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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Here are some recipes for this week:

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

If you have not yet made my salad dressing:

Lyn’s Salad Dressing

1 cup olive oil

1/3 cup white balsamic vinegar

salt and pepper

1 teaspoon or more Dijon mustard

1 clove garlic pressed

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

well blended.

From Sue Kass:

A brief note about kale:

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

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

Some of my favorite kale salads are:

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

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

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

Creamy Kale Pizza

Yield:4 servings

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

·        Step 1

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

·        Step 2

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

·        Step 3

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

·        Step 4

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

·        Step 5

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

Kale Tabbouleh

Yield:4 to 6 servings

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

·        Step 1

Cook bulgur according to package instructions. Cool.

·        Step 2

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

·        Step 3

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

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

·        Step 1

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

·        Step 2

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

·        Step 3

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

·        Step 4

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

• Lettuce
• Scallions
• Sugar snap peas
• Chard or kale
• Chinese broccoli
• Potatoes
• Onions
• Radishes
• Fennel or kohlrabi
• Herb: mint, oregano, cilantro or parsley
• Zucchini or ??

It has been a busy week catching up on weeding and turning over beds. The overwintered onions are out and the spring seeded onions are in. We continue to plug away at the 12 beds of onions that have to be weeded. We are getting the last of the peppers into the ground. I seeded some of the last cucumbers, fingers crossed. I always like to get a bed planted around the 4th of July. I seeded the first of the radicchio for those rad lovers this will be music to your ears. Winter veggies are some of the very best and radicchio is the star. I will seed the bulk of the radicchio around the summer equinox but keep planting a bit every week until the actual day.

Flowers are going wild! The first of the sunflowers coincide with the peak of the bachelor buttons making one of my favorite combinations of blue, white and yellow. I am taking orders and will squeeze his in with harvesting, planting and weeding. Juvencio helped me save my flowers from the weeds, but they need constant attention.

We are still waiting for our grandbaby to arrive, any day now! We can’t wait to see their face and welcome them to our family.

Sue went wild with recipes this week so it should be easy to use up all those veggies!

https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1018988-cilantro-and-mint-salad?smid=ck-recipe-iOS-share

Lemon Potato Salad with Mint (or cilantro)

Yield:8 servings

• 2 pounds small waxy white or yellow potatoes, roughly about the same size

• Juice of 1 lemon, more for serving

• 1½teaspoons kosher salt, more as needed

• ½cup extra-virgin olive oil

• ½cup thinly sliced scallions, white and light green parts, more for serving

• ¼cup torn mint leaves, more for serving (or cilantro)

• ¼teaspoon Turkish pepper, more for serving

Step 1

Place whole unpeeled potatoes in a large pot with enough salted water to cover by 1 inch. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat and cook until potatoes are just tender, 15 to 25 minutes depending upon size. Drain and cut potatoes into 1½-inch chunks as soon as you can handle them.

Step 2

In a bowl, whisk together lemon juice, salt and olive oil.

Step 3

Transfer hot potatoes to a large bowl and toss with dressing, scallions, mint and Turkish pepper. Let cool to room temperature, or refrigerate until ready to use. Just before serving, top with additional lemon juice, scallions, mint and Turkish pepper.

Greens and Sugar Snap Pea Salad

• 8 ounces sugar snap peas, at room temperature

• ¼packed cup mint leaves, at room temperature

• 12 ounces thick-cut bacon, sliced into ½-inch pieces (to make vegetarian,  use EVOO instead of bacon fat)

• 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

• 1 tablespoon lemon juice

• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

• Salt and black pepper

• ½cup grated Parmesan (4 ounces)

Step 1

Click the leaves off the heads of lettuce by hand and place them in a large bowl. If using romaine, tear the leaves in halves. Slice the snap peas in halves or thirds on a steep diagonal and add them to the bowl along with the mint leaves.

Step 2

Place the bacon in a large frying pan and warm it over a low flame. Cook until the fat is translucent, and at least a tablespoon of fat has rendered into the pan, about 10 minutes. Then turn the flame up to high and stir attentively for 3 to 5 minutes to brown the bacon. When the bacon is almost but not quite browned fully, turn off the flame. It’ll continue to cook in the residual heat of the pan. Stir occasionally to caramelize evenly and prevent over-browning and the resulting bitterness. After 5 minutes, use a slotted spoon to transfer the bacon to a paper towel-lined plate. Spread rather than pile the bacon so it remains crisp. Discard all but about 3 tablespoons of the bacon fat in the pan.

Step 3

To make the vinaigrette, deglaze the bacon pan by adding the red wine vinegar and lemon juice and scraping any good bits from the pan into the acid. Add the olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Swirl to combine everything, then drizzle the vinaigrette over the vegetables and toss to coat. Taste and adjust seasoning.

Step 4

Toss in half of the bacon and Parmesan and spread on a large platter. Sprinkle over the remaining bacon and Parmesan and finish with an extra grind of black pepper.

Radish, fennel and sugar snap salad

1 bunch radishes, thinly sliced

1 head fennel,  thinly sliced and chopped into bite sized pieces (save fronds to chop and use as garnish)

½ cup sugar snap peas, trimmed

½ c. crumbled feta

¼ c. walnuts,  lightly toasted/coarsely chopped

1/3 c EVOO

¼ c. white balsamic vinegar or lemon juice

1 large clove garlic, crushed

½ tsp Dijon mustard

Salt and pepper to taste

Put the sliced radishes in heavily salted water for 15-20 minutes,  then rinse well and drain.

Blanch the peas by pouring boiling water over them,  then drain and slice diagonally.

Combine the EVOO, vinegar or lemon juice, garlic and Dijon and mix well-add salt and freshly ground pepper to taste.

Combine the veggies in a wide bowl,  then mix in the dressing.  Can sit for a bit to marinate.

To serve,  gently fold In the feta and nuts and finely chopped fennel fronds.

Kale (or swiss chard) salad with farro and green tahini

This is a substantial dinner salad for these warm summer evenings.  Any extra tahini dressing can be used as a dip for crudites,  drizzled on grilled veggies,  chicken or fish,  or on other salads.

For the dressing:

6 Tbsp tahini

¾ c warm water

1 clove garlic

3 Tbsp lemon juice

2 tsp maple syrup or honey

½ c mint leaves

½ cup parsley or cilantro leaves and tender stems

Blend ingredients in a food processor until smooth and add salt and pepper to taste.  Let it sit for a bit—the mint flavor definitely emerges more the longer it sits.  You may need to add more warm water to get it to a pourable consistency (like heavy cream)

For the Salad

2-3 c. farro,  cooked until tender then rinsed with cold water to cool,  then drain

1 bunch chard, kale,  or combo of the two, finely chopped

1 Tb EVOO

1-2 c cooked (or canned) chickpeas,  rinsed and drained.

1/3 c. raisins 

1 Tbsp lemon juice

In a large bowl,  mix the greens with the EVOO and gently “massage”. For a few minutes until tender.

Mix the cooled farro in with the greens,  toss to combine and then sprinkle with the lemon juice.  Add chickpeas and raisins, toss gently and then mix in green tahini dressing.

If your peas runneth over,  you could always coarsely chop and add in as well.

Jingalov Hats (greens and herb filled flatbreads)

I think I posted this recipe earlier in the season,  but I have been making it a lot with excess greens and herbs.  The bread freezes well.

For the bread:

Combine 1 ½ c. flour (can use blend white and whole wheat if you want) with 2/3 c. warm water.

It will form a sticky dough.  Turn onto lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic.  Place in a bowl which has been lightly coated with vegetable oil.  Set aside for 30 minutes—it is resting,  NOTrising.

For the filling:

Combine any or all of the following to make about 8 cups:

1-2 c swiss chard, finely chopped.

1 -2c. finely chopped radish greens or beet green

2-3 cups finely chopped herbs—can be parsley, fennel fronds,  cilantro, mint,

dill or any combo

½ c. chopped scallions

Combine all the veggies and herbs in a bowl,  toss with 1 Tbsp EVOO and 2 Tbsp lemon juice,  season with salt and pepper taste.

Heat a heavy skillet (ideally cast iron) over high heat.  Divide the dough into 4 portions.

Pat and roll out a potion to a 8-10” circle.  Plop a handful/2 cups of greens in the middle of the dough and then bring the edges together,  pinching lightly to seal. Press the whole thing down a bit with your hands or a spatula.  Place the filled bread in the skillet and cook so browned and even lightly blackened/blistered.   Flip over and Cool approx. 10 minute on. each side.

If not served immediately, allow to cool a bit.  Can store in the fridge or freezer until ready to serve. Heat in a cast-iron pan or toast in a toaster to restore crispness.

Our meal last night, made from a share that was left over. McFaddin’s twice cooked potatoes with herbs, salad of lettuce, kale, kohlrabi and radish with my dressing. Tenderloin steak with parsley and shallot chimichurri and sugarsnap peas with Chinese broccoli.

Here is what you get this week:

• Radishes
• Parsley or cilantro
• Beets or zucchini
• Chinese broccoli
• Kale
• Sugar snap peas
• Onions
• Potatoes
• Fennel or Kohlrabi

Juvencio returned safely from Honduras. His father has made a remarkable recovery although his speech remains difficult to understand. He is up walking around,eating and participating with the family in ways that we did not ever imagine. He spent the two days he has been home catching up on weeding. He rescued the cabbages and the potatoes. And is now moving onto the onions. The tomatoes are getting strung up in the hoop houses and outside will begin soon. They will need to be pruned a second and fourth before we let them grow as they will produce fruit for you. 

We continue to turn over beds. As the first bed of potatoes was harvested I put in a set of cucumbers. As each bed becomes available, we will plant more potatoes, more winter squash, and the weekly lettuce and green onions. This week there is no lettuce. If you were curious about this ask Juvencio. It is definitely the week of the snap as all three beds are going crazy. Last weekend we were lucky enough to have Sue Kass the master pea picker. She picked 45 pounds of peas all on her own. The value of a good picker  cannot be underestimated as the summer wears on. We will have more and more need for help with the harvest as it is almost impossible to get this all done, just our family. We are lucky to have Luna, Kody and Jacob to help harvest Sunday. On Wednesdays Juvencio is essentially alone unless someone has been able to help him the night before. Our niece Fernanda has gone back to Honduras. We will miss her dearly. She was fun to have around and help to us on the farm.

Reminding you all of the extras you can add on to your share. You can join Cloud Cap Mushrooms and have weekly fresh organic mushrooms delivered to our farm for you to pick up. Follow this link to order and pay them directly: https://cloudcapmushrooms.com/la-finquita-del-buho/mushroom-add-on

We have an egg and flower add-on subscription. Email us for details. You can also order weekly by texting early in the morning and I will set aside for you. We have ground beef for members available in the freezer in the barn. We also have t-shirts with our newly minted design. We appreciate your support of local agriculture.

We are waiting for the baby to come, they are due any day. Courtney remains in good spirits, by this time in all my pregnancies I was done and in fact they (the babies) knew it and all came out 10 days early. Today it is supposed to be torrential rain, I will stop writing and get out there to harvest the radishes and fennel which are the most exposed. Then we will move into the covered areas inside the hoop houses.

Seafood, Fennel, and Lime Salad from ‘Ottolenghi’

· 2 small fennel bulbs

· 1/2 red onion, very thinly sliced

· Grated zest and juice of 1 lime

· 2 cloves garlic, crushed

· 2 tablespoons chopped dill

· 2 tablespoons chopped parsley

· 1 mild chile, seeded and finely chopped

· 4 tablespoons olive oil

· 8 tiger prawns

· 12 ounces (350g) cleaned baby squid

· 1 tablespoon sumac

· 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro

· Coarse sea salt

· Pomegranate seeds, for garnish (optional)

1. Trim the bases and tops of the fennel bulbs, then slice crosswise as thinly as you can. A mandoline would be useful here. In a large bowl, mix the fennel and red onion with the lime zest and juice, garlic, dill, parsley, chile, 2 tablespoons of the olive oil, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Set aside.

2. To prepare the prawns, peel the shells away from the bodies, keeping the tail segment of the shell on. Cut a shallow slit along the back of each prawn and use the tip of a small knife to remove the dark vein.

3. Place a heavy cast-iron pan, preferably a ridged grill pan, over high heat and leave for a few minutes until piping hot. Meanwhile, mix the prawns and squid with the remaining 2 tablespoons oil and a pinch of salt. Grill them in small batches, turning them over after 1 minute and continuing until just done (about 1 more minute for the squid and 2 to 3 for the prawns). Transfer to a cutting board and slice the squid into thick rings. You can leave the prawns whole or cut them in half.

4. Add the seafood to the salad bowl and toss together. You can serve the salad immediately or leave it in the fridge for up to 1 day. To serve, stir in the sumac and cilantro, then taste and adjust the seasoning. When pomegranate seeds are available, they make a beautiful garnish.

·

Fennel PomegranateSalad

Could use chopped cherries or dried cranberries in place of pomegranate

½ pomegranate

2 medium fennel heads

1½ tsp olive oil

2 tsp sumac, plus extra to garnish

juice of 1 lemon

10g picked tarragon leaves

10g parsley, roughly chopped

70g Greek feta cheese, sliced

salt and black pepper

Remove the leaves of the fennel, keeping a few to garnish later, and trim the base, making sure you leave enough of it still attached to hold the slices together. Slice very thinly lengthwise (a mandolin would come in handy here).

In a bowl, mix the olive oil, sumac, lemon juice, herbs and some salt and pepper. Add the fennel and toss well. Taste for seasoning but remember, the feta will add saltiness.

Layer the fennel, then the feta and then the pomegranate seeds in individual serving dishes. Garnish with fennel leaves, sprinkle over some sumac and serve immediately.

Sauteed Radishes and Sugar Snaps with Dill Adapted from Bon Appetit, April 2004

To remove strings from fresh peas, just snap off the stem end and pull string lengthwise down each pod.

Makes 6 servings.

1 tablespoon butter 1 tablespoon olive oil 1/2 cup thinly sliced shallots 12 ounces sugar snap peas, trimmed, strings removed 2 cups thinly sliced radishes (about 1 large bunch) 1/4 cup orange juice 1 teaspoon dill seeds 1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill

Melt butter with oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add shallots and sauté until golden, about 5 minutes. Add sugar snap peas, cook for one to two minutes, and radishes sauteing until crisp-tender, about 3 to 4 minutes more. Add orange juice and dill seeds; stir for 1 minute. Season with salt and pepper. Stir in chopped dill. Transfer to bowl; serve.

Roasted Beet & Fennel Salad 1 fennel bulb, sliced 1 1/2 c beets, cut into small pieces (you can do more this is just what I had on hand) olive oil

kosher salt salad greens fennel fronds, chopped Preheat oven to 400 F. Place the fennel bulb & beets in a small roasting pan. just coat with olive oil & sprinkle with salt. Roast for about 30 minutes or until tender. (If it’s too hot to roast the beets & fennel inside, cook them on your grill in a grill basket) Place on a bed of salad greens. Dress with Lemon Vinaigrette. Sprinkle fennel fronds over the top. Lemon Vinaigrette 2 T olive oil 1 T lemon Juice 1 T white wine vinegar 1 small clove garlic, minced salt & pepper to taste

Crunchy Vegetable Salad

Serves 4

For the vegetables:

½ English hothouse cucumber, very thinly sliced

4 small radishes, trimmed, very thinly sliced

2 scallions, very thinly sliced

1 pound mixed snap beans (such as green, wax, and/or Romano)

Kosher salt

4 ounces sugar snap peas

For the sesame-lime dressing and assembly:

3 tablespoons fresh lime juice

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon soy sauce

2 teaspoons toasted sesame seeds

¼ teaspoon sugar

Kosher salt, freshly ground pepper

1. Prepare the vegetables:

Place cucumber, radishes, and scallions in a colander set inside a bowl of ice water. Press down on vegetables to submerge. Let soak, stirring occasionally, until very firm and crunchy, at least 15 minutes and up to 1 hour. Drain and pat dry.

Meanwhile, cook beans in a large pot of boiling generously salted water just until their color intensifies and they are barely softened, about 1 minute. Using a slotted spoon, immediately transfer to a large bowl of salted ice water (use about 1 Tbsp. salt for every 2 quarts water).

Return water to a boil and repeat the cooking process with sugar snap peas; add to a bowl of ice water with beans. Let vegetables cool; drain and pat dry. Trim beans and remove strings from sugar snap peas. Slice into large pieces on a steep diagonal.

Whisk lime juice, oil, soy sauce, sesame seeds, and sugar in a large bowl; season dressing with salt and pepper. Add beans and peas and toss to coat. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed. Add cucumber, radishes, and scallions and toss to combine. Transfer to a platter.

Beans and peas can be blanched 2 days ahead. Cover and chill. Dressing can be made 2 days ahead. Cover and chill,

From last year at this time:

 Kale & Sugar Snap Pea Salad

Dressing: 

3/4 c canola oil

1/2 c peeled chopped ginger

1/4 c miso paste

1/2 c rice vinegar

2 lemons or 2 limes,  zest finely grated and juiced

1/4 c sugar

Salt, pepper

Salad:

2 Tbsp sugar

6-8 dried apricots

1 medium bunch kale, roughly chopped

2 c sugar snap peas

4 oz crumbled feta

1/4 c almonds, toasted and coarsely chopped

2 Tbs fresh mint

Combine all ingredients for dressing in a blender or food processor.

In a small saucepan over low heat, combine sugar w 1/4 c water.  Add the dried apricots

and poach just until rehydrated,  then remove from heat.

In a serving bowl,  combine the kale,  snap peas and feta.  Add salad dressing to taste,  sprinkle with almonds and mint

Smitten Kitchen’s Sugar Snap Pea Salad with Miso Dressing

Serves 4

Salad

• Table salt for the pot
• ½ pound sugar snap peas, untrimmed
• ½ pound Napa cabbage, cut into thin ribbons (about 3 cups) – optional
• 4 ounces radishes (4 medium-large), julienned, or quartered and thinly sliced
• 3 large scallions (about ½ bundle), white and green parts, thinly sliced
• 3 tablespoons sesame seeds, toasted

Sesame Miso Dressing

• 1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
• 1 large garlic clove, minced
• 2 tablespoons mild yellow or white miso
• 2 tablespoons tahini or sesame paste
• 1 tablespoon honey
• ¼ cup rice vinegar
• 2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
• 2 tablespoons vegetable or olive oil
• Instructions

1. Blanch sugar snaps. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, and prepare a small ice-water bath. Boil the sugar snaps for about 2 minutes, or until just barely cooked but still crisp. Scoop them out with a large slotted spoon, and drop them in the ice-water bath. Once cool, drain and pat dry. Trim ends and cut sugar snaps into thin slices. Toss in a large bowl with cabbage, radishes, scallions, and 1 tablespoon sesame seeds.
2. Make the dressing. Whirl all ingredients in a blender until smooth.
3. Assemble the salad. Toss salad with half of dressing, and taste. Use more if you desire. Sprinkle with remaining sesame seeds.
4. Store any leftover dressing in an airtight jar in the refrigerator and use on your next salad.

Bowties with Sugar Snaps, Ricotta and Lemon

As sugar snap season comes and goes all too quickly for my addicted tastes, consider this a template for any green vegetable — segments of asparagus, green beans, snow pea pods, or whole sweet peas — that you think might enjoy some lemon/ricotta/parmesan/salt/pepper treatment. Most of these other vegetables will benefit from 2 to 3 minutes boiling time, so add them earlier in the pasta cooking process.

Serves 4 to 6 (main course-style), up to 8 as a first course

Salt for pasta water
1 pound sugar snaps
1 pound dried pasta bowties
1/2 cup (about 1 ounce) finely grated pecorino romano or parmesan cheese
Glug, then drizzle, of olive oil
Coarse or fine sea salt for sprinkling
Ground black pepper or red pepper flakes
Juice of 1 lemon, plus more to taste
Few leaves of mint, slivered
1 cup ricotta; use fresh if you can find or have motivation to make it

Bring a large pot of well-salted water to boil. While waiting, string sugar snaps and cut into 1/2-inch segments. Cook bowties for two minutes less than the suggested cooking time on the package, then add sugar snaps to pasta. Cook for one minute more. Reserve one cup of pasta cooking water, then drain sugar snaps and bowties. Add them back to the empty pot with 1/2 cup pasta cooking water, grated cheese, a glug of olive oil, salt and freshly ground black pepper. Cook on high for one minute, tossing constantly. Add a splash more cooking water if pasta looks too dry. Turn heat off, dollop ricotta all over in large spoonfuls and, without stirring, tip pasta mixture into a wide serving bowl. (I do this because I love the idea of finding slightly unmixed pockets of ricotta.) Drizzle pasta with a small amount of olive oil, then squeeze lemon juice over the whole dish, sprinkle with mint, and finish with an extra sprinkling of parmesan. Serve quickly; eat happily.

• Garlic scapes or Zucchini for a few (don’t worry it is coming for all!!)
• Radishes
• Sugar snap peas
• Kohlrabi 
• Chinese broccoli
• Spinach or Chard
• kale
• Onions
• New potatoes
• Lettuce
• Herb (cilantro, dill or parsley)

On Sunday afternoon, we got the news that Juvencio‘s father had a stroke. He had been taken to a local Doctor who then referred him to the hospital in San Pedro Sula. These were tense moments as we waited to hear how he was doing and make quick decisions about Juvencio‘s possible departure. Although he had severe weakness on his right side and his ability to speak was impaired he recovered much of that strength within the first 48 hours. We decided of course that the best action would be for Juvencio to go and be with his father. He left the next day, getting the Wednesday harvest done on Tuesday and was able to be at his father‘s bedside when he was discharged from the hospital. Even though he is 96 1/2 years old he has an amazingly plastic brain. He is walking, he is managing to eat and formulate some words. The family gathered around him as all of Juvencio‘s siblings who reside in Honduras descended upon his home. They baked bread, made tamales and celebrated him and being together. He continues to recover and be surrounded by the love of his family.

On the farm we are lucky to have Fernanda, our niece visiting and she has stepped up to take over some of the daily tasks that have been Juvencio’s. The chickens are fed, the eggs are washed, the goats are put out to pasture and brought back in at night, and all of the seedlings are watered twice a day. Juvencio is an amazing we and is dearly missed. Half of the cabbages are engulfed by horrific grass. Hopefully, their growth won’t be as stunted as I fear with the delay in clearing their growing space. With Fernanda, we managed to transplant all of the winter squash, the eggplant, the second bed of sweet peppers, a fourth bed of cucumbers, the tomatillos, and the paste tomatoes. Kody got out the weed whacker and did some real damage to the tall grass covering many of our beds. He mowed a path and spruced up the farm to keep it presentable until Juvencio gets home. Kody put in stakes on all the tomatoes, cucumbers and beans. He has applied compost to all the newly planted crops. Generally Juvnecio and I deal with all of the farming tasks except for help with harvest on Sundays, but it is great to know that we can count on our family to help us and in times of need. Juvencio is scheduled to return late Tuesday night just in time to harvest for Wednesday. 

The sugar snap peas are in. This marks the beginning of the rest of the season. Harvest help is appreciated. I sent out in the email to all subscribers the sign up list to come help harvest. We would love for you to join us any Sunday or Wednesday morning between 7 and 7:30 and help us bring in the harvest. There are sugar snap peas, cherry tomatoes, and green beans that are extremely time-consuming to harvest and are very helpful to have extra hands. Of course, not all of these things are ready at the same time but from sugar snap peas through the end of the season there is always extra work.

Next week Polly and I have our first wedding of the season. We arrange flowers for 5-10 weddings a year. Polly loves this and I participate. Once in it, arranging the bridal bouquet, the bouts and table arrangements I do enjoy it. We wind down our veggie start business at the end of July and our Thursdays are filled with flower arranging until wreath season. I think once it really warms up I will be swimming in flowers for right now I am selling most of what I can grow. I am hopeful that once you see how beautiful they are you will want to subscribe.

On the political front North Plains residents sent a resounding message to their mayor and city council for smart growth and no expansion. Our neighbor and friend Aaron Nichols of Stoneboat farm was a tireless leader in this effort along with many from Save Helvetia. This is what democracy looks like! I am not sure how he was so involved and still run an enoromously successful CSA/Farm Market business. I am so proud to know him and be a tiny part of his orbit. Here is a link to him on Think Out Loud: https://youtu.be/JqGhmCGWzaw

Heading out to harvest, no grandbaby yet, we will keep you posted.

Recipes for this week from Sue:

“Lyn asked for garlic scape recipes, but here’s the thing: garlic scapes are AMAZING grilled. Lightly brush with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and toss those snakes (as we call them) on the grill til they are just starting to blister. They are sort of a heavenly cross between asparagus and garlic. If you don’t want yours, leave them in the share box and I will take them happily.”

But..from Bon Appetit:

12 ways to cook with garlic scapes:

1. Depending on how much you like (or should I say love?) garlic flavor, you can swap the green stalks for half or all of the basil in your go-to pesto recipe. Blitz in a food processor with Parmesan, pine nuts, olive oil, and salt and pepper. 2. Fold chopped and sautéed garlic scapes into frittatas, omelets, or our best-ever scrambled eggs.

3. Swap thinly sliced garlic scapes for the scallions in your next batch of crispy fried rice. 4. Cut garlic scapes into coins and add them to a hot pan to make all sorts of stir-fries. 5. Mix finely diced garlic scapes into a vinaigrette or green goddess dressing to instantly upgrade your next salad.

6. Blister whole garlic scapes on the grill for a lightly charred snack or side dish to serve at your next barbecue. 7. Stir finely chopped garlic scapes, olive oil, and salt into Greek yogurt to make a dip for crackers or crudités. Or, thin the mixture with a spoonful of water and drizzle it over grilled meat or roasted veggies.

8. Pickled garlic scapes are a revelation. Cut the green shoots into 6-inch pieces and process them the same as pickled ramps. 9. Sauté sliced scapes to use as a homemade pizza topping. Save any leftover oil from the pan in the fridge for your next salad dressing. 10.Use the scapes whole in a hearty, warm-weather-friendly braise.

11. Add a few diced garlic scapes with the chopped onion the next time you make risotto. Feeling fancy? Save one finely sliced green stalk to garnish each bowl.

12. Mix chopped scapes with room-temperature butter and roll it into a log to make a versatile compound butter. Use it on grilled or pan-fried fish, roasted veggies, and garlicky grilled cheese. Or stash it in the freezer and pull it out a few months down the road to make a truly special Thanksgiving turkey.

Here are a few delicious radish salads. You could add or substitute kohlrabi in both.

Radish & Citrus Salad

Soaking radishes in salted water x 15-20 minutes helps take the “bite” out

6-8 large radishes thinly sliced

2 Tbsp lemon juice

2 Tbsp olive oil

2-3 oranges, peel and pith sliced off and sliced into rounds

Salt, pepper to taste

Fresh chopped mint or cilantro

Thinly slice the radishes and put in salted water to soak for 20 minutes.

Drain and rinse well.

Place in a salad bowl with lemon juice and toss to coat well, then do the same with oil. Season to taste. Just before serving, add the orange slices and fresh herbs.

I have made this with fresh sliced fennel and it was quite wonderful

Herb and Radish Salad with Walnuts and Feta

1 c walnuts

2 bunches radishes, trimmed

3 persian cucumbers

2 Tbsp lemon juice

¼ c EVOO

3 oz feta cheese, crumbled

½ c chopped chives

1 c. chopped cilantro

1 c chopped dill1/2 c loosely packed mint leaves

Thinly slice the radishes and place in a bowl with the walnuts. Combine lemon juice, EVOO and salt and pepper to make a dressing. Just before serving dress the radishes, sliced cukes and walnuts with 3-4 Tbsp of the lemon vinaigrette. Toss to mix well, then add feta. In a separate bowl, toss the herbs with the remaining dressing. To serve, portion out the radish mixture and then heap herb mix on top.

Kohlrabi gratin with dill and feta

2 lbs kohlrabi

2 Tbsp EVOO

1 medium onion, finely chopped

2 large cloves garlic, minced

1/3 c chopped fresh dill

¼ c chopped Italian parsley

3 large eggs beaten

5 oz feta, crumbled

Peel and grate the kohlrabi

Heat 1 Tbs of the EVOO in a large skillet and add the onion, cook until softening and then add a pinch of salt and the garlic and cook a few minutes more, then stir in kohlrabi. Cook, stirring often, until the mixture is very soft and tender. Remove from the stove and add chopped herbs, salt and pepper to taste and allow to cool a bit. When room temp mix in beaten eggs and feta and combine well

Preheat the oven to 375. Oil a 2 quart baking dish, pour the mix in. Drizzle with remaining Tbsp of oil. Bake for 40 minutes or until the top is nicely browned.

• New potatoes
• Fresh onions
• Garlic scapes or kohlrabi
• Chinese broccoli
• Chard or spinach
• Kale
• Herb (parsley or dill or cilantro )
• Lettuce
• Carrots or beets
• Sugar snap peas (just a few for the lucky ones, but next week should be for everyone)

Last week we snuck in new potatoes and fresh onions as they were ready to harvest when we got out there and actually looked. This week we have them again and they are a real special treat for spring. New potatoes are harvested quite young and don’t have tough skins. The resh onions also are not hardened off so are not meant to languish on your counter but rather to be used in the next month.

The plants are feeling whiplash as are the farmers. From 52 degrees on May 4th to 90 degrees on May 12th and back down into the high 50s. May is a crazy month but this is a bit intolerable. The peas got burned tips from the scorching heat . The cucumbers hate cold nights. We could not keep up with the watering and now we are watering too much. We did manage to get the cherry tomatoes in the ground as well as the heirlooms. I planted the dry farm tomatoes (I experimented with this last year and got fed up and did not do much with them.) and hope for some delicious sauce tomatoes from this planting. I finally got the leeks in the ground but had to soak the soil for hours prior to making their holes.

Juvencio is composting and weeding and prepping and we see the end of the tunnel but . . . we are year round farmers so we keep turning and planting and weeding. I will seed fall cabbage later today. The winter squash and pumpkins need to get in the ground. I have peppers, tomatillos and eggplant to transplant. Making this list reminds me of all that must be done after the harvest.

My flowers have finally started in earnest. The foxgloves and peonies are glorious. The ranunculus are bright and last so long in the vase.I will happily make bouquets for those who wish to have them brighten their homes and offices. 

With the start of sugar snap pea season comes the sign-up list to help on the farm. We encourage everyone to sign up to come and help at least twice over the next 5 months. Harvests are cumbersome from here on out as we have many items that are time consuming and require many hands. We start with sugar snap peas, then beans then cherry tomatoes and sometimes we have all going at one time. We will have fruit and tomatoes and peppers and more hands make light work. Sign up sheet to follow soon.

This is election week. Remember to turn in your ballots. At this point the ballots must be dropped at the designated ballot boxes at all public libraries. If you live in North Plains we feel it is vital to stop the city government from railroading expansion onto farm land. It has been a long battle and the city has done some very nefarious sneaky moves as has the state legislature. Please consider voting to stop the sprawl and pave over farmland. Vote no on measure 34-327.

Here are some recipes to enjoy!

Dilled New Potatoes ·

1 lb new potato, washed and unpeeled · 2 tablespoons butter · 1 teaspoon fresh dill or 1/2 teaspoon dried dill · 1⁄2 teaspoon seasoning salt

· Slice potatoes thin (about 3/8 inch thick) I use my food processor for this.

1. Place a thin layer of sliced potatoes in a 12 x 7 1/2 x 2 inch baking dish.

2. Put small dots of butter on top of potatoes followed by the dill and salt.

3. Cover with aluminum foil and bake at 425 degrees for 25 minutes or until potatoes are tender..After 15 minutes, stir potatoes to enhance flavor.

Provencal New Potatoes 1. 1 1⁄2lbs tiny new potatoes, scrubbed and left whole 2. 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

3. 1⁄ 2 teaspoon herbes de provence 4. 1⁄2 teaspoon coarse salt

5. 1⁄2 medium lemon, juice of 6. fresh ground black pepper, to taste

7. Place the potatoes in a large saucepan or medium stockpot with salted water to cover; bring to a boil over high heat.

8. Reduce the heat to a gentle boil and cook until potatoes are just tender, about 10 minutes, depending on size.

9. Drain and set aside to cool slightly.

10. In a large nonstick skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat.

11. Add the herbs de Provence, and cook, stirring constantly, for about 10 seconds.

12. Add drained potatoes, coarse salt, and lemon juice; stir well to coat.

13. Cook tossing and stirring constantly, until the potatoes are heated through, 1- 2 minutes.

14. Season with pepper to taste.

15. Serve immediately.

Swiss Chard with Fresh Onions

1 1-pound bunch Swiss chard, thick stems removed and leaves sliced into ribbons 3 spring onions, ends trimmed, white and some green parts sliced into thin coins 3 tablespoons butter 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour 1 1/4 cups milk Salt and pepper

Wash your chard, but no need to dry it, just place it in a large pot over high heat. Cook, covered, with just the water clinging to leaves, stirring occasionally, until wilted, about 6 minutes.

Press or squeeze out the excess liquid any number of ways, either by wringing it out in cheesecloth (my favorite method), putting it in a mesh strainer and pressing the moisture out with a spatula or large spoon or letting it cool long enough to grab small handfuls and squeezing them to remove as much water as possible.

Wipe out the large pot so you can use it again. Heat milk or cream in a small saucepan over moderate heat, stirring, until warm. Keep warm. Meanwhile, cook onion and garlic, if using, in butter in your wiped-out large pot over moderately low heat, stirring occasionally, until softened, about six minutes. Whisk in flour and cook roux, whisking, about three minutes. Add warm milk or cream in a slow stream, whisking constantly to prevent lumps, and simmer, whisking, until thickened, three to four minutes. Stir in chard, then salt and pepper to taste and cook, stirring, until heated through.

To make Creamed Chard and Spring Onion Pasta: Use 1 3/4 cups of milk instead of 1 1/4 cups. Stir 1/4 cup finely grated parmesan into the sauce while cooking, and keep extra on hand for serving. This should be enough

to toss with about half a pound of pasta (more or less depending on how saucy you like yours).

Beet Green Soup (just in case we get beautiful beets again)

2-3 Tbsp butter or EVOO

1 c. diced onion

3 large beets, peeled and cut into 1-2” dice (about 4 cups)

1 quart water or stock

3 c. coarsely chopped beet greens

Sweat the onions in the oil until soft but not brown. Add beets and stock, bring to a boil and then simmer, covered, until beets are soft.

Add greens and cook until tender. Puree with an immersion blender or in a blender until smooth. Add salt and freshly ground pepper to taste—I like to add a squeeze of lemon juice when serving. This is quite delicious hot or cold.

Recommended recipe from Beth if you still have the Fenugreek from last week:

https://www.cookwithmanali.com/aloo-methi/#wprm-recipe-container-42005

New Potatoes with cilantro!

https://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/crispy-smashed-new-potatoes-with-cilantro-and-spices?utm_source=onsite-share&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=onsite-share&utm_brand=epicurious

• Carrots or beets
• Fenugreek !! (see recipe below)
• Spinach
• Swiss chard
• Kale
• Dill or cilantro or other herb
• Lettuce
• Green garlic
• Chinese broccoli or arugula

Happy Mother’s Day! We had an amazing day at the Beaverton Farmers Market with record heat and near record sales. We sold out of cut flowers by 9:30 in the morning and spent most of the day trying to  restock and ring up customers. I came home to work in the greenhouse and was dripping in sweat in 95+ degrees. Watering seems like a full time job. Juvencio spent the day on mulching and water systems as the work never ends. Once it cooled off to 80 I was out transplanting the pole beans. I can’t wait for fresh beans. It seems hard to believe I have to seed and then transplant beans before we taste the first snap peas. 

We continue to make progress getting the field entirely planted. We managed to find space in what used to be a flower garden for extra alliums. We figure there can never be enough onions and shallots. Never mind the fact that they are the hardest things to weed. All of the flowerbeds in the main garden are planted now any additional flowers have to be tucked in among the vegetables. Greenhouses continue to be turned over with cucumbers, going in where radishes and turnips once were. 

The sugar snap peas are at least 5 feet tall and in full bloom. We can’t wait to share them with you. The overwintering onions are bulbing up with hopes that those may be on the menu for next week. This week is heavy on greens with spinach, chard, and kale being abundant. We are hopeful the Chinese broccoli will rally again this week and provide us with that delicious Flavor for the weeks to come.

My Mother’s day gift will be getting a whole bunch of plants in the ground. I am hopeful that main season heirloom tomatoes, cherry and paste will all get planted. The leeks also need to get in as well as the last bed of the celeriac. We are constantly juggling summer, fall and winter. The winter squash seeded two weeks ago shot out of the pots yesterday with the heat. They may be ready to go in the ground before the ground is ready to accept them. Every week I seed and then transplant lettuce, sunflowers, green onions and more. At times it is dizzying but always hopeful. I can’t wait for abundant flowers – such a funny spring with all flowers about 3 weeks early and then this lull as the perennials like foxglove, columbine and delphinium take the stage.

Don’t forget your home garden – we have so many varieties of tomatoes, peppers, beans , eggplant and the like. It is always best to order here: https://pumpkinridgegardens.square.site/

Restocked weekly so keep checking back. You can always text me too, but you’ll have to catch me.

Carrot Greens Chimichurri

Prep Time: 10 minutes mins

Chimichurri is a smoky Argentinian sauce made with parsley, vinegar, and olive oil. In this recipe, I swap carrot greens for the parsley. The tangy sauce is fantastic on salads, roasted veggies, toasted bread, or any cooked protein!

Ingredients

· 1 cup finely chopped carrot greens

· 2 teaspoons dried oregano

· 1/4 teaspoon cumin

· 1 teaspoon sweet paprika

· 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes

· 1 garlic clove, minced

· 1/2 teaspoon sea salt

· Freshly ground black pepper

· 1/4 cup white wine vinegar

· 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Instructions

1. In a small bowl, combine the carrot greens, oregano, cumin, paprika, red pepper flakes, garlic, salt, and pepper. Stir in the vinegar and olive oil. Taste and adjust seasonings.

Roasted Carrots w/Carrot Top Pesto

Ingredients

· 1 bunch baby carrots tops still attached

· 2 tsp olive oil

· salt and pepper to taste

· 2 cups arugula aka rocket leaves

For the Carrot Top Pesto:

· ¼ cup sunflower seeds

· 1 ½ cups carrot tops

· ¾ cup flat leaf parsley

· ½ cup nutritional yeast

· 1 tsp dijon mustard heaped

· 2 cloves garlic

· zest and juice of 1 lemon

· 1 cup olive oil

· salt and pepper

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 Fahrenheit (180 celsius). Wash the carrots well and leave the skins on, unless they are particularly gritty. Trim the tops and set aside. Add the carrots to a roasting dish and toss with the oil and salt and pepper. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes, or until the carrots are tender. The exact timing will depend on the size of your carrots, so check after 25 minutes to gauge how they are doing.

2. While the carrots are roasting, place a frying pan over a low heat and add the sunflower seeds. Toss or stir every couple of minutes until they are lightly golden and smell nutty. Place ¼ cup of the seeds aside to sprinkle over before serving.

3. To make the pesto, place all of the pesto ingredients in a food processor and process until smooth. Taste and adjust the seasonings as necessary. Note: If this is your first time making a parmesan free pesto you will need to add a lot more salt than you would normally to counteract the fact the naturally salty parmesan is replaced by the nutritional yeast.

4. When the carrots are ready you have a choice. You can serve them hot or leave them to cool. I personally prefer to let the carrots cool to room temperature and eat this as more of a salad, but the choice is yours. When you are ready to serve place the rocket (arugula) on a large serving dish and top with the roasted carrots and dollops of the pesto before adding a final sprinkling of the reserved sunflower seeds.

Notes

This will make more pesto than you need. Enjoy the leftover pesto with crudites, crackers, spread on sandwiches, on pasta, or as a dressing on salads. I’m sure you will have trouble finding ways to use it.

NEW POTATOES WITH BRAISED GREENS

Yield:4 servings

· 6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

· 5 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

· 1 large oregano sprig

· 1½pounds collards, kale, Swiss chard or escarole (or any combination), leaves coarsely torn and hearty stems thinly sliced (16 packed cups)

· Kosher salt and black pepper

· 1 pound baby new potatoes, halved

· 2 tablespoons minced shallot

· 1 tablespoon lemon juice

· ¼cup chopped parsley

· Pinch of red-pepper flakes (optional)

· Crusty bread, for serving

1. Step 1

Heat oven to 350 degrees. In a large Dutch oven, combine ¼ cup of the oil with the garlic and oregano; heat over medium until the garlic is fragrant but not browned, about 1 minute. Add a batch of the greens and stems and ½ cup water; season with salt and pepper, and stir until wilted. Add the remaining greens and stems in batches, seasoning with salt and pepper and stirring until wilted before adding the next batch.

2. Step 2

Once all the greens have been added, stir in the potatoes. Add ½ cup of water and the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil, and bring to a boil. Cover with the lid and bake until greens and potatoes are tender, about 30 minutes. Discard oregano sprig.

3. Step 3

Add shallot, lemon juice and half of the parsley to the pot, and mix well. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Transfer greens and potatoes to a serving platter and spoon over any sauce remaining in the pot. Garnish with red-pepper flakes (if using) and the remaining parsley. Serve warm or at room temperature, with crusty bread.

Spinach GoMAAE (Japanese spinach w/sesame) (you can use chard in place of spinach)

 Yield:4 servings

• 3 tablespoons toasted white sesame seeds (see Tip)
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• 1 bunch mature spinach (8 to 10 ounces), ends trimmed

1. Step 1

In a spice grinder or mortar, grind the toasted sesame seeds into a coarse powder. Or, crush the seeds with a heavy pot or skillet on a cutting board. Add to a medium bowl along with the soy sauce and sugar. Stir to combine.

2. Step 2

Bring 4 cups of water to a boil in a kettle or saucepan. Wash and drain the spinach in a colander. With the colander in the sink, carefully pour the boiled water over the spinach to wilt it. Drain, then transfer the spinach to a clean kitchen towel and wring out any excess water or simply press with a spoon to expel water.

3. Step 3

Add the spinach to the bowl with the sauce and toss to combine. Serve at room temperature or chilled.

TIP

• If you have untoasted sesame seeds, simply heat them in a small skillet over medium-low, shaking the pan occasionally, until the seeds are light brown and fragrant with nuttiness, about 5 minutes.

Skillet Spinach With Orzo

INGREDIENTS

Yield:4 servings

• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 4 large scallions, trimmed and thinly sliced
• 2 large garlic cloves, minced
• 8 ounces baby spinach leaves (8 cups), coarsely chopped
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1¾ cups low-sodium chicken or vegetable stock
• 1 cup orzo
• 1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest (from 1 lemon)
• ¾ cup crumbled feta (3 ounces), plus more for garnish
• ½cup frozen peas, thawed (optional)
• 1 cup chopped fresh dill, or use parsley or cilantro

1.     Step 1

Heat a 10-inch skillet over medium, then melt butter, 30 seconds to 1 minute. Stir in about three-quarters of the scallions (saving some of the green parts for garnish) and garlic, and cook until softened, stirring frequently, about 3 minutes.

2.     Step 2

Stir in spinach, adding in batches if it doesn’t all fit in the pan at once, and ½ teaspoon salt. Continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until spinach is wilted, about 5 minutes.

3.     Stir in stock and bring to a simmer. Stir in orzo, lemon zest and remaining ½ teaspoon salt. Cover and simmer over medium-low heat until orzo is nearly cooked through and most of the liquid is absorbed, 10 to 14 minutes, stirring once or twice.

4.     Step 4

Stir in cheese, peas (if you like) and dill, cover the pan, and cook for another 1 minute, to finish cooking and warm the peas. To serve, sprinkle with more cheese and the reserved scallions.

Roasted Baby Carrots with Carrot Top Pesto!!

Roasted Baby Carrots with Carrot Top Pesto {vegan & dairy-free}

Fenugreek recipes:

https://healthy-indian.com/recipes/methi-fenugreek-leaves-dal

https://www.archanaskitchen.com/9-methi-fenugreek-leaves-recipes-you-should-try-for-your-everyday-meals

More New Potato recipes:

Baby Potatoes with Butter & Herbs

• Lettuce
• Spinach or chard
• Kale
• Chinese broccoli or mustard greens
• Herb (cilantro or thyme or sage)
• Green garlic
• Shallots or onions
• Radish or turnips

We did it! We managed to pull off a weekend full of celebration for my mom’s 90th birthday. We may not have had 80 people here at the farm but we made enough food for 100. Everyone pitched in to create a meal and environment, even with Oregon spring rain that was warm and honored the 9 decades my mom has graced this earth. Family came from Los Angeles and all over Canada and many local friends joined us as well. It feels like we cooked for weeks. 

We cooked from an amazing cookbook written by the acclaimed chefs behind the award winning Los Angeles restaurant Bavel, Ori Menashe and pastry chef Genevieve Gergis. Middle Eastern cooking at its best. We made lamb shawarma, turmeric chicken with Toum, turmeric pickled cauliflower, falafel, pita, salad, tzatziki and a huge charcuterie board of spring veg.  There was flourless chocolate cake and special lemon and chocolate cakes brought from Victoria, Canada.

Now back to farming! The ground is once again saturated and too wet to work. We will get some warm days at the end of the week and sprint towards the finish line on onions and leeks. We hope to get many of the warm weather crops in the ground as well. Mother’s day is always a great day to plant – my favorite activity.

We have tons of veggie starts ready to go in the ground for home gardeners as well. This weekend will be packed at the farmers market so if you want to get your order in you will get the first pick of what we have to offer. Visit our website and order here: 

https://pumpkinridgegardens.square.site

Some recipes to enjoy this week!

Green garlic pasta:

https://www.seriouseats.com/alice-waters-spaghetti-with-green-garlic

Chinese broccoli:

CHINESE BROCCOLI WITH GARLICKY GINGER MISO

Swiss Chard:

https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1018435-grilled-swiss-chard-stems-with-roasted-garlic-oil?unlocked_article_code=1.pk0.n39b.zVyQkby5SpBW&smid=share-url

• Chinese Broccoli (delicious broccoli eat the whole stem, leaves and tuft of broccoli)
• Kale (make crispy kale if you have not already)
• Spinach or chard (eat your greens! They cook down to almost nothing and are so good for you)
• Lettuce (Little Gem, Flashy Troutback, Rutile and Kirabati)
• Cilantro or arugula
• Radishes
• Turnips or Bok Choy
• Shallots

The spring is green and so is your share this week. Lots of lush leaves to enjoy with your family. Salad greens, stir fry greens, sauteed greens. Sugar snap peas are surging up the trellises and they are starting to bloom. This means that we will have peas in 3 weeks! The transformation on the farm is in full swing. Greenhouse #1 has gone from winter greens to tomatoes, peppers and basil. Greenhouse #2 featured in the photo is so packed you can hardly walk through it. The zucchini is close to flowering. The potatoes will be in bloom soon and ready to harvest those first new potatoes. The Chinese broccoli is debuting today as one of our signature vegetables for early spring. This unique broccoli is so tender you eat it all! See multiple recipes below.

Greenhouse #3 is actually just hoops and is full of flowers. Greenhouse #4 is next on the docket to shift from spinach, radishes, turnips to cucumbers and eggplant. Greenhouse #5 has been cleared of the Calcots and planted with tomatoes, lettuce, spinach and a row of cucumbers. Greenhouse #6 has the overwintered onions, garlic and a row of early crops like lettuce, kale, chard and bok choy. The tomatoes planted just 10 days ago have doubled in size. The high tunnel, our longest hoop house, has chinese broccoli, sugar snap peas and the lettuce you have been enjoying these first few weeks. Lettuce will come out this week and peppers will go in.

The fields are about half way planted. We have beds of broccoli, onions, and shallots. We have lettuce, spinach, fennel, kohlrabi,parsley and more. Zucchini, cabbage, potatoes and more radish are also in the ground. The warm weather crops will be planted over the next week or so as we head into Mother’s Day weekend.

Next weekend we celebrate my mom turning 90. She will welcome many of her Canadian cousins as well as family from California. We expect over 80 people to participate. We are trying to stay on top of farm maintenance along with the planting, weeding and harvesting of our vegetables.

If you are planning a home garden to supplement your Finquita CSA share look no further. We have tons of veggie and flower starts available every Saturday at the Beaverton Farmers Market from 8:30-1:30. If you want us to have your veggie starts here at the farm just order and  pick up with your share: https://pumpkinridgegardens.square.site/s/shop?page=1&limit=30&sort_by=name&sort_order=asc&item_status=in_stock. Make sure to note you want pick up at the farm.

Stir-Fried Chinese Broccoli

3 tablespoons vegetable oil
4 garlic cloves, smashed
2 lb Chinese broccoli (sometimes known as Chinese kale), ends of stems trimmed and broccoli cut into 1-inch pieces
1/2 cup Thai chicken stock or canned chicken broth
2 tablespoons Thai yellow bean sauce
2 tablespoons oyster sauce
2 teaspoons sugar

Special equipment: a large (6-qt) wok

Heat oil in wok over high heat until hot but not smoking, then stir-fry garlic until pale golden, 10 to 15 seconds. Add broccoli and stock and stir-fry 2 minutes. Add bean sauce, oyster sauce, and sugar and stir-fry until broccoli is crisp-tender, 4 to 5 minutes.

Cooks’ note:
Broccoli can be trimmed and cut 6 hours ahead and chilled in a sealed plastic bag

Gourmet
May 2004

Chinese Broccoli (Lyn’s quick stir fry)

1 bunch Chinese Broccoli (flower, stem and leaves) – remove any hard end of the stem

2-4 cloves of garlic minced

1 – 2 tablespoon soy sauce

¼ cup water

Olive oil

Heat a wok or frying pan and add 1-2 tablespoons olive oil. Add minced garlic until aromatic (about 1 minute) then add the broccoli and toss to coat with oil and garlic for about 1 minute. Add soy sauce and coat then add the water and cover for 3-5 minutes until tender and still bright green. Serve by itself or over rice. . . YUM!

Swiss Chard Stem “Baba Ganoush”

Reserve greens for another use (think anything you would do with spinach except better!) trim dry ends of the stems,  then cut into 2” pieces.  Boil in water until tender (?about 15 minutes?) then drain well.

In a food processor or blender,  puree 1-2 cloves garlic,  then add cooked chard stalks, juice of 1 lemon, and 2-3 Tbs tahini.  Buzz until smooth,  then adjust seasonings to taste 

Grilled chard stems

Reserve leaves for another use and trim ends.  Steam until tender but not mushy and pat dry.  Brusl lightly with oil and salt and pepper,  garlic if you’d like,  and grill until starting to blister.

Martha Steward’s Swiss Chard Tzatziki: https://www.marthastewart.com/1134875/swiss-chard-tzatziki

Baked Crispy Kale Recipe
Servings: 4 as snack Prep Time: 5 Cook Time: 20
The biggest secret to getting the kale super-crisp is to dry them in a salad spinner. If there is moisture on the leaves, the kale will steam, not crisp. Also, do not salt the kale until after they have come out of the oven. If you salt beforehand, the salt will just cause the kale to release moisture…thus steaming instead of crisping. I’ve also found that the convection setting on my oven works really well too – I set the convection on 325F and bake for about 10-15 minutes. Have fun with this recipe, I sometimes mix the salt with Cajun or Creole seasoning.
 
Ingredients:
4 giant handfuls of kale, torn into bite-sized pieces and tough stems removed (about 1/3 pound)
1-2 tablespoons olive oil
sea salt or kosher salt
 
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
 
2. Place the kale leaves into a salad spinner and spin all of the water out of the kale. Dump the water and repeat one or two times more just to make sure that the kale is extra dizzy and dry. Use a towel to blot any extra water on the leaves. Place the kale on the baking sheet.
 
3. Drizzle olive oil over the kale leaves and use your hands to toss and coat the leaves. Bake in the oven for 12-20 minutes until leaves are crisp. Take a peek at the 12 minute mark – the timing all depends on how much olive oil you use. Just use a spatula or tongs to touch the leaves, if they are paper-thin crackly, the kale is done. If the leaves are still a bit soft, leave them in for another 2 minutes. Do not let the leaves turn brown (they’ll be burnt and bitter) Remove from oven, sprinkle with salt and serve.

• Lettuce (this is so tender and delicious see dressing recipe below)
• Radishes (you can always pickle radishes and turnips extending them for weeks in your fridge.)
• Turnips
• Mustard greens or Swiss chard
• Spinach or sprouting broccoli
• Kale
• Bok choy “Asian Delight”
• Leeks
• Shallots

Thank you to all who joined us for the opening potluck. We had so much fun making pizza, sharing food and drink and enjoying music. We heard from the duet Laura and Ken, the PSU Mariachi band “Rosas del Sol” and the bluegrass ensemble members Jed, Christina and Mark.It was a grand day with sunny weather and good spirits.

Juvencio and I have been working hard to get crops in the ground. We can’t remember such a dry April. We are usually not planting much in the field before May. We managed to get the broccoli in the ground and three of the 9 beds of onions last week. Our niece Fer is here from Honduras for a month and has been a huge help. She has learned to lay  drip irrigation and most of the field is already getting watered.

Our first greenhouse is ready to get turned over from winter/spring to summer crops. Tomatoes are planted in several greenhouses and even the first experimental cucumbers are undercover in greenhouse #5. We did have a frost last week and most crops did just fine. My flowers took the hardest hit but I hope to replace what was lost.

We have a busy next couple of weeks. We have to get the remainder of the alliums (onion family)in the ground, get our zucchini planted in the field and get our maincrop heirloom tomatoes plus the cherry tomatoes in the hoop house. On top of the planting there is weeding and seeding. I will seed the winter squash this week along with pumpkins and more beans.

If you are planning a home garden please do look at our joint website with Pumpkin Ridge Gardens for veggie starts. We have tons of varieties all grow with organic practices and hand curated by Polly and I. Order on the website and ask for pick up at the farm and I will have it for you on your pick up day. https://pumpkinridgegardens.square.site/s/shop?page=1&limit=30&sort_by=name&sort_order=asc&item_status=in_stock

We are also at the Beaverton Farmers Market on Saturdays selling under their farm name. We had our best day of the season so far yesterday. We have a wide variety every week.

Members can add on Mushrooms with our partner CloudCap Mushrooms. You order through their website and mushrooms get delivered to our farm in time for your share pick up. Order here: https://cloudcapmushrooms.com/la-finquita-del-buho/mushroom-add-on

Here are some recipes to enjoy this week. 

Lyn’s Salad Dressing

1 cup olive oil

1/3 cup white balsamic vinegar

salt and pepper

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1 clove garlic pressed

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

well blended.

• Sue’s Greens Primer 2.0

If this is your first year of a CSA,  the volume of greens can be a bit daunting.  Not only are there all those glorious salad greens,  but sometimes you get “braising greens mix,”  and then you get things like chard,  kale, collard greens and mustard..and then there are all those vegetables that come with their own greens—beets greens,  broccoli and cauliflower leaves,  radish greens, turnip greens—all of which are delicious and nutritious.  The 

Sue’s Greens Primer has some basic tips on how to prepare/store/save those yummy greens.  I have to tell you that my 20 year old daughter who hates vegetables,  hates to cook,  and lives in an “efficiency” apartment with 2 burners cooks herself “Beans and Greens” on a regular basis!!

So—read the Greens Primer first,  and then here are some additional tips and recipes:

Tip:  Swiss Chard stems.  Swiss chard comes with beautiful stems,  either creamy white or glorious rainbow colored.  Separate the stems from the leaves.  You can either slice the stems very finely and saute until tender and THEN add the greens and saute,  or you can cut the stems into 1-2” chunks,  boil in water until tender,  drain and then puree with a bit of garlic,  lemon and some tahini as sort of a humus/baba ghanouj dip.

Kale and collard stems:  particularly in the early part of the season,  when things are cooler,  these stems are quite succulent and sweet,  so you do not need to discard—just chop very finely and saute for a few minutes before you add the more tender leaves.

My 2 favorite recipes for any greens 2021:

Provencal Greens Soup

This is so wonderful and delicious,  especially if you purchased farm fresh eggs!

Serves 4

6 cups (or so) coarsely chopped greens

2 leeks,  washed and thinly sliced

2-4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced

Salt,  pepper

2 Tbs olive oil

6 c. water or broth

2 eggs.

4 thick slices of good bread,  toasted

1/2 c. freshly grated parmesan

Heat the oil in a soup pot over medim heat, then saute the leeks until tender.  Add the garlic and cook a minute or two more.  Stir in the chopped greens until wilted.  Add the water or broth and simmer about 20 minutes.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Beat the eggs well in a small bowl.  Gradually beat in about 1/2 c of the hot soup broth,  a tablespoon at a time,  so that the eggs heat through but don’t curdle.  Turn the soup down to low heat and stir in the egg mixture and heat through.

In eat bowl place a chunk of toasted bread,  cover with grated cheese,  and then slowly pour the soup over.  

Greens with Farro,  Pine Nuts and Tahini Sauce

3 c. cooked farro (Trader Jopped coe’s has a par-cooked that cooks up faster;  you can also get it bulk at Winco;  or use brown rice)

8 oz finely chopped greens—kale,  chard,  arugula or mustard

1/2 c EVOO

freshly ground pepper

juice of one lemon (more to taste)

1/4 c tahini

1 tsp maple syrup in  individual bowls, 

1 clove minced or pressed garlic

1/2 c pine nuts, toasted

Mix the greens, 1/2 of the lemon juice, farro and 1/4 c EVOO together in a bowl.   In a separate small bowl make the tahini sauce: stir together the tahini,  remaining 1/4 c EVOO, remaining 1/2 lemon juice, maple syrup and garlic.  Add 2 Tbs warm water,  stir well and then add more warm water by the tablespoonful until sauce is thick but pourable.  

When ready to serve,  spoon the greens and grains into individual bowls, drizzle the tahini sauce over and sprinkle with pine nuts.

How to use your mustard greens (could use for turnip tops and radish tops too! Eat those greens)

https://www.foodandwine.com/vegetables/greens/10-ways-use-mustard-greens

MOROCCAN TURNIP AND CHICKEN STEW

2 cups cooked chickpeas

2 small (2 1/2 lb) chickens

3 Tb butter

1 Tb oil

2 onions

5 cups chicken stock

1/2 tsp white pepper

1/4 tsp ground ginger

1/8 tsp powdered saffron

1/2 tsp turmeric

1 lb small turnips

2 cups chopped turnip leaves and stems

1/4 cup lemon juice

salt and freshly ground pepper

Rinse chickpeas in water and rub lightly to remove skins; drain and set aside. Cut chickens into quarters, removing wing tips and backbones; put them aside for stock. Melt butter and oil in a casserole and lightly brown chicken on all sides, cooking in two batches if necessary. Slice onions and stir into butter and oil to color. Then add the chickpeas, stock, pepper, ginger, saffron, and turmeric. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 10 minutes. Add turnips and greens and simmer for 20 minutes more. Remove chicken and turnips to a covered warm dish. Boil sauce to reduce, mashing some of the chickpeas against the side of the pan to thicken the sauce; it may take 10-15 minutes to produce a nice thick sauce. Add lemon juice and salt and pepper to taste. Reheat the chicken and turnips in the sauce and serve.   Serves 6 to 8. From The Victory Garden Cookbook.

WHITE CHEDDAR POLENTA WITH SAUTEED GREENS AND GARLIC-ROASTED PORTOBELLOS

3 medium Portobello mushrooms
3 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley

4 cups water
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 cup polenta (coarse cornmeal) or yellow cornmeal
2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) butter
1 cup (packed) grated sharp white cheddar cheese (about 4 ounces)

1 large bunch Swiss chard, ribs cut away, leaves cut in 3×1-inch strips
1 10-ounce bag fresh spinach leaves
Preheat the oven to 400°F. Oil an 11x7x2-inch glass baking dish. Remove stems from mushrooms and chop finely; place in prepared baking dish. Using a small spoon, scrape away dark gills from the underside of mushrooms and discard. Cut each mushroom cap into 8 wedges; add to a baking dish with chopped mushroom stems. Drizzle with 1 1/2 tablespoons oil. Sprinkle with 1 minced garlic clove, parsley, salt and pepper and toss to coat. Bake until tender, 25 minutes.

Meanwhile, combine 4 cups of water and 1 1/2 teaspoons of salt in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil. Gradually whisk in polenta. Reduce heat to low. Cook until polenta thickens and begins to pull away from the sides of the pan, whisking often, about 25 minutes for polenta or 15 minutes for yellow cornmeal. Whisk in butter, then cheese. Season with salt and pepper. Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add 2 minced garlic cloves and sauté 30 seconds. Add Swiss chard and spinach and sauté until tender but still bright green, about 4 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

Spoon polenta onto plates. Top with greens and Portobello mushrooms

Bok Choy recipes:

Bok Choy:

1 T oil
1.5 lbs bok choy
1 T light soy sauce
2 T chicken stock or water
Heat wok over moderate heat. Add oil and then bok choy. Stir fry 3-4
minutes, until leaves have wilted a little. Add soy sauce and chicken stock/water.
Continue to stir fry for a few more minutes, until the bok choy is done until still slightly
crisp.
Very easy, very good.
Source: Ken Hom’s Chinese Cookery
(very good recipes, clear instructions, and excellent taste)

SAUTEED BOK CHOY W/ CASHEW SAUCE
Serving Size : 4
1/2 c Cashews — roasted
1/4 c White vinegar
1/4 c Water
1/4 c Sugar
1/4 c Soy sauce
1 tb Ginger — minced
7 dashes Tabasco sauce
2 tb Basil — finely chopped
2 tb Mint — finely chopped
1 1/2 lb Bok choy — washed & dried 1/3 c Peanut oil 1. In a food processor or blender, combine the cashews, vinegar, water, sugar, soy sauce, ginger, Tabasco, basil and mint, and puree. 2. Separate bok choy leaves from stalks, and cut stalks into 1-inch-long- pieces. In a large sauté pan, heat oil over high heat until hot but not smoking. Add bok choy and cook, stirring briskly, for 1 1/2 to 2 minutes, until it is bright green and well seared. Remove from heat, drape with cashew sauce and serve at once. Yield: 4 servings. Approximate nutritional analysis per serving: 340 calories, 25 grams fat, 0 milligrams cholesterol, 1,065: milligrams sodium, 7 grams protein, 25 grams carbohydrate. ** New York Times — Living Arts section — 29 November 1995 **

Bok Choy Stir Fry
This is an easy recipe.
1 1/2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
1 tablespoon dry Sherry
1 teaspoon oriental sesame oil
1 teaspoon cornstarch
2 teaspoons vegetable oil
3 large garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon minced peeled fresh ginger
1/8 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper
3 1/2 cups thinly sliced trimmed bok choy
1 5-ounce can sliced water chestnuts, drained
3 green onions, cut into 1-inch pieces
10 1/2 ounces extra-firm tofu, drained, cut into 3/4-inch pieces
Combine the first 4 ingredients in a small bowl; mix well. Heat vegetable oil until very hot in a heavy large wok or skillet over high heat. Add garlic, ginger and crushed red pepper. Stir-fry until aromatic, about 30 seconds. Add bok choy and stir-fry until just wilted, about 2 minutes. Mix in water chestnuts and green onions and stir-fry until onions are tender, about 1 minute. Add tofu and lightly stir-fry until tofu is just heated through, about 2 minutes. Pour over the soy mixture. Stir-fry until liquid boils and thickens, about 1 minute.

• Chard
• Kale
• Radishes
• Leeks
• Parsley or Thyme
• Purple sprouting broccoli 
• Cauliflower while it lasts
• Bok Choy
• Lettuce

Spring is here and we are enjoying the cool mornings and warm afternoons. The greenhouses are mostly planted. We have sugar snap peas, lettuce, spinach, carrots and more on the way. The first two beds of tomatoes are planted as well as the first zucchini and basil. Outside we have cabbage, fennel, spinach and more sugar snap peas. We are far ahead of last year and we have to put the breaks on before we run out of space. I keep filling every space with flowers.

We are looking forward to a fun potluck on Sunday afternoon from 2-6 p.m.. I have made 15 recipes of dough with my new( to me)sourdough starter. We will have sauce, cheese, pepperoni and sausage plus red onions and red peppers. Bring a dish to pass, a favorite pizza topping if we have not listed one you enjoy. Please bring dishes and forks for your family as well as cups. This is our effort to keep the trash and waste to a minimum. We have some subscribers who will play music and sing Jed, Mark, Christina and maybe more. We have the PSU Mariachis – “Mariachi Rosas del Sol” playing around 3:30 and if we are lucky a husband and wife duo will sing and play guitar.

Come and tour the farm, feed the baby goats and see where your vegetables are grown. We will have t-shirts and totes for sale. A fresh kiln load of ceramics, eggs, flowers and more to add on to your share this week.

We need Egg cartons (only dozen and no plastic or styrofoam please)

We need brown paper bags with handles.

Flower subscriptions special for this week only: Sign up now! 28 weeks $$260, 14 week subscription $120. Flowers can be purchased weekly for $12/ bouquet. I am also happy to make bouquets for special occasions, just text or reach out by email.

It is time to plant your home garden. I work with my friend Polly from Pumpkin Ridge Gardens to grow over 55 varieties of vegetables and flowers for your home garden. Please consider ordering from us. Our veggie starts are grown in organic potting soil, with organic practices and never have pesticides or herbicides. We grow only GMO free seeds and plant varieties that have the best flavor. Curated by farmers who know!

Here is the link to our website to order plant seedlings: https://pumpkinridgegardens.square.site/s/shop?page=1&limit=30&sort_by=name&sort_order=asc&item_status=in_stock

You can pick them up from the farm the following week.

Here are a ton of great recipes to try this week. Sue Kass has been at it again!

ROASTED RADISHES & GREENS

1bunch large radishes (about ¾ pound), tails removed, greens trimmed and reserved (if available), and bulbs halved stem to tail

• 1 to 1½tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• Salt and pepper
• Honey (optional)
• Heat the oven to 400 degrees. If your radishes have fresh-looking greens, wash and dry them well. On a sheet pan, toss the radishes and greens with the oil (1 ½ tablespoons if using greens; 1 tablespoon if not). Season with salt and pepper. Arrange the radishes cut side down. (It’s OK if the greens are crowded. Roast until the radishes are crisp-tender and translucent, the cut sides are golden in spots and the greens are crisp, 15 to 20 minutes. Drizzle with honey, if desired.

Greens and ChickPeas with Tahini Dressing

For the tahini soy dressing
80z tahini
3 tbsp water
4 tsp soy sauce
1 tsp maple syrup
2 tsp lemon juice

For the greens and chickpeas
200g spring greens, stems removed
3½ tbsp olive oil
1 tin (400g) chickpeas, drained (240g drained weight)
1 red chili, thinly sliced at an angle, deseeded if you prefer less heat
1½ tbsp soy sauce
9 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed (40g)
3 baby pak choi, halved lengthways (120g)
5 spring onions, trimmed (70g)
125g fine asparagus, trimmed
1½ tbsp lemon juice
2 tsp black and white (or just white) sesame seeds, toasted
Salt

First make the tahini soy dressing. Add all the ingredients to a small bowl and whisk to combine. Cover and set aside to thicken slightly.

Fill a large, high-sided saute pan with 1½ litres of water and bring to the boil on high heat. Once boiling, add a tablespoon of salt and reduce the heat to medium-high. Have a large bowl of iced water at hand. Blanch all the spring greens for 30 seconds, making sure that they are fully submerged. Using tongs, remove the greens from the pan and plunge into the iced water for five to 10 minutes, until completely cold. Drain in a colander and pat dry. Discard the blanching water, rinse and wipe the pan dry.

Return to a medium-high heat, and add a tablespoon of oil, the chickpeas, chilli and a quarter-teaspoon of salt to the pan. Cook for three to five minutes, stirring frequently, until the chickpeas start to pop and split. Stir in one and a half teaspoons of the soy sauce, remove from the heat and transfer to a bowl.

To make the garlic oil, wipe the same pan clean and reduce the heat to medium-low. Add two tablespoons of oil and the garlic, and cook for two-three minutes, until fragrant and softened. Transfer the garlic oil to a small bowl and put the pan back on a high heat.

Once hot, put the pak choi cut side down and cook for two to three minutes, until nicely charred and slightly softened. Set aside on a tray.

Add the remaining one and a half teaspoons of oil to the pan and, once smoking hot, add the spring onions and asparagus. Cook for one to two minutes, until lightly charred and softened, then transfer to the pak choi tray.

Turn down the heat to medium-high and add the reserved garlic oil to the pan, together with the spring greens and a quarter-teaspoon of salt, and cook for a minute, until glossy. Stir in the asparagus, spring onions, pak choi, the remaining tablespoon of soy sauce, mix well and cook for another minute to warm through, then remove from the heat.

To serve, spoon half the chickpeas on to a large serving platter. Arrange the greens on top and spoon over the lemon juice. Spoon over the remaining chickpeas, followed by the sesame seeds, then drizzle with half the tahini dressing. Serve warm with the remaining dressing in a bowl alongside.

I often do this but don’t cook the greens—I just chop them finely and “massage” until soft.  This is delicious and filling  with farro or brown rice

Kale and Purple Sprouting Broccoli Gratin

• 400g kale

• 15g butter
• 1 small garlic clove, finely chopped
• really generous grating of fresh nutmeg
• 300g purple sprouting broccoli
• 500ml double cream
• 100g fontina, very thinly sliced
• 50g parmesan, grated
• STEP 1

Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/ gas 6. Remove the tough stems from the kale, then boil it in lightly salted water for 3-5 mins. Drain and press out the excess water.

• STEP 2

Heat the butter in a frying pan and add the kale and garlic. Cook over a low-to-medium heat for a few mins. Season well and add some nutmeg.

• STEP 3

Trim the broccoli and halve any thick stalks lengthways. Steam for 3-4 mins or until only just tender. Blot with a tea towel to get rid of the moisture on the surface.

• STEP 4

Tip the kale into the base of a gratin or casserole dish and place
the broccoli on top. Season well and grate over some nutmeg. Pour the
cream over, then add both cheeses. Bake in the oven for 30-35 mins or until golden and bubbling.

Purple Sprouting Broccoli & Leek Tart

• 1 tbsp extra virgin rapeseed oil or olive oil

• 2 leeks, finely sliced
• flour, for dusting
• 500g pack puff pastry
• 1 tbsp polenta or semolina
• 6 spears purple sprouting broccoli, trimmed
• 150ml crème fraîche (you can use half-fat)
• 50g parmesan (or vegetarian alternative), finely grated 
• 2 egg yolks
• 25g flaked almonds

·        STEP 1

Heat oven to 220C/200C fan/gas 7. Heat a frying pan with a lid over a medium heat and add the oil. Cook the leeks, with the lid on, stirring occasionally until just tender – about 5 mins. Set aside.

·        STEP 2

On a lightly floured surface, roll out the pastry and cut out a rough 26cm circle – use a big dinner plate as a template. Cover a baking tray with baking parchment, sprinkle the polenta or semolina over it, and place the pastry circle on top. Score a circle about 2cm from the edge. Spread the leeks out evenly inside the scored circle, then bake for 10 mins until the edges have puffed up. Remove from the oven and turn heat down to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Bring a medium pan of water to the boil.

·        STEP 3

Blanch the broccoli in the boiling water for 1 min, then drain and cool under running water. Drain again and arrange on top of the leeks. Mix together the crème fraîche, Parmesan, egg yolks and some seasoning, then pour evenly over the veg. Sprinkle with the flaked almonds. Bake the tart for 15-20 mins until golden. Serve warm or cold.

Tofu with Purple Sprouting Broccoli and chili sauce (Ottolenghi)

Doubanjiang is a fermented chili bean sauce from Sichuan. It’s super-salty, savory and spicy, as well as brilliant at dialing the flavor all the way up to 10. Make more chili peanut oil than you need for this: it’s great to have around to spoon over all sorts of roast veg, meat and fish, or even just on a couple of fried eggs. This works well on its own or with rice on the side.

Serving size

2 PEOPLE

3 garlic cloves, peeled, 1 finely crushed, and the other 2 bashed with the flat of a large knife
½ tsp cumin seeds
2 tsp doubanjiang
25g skin-on raw peanuts, lightly crushed in a mortar
90ml olive oil
250g purple sprouting broccoli, or Tenderstem, cut into 5cm-long pieces and thick stalks cut in half lengthways
Fine sea salt and black pepper
60g kale, tough stems removed and discarded, the rest roughly chopped
½ onion, peeled and finely chopped (140g)
¼ tsp ground turmeric
280g extra-firm tofu, broken into roughly 3-4 cm pieces
2 tsp soy sauce
½ tsp toasted sesame oil

METHOD

1. Put the crushed garlic, cumin and doubanjiang in a small heatproof bowl. Put the peanuts and 60ml of the oil in a small pan on a medium heat for five minutes, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned and fragrant. Pour the oil and nuts into the doubanjiang mixture, stir to combine, then set aside.

2. Put the remaining two tablespoons of oil in a large frying pan on a high heat and, once it’s hot, add the broccoli and an eighth of a teaspoon of salt, and stir-fry for four minutes, until the broccoli is nicely charred and almost tender. Add the two lightly bashed garlic cloves, stir-fry for 30 seconds, just until lightly charred, then add the kale and three tablespoons of water, and cook, stirring constantly, over a high heat until the kale wilts and softens. Tip into a bowl, return the pan to the stove and turn down the heat to medium-high.

3. Put two tablespoons of the oil from the peanut chilli oil bowl into the pan, add the chopped onion, turmeric and a quarter-teaspoon of salt, and cook, stirring often, for five minutes, until the onion starts to soften. Turn the heat back up to high, add the tofu, soy sauce and sesame oil, and cook, stirring constantly, for three minutes more, until the tofu has heated through and absorbed the seasoning.

4. Return the kale and broccoli mixture to the pan and fry, stirring, for another minute, just to heat through. Transfer to a large platter, spoon the peanut chilli oil over the top and serve at once.

Spinach and chermoula pie

Servies: 4 to 6. Total time: 2 hrs, plus cooling and chilling

Ingredients

For the chermoula paste:
5 garlic cloves, finely chopped
30g roughly chopped fresh coriander
½ fresh mild red chilli (about 10g), roughly chopped, seeds and all
2 tsp cumin seeds, toasted and roughly crushed using a mortar and pestle
1 tsp sweet paprika
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 tbsp/60ml olive oil

For the pie:
4 tbsp/60ml olive oil
1 large yellow onion (about 360g, halved and thinly sliced)
350g frozen spinach, thawed, then squeezed to remove excess water
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
15g roughly chopped fresh dill
1½ tbsp fresh lemon zest, plus 1½ tbsp lemon juice
Plain flour, for dusting
1 sheet frozen all-butter puff pastry, at least 24cm wide, thawed
130g roughly crumbled Greek feta
1 baking potato (about 250g), skin-on, scrubbed clean

Method

1. Prepare the chermoula paste: Add the garlic, cilantro, chile, cumin, paprika, ½ tsp salt, a good grind of pepper and 3 tbsp oil to a food processor. Pulse into a coarse paste and set aside.

2. Prepare the pie: Add 3 tbsp oil to a large skillet and heat over medium-high. Once hot, add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and well browned, about 12 minutes. Add half the chermoula paste (reserve the rest), the spinach, 1 tsp salt and a good grind of pepper, and cook for 2 minutes more, stirring to combine. Remove from the heat, then add the dill and lemon zest. Set aside to cool, about 20 minutes.

3. Line a 24cm pie or tart tin with a removable base with a piece of parchment paper large enough to cover the base and a little bit over the sides. (The excess will help you lift the tart when it’s baked.) On a lightly floured work surface, roll out the pastry with a floured rolling pin to a 30cm square. Lay the puff pastry on the parchment, pressing in the pastry to fit the base and sides of the pan and cutting away any excess so it overhangs by about 2 cm.

4. Poke the base all over with a fork (about 10 times), then spread the cooled spinach mixture over the base evenly. Sprinkle the feta on top, then fold and scrunch the sides over the filling to create a rim. (Don’t worry if it’s not perfect.) Refrigerate the pie for at least 20 minutes, or up to overnight, covered.

5.Preheat oven to 400

6. Trim and discard the ends of the potato and use a mandolin or very sharp knife to cut the potato into paper-thin slices. Toss together in a bowl with 1 tbsp oil, plus ½ teaspoon salt and a good grind of pepper. Fan out the slices on top of the spinach and feta in a circular pattern, overlapping slightly, to cover the filling but not the pastry rim.

7. Place the chilled pie on a baking sheet and bake until cooked through and nicely coloured, about 50 minutes. Set aside to cool, about 15 minutes, before gently transferring to a wooden board or serving plate.

8. When ready to serve, stir the lemon juice and remaining 1 tbsp of oil into the reserved chermoula. Spoon half of the chermoula all over the pie and serve the remaining in a bowl alongside. Serve warm, or at room temperature.

Greens with Farro and Tahini Sauce

·        1.5 cups par-cooked farro, see notes above

·        kosher salt to taste

·        3 to 5 ounces greens, such as kale, Swiss chard, arugula

·        ¹/₂ cup extra virgin olive oil, divided

·        fresh cracked pepper

·        1 lemon, halved, plus more to taste

·        ¹/₄ cup well-stirred tahini paste

·        1 teaspoon maple syrup

·        1 clove garlic, minced, optional, see notes above

·        ¹/₂ cup pine nuts

1. Place a large pot of water over high heat. Bring to a boil. Add the farro and a big pinch of salt (I add 1 tablespoon). Cook according to package instructions but taste before draining — my 10-minute Trader Joe’s farro consistently takes 15 minutes. Drain. Place in a large bowl.

2. Meanwhile, remove the greens from the stems (if using kale or chard), then slice very finely — you can chiffonade the leaves (stack leaves on top of each other, roll them into a tight coil, then cut down to make long thin strips) but consider cutting the thin strips into smaller pieces as well. You want small pieces of greens here. Place the greens in the bowl with the farro, add ¼ cup olive oil, ½ teaspoon salt, and fresh-cracked pepper to taste. Squeeze half of the lemon into the bowl catching the seeds with your hand. Toss, taste, and adjust with more salt or pepper to taste—I usually add another quarter teaspoon of salt and sometimes more. The farro and greens should taste slightly lemony and nicely seasoned, but nothing spectacular—remember that the magic happens when the grains and greens meet the tahini sauce. At this point, you can chill the farro and greens until you are ready to serve. 

3. Make the tahini sauce: Stir together the tahini, remaining ¼ cup olive oil, juice of remaining half lemon, ¼ teaspoon salt, maple syrup, garlic, if using, and 2 tablespoons water. Add more water by the tablespoon. Dressing should be pourable—I typically add another 2 tablespoons of water. Taste and adjust with more salt, lemon, or maple syrup to taste. Transfer to a serving bowl or set directly on the table. 

4. In a medium skillet over medium (or higher) heat, stir the pine nuts until golden all around. Do not walk away from the skillet—if you stand there the entire time, you can get away with using higher heat for a shorter period of time. 

5. When ready to serve, spoon the greens and grains into bowls, drizzle the tahini sauce over top, and sprinkle pine nuts over top as well. Pass more sauce and pine nuts on the side. 

:

Roasted Chickpeas with Greens and Tahini

FOR THE CHICKPEAS:

·        2 (15-ounce) cans chickpeas, well drained, or 4 cups cooked chickpeas

·        ¾ to 1 cup extra-virgin olive oil

·        2 garlic cloves, minced

·        2 teaspoons ground cumin, or 1 teaspoon each ground cumin and ground coriander

·        1 teaspoon sweet paprika

·         Salt and pepper

FOR THE TAHINI SAUCE:

·        ⅓ cup tahini

·         Freshly squeezed juice of 1 lemon, plus more to taste

·        1 garlic clove, minced

·         Warm water, as needed

TO FINISH:

·         Olive oil, for cooking

·         About 10 ounces kale, chard or spinach, well washed and thick stems removed

·        3 cups store-bought or homemade pita chips (see Tip)

·         Handful of roughly chopped flat-leaf parsley

·         Handful of roughly chopped mint

·        1 large or 2 small cucumbers, peeled and thinly sliced

·         Lemon, cut into wedges

1.     Make the chickpeas: Heat oven to 425 degrees. Pour the chickpeas into a small baking dish, about 6 inches by 8 inches. The chickpeas should be crowded together in a thick layer, not spread out. Pour in olive oil just until chickpeas are covered. (This will look like a lot, but don’t worry: It forms part of the dressing.)

2.     Add garlic, cumin, paprika, and 2 big pinches each of salt and pepper. Stir gently to combine. Bake until oil is bubbling around the chickpeas and they are turning reddish-brown, 35 to 40 minutes. Set aside to cool.

3.     Meanwhile, make tahini sauce: Pour tahini into a bowl and whisk in lemon juice and garlic. The tahini will thicken and clump. Slowly whisk in warm water, 1 tablespoon at a time, until sauce becomes smooth, creamy and pourable. Taste and season with salt, pepper and more lemon juice, if desired. Set aside.

4.     Cook the greens: Place a large frying pan over medium heat and drizzle lightly with olive oil. When hot, add the greens in batches, along with a big pinch of salt. Stir until wilted and tender and set aside.

5.     When ready to serve, in a large bowl, gently mix chickpeas and their cooking oil with the cooked greens, half the pita chips, and the chopped herbs. Mound chickpea mixture in 4 shallow bowls. Divide cucumber slices around chickpeas. Drizzle thickly with half the tahini sauce and scatter remaining pita chips on top. Place a lemon wedge on the side and serve, passing extra tahini sauce at the table.

Food&Drink Club

One Pot COCONUT RICE WITH TUMERIC AND GREENS

·        2 cups long-grain rice, such as jasmine or basmati

·        ½ cup unsweetened coconut flakes

·        1 tablespoon white or black sesame seeds

·        2 tablespoons coconut oil

·        1 scallion, thinly sliced, white and green parts separated

·        1 teaspoon ground turmeric

·        ½ teaspoon black pepper, plus more as needed

·        1 (14-ounce) can full-fat coconut milk

·         Pinch of saffron (optional)

·         Kosher salt

·        1 medium bunch kale, spinach or Swiss chard

·        1 lime

o    

PREPARATION

1.     Rinse rice until water runs clear. Drain and set aside.

2.     In a medium pot or Dutch oven, toast the coconut and sesame seeds over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until fragrant, 3 to 5 minutes. (Adjust heat as needed to prevent burning.) Transfer to a small bowl. Wipe out the pot.

3.     In the same pot, melt the coconut oil over medium-low. Add the scallion whites, turmeric and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper and cook, stirring, until aromatic and lightly toasted, 3 to 5 minutes.

4.     Add the rice, coconut milk, saffron (if using), and 1 1/2 teaspoons salt. Fill the empty can of coconut milk with water and add it to the pot. Give the mixture a good stir to separate any lumps and bring to a boil over medium-high.

5.     Once boiling, cover, turn the heat to low, and simmer for 10 minutes.

6.     As rice cooks, remove and discard the tough stems of the leafy greens, if needed, and cut or tear the leaves into bite-size pieces. When the rice has cooked for 10 minutes, arrange the greens on top of the rice in an even layer and season well with salt and pepper. Cover, and cook until the rice is tender, 5 more minutes. Remove from heat and let sit, covered, 5 minutes.

7.     As rice rests, zest the lime and cut it into 4 wedges. Add 1/2 teaspoon zest to the coconut-sesame mixture, along with the scallion greens. Season with salt and pepper and stir to combine.

8.     Gently stir the greens into the rice using a spatula or fork, season to taste with salt and pepper. Divide among bowls. Sprinkle the coconut mixture on top and serve with a lime wedge for squeezing over.

Fresh Spinach Risotto

·        8 ounces cold taleggio (fontina works as substitute)

·        10 ounces/8 packed cups spinach, any thick stems removed

·        6 tablespoons unsalted butter

·        1 medium red onion, finely diced

·        3 cups finely diced celery

·        2 garlic cloves, finely grated or minced

·        1 ½ cup Arborio rice

·        1 teaspoon fine sea salt, more as needed

·        ¾ cup dry white wine

·        3 ½ cups good vegetable or chicken stock

o    

PREPARATION

1.     Cut the rind off the taleggio and discard. Dice the cheese into 1/2-inch pieces. Set aside at room temperature as you prepare the rice.

2.     Line a colander with a clean dish towel and place spinach inside. Heat about 8 cups of water until boiling, then pour over spinach; the spinach will wilt. Let spinach sit until cool enough to handle, then use the dish towel to squeeze out with 1 tablespoon butter until smooth. (You’ll end up with the water. Transfer spinach to a food processor and blend about 1 cup of purée.) Reserve.

3.     Melt remaining 5 tablespoons butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Stir in onion, celery and garlic; cook until translucent, about 7 minutes. Stir in rice and 1 teaspoon salt, and cook until toasted and golden, about 5 minutes.

4.     Stir in wine and cook until it’s absorbed, about 3 minutes. Stir in stock, about 1/2 cup at a time, stirring often but not necessarily continuously, until the stock is finished and the rice is cooked through but not mushy, 15 to 20 minutes.

5.     Stir in spinach purée, then taste and add more salt, if needed. Add taleggio and stir to melt. Serve immediately.

Ave Gene’s Kale Salad

• 1-2 large bunches large bunches lacinato kale about 6 cups chopped
• 4 ounces good quality french bread about 1/3 baguette
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 lemon juiced and zested
• 1 ounce freshly grated parmigiano reggiano
• kosher salt
• fresh ground Pepper

Instructions

1.               Break the bread up into chunks and put in a food processor. Pulse until crumbs are coarse.

2.               Toast in a skillet over medium high heat with 2 tablespoons of olive oil, until golden, about 5 minutes. Season with kosher salt.

3.               Drain on a paper towel until ready to use.

4.               Remove the rib of the kale and slice the kale into thin strips.

5.               In a large bowl, add kale, lemon zest, 1 tablespoon of lemon juice and 1 tablespoon olive oil, salt and pepper.

6.               Toss together, and massage the dressing into the kale for 5 minutes.

7.               To serve, spread the kale in a thin layer on a large plate or serving dish. Grate the cheese over the kale in an even layer. Spread the bread crumbs over the cheese and serve.