CSA #18, 9/29

Quinoa drying

Admiring the harvest for anniversary party salad

Party!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

One of 2 mammoth sunflowers we saved 4 pounds of eating seeds from:)

CSA #18 Box

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ellie with Special sunflower hat first day of fall!

 

 

 

Fall Greetings! Indeed it is here.  Leaves are just starting to change color on the farm and we feel the contrast of chilly mornings and warm afternoons.  Some of the summer crops are still kickin’ , like the basil, peppers, and green beans, while summer squash, cucumbers and tomatoes have really slowed down.  In the North field, the fall garden has come in beautifully, in an array of sea green brassicas.  The plants are loving the good rain and following days of sun.  We’ve been saving lots of seed including a small experimental batches of quinoa, soup beans, more lettuces, spinach, flowers and more.   We get them in the sun to totally dry out before storing.  Just the tiniest bit of moisture could mold everything else, so we pay close attention.  About half of the farm is in cover crop, or we could say “put to bed for the winter”.  This week we’ll finish clearing rows and getting mostly vetch and crimon clover in the ground.   We harvested all of the winter squash and weighed out 488 pounds! Not bad for 185 bed feet.  You’ll be seeing those in many boxes in the next 8 weeks of the CSA.  Oh, we had a great farm party, nice to see a few of you!  I’ve attached some pics…

Okay . . and here’s the box!

Pac Choi or Chinese Cabbage Michili – Last week featured the Michili, we gave either or as they are similar and there wasn’t enough pac choi planted for all the boxes.  Great raw, sautee, pickled, or fermented!

Lacinato Kale or Chard –

Cucumbers – Probably the last!

Cranberry Shelling Bean –  This variety is beautiful and delicious.  Shell the beans — take them out of the pod and boil for about 10 minutes or until tender.  Top on pasta or sautee after boiling until brown and serve alone as an appetizer with salt.  Protein! Yumm…

Sweet Pepper  – Sweet banana, jimmy nardello, carmen and various italian sweets.

Hot Peppers – You can identify these by smaller size and in this weeks box you got czech black, like a jalapeno or lemon drop, which is even smaller and a bit krinkly green or yellow.  Very hot with an amazing pineapple essence!

Radish

Carrot

Salad Mix – Over 20 greens varieties blended here on the farm with some herbs and flowers:)

Basil –  I didn’t double check the list before some were delivered and only half of the boxes got the basil. Sorry! Hopefully , next week there will be more.

 

 

RECIPES

Pac Choi or Chinese Cabbage Stir Fry

• 1 Wok, Cast Iron, or other skillet
• 1  Pak Choi (Boy Choy)
• 1 Tablespoon of Oil, high heat oil
• Salt To Taste
• Light Soy Sauce or tamari
• Oyster Sauce
• Sliced Ginger

Throw all indredients onpan and cook 4-8 minutes.  Top with thinly sliced radishes

 

Fresh Cranberry Beans with Lemon Juice and Olive Oil

Shell the handful of beans.  Boil for 10-15 minutes in salted water until tender.  Drain.  Mix in a quarter of a lemon, olive oil , and basil.  Serve warm or chilled.

 

 

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CSA #17, 9/22

CSA hBox #17

Jessica admiring the quinoa

SE CSA and 2 Restaurant deliveries performed by bad ass trailer and biker Jeff

Happy Fall equinox! Each day we marvel at the lighting.  We admire how the light hits the crops with a softer and sharper touch.  Morning time starts with a sweater and after a few hours we’re in tank tops.  It’s been lovely to experience life these days.  Harvest and fall crop planting and tending have lured us into lots of energy directed that way.  It’s been satisfying to collect and thresh seeds; feeling the completion of a full cycle.  One of the two tiny patches of quinoa was picked, dried a few days in the sun and will be put aside to figure out how to thresh/clean further on.    If anyone has low-tech ideas about cleaning seeds let us know!  We’ve had lots of help and support from volunteers lately.   We are preserving something most days too, quite fun and exploratory.  For example we now know how cucumbers dry–alright but not worth it.

It would be awesome to see you at out the farm party this saturday!

This week’s box – greens are back in more quantity from summer boxes

Salad Mix – lettuce, young brassicas, wildpurslane and calendula petals. yummmm!! lots of olive oil is really wow.

Chard

Michili cabbage – the large cylindral light green head is a mild chinese green delicious in stir fries, pickled, or raw. I would lightly massage the leaves if eating raw because they’re a bit fuzzy.  It’s so fresh tasting!  I planted twice as many per square foot this year because they were enourmous.  I like the size they are today.

Basil – mostly lemon basil and a dash of regular

Radish –  Some are a bit spicy from the heat!  Remembering you canh eat the greens too. Easter egg, plum, and white icicle varieties.

Backyard Bounty's unique wild cut flower blend for Portobelloh

Tomato – Slowing down, maybe 3 more weeks?

Cukes – A few small ones unlike previous weeks bounty as they’re slowing a lot with the powdering mildew.

Sweet Corn – These heads are small but tasty.  I’d recommend putting in oven at 350 or until si

lk is brown.

Garlic  – 2 heads of mostly Spanish Roja varietal.

Potato – Fingerling or Russet

RECIPES-

Spicy Michili Cabbage Slaw

adapted from AllRecipes.com

Ingredients

	1 head	bok choy (finely shredded)
	1	cucumber (seeded and finely shredded)
	3	carrot (peeled and finely shredded)
	5	hot pepper (seeded and finely shredded)
	5	jalapeno pepper (seeded and chopped)
	34 cup	apple cider vinegar
	14 cup	mustard (coarse grain brown)
	14 cup	soy sauce or tamari
	2 tbsp	agave syrup
	18 tsp	ground ginger (roasted)
		black pepper (freshly cracked, taste)

Directions

1. Place the shredded bok choy, cucumber, carrots, and cherry peppers into a large salad bowl. Place the jalapeno peppers into the work bowl of a food processor, then pour in the apple cider vinegar, brown mustard, soy sauce, and agave syrup. Pulse several times, then process for a few seconds to combine. Pour the dressing over the vegetables and toss. Refrigerate from 1 hour to overnight. Before serving, sprinkle with roasted ginger and black pepper; toss again to serve.

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CSA #16, 9/15

sun dried tomatoes

Baby Aki helping Farmer Melanie out

Girls picking dry beans

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dana Prepping for Canning

Mel a little crazy after lots of canning!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Salads and greens are making it back in the boxes in more quantity as the weather turns.  Clouds are back and we have been busy collecting seeds, getting the last fall/winter crops in and the some cover crop.  We had 10, 14 year old girls out who pulled the dry soup beans and then had a big harvest day where we canned too!  We put up 70 jars of tomato sauce, pickled cucumbers, green beans and carrots.   It was a fun Thursday.

Welcome two new members  for the fall harvest: Mark, Midori, and Emily!

NEXT SATURDAY, 9/24 3PM TO LATE IS BIG 5 YEAR ANNIVERSARY FARM PARTY! Stay posted for more details

 

Basil – Italian sweet

Corn – Farm only  –on the small side, but sweet and delicious.  I didn’t do a second fertilization which is

recommended for high feeding corn.  It was my first year growing it.

Eggplant – SE and Sellwood only

Sweet pepper – the larger pepper are sweet

Hot pepper – the smaller ones are hot.

Turnip greens or Spicy Mustard – these are thinnings.  Eat turnip greens like other greens. Sautee or raw chopped small and/or massage to take fuzziness away.

Salad mix – Lettuce, purslane  (the succulent that is high in antioxidants and has omega 3s!), and buckwheat greens

Onion – the sweet cippolinis

Green beans

Cucumbers

Tomatoes

Squash

 

RECIPES

 

Indian Saag

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup butter
• 2 teaspoons cumin seed
• 1 green chile pepper, seeded and diced
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 2 tablespoons ground turmeric
• 1 pound chopped fresh mustard greens
• 1 pound chopped fresh spinach
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1 teaspoon salt

Directions

1. In a large skillet or wok, melt butter over medium-high heat, and cook and stir cumin seed, chile pepper, garlic, and turmeric until fragrant, about 2 minutes.
2. Stir in the chopped mustard greens and spinach a little at a time, adding the tougher parts first (the stems and thicker leaves). Continue to add greens, and cook and stir until all greens have been added and all are thoroughly wilted. Stir in the cumin, coriander, and salt. Cover; reduce heat and simmer until greens are tender, about 10 minutes, adding water as needed to keep the greens moist.

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CSA #15, 9/8

This week’s box!

CSA #15

 

Quinoa in front of sunchokes

Tomatoes – lots and lots of them!

Eggplant – Farm pickup only, next week SE and Sellwood.

Sweet corn – SE and Sellwood pickup only, next week farm

Potato – Russets, nearer to new potatoes and not very starchy.

Baby baby beets in bunches – Great steamed and topped on salad.

Carrots

Kale/Chard

Cinnamon Basil

Squash – If you got an enormous one it’s great for the grill.

Cucumbers

 

RECIPES

Potatoes and Tomato Sautee

Cut potatoes into 1/2 inch cubes, steam until half cooked.  Sautee in high heat oil until soft. Then add cubed tomatoes and let them cook down a few minutes.  Top with basil!

 

Squash Dollars

Slice into 1/2 inch if a long zucchini.  If round and large, quarter and then slice in 1/2 inch. Add salt. Place in hot high heat oil on cast iron pan or steel and cook about 7 minutes each side or until dark brown.  They melt in your mouth!

 

Cinnamon Basil Fruit Salad

Chop up peaches, pears, apples and whatever other fruits that are in season.  Top with finely cut pieces of cinnamon basil.

 

Cinnamon Basil Chocolate Mousse

TOTAL TIME

15 minutes (plus 3 hours’ refrigeration)

Ingredients

• 2 ounces unsweetened chocolate
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 eggs, separated
• 2 cups cinnamon basil whipped cream (see recipe)

Preparation

1.

In a saucepan, melt chocolate with 1/4 cup sugar and 1/4 cup hot water, stirring until smooth. Beat egg yolks and stir into chocolate. Remove saucepan from heat.

2.

Beat egg whites, gradually adding remaining 1/4 cup sugar, until peaks form. Fold egg whites into chocolate. Fold 1 1/4 cups cinnamon basil whipped cream into chocolate. Pour mixture into ramekins or glasses and chill for 3 hours. Top with remaining whipped cream and serve.

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CSA #14, 9/1

Baby Nephