serve while still warm or at room temperature. Yummy!

• Sweet Peppers
• Hot peppers
• Spaghetti squash
• Tomatoes heirloom
• Cucumbers
• Onions
• Basil
• Apples
• Plums
• Asian pears or pears
• Eggplant
• Zucchini
• Potatoes
• Cherry tomatoes 
• Leeks
• Beans

Last Sunday 17 family representatives (maybe more) participated in the annual canning party. We had a great time, chopping, stirring, cooking, sweating and talking as we collectively made 12 different recipes. They included a tomato chutney, a plum and apple chutney,  3 jams: zucchini, tomato and plum cardamom , pickled beans and pickled vegetables, BBQ sauce and ketchup. We got off to a good start as people trickled in and Mary Kay kept us on target so that we finished distributing the jars and were mostly cleaned up by 4:45. It was very productive and people who had never canned before and old pros got to work side by side and put up a great pantry for the winter. Juve did a live stream on facebook that is pretty funny, my photos will not load on this ancient computer and somehow did not load on the ipad, so I am giving up. If you want any of the recipes, Mary Kay has them, although they are increased to make at least 16 jars. I am going to try my hand at some more chutney and a pear jam later today.

The farm is changing fast. Fall is in the air. Juvencio cleared greenhouse #1 and I planted some fall crops. I hope to complete the rest later today or tomorrow. We have tons of weeding to go and seeding things like arugula and spinach for harvest at the beginning of October.. We managed to get all the onions and shallots hug after the canning party. Ana, Chris, Dee and Holly helped in the herculean task of hauling hundreds of onions to the second level of the barn after they were strung in bunches of 5-10 onions. Many hands made light work in comparison to Juvencio and I hauling bunch by bunch upstairs. We will have to move many of them by the end of the month as we prep the upstairs for the farm to table fundraiser for Portland Area Coalition for  CSA farmers (PACSAC).

A few weeks ago I had a particularly hard day at work, hearing story after story about how our immigration non-system is tearing families apart and causing illness and despair.  I called Ron Wyden’s Washington County rep and he helped set up a visit from the Senator. That visit happened on Thursday and several of my patients and other community members got to sit at a round table with him and tell their stories. Yuridia, a 12 year old girl I have known since birth shared her father’s story about not being able to visit his dying grandparents and being torn between family in this country and in Mexico without the ability to move between the countries to connect to them all. It was a very powerful meeting and provided the Senator with names and faces to put on this crisis. His words to me were: “Keep up the fight, stay passionate that is the only way we can change the system”. So, I pass on those words to you, we have the power to change the system even when it seems extremely bleek. Please do stay engaged, keep calling, writing, marching in the streets.

Here are some dates to remember:

1. September 22 – farm to table dinner fundraiser for PACSAC at La Finquita (more details to follow)
2. October 6 – harvest festival at La Finquita, see flyer and plan on attending.

A few recipes for the week:

Gazpacho

By MARTHA ROSE SHULMAN

Here’s what to do with that last bit of baguette, too hard to eat, and the last of this summer’s tomato crop. Gazpacho originated in Andalusia long before the tomato arrived in Europe, and originally the soup was made simply with stale bread, water, vinegar, garlic and olive oil. Bread adds a wonderful texture. Keep a pitcher in the refrigerator for refreshing snacks and quick, healthy lunches.

·         2 thick slices stale French bread, crusts removed (about 1 ounce)

·         1 pound ripe tomatoes, cored and peeled

·         2 garlic cloves (more to taste), halved, green shoots removed

·         1 slice red or white onion, coarsely chopped and rinsed with cold water

·         2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

·         1 to 2 tablespoons sherry vinegar or wine vinegar (to taste)

·         1/2 to 1 cup ice water, depending on how thick you want your soup to be

·         Salt and freshly ground pepper

·         Garnishes (optional)

·         1/2 cup finely chopped cucumber (more to taste)

·         1/2 cup finely chopped green pepper

·         1/2 cup small croutons (a good destination for the rest of your stale bread)

·         1 hardboiled egg, finely chopped

1.       Place the bread in a bowl and sprinkle with enough water to soften it. Let sit five minutes, until soft enough to squeeze out the water.

2.       Combine the bread, tomatoes, garlic, onion, olive oil, vinegar and salt in a blender. Blend until smooth. Taste and adjust seasonings. Pour into a bowl or pitcher, thin out as desired with water, cover and chill for several hours.

3.       Meanwhile, prepare the garnishes, if necessary. Place them in small bowls on a platter. Serve the soup in glasses or bowls, and pass the tray of garnishes.

4.      Yield: Serves four

5.       Advance preparation: This gazpacho will keep for a day or two in the refrigerator.

Tomato Red Pepper Salad Dressing

This rosy, zesty salad dressing is great on a bed of leafy greens, sliced cucumbers and fresh mozzarella cheese. It is virtually fat free and therefore very low in calories. It also keeps well in the refrigerator for at least a week.

1 small (6 ounce) can of tomato paste

1 whole roasted red pepper or pimento from a jar

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

2 tablespoons water

1 clove garlic, chopped

1 teaspoon dried basil

1. Combine all ingredients in a blender container. Blend until well mixed.

Serves 8

Nutrients Per Serving

Calories: 22.9

Protein: 1.0 grams

Fat: 0.2 grams

Saturated Fat: 0.0 grams

Monounsat Fat: 0.0 grams

Polyunsat Fat: 0.1 grams

Carbohydrate: 5.3 grams

Fiber: 1.1 grams

Cholesterol: 0.0 mg

Vitamin A: 1,057.4 IU

Vitamin E: 1.0 mg/IU

Vitamin C: 33.3 mg

Week #20 2019

• Sweet Peppers
• Hot peppers
• Spaghetti squash
• Tomatoes heirloom
• Cucumbers
• Leeks
• Onions
• Basil
• Parsley
• Apples
• Tomatillos, either pineapple (eaten raw, small and best when bright orange) or green ones that are best cooked
• Stuffing peppers (chili poblanos)
• Eggplant
• Zucchini
• Potatoes
• Cherry tomatoes 

The crops have shifted, in part due to the weather and time of year and part due to the canning party. Mary Kay has been instrumental in getting the canning party organized. We have a whole line up of recipes (pickling will be limited unfortunately as my pickling cukes peeked and were not attended to, sadly they are gone. Radishes seeded in July were inundated with weeds and did not germinate well, alas, we will deal with fruit as it is abundant. We will start at 0900 and hope to finish by 4 or 5. We have people signed up who are unable to make it, so if you wanted to get in on the fun, gather your jars and come on over to La Finquita today.

Juvencio and I harvested a good portion of this week’s share last night before the canning party his morning. We have the first heirloom tomatoes, NO BLOSSOM end rot, hurray, but fairly bland flavor, go figure. I need to check the water, maybe it did not get shut off on the magical August 1st deadline. Hopefully they will improve in flavor. We are just starting in on the abundant, but not amazing winter squash. The nice thing about it is it lasts for months and just gets better. We use the spaghetti squash as the “pasta” for our favorite tomato and sausage sauce that uses all the veg of the week. We add eggplant, carrot, zucchini, basil, parsley, yum. We simply cut the spaghetti squash in half, roast it cut side down for 45 minutes, scoop out the squash and add the sauce.

We are hosting the first annual PACSAC farm to table dinner on September 22. It should be fun, with local chefs preparing a meal of fresh local produce and meat. We are hoping to draw in people new to CSA but we would love to have any of you who want to join the fun, invite a neighbor or co-worker and show off the farm. Somehow, I don’t have a great link to get you signed up, but will send it out soon.

Here are dates to remember:

September 22 – Farm to table dinner at La Finquita

September 27 – “Prospera” fundraiser for Virginia Garcia Memorial Health Center, please join me: https://virginiagarcia.org/2019prospera/

October 6 – Harvest Festival 2019 at La Finquita 2-6 come one and all!!

Please do sign up to help harvest. We are giving less (tomatoes, fruit etc.) because we do not have enough hands to help us harvest . . .

OK, I just got lost for 30 minutes (more like 60 minutes, once I start looking at politics and the burning Amazon, the concentration camps at the border and more sad sad news) looking up amazing recipes to share with you. I have eggplant galore, prune plums, apples and goat cheese recipes, it is going to be a good week.

BRAISED CHICKEN BREASTS ON CREAMY LEEKS

2 lb medium leeks (white and pale green parts only)

4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves (1 1/2 lb total)

1/2 tablespoon vegetable oil

2 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1/3 cup dry white wine

1/3 cup chicken broth

1/3 cup heavy cream

Halve leeks lengthwise, then cut crosswise into 1-inch pieces.

Pat chicken dry and season with salt and pepper. Heat oil and 1/2 tablespoon butter in a 10-inch nonstick skillet over moderately high heat until foam subsides, then brown chicken on both sides, about 4 minutes total. Transfer to a plate.

Add wine to skillet and deglaze by boiling over high heat, stirring and scraping up brown bits, until reduced to about 2 tablespoons, 1 to 2 minutes. Add leeks and remaining 2 tablespoons butter and salt and pepper to taste, then simmer over moderately low heat, covered, stirring occasionally, until leeks are wilted, about 10 minutes. Stir in broth. Top leeks with chicken breasts and juices from plate, then gently simmer over low heat, covered, until leeks are tender and chicken is just cooked through, about 8 minutes .

Transfer chicken breasts to a plate. Add cream to skillet and boil over high heat, stirring occasionally, until thickened slightly, 1 to 2 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Serve chicken on top of leeks.

Thanks Helen for this recipe:

Roasted Italian Prune Plums and Rosemary

From: Alice Waters – The Art of Simple Food II

Preheat the oven to 400 F

Ingredients:

12-16 Italian prune plums, cut in ½ and pit removed

2 Tbsp to 1/3 cup honey or brown sugar (use less sugar if serving with savory dish)

1 sprig rosemary

½ teaspoon crushed fennel seeds (optional)

¼ cup red wine

1 Tbsp red wine vinegar

Fresh ground black pepper

1 Tbsp olive oil or melted butter

Toss the plums with the honey (or sugar), rosemary, and fennel seeds (if using).

Place the plums cut-side down in baking dish or oven-proof pan in a single layer.

Drizzle the red wine, red wine vinegar, and olive oil (or melted butter) over the top. Sprinkle with black pepper. 

Roast for 12 minutes. Turn over the plums and spoon some of the juices over the top. Roast another 5 minutes or until the plums are soft and juicy. If the plums are too dry, sprinkle 1-2 spoonfuls of water over the top. Your kitchen will smell AMAZING!

Serving Suggestions:

Savory: Serve as a compote with roasted, grilled, or braised pork or lamb

Sweet: Spoon over or layer with ice cream or crème anglaise or with whipped cream

Great use of gently bruised apples, thanks Sue Kass for the link!

https://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/marie-helenes-apple-cake-361150

Cianfotta Lucana (Eggplant, tomato, pepper and potato stew)

From the San Francisco Chronicle Cookbook

Great accompaniment to fish or meat. Or a sauce for pasta. Can add

capers or fresh ginger.

2 red bell peppers

2 yellow bell peppers

3 tomatoes

½ C extra virgin olive oil

1 red onion, chopped

1 pound russet potatoes, peeled and cut into walnut sized cubes

Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

3 C warm water

 3 Japanese eggplants, cut into ¾ inch cubes

Roast bell peppers over a gas burner, under the broiler or on

a grill until the skins blister and char. Place in a plastic bag, seal

and set aside for 15 minutes to steam. Then peel, stem, seed and

derib. Cut the peppers into strips. Set aside.

Bring a pot of water to a boil over high heat. Blanch the

tomatoes by plunging them into the boiling water for 15 seconds, then

into ice water. Drain, then peel, seed and dice. Set aside.

Heat 1 Tble of the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat.

Add the onion and sauté for about 5 minutes, or until translucent. Add

the potatoes and season with salt and pepper. Add the warm water and

simmer slowly for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Add the tomatoes

and simmer for 5 minutes longer.

Heat 2 Tbles of the olive oil in a large skillet over medium

high heat. Add the pepper strips and sauté until softened, then add

them to the potato mixture.

Add the remaining oil to the skillet and, when hot, add the

eggplant cubes and fry until golden brown. Add the eggplant to the

potato mixture and cook for a few minutes longer, or until the

potatoes and eggplant are soft, the liquid has been absorbed and the

flavors are well blended. Serves 6

Try this party drink:

The Green Lantern

1 cup packed parsley sprigs

1/2 teaspoon grated lime zest

1 cup cold water

1/2 cup fresh lime juice

1/2 cup sugar

1 (10-ounce) bottle club soda

Purée all ingredients except club soda in a blender 1 minute. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a large glass measure. Serve over ice and top off drinks with club soda.

Maryanne’s Tian of Basil

·         2 medium- small zucchini, thinly sliced

·         4 bunches basil, 4 cups loosely packed fresh basil, stemmed and coarsely chopped

·         3-4 ripe tomatoes, thinly sliced

·         ¾ cup or less shredded kasseri, gruyere or Swiss cheese,

·         ¼ cup or less fruity extra virgin olive oil

·         Salt and pepper to taste.

1.   Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Oil a shallow (about 2 inches deep) ovenproof serving dish.  Place the zucchini slices over the bottom and press chopped basil leaves firmly over the zucchini (the basil will cook down the way spinach does).

2.   Arrange the tomato slices over the basil. Then scatter the cheese evenly over the tomatoes, drizzle with olive oil and back about 35 minutes, until hot through and cheeses are melted

 EGGPLANT, TOMATO AND GOAT CHEESE SANDWICHES

3 tablespoons olive oil

2 large garlic cloves, minced

1 12-inch-long piece baguette, cut horizontally in half

1 small eggplant, cut lengthwise into six 1/2-inch-thick slices

3 medium tomatoes, cut into 10 slices total

3 ounces soft fresh goat cheese (such as Montrachet)

12 fresh basil leaves

Prepare barbecue (medium-high heat) or preheat broiler. Combine oil and garlic in small bowl. Let stand 5 minutes.

Brush cut sides of baguette and both sides of eggplant slices and tomato slices with garlic oil. Grill cut sides of baguette until toasted, about 2 minutes. Transfer baguette, cut side up, to plates. Season eggplant and tomatoes with salt and pepper. Grill eggplant until cooked through, about 6 minutes per side; transfer to plate. Grill tomatoes until warmed through, about 1 minute per side; transfer to plate.

Spread goat cheese on bread, dividing equally. Overlap eggplant slices, then tomato slices on baguette halves, covering completely. Garnish with fresh basil leaves. Cut each sandwich diagonally into 4 sections and serve.

This is the dish I am making for the canning party!! Using all that eggplant!

https://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/sardinian-stuffed-eggplant

Week #19

• Lettuce
• Tomatoes!!
• Cherry tomatoes
• Peppers
• Hot peppers
• Potatoes
• Onions !!
• Cucumbers
• Summer squash
• Basil
• Eggplant
• Carrots
• Apples, plums for the picking
• Blackberries – you pick

We are working hard to bring in the bounty of the farm. We are racing out to get the harvest in while there is cloud cover, so I will not delay.

Dates to remember:

1. August 25 – 9-5 canning party, sign up in the barn
2. October 6 – Harvest Festival 2-6 invite friends, and family and join us at the farm
3. Sign up for winter share coming soon, always good to email me you desire to be part of the back side of the calendar.

A great recipe to make with potatoes, we roasted them first, instead of boiling and added some herbs to the frying pan and then tossed the fried potatoes with herbs and kosher salt, delicious!

https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/11656-potato-tostones

Jamie Oliver’s Heirloom tomatoes with horseradish

• 4 large handfuls mixed tomatoes
• sea salt
• freshly ground black pepper
• extra virgin olive oil
• good-quality red wine vinegar
• ½ clove garlic , grated
• 2 teaspoons fresh horseradish , grated, or jarred hot horseradish
• 1 small handful fresh flat-leaf parsley , finely sliced

 

Method

1. Cut the bigger tomatoes into slices about 1cm/½ inch thick. You can halve the cherry tomatoes or leave them whole. Then sprinkle them all with a good dusting of sea salt. Put them in a colander and leave them for 30 minutes. What’s going to happen here is that the salt will draw the excess moisture out of the tomatoes, intensifying their flavor. Don’t worry about the salad being too salty, as a lot of the salt drips away.
2. Place the tomatoes in a large bowl and dress with enough extra virgin olive oil to loosen (approximately 6 tablespoons), and 1–2 tablespoons of vinegar, but do add these to your own taste. Toss around and check for seasoning – you may or may not need salt but will certainly need pepper. Add the garlic. Now start to add the horseradish. Stir in a couple of teaspoons to begin with, toss around and taste. If you like it a bit hotter, add a bit more horseradish. All I do now is get some finely sliced flat-leaf parsley (stalks and leaves) and mix this into the tomatoes. Toss everything together and serve as a wonderful salad, making sure you mop up all the juices with some nice squashy bread.
3. This salad is fantastic with roast beef, goat’s cheese or jacket potatoes. And to be honest, even if you put these tomatoes in a roasting tray and roasted them with some sausages scattered around them it would be nice.

Tuna Salad a la Scarlett

By Tejal Rao

Yield: serves 4 as a side or 2 as a dinner

Time: 15 minutes, plus 1 hour for pickling the onions

½ cup rice wine vinegar

1 tablespoon sugar

1 red onion , peeled, halved and thinly sliced

2 teaspoons kosher salt

3 Persian cucumbers, peeled if skin is thick and waxy, sliced about ¼ inch thick

2 spring onions, thinly sliced (of chives)

2 lines, juiced, about ¼ cup

5 to 7 ounces olive oil packed tuna

1 avocado, peeled and cubed

½ teaspoon or more finishing salt

Freshly ground pepper to taste

Handful of basil leaves, washed and torn

Handful of cilantro sprigs, washed and torn         

Handful of mint leaves washed and torn

3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil

Step 1

In a clean glass jar with a tightfitting lid, mix vinegar, sugar and 1 teaspoon kosher salt with ½ cup of hot water, shake until sugar is dissolved. Bring a pot of water to boil, add the onions let them sit for just a few seconds in the hot water, then drain well and transfer onions to the jar with the vinegar. The pickled onions will be ready to use in an hour, or can be made ahead and kept in the fridge for up to a week.

Step 2

In a large mixing bowl, dress the cucumber and spring onions with remaining kosher salt and lime juice. It should be fairly we. Pour into a deep serving plate or wide bowl, along with any extra liquid.

Step 3

Spoon tuna out of oil, use your hands to break up the tuna into bite sized pieces. Add avocado, 2 tablespoons of pickled onions and 1 table spoon of the pickling liquid and mix gently with your hands to dress. Scatter over the cucumber mixture, and season with finishing salt and black pepper. Cover with the torn herbs and generously drizzle with olive oil, eat right away.

Tomates Concassées

This is the French term for chopped, seeded, and peeled tomatoes, I think. Andy likes to make a fresh pasta sauce this time of year and call it “Tomates Concassées” because he read about it in a book years ago. He basically makes a ‘salsa’ but with the Italian red sauce ingredients, all raw but the onions and garlic and of course the noodles. I’ve seen him make it many times, below is my approximation:

3 pounds ripe tomatoes, any color
1 pound onions
3 garlic cloves
some olive oil
1 bunch of basil
juice from one large or two small lemons
salt and pepper to taste

1. Bring a saucepan of water to boil. Rinse the tomatoes, and make a 1-3 inch shallow slit in the bottom of each one. Lower the tomatoes, 2 or 3 at a time, depending on their size, into the boiling saucepan of water. They should only bathe for *5* seconds, no longer. Remove to a plate, rinse in cool water if you like. When all the tomatoes are done, remove peels and seeds, and roughly chop. (I personally admit to skipping the final cool rinse and fully admit to skipping the seed removal, no one has complained about my own sauce yet.)

2. Peel and chop onions and garlic. Saute the onions in a little oil over a medium heat in a wide largish soup pan for a few minutes, then add the garlic. Take care not to burn either. Remove from heat when both are soft and won’t be raw and crunchy in the sauce.

3. Wash and chop basil, then mix it with the cooled onion mixture, and the tomatoes. Season with salt and pepper to taste. (Andy is very liberal with the pepper….) Toss with just cooked noodles, and eat.

GREEK SALAD SANDWICH Bon Appetit May 1995 

12 ounces small tomatoes, cored, halved, thinly sliced
6 cups spinach leaves, stems trimmed
1 1/2 cups thinly sliced cucumber
1 cup crumbled feta cheese (about 4 ounces)
1/3 cup coarsely chopped pitted black brine-cured olives (such as Kalamata)
16 large fresh basil leaves, thinly sliced
1/4 cup olive oil
5 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1 large garlic clove, minced
4 5- to 6-inch-diameter pita bread rounds, toasted

Place tomato slices in strainer; drain 15 minutes. Combine tomatoes, spinach, cucumber, feta cheese, olives and basil in large bowl. Whisk 1/4 cup olive oil, 5 teaspoons lemon juice and minced garlic in small bowl to blend. Season dressing to taste with salt and pepper. Pour dressing over salad and toss to coat.
Cut pita bread rounds in half crosswise. Divide salad mixture among 8 pita halves and serve.

Week #18

• Lettuce
• Zucchini
• Basil
• Cucumber
• Beans
• Tomatoes
• Cherry tomatoes
• Peppers
• Hot peppers
• Potatoes
• Onions
• Garlic
• Eggplant or poblano stuffing peppers
• Apples
• You pick blackberries – they are “on”

It has been a week of catch up. Juvencio has been wildly harvesting potatoes, weeding beds, then tilling them, composting them so I can rush out after work and transplant more fall and overwintering brassicas (cauliflower, broccoli, cabbage and the like). We hope to have a great selection of cool weather crops established now so that in the fall, when the first frost comes it can sweeten them for cozy fall meals. We plant “over wintering” cauliflower, kalettes and broccoli as well as long season cabbage and brussels sprouts so that we have a steady supply of vegetables for our winter share. “What?? We did not know you offered a winter share, tell us more.” We have offered a limited (meaning the number of people we will have in the winter share) winter share of vegetables where we harvest every other week for 12 weeks during the late fall and winter for over 10 years. Many of our subscribers have been with us year-round. If you are interested sign up early to be part of the amazing experience of eating the local bounty on the back side of the calendar.  

We continue to transplant lettuce, radicchio and green onions pretty much on a weekly basis. Although seeding has slowed down, farming is never done until it is done (December maybe?) and then we pick right back up again at the end of January. I am busy canning left over tomatoes and turning them into our family supply of tomato sauce for the fall, winter and spring next year. I will force myself to pickle another round of cucumbers so that Diego has some of his favorites when he gets home from Costa Rica. The canning party is quickly approaching. We are scheduled to can our hearts out on August 25^th. There is still room if you want to learn about preserving the bounty of  the land and have a start on your pantry. We will start at 0900 and finish by 1700 (5:00 p.m. for those not familiar with military time). We will work together in teams to harvest, then chop and prepare recipes. Each team will complete their recipe and then can them in the water baths. We lay out all of the product and distribute it among participants. There is a list of supplies to bring, no previous canning experience required! Mary Kay our resident chef and all around cooking expert will help me pull off this feat of coordinating 10-12 recipes and 20 people in 8 hours of work. Check your email last week for the list of items to bring and get ready for a fun day.

I have been relatively quite on the political front this year, frankly I am exhausted, as I am sure you are as well. This past week was unbearable. The horrific mass shootings, targeting Mexicans and immigrants juxtaposed with the president’s mass targeted immigration raid on Mexican immigrants sent me into a rage. There is action we can take, we can stand up with our fellow human beings and say enough is enough. After Friday, where I heard 6 stories of family separation, generational trauma, and personal PTSD from my patients, I could hardly continue working. I vowed to reach out to my senator at the end of the day. I called our Washington County representative for Ron Wyden and told him of the anguish I see every day in our community. There is human toll this horrific immigration fiasco takes on families. Young children, adults, grandparents are all affected by the separation from their loved ones with no end in sight, no ability to hold one another in an embrace across country lines. When will White America wake up and realize that there is no immigration process, no line to get into to “get legal”! There is no system other than to keep people out! We have a white supremist in the White house, he and his cronies are making it blatantly clear. Here are a couple of quotes from this week:

“I will never get over the fact that Eupopeans just came over unannounced and have the audacity to deport people indigenous to this land” #MMIW @MariahGracex3

“People say all the time “I would kill for my child”, but somehow, “I would cross dangerous borders for a better life for my child” is incomprehensible and looked down upon.” Devin Michael Lowe

Listening to NPR made me outraged, the racist Missisipi governor saying he was sorry for the children whose parents were arrested in the massive immigration raids, “I hate it when children have to suffer for the illegal actions of their parents” on and on.

So, what is the action? Donate to Raices: https://www.raicestexas.org/donate/families-together-fund/

Stand up to gun violence with action: https://act.everytown.org/event/august-recess-2019/25246/signup/?

Stand up in Washington County tomorrow against ICE presence at our court house:

https://mailchi.mp/imirj/this-monday-its-time-to-turnout?e=a632a72b06

Sign a petition! Here:

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSf0yzsBC_hZ0Y6owOnJ60wa4QLRuitxms7dy_tt97g0uvmyLw/viewform

Alright, now recipes:

https://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/cold-cucumber-soup-yogurt-and-dill

CUCUMBERS WITH WASABI AND RICE VINEGAR

1 lb Japanese or Kirby cucumbers (about 5)
1/2 teaspoon wasabi powder
1/2 teaspoon water
2 tablespoons rice vinegar (not seasoned)
1 tablespoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon soy sauce

Equipment: an adjustable-blade slicer

Very thinly slice cucumbers crosswise with slicer; toss with 1 teaspoon salt and drain in a colander 15 minutes. Rinse cucumbers under cold water, then squeeze handfuls to remove excess water; pat dry.

Stir together wasabi powder and water in a bowl and let stand 5 minutes. Add vinegar, sugar, and soy sauce, whisking until sugar has dissolved. Add cucumbers and toss well.

Cooks’ note: Cucumbers can be made 1 day ahead and chilled, covered

CUCUMBER AND TOMATO SALAD WITH BUTTERMILK DRESSING
2 cups mayonnaise
1 1/2 cups well-shaken buttermilk
2 tablespoons white-wine vinegar
1/2 cup finely chopped fresh chives
6 medium cucumbers, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
8 beefsteak tomatoes, cut into 1/2-inch wedges
2 heads iceberg lettuce, cored and cut into 2-inch chunks
Whisk together mayonnaise, buttermilk, vinegar, and salt and pepper to taste until smooth, then whisk in chives.

Put cucumbers, tomatoes, and lettuce into bowls and serve with dressing.

Cooks’ note:
Buttermilk dressing (without chives) can be made 1 day ahead and chilled, covered. Whisk in chives before serving.

Ratatouille’s Ratatouille
As envisioned by Smitten Kitchen

1/2 onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, very thinly sliced
1 cup tomato puree (such as Pomi)
2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 small eggplant (my store sells these “Italian Eggplant” that are less than half the size of regular ones; it worked perfectly)
1 smallish zucchini
1 smallish yellow squash
1 longish red bell pepper
Few sprigs fresh thyme
Salt and pepper
Few tablespoons soft goat cheese, for serving

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Pour tomato puree into bottom of an oval baking dish, approximately 10 inches across the long way. Drop the sliced garlic cloves and chopped onion into the sauce, stir in one tablespoon of the olive oil and season the sauce generously with salt and pepper.

Trim the ends off the eggplant, zucchini and yellow squash. As carefully as you can, trim the ends off the red pepper and remove the core, leaving the edges intact, like a tube.

On a mandoline, adjustable-blade slicer or with a very sharp knife, cut the eggplant, zucchini, yellow squash and red pepper into very thin slices, approximately 1/16-inch thick.

Atop the tomato sauce, arrange slices of prepared vegetables concentrically from the outer edge to the inside of the baking dish, overlapping so just a smidgen of each flat surface is visible, alternating vegetables. You may have a handful leftover that do not fit.

Drizzle the remaining tablespoon olive oil over the vegetables and season them generously with salt and pepper. Remove the leaves from the thyme sprigs with your fingertips, running them down the stem. Sprinkle the fresh thyme over the dish.

Cover dish with a piece of parchment paper cut to fit inside. (Tricky, I know, but the hardest thing about this.)

Bake for approximately 45 to 55 minutes, until vegetables have released their liquid and are clearly cooked, but with some structure left so they are not totally limp. They should not be brown at the edges, and you should see that the tomato sauce is bubbling up around them.

Serve with a dab of soft goat cheese on top, alone, or with some crusty French bread, atop polenta, couscous, or your choice of grain.

• Lettuce
• Zucchini
• Basil
• Cucumber
• Beans
• Tomatoes
• Cherry tomatoes
• Peppers
• Hot peppers
• Potatoes
• Onions
• Garlic
• Eggplant
• Parsley,dill or cilantro
• Celery!!
• Tomatillos ( pineapple for eating raw or large green and purple for making salsa)

We had a blast in Alaska. We did and saw so much in 6 days our heads are spinning. We got to enjoy the company of our eldest son Jacob while he planned and drove us all around. We fished, we kayaked, we toured the fjords and saw whales, sea lions and birds and we slept in until 6:30 some days! I finished a book and and half way through the next. We ate fresh seafood and a few veggies and picked huckleberries . We got to see family and friends and meet Jacob’s community of friends. We also got a small break from farming and will return enthusiastic and ready to hit the ground running.

The night shades are in their full glory;tomatoes, peppers, eggplants, tomatillos and potatoes. The onions are almost ready to pull out of the ground and hang for curing. They will dry down their stems and sharpen in flavor and be ready to store for winter over the next 6 weeks. They are a long term proposition having been seeded on 1/31.

We will transplant the over wintering cauliflower and broccoli later this week. The weekly lettuce, radicchio and green onions will also have to get in the ground. Flowers have to be harvested and dried, milking has to be restarted and resettling has to happen. We feel so fortunate Luna held down the fort with the help of Cole. Thank you to all who lent a hand with the Wednesday harvest, max who harvested 500 cucumbers, dee who did all the tomatoes and the other hands that helped get the work done. Thank you.

If you want to make pickles (i.e. buy pickling cucumbers) or can tomatoes (i.e. buy extra tomatoes) do send me a text and I can add you to the list ant text you when they are available. I have you pick picklers today for $1/pound. If you want me to pick them the price is $1.50. Same for tomatoes. Don’t forget to pick up ground beef, flowers or eggs all sold as extras at the farm. You can order these items to be delivered at your drop off site by texting (preferred) or emailing us.

Important dates to remember:

1. August 25- canning party still a few spots left, sign up now! See attached list of things to bring. Please do let me know if you have a camp stove you can bring plus your gas container.
2. October 6th – harvest festival
3. October 31- last harvest

Recipes for this week:

Tomato Basil Chicken Stew

Celery, Tomato, and Basil Salad

4 large tomatoes, sliced crosswise OR 1 clamshell mixed cherry tomatoes cut in half, or a mix

3-4 small purple onions or 1/2 larger onion sliced crosswise

4 stalks celery with leaves, thinly sliced crosswise, leaves torn 

Small handful fresh basil, torn 

1/4 cup olive oil 

3 tablespoons champagne or sherry vinegar 

3 tablespoons heavy cream 

S & P to taste

In a large bowl, combine the tomatoes, onion, celery, celery leaves and basil; set aside.

In another bowl, whisk together oil, vinegar, and cream; to combine.

Season with salt and pepper. Pour over salad and toss to coat

Julia’s Simple Chili

* I used my food processor with the slicing blade to slice the celery and summer squash. This is a great one pot meal to use up extra celery stalks. This can be cooked in the crockpot or in a dutch oven, but the first parts will be done in the dutch oven. You can add chopped tomatillos if you like, this recipe is very forgiving.  Use garlic and not onions, use both of them. Add spicy heat by chopping the jalapeños, add more hot chile powder, you get the idea! You can also substitute some of the water/broth with beer. 

2 pound ground beef  AND OR 

2 cans pinto beans

2 Tablespoons cooking oil

Several stalks of celery, thinly sliced (slicing disk on food processor is a great thing!)

2 jalapeños, sliced in half

1 carrot, grated

1-2 summer squash, thinly sliced

1-2 onions, chopped

1 cup tomato sauce OR some freshly chopped tomatoes

2 tablespoons chili powder

2 teaspoons ground cumin

1 Tablespoon cocoa powder

generous black pepper to taste

salt to taste

6-8 Cups broth (veggie or chicken) OR Water

If using beef: brown it in a large dutch oven. Use a bit of oil if you like.  Remove beef once browned to a large plate or bowl. Add cooking oil to the pan with the browned beef bits (or the cleaned pan if not using beef) and heat a bit, add celery and onions and summer squash. Cook for a while, stirring occasionally to keep from sticking. Add the chili powder, cocoa powder, S & P, and cumin, stir to incorporate. Add the rest of the ingredients. Simmer for 1-2 hours, OR transfer the whole thing to a crockpot and cook on low (I use auto shift so it gets to the right temp before going to low cook) and cook for 6-8 hours. 

Sweet and Sour Celery

from Asparagus to Zucchini: A Guide to Farm-Fresh Seasonal Produce by the Madison Area CSA Coalition

1 bunch celery, leaves removed, stalks cut on the diagonal into 1-inch slices

1 Tbs. sugar

1/4 tsp. salt

1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper

1/4 cup cider vinegar

1 tbs. finely chopped sweet red pepper

Pour enough water into a large skillet to fill about 1/4-inch deep. Add celery, sugar, salt and cayenne pepper. Cover, leaving the lid slightly ajar, and bring to boil. Cook until celery is tender and liquid has evaporated, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in the vinegar. Transfer to a serving dish and scatter sweet pepper over the top. Serve immediately. Four servings.

• Lettuce
• Broccoli or cabbage
• Tomatoes
• Green peppers
• Hot peppers
• Cucumbers
• Zucchini
• Basil (the whole plant this time!!)
• Green onions
• Garlic
• Potatoes
• Beans (big long ones are “Fortex” these are the very best! And shorter ones are a variety)
• Eggplant
• Onions
• Plums (sorry you will have to pick them, ran out of time

This week Juvencio and I head off to Alaska. We are down to the wire as usual. I am busy stuffing a cooler full of meat and veggies and a few canned goods for Jacob. We managed to get the fall broccoli and cauliflower planted, I will try and seed radishes for the canning party as we race out of town. Enjoy your week and follow our adventures if you are so inclined on Instagram at: lyn_c_jacobs, juve66 and la_finquita_del_buho.

Here are some great recipes to use this week!

Ottolenghi’s Pasta and Fried eggplant Salad

Good hot, warm or cold. It says salad in the title but it’s basically a pasta dish. 

Ingredients

4 servings

1. Salt and Black Pepper
2. 2/3 cup sunflower oil
3. 3 medium eggplant cut in 1/4 inch slices (slightly diagonal)
4. 1 1/2 tbsps red wine vinegar
5. 3/4 cup edamame beans or peas (frozen)
6. 2 cups basil leaves, coarsely chopped
7. 1/4 cup parsley leaves
8. 1/3 cup olive oil
9. 9 oz pasta (penne or strozzapreti)
10. Zest of one lemon
11. 1 1/2 tbsps capers
12. 7 oz buffalo mozzarella, torn into chunks

Steps

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.

• While you’re waiting, in a medium saucepan or skillet, heat sunflower oil over medium-high heat. Fry zucchini slices in batches for about 3 to 4 minutes, flipping once, until golden on both sides. [If your zucchini isn’t browning right away, bump up the heat until it does in just a few minutes.] Drain in colander, shaking with a couple pinches of salt, then transfer to a large bowl and pour vinegar on top. Set aside.

• In the hot water, cook edamame for 3 minutes, frozen peas for 3 to 4 minutes, or fresh peas for 1 to 2 minutes (to taste). Drain and run cool water over until lukewarm. Set aside to dry. Leave pot boiling, then cook pasta until al dente in it. Drain and rinse under cold water.

• Combine half of basil and all of the parsley and olive oil in a food processor or blender. Blend until smooth, then season with salt and pepper.

• Transfer pasta back to empty pot. Add fried zucchini and any juices, basil-parsley oil, edamame or peas, lemon zest, capers and mozzarella. Stir gently together, then season generously with salt and pepper. Right before you serve it, stir in remaining basil leaves.

Alberto’s Ratatouille

This recipe calls for about everything that is in season now. It is delicious by itself, cold temperature or warm, with a baguette or so, or with scrambled eggs. It is originally from Murcia, the “Farm of Spain.” It is similar to ratatouilles, but better.

The trick is to cook the ingredients separately first so cooking is even and right.

INGREDIENTS

2 small zucchinis

1 small eggplant or 1 big, in essence, equal amount of zucchini and eggplant

1 large clove of garlic

1/2 large sweet onion

1 whole red pepper

1 whole green pepper

A little bit of chopped parsley

1/2 can whole San manzano tomatoes (or about 5 VERY well ripened tomatoes, peeled, no seeds). I prefer the San Manzano for consistency

salt

pepper

a tiny bit of “Pimenton de la vera” (Spice, you can find it in New Seasons or so)

1 tablespoon of sugar

1 anchovy filet chopped very fine

HOW TO

1. Chop the eggplant and the zucchini and add salt, let it be. Chop them in very small size bites.

2. Chop everything except for tomatoes and garlic, very small bite size.

3. In a tall pot, begin sautéing onion at medium-low heat until soft, put a little salt and pepper at beginning. use a ton of olive oil, about 1/2 cup or more

4. When is almost ready, add garlic (chopped finely) and cook for another min and lower heat a bit

5. Remove and save in a large bowl, careful to leave oil on pan. Don’t add any oil on subsequent steps

6. Sauté peppers on same oil at medium-high heat until they get color and a little char. Take out to the bowl

7. Sauté now the zucchini and eggplant, same thing, don’t add oil, let them cook for about 3min, until soft, then to the bowl

8. Chop the tomatoes loosely, save the juices from the chopping, and add them with the sugar, a little salt and the tiny amount of pimenton de la vera, about 1/2 teaspoon. Add the chopped anchovy, Cook for about 5min

9. Add all ingredients back to the pot and lower the heat some. Let it cook until the tomatoes juices are almost gone. remove and put on bowl and add parsley, just a little, about 1 tablespoon

10. Try salt and correct as needed.

11. let it cool down completely then put on refrigerator

12. Let be in refrigerator at least 4h

Sesame Parsley Salad Dressing
adapted from Renee’s Garden

1 stalk green garlic or 1 clove garlic, minced
2 tablespoons tahini (sesame seed paste)
1 teaspoon honey
1/4 cup cup lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
3/4 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons freshly chopped parsley
1/2 teaspoon salt
freshly ground pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients in blender. Taste for seasoning, adding more salt to taste.

Sherry Vinaigrette
adapted from Mediterranean Fresh, by Joyce Goldstein

¼ cup sherry vinegar
1 clove garlic, minced (optional)
S & P to taste
½ cup extra virgin olive oil, plus more to taste

Whisk all ingredients together in a small bowl.

Thyme, Rosemary, and Wine Vinegar Dressing
adapted from: Cooking with Friends, by Trish Deseine and Marie-Pierre Morel

1 cup olive oil
1 tbsp red wine vinegar
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp fresh thyme leaves
1 tsp fresh rosemary leaves
Sea salt and black pepper

Blend the thyme and rosemary leaves in a food processor or crush them with a mortar and pestle. Put all the ingredients in a bowl and combine with a whisk.

Shallot Salad Dressing

1 spring shallot, cleaned and chopped, include most of the light green part
1/3 cup (or to taste) vinegar: we use champagne or sherry vingear
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
S & P to taste
3/4 cup best olive oil

Whirl everything in a blender or food processor. I use an immersion blender for this with the ‘jar’ that came with it: any jar will do. Super easy! You control the quality of the ingredients! enjoy.

Julia’s Favorite Daily Dressing

Into a mini blender jar (or small canning jar, they work with most American blenders), put in equal parts vinegar (balsamic or rice or sherry or?) or lemon juice, and olive oil. With S & P you’ve got dressing. Extras I like to add to this dressing: 1 roughly minced, peeled garlic clove, a small dollop of fancy mustard, and a small dollop of jam. Screw blender bottom onto the jar, then insert into the blender and whirl. You’ve got dressing! The variations are endless….

Low-Fat Blue Cheese Dressing
adapted from Cook’s Country
makes about 1 cup 8 servings
Use a great pungent cheese

1/2 cup low-fat plain yogurt
1/4 cup reduced fat mayo
1/4 cup crumbled blue cheese
2 Tablespoons water
1 clove garlic, grated (try a microplane!)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper

Whisk all ingredients in a medium bowl until smooth.

Lemon Shallot Vinaigrette

2 small shallots
2 Tablespoons Champagne vinegar
2 Tablespoons lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup extra‑virgin olive oil

Peel and dice the shallots very fine. Put them in a small bowl with the
vinegar, lemon juice, and salt. Stir and let the mixture sit for 10 to
30 minutes. Whisk in the olive oil. Makes about 3/4 cup.

Low-Fat Ranch Dressing
adapted from Cook’s Country
makes about 1 cup 8 servings

1/2 cup low fat plain yogurt
1/4 cup reduced fat mayo
1 Tablespoons water or buttermilk
1 teaspoons white wine vinegar
1 garlic clove, grated (try a microplane for this job)
1 Tablespoon minced chives
1 Tablespoon minced fresh cilantro
1 teaspoon minced fresh dill
1/4 teaspoon salt
pinch cayenne pepper

Whisk all ingredients in a medium bowl until smooth.

Tahini Dressing from Salad by Amy Nathan

1/2 Cup safflower oil
1/2 pound soft tofu
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
generous 1/4 cup tahini (julia says: use toasted for a richer flavor)
1 garlic clove, minced
1 scallion, chopped
2 Tablespoons tamari (soy sauce)
3/8 cup water
1/2 teaspoon salt

Combine all ingredients in a blender or food processor. (Julia says: I like to use my immersion blender in a tall jar). Adjust the thickness to your liking by adding water. This stores well if covered.

Tahini Dressing
Adapted from The Food and Philosophy of Kenny Shopsin by Shopsin and Carreno

1 cup tahini
3 Tablespoons good olive oil
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon minced fresh garlic
¼ teaspoon sugar
Combine everything with 2 cups of water in a blender and blend until smooth.

Green Garlic Dressing

1-3 stalks roughly chopped green garlic, tough end leaves discarded
1/3 cup rice vinegar or fresh lemon juice
1 Tablespoon honey or jam
1/3 cup olive oil
S & P

Whirl all in a blender. Can be used as a salad dressing or marinade.

Lime Dill Dressing
from Recipes from a Kitchen Garden by Renee Shepherd and Fran Raboff

2 T lime juice 1 T vinegar
1/2 t sugar 1/2 t dry mustard
2 T chopped dill 1 T mayonnaise
1/3 cup olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
Mix all ingredients together except oil. When thoroughly blended whisk in the oil.

GREEK BASIL DRESSING
Shepherd’s Garden Seeds Catalog

1 clove garlic, minced
1 shallot or 1 green onion, cut in thirds
6 Greek olives, pitted
1 tsp. Dijon mustard
1 tbsp. balsamic vinegar
1/4 tsp. grated lemon zest (yellow part only)
1 tbsp. fresh lemon juice
1 sm. tomato, quartered
1/4 tsp. freshly ground pepper
3 tbsp. chopped fresh basil
1/4 cup olive oil
salt
freshly ground pepper

Blend all ingredients except last three (garlic through basil). Add
olive oil gradually, processing until combined. Add salt and pepper to
taste. Toss with salad greens. Makes 2/3 cup.

Winter Herb Vinaigrette
from Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone by D. Madison

Use it also with steamed or roasted winter vegetables. Makes about ½ cup.

1 garlic clove
Salt
1/4 tsp. black peppercorns
1/4 tsp. fennel seeds
½ tsp. dried tarragon
½ cup chopped parsley
Grated zest of 1 lemon
1 Tbs. capers, rinsed
1 large shallot, finely diced, or 1/4 cup thinly sliced scallions, including a little of the green
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 Tbs. champagne vinegar or tarragon vinegar

In large mortar, mash the garlic with 1/4 tsp. salt, the pepper, fennel, tarragon and 2 Tbs. of the parsley to make a smooth paste. Add the lemon zest, capers, shallot, oil, and remaining parsley; let stand for 30 minutes. Stir in the vinegar, taste for salt, and add more vinegar if needed for balance.

Dijon Vinaigrette
1/2 C extra virgin olive oil
2 T each plain non-fat yogurt, lemon juice and red wine vinegar
1 T Dijon mustard
2 teaspoons fresh herbs: thyme, rosemary, parsley, etc. or a mixture or dried, but use less if using dried.

Combine in a blender at medium-high speed. Chill overnight before serving.

From : Chef Andrew Cohen
Honey Mustard Cilantro Dressing
1C cilantro stems
1/4 C water
1/4 lime juice(or lime/lemon or lemon)
1/4 C honey
1/4 dijon mustard
salt and pepper to taste
1 small clove of garlic peeled(optional)
Puree in blender til smooth, then through opening in top add olive oil slowly until the hole at the center of the dressing disappears. This is usually the proper amount of oil for a properly emulsified vinaigrette.

Options: use some cayenne powder to heat it up. Use 3:1 basil to flat leaf parsley instead of cilantro and use red wine vinegar instead of citrus juice.

Candied pecans to add to your green salad from: Chef Andrew Cohen

Spray sheet of foil with nonstick spray (if you have a Silpat cookie sheet liner, it’s perfect for this). Stir 1/4 cup brown sugar, 1 tablespoon oil and 1 tablespoon vinegar over medium heat until sugar melts and syrup bubbles, about 3 minutes. Mix in 1 cup pecans. Stir until nuts are toasted and syrup coats nuts evenly, about 7 minutes. Turn nuts out onto prepared foil. Using fork, separate nuts and cool completely (coating will harden).

Orange Balsamic Dressing

3/4 cup orange juice
3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar or red wine vinegar
3 tablespoons grated orange peel 1 to 2 teaspoons packed brown sugar 1 teaspoon ground cumin 1/2 cup olive oil Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste . Place the orange juice, vinegar, peel and cumin in a blender. Blend for a few seconds. While the motor is running, slowly add the oil in a small stream until mixture is emulsified. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Makes about 1 1/2 cups dressing.

Rice Vinegar, on it’s own, makes a great salad dressing.

Julia’s Easy Blue Cheese Dressing

1/4 cup light sourcream
1/4 cup mayo
a couple of ounces crumbled blue cheese
salt and
lots of pepper
a bit of finely chopped parsley
finely chopped red onion
1 Tablespoon rice vinegar

Mix all of the above ingredients, then thin with buttermilk or milk.

Raspberry Salad Dressing
(The Summer Book by Susan Branch)

1/2 C salad oil
3T raspberry vinegar
1T raspberry jam
1T minced green onions
1/2T Dijon mustard
a few fresh raspberries

Whisk all together-great on fresh spinach.
Makes 1 Cup

Magic Garlic Cream
(The Summer Book by Susan Branch)

1/2C milk
1/2C sour cream
2t olive oil
1 clove garlic, pressed
2T cider vinegar
salt and pepper to taste

Whisk all together in order given. Makes 1 Cup

Week #15 2019

• Lettuce
• Broccoli
• Kale
•  cabbage
• Tomatoes (still just a taste of what is to come
• Green peppers
• Hot peppers
• Cucumbers
• Zucchini
• Basil
• Green onions
• Garlic
• eggplant
• Potatoes
• Beans (maybe)
• Onions
• parsley
• Apples (early translucent, simple flavor good for pie and sauce)

Summer hit with a blast. We had 3 cucumbers for each share on Sunday and by Wednesday we had 7 cucumbers per share. The third zucchini bed finally kicked into high gear and we are in the never-ending cucurbit harvest. It is time to enjoy a cucumber a day, a zucchini at every meal and share those recipes. There a so many ways to enjoy zucchini and tuck it into all your favorite dishes. I have included some favorite cucumber salads that we make periodically when we don’t just eat the cucumber raw in slices with salt and pepper. Remember to make cucumber soup and zucchini soup. Tomatoes also have taken off. We will have cherry tomatoes for all within a week or too, for now there are large hot house tomatoes for slicing, wedging, cooking in stews or sauce or chili.

Juvencio has been on a weeding rampage. He managed to clear most of greenhouse # 5, which had so many weeds it was hard to tell if there was a cultivar in there. The tomatoes have gone wild, the peppers are setting fruit and he made room for some more melons. He weeded the Brussels Sprouts which looked beyond salvaging and the carrots for late summer. He is a Honduran machine burning through 1700 calories a day (he is “lord of the rings” ask him about the reference). Between cutting flowers for drying, and bouquet making and a wedding here and there I have been transplanting broccoli, cabbage and cauliflower for fall. I am seeding spinach, lettuce, green onions, fennel for fall as well and planning out what will go into these cleaned out hoop houses. I have so many new varieties of radicchio and cool weather crops that I am excited about. There are not enough hours in the day to get it all done, sometimes head lamps are necessary!

Juvencio and I will head to Home, Alaska next Sunday for a quick trip to see Jacob. We are excited to see him in his environment as he has really established himself there and is a vital part of the Kenai research station. We hope to get in some whale watching, fishing, hiking, canoeing and good eating. Luna will hold down the fort at La Finquita with the help of Cole. It will be a big challenge as she juggles summer school, new job at Whole Foods and the menagerie and harvest. Help is welcome, so sign up for Wednesday harvest and come ready to dive into the tomatoes.

Last night we helped our dear friends Polly and James from Pumpkin Ridge Gardens celebrate 30 years of marriage and farming at their anniversary party. They have been amazing leaders in the Portland area CSA movement as well as some of our closest friends. The party really showcased the years of hard work it takes to raise organic food and build a community. It was so fun to be a party I was not hosting and know so many of the people there, from her family and mine, farmers we have known for years and members who have been with them for 30 years.

A reminder about events scheduled for La Finquita:

• Farmer vacation – July 28 – August 3 – we need help for the harvest on July 31 especially. We will harvest in the afternoon of July 27 (a Saturday) if you want to help that day. We return for the harvest on August 4, again having some help would be super.
• August 25, 2019 – Canning party: There is still space to sign-up. You can always add your name to the wait list as well and we will do our best to get you a spot.
• October 6, 2019 – Harvest Festival 2-6 p.m.

Time to hit the greenhouses before I bake inside. Have a great week and enjoy your food, we have so much to be thankful for, remember those less fortunate, donate your time and money to work for to build a better world.

INDIAN POTATO PANCAKES WITH CURRY-LIME YOGURT
1/2 cup frozen peas
1 medium onion, peeled
4 large russet or Idaho potatoes (about 3 1/2 pounds), peeled
2 large eggs
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon ground coriander
1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
2 tablespoons minced peeled fresh ginger
2 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro
6 tablespoons vegetable oil
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
Curry-Lime Yogurt
Preheat oven to 200°F. Place 2 nonstick baking sheets in oven.

In small saucepan, bring salted water to boil. Add peas and cook, uncovered, until heated through, about 2 to 3 minutes. Drain, then rinse in colander under cool, running water. Set aside in colander to drain completely.

Using box grater or food processor fitted with grating disc, coarsely grate onion and place in colander set in sink. Coarsely grate potatoes, add to colander, and set aside to drain.

In large mixing bowl, lightly beat eggs. Whisk in flour, coriander, turmeric, and cumin. Mix in ginger, cilantro, and peas.

Press potatoes and onion to extract as much liquid as possible, then add to bowl. Season mixture with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Using wooden spoon or hands, mix well, but do not overwork.

In heavy-bottomed, 12-inch skillet over moderately high heat, heat 1 tablespoon oil and 1 tablespoon butter until hot but not smoking. Drop 4 scant 1/4-cup portions of potato mixture into pan and flatten with spatula to form four 3-inch pancakes.

Fry until bottoms are golden-brown, 4 to 5 minutes, then turn over and fry until golden-brown and crisp, an additional 4 to 5 minutes. Transfer to paper towels to drain; season immediately with salt and pepper. Keep warm on baking sheets in oven while making remaining pancakes.

Using paper towels, carefully wipe out pan. And 1 tablespoon oil and 1 tablespoon butter and fry 4 more pancakes. Repeat with remaining batter, wiping out pan and adding 1 tablespoon oil and 1 tablespoon butter before each batch.

Serve pancakes hot with Curry-Lime Yogurt.

CURRY-LIME YOGURT
2 cups plain yogurt
2 teaspoons curry powder
1/4 teaspoon fresh lime juice, plus more to taste
In medium bowl, whisk together all ingredients. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Taste and add more lime juice if desired.

Epicurious
December 2005

ZUCCHINI FLAN WITH TOMATO SAUCE (9/25/03)

1 large onion, chopped
1 1/2 Tablespoons olive oil
4 eggs
1/2 cup milk
salt and freshly ground white pepper to taste
a pinch of nutmeg
about 4 large zucchini, very thinly sliced

For the sauce
1 to 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 Tablespoon olive oil
about 6 medium tomatoes, peeled and chopped
salt and pepper to taste
1 to 2 teaspoons of sugar
1 to 2 tablespoons coarsely chopped black olives
1 to 2 tablespoons caper, squeezed to remove excess vinegar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Fry the onion in the oil over medium heat until very soft and golden, stirring often. Set aside to cool.
Beat the eggs lightly with a fork, then beat in the milk and add salt and white pepper and nutmeg. Add
the fried onions and the zucchini and mix well.
Pour into a well greased 10-inch flan mold or baking dish. Bake for 30 minutes, the cover the dish with foil and bake for 1 more hour until the flan is firm.
Meanwhile, prepare the sauce. Fry the garlic in the oil, stirring, until lightly colored. Add the tomatoes, salt, pepper, and sugar and simmer for 20 minutes until the sauce is thick. Add the olives and capers and cook for a few more minutes.
Serve the zucchini flan with the sauce poured over.
Eggplant and Tomato Gratin

By MARTHA ROSE SHULMAN

This is a delicious, low-fat version of eggplant Parmesan. Instead of breaded, fried eggplant, though, the eggplant in this dish is roasted and sliced, layered with a rich tomato sauce and freshly grated Parmesan, and baked in a hot oven until bubbly.

For the tomato sauce:

1. 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
2. 1 small or 1/2 medium onion, chopped
3. 2 to 4 garlic cloves (to taste)
4. 2 pounds fresh tomatoes, quartered if you have a food mill or else peeled, seeded and chopped; or 1 1/2 (28-ounce) cans chopped tomatoes, with juice
5. Salt and freshly ground pepper
6. 1/8 teaspoon sugar
7. 2 sprigs fresh basil
8. For the gratin:
9. 2 pounds eggplant, roasted
10. Salt and freshly ground pepper
11. 2 tablespoons slivered fresh basil leaves
12. 2/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan
13. 1/4 cup bread crumbs
14. 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

1. Roast the eggplant.

2. Meanwhile, to make the tomato sauce, heat the olive oil in a large, heavy, preferably nonstick skillet over medium heat, and add the onion. Stir until tender, about five to eight minutes, then add the garlic. Stir until fragrant, about a minute, and add the tomatoes, salt (1/2 to 1 teaspoon), pepper, sugar and basil sprigs. Turn the heat up to medium-high. When the tomatoes are bubbling, stir well and then turn the heat back to medium. Stir often, until the tomatoes have cooked down and are beginning to stick to the pan, about 25 minutes. Remove the basil sprigs.

3. If you did not peel the tomatoes, put the sauce through the fine blade of a food mill. If the tomatoes were peeled, pulse the sauce in a food processor fitted with the steel blade until coarsely pureed. Taste and adjust seasoning.

4. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Set aside 1/4 cup of the Parmesan and mix with the breadcrumbs. Oil the inside of a two-quart gratin or baking dish with olive oil. Spread 1/2 cup tomato sauce over the bottom of the dish. Slice the roasted eggplant about 1/4 inch thick and set an even layer of slices over the tomato sauce. Season with salt and pepper. Spoon a layer of sauce over the eggplant, and sprinkle with basil and Parmesan. Repeat the layers one or two more times, depending on the shape of your dish and the size of your eggplant slices, ending with a layer of sauce topped with the Parmesan and bread crumb mixture you set aside. Drizzle one tablespoon of olive oil over the top. Place in the oven and bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until bubbling and browned on the top and edges. Remove from the heat and allow to sit for at least 10 minutes before serving. Serve hot, warm or room temperature.

Yield: Serves six

Advance preparation: The tomato sauce can be made up to three days ahead. The casserole can be assembled a day ahead, covered and refrigerated, then baked when you wish to serve it. Don’t add the last layer of bread crumbs and Parmesan, with the drizzle of olive oil, until right before you bake it.

Zucchini Trifolati (family favorite!)

Sautéed Zucchini

The secret to this fabulous cooking technique is the long slow cooking which infuses all the flavors.  Vegetables cooked this way make great pasta sauce or you can serve them as crostini.  Try mushrooms with garlic and mint.

2 pounds Zucchini

4 cloves of garlic, sliced

chili pepper (or herbs)

Salt

Cover the bottom of a large sauté pan with olive oil.  Add the sliced garlic and chile peppers to the pan; NOW turn on the heat.  Slice the zucchini into thin slices and add to the golden garlic, salt and cover the pan.  The salt will bring out the liquid in the zucchini and they will stew in their own juices and infuse with the garlic.  Let them over cook.  It is a pleasant surprise.

Ratatouille’s Ratatouille
As envisioned by Smitten Kitchen

1/2 onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, very thinly sliced
1 cup tomato puree (such as Pomi)
2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 small eggplant (my store sells these “Italian Eggplant” that are less than half the size of regular ones; it worked perfectly)
1 smallish zucchini
1 smallish yellow squash
1 longish red bell pepper
Few sprigs fresh thyme
Salt and pepper
Few tablespoons soft goat cheese, for serving

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Pour tomato puree into bottom of an oval baking dish, approximately 10 inches across the long way. Drop the sliced garlic cloves and chopped onion into the sauce, stir in one tablespoon of the olive oil and season the sauce generously with salt and pepper.

Trim the ends off the eggplant, zucchini and yellow squash. As carefully as you can, trim the ends off the red pepper and remove the core, leaving the edges intact, like a tube.

On a mandoline, adjustable-blade slicer or with a very sharp knife, cut the eggplant, zucchini, yellow squash and red pepper into very thin slices, approximately 1/16-inch thick.

Atop the tomato sauce, arrange slices of prepared vegetables concentrically from the outer edge to the inside of the baking dish, overlapping so just a smidgen of each flat surface is visible, alternating vegetables. You may have a handful leftover that do not fit.

Drizzle the remaining tablespoon olive oil over the vegetables and season them generously with salt and pepper. Remove the leaves from the thyme sprigs with your fingertips, running them down the stem. Sprinkle the fresh thyme over the dish.

Cover dish with a piece of parchment paper cut to fit inside. (Tricky, I know, but the hardest thing about this.)

Bake for approximately 45 to 55 minutes, until vegetables have released their liquid and are clearly cooked, but with some structure left so they are not totally limp. They should not be brown at the edges, and you should see that the tomato sauce is bubbling up around them.

Serve with a dab of soft goat cheese on top, alone, or with some crusty French bread, atop polenta, couscous, or your choice of grain.

GREEN BEANS WITH TOMATOES AND BASIL
From Asparagus to Zucchini, Madison Area CSA Coalition

1 1/2 pounds green beans, cooked
1 garlic clove, diced
1 small onion, thinly sliced
1 tbsp. olive oil
2 tomatoes or 1/2 basket of cherry tomatoes, coarsely chopped
salt & pepper to taste
1 tbsp. chopped fresh basil
1 tbsp. chopped fresh parsely, or 1 tsp. dried

Cut beans into 1‑inch lengths; set aside.  Saute garlic and onion in oil
in skillet until soft.  Add tomatoes, salt and pepper, and cook 2
minutes.  Stir in basil and green beans.  Cover, reduce heat to low and
simmer 3 minutes.  Remove from heat, stir in parlsey, and serve
immediately.  Makes 4‑6 servings.

FINISHING TOUCHES FOR BEANS
The Victory Garden Cookbook by Marian Morash

After steaming or blanching, try one of these:
‑ With Butter & Lemon Juice:  toss beans with butter in a hot frying
pan.  Sprinkle with lemon juice, and season with salt & pepper.
‑ With Onions:  lightly brown chopped onions in butter, add beans, and
toss until thoroughly coated in butter and onions.
‑ With Oil and Garlic:  Heat 2 tablespoons oil per pound of beans, add 1
clove finely shopped or pureed garlic, cook 30 seconds, add beans; toss
until heated through.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.
‑ With Mushrooms:  Saute 1/4 pound sliced mushrooms per pound of beans
in butter until lightly browned.  Add green beans and heat through

Spicy Green Beans

Steam green beans until crisp, cover and chill

Combine

¼ cup soy sauce                                  1 tablespoon sugar

2 tablespoons olive or walnut oil    dried red pepper flakes to taste

1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger     1/3 cup chopped toasted walnuts, optional

1 clove minced garlic

Marinate

 Becca’s favorite Thai Cumber salad with Roasted Peanuts

¼ cup fresh lime juice
1 ½ tablespoons fish sauce (nam pla)
1 ½ tablespoons sugar
1 ½ tablespoons minced seeded jalapeno chili (about 1 large)
2 garlic cloves
1 ½ English hothouse cucumbers, halved, seeded, thinly sliced
¾ cups sliced red onion
2 tablespoons fresh mint
3 tablespoons coarsely chopped lightly salted roasted peanuts

Whisk first 5 ingredients in medium bowl.  Place cucumbers, onion, and mint in large bowl.  Add dressing and toss to coat.  Season salad to taste with salt and pepper.  Sprinkle on peanuts and serve.

Insalata Caprese

2 med. cucumbers, thinly sliced

1 pt. Cherry tomatoes, halved or 3-4 slicing tomatoes, thinly sliced

3-4 fresh mozzarella balls, sliced ¼ inch thick

olive oil

6-8 basil leaves

salt and pepper

On a plate, layer cucumbers, tomatoes and mozzarella.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper, drizzle with olive oil and top with ribbons of sliced basil.  For added tang, sprinkle lightly with balsamic vinegar.

Roasting the garlic and tomatillos in this salsa give it a wonderful and unique taste.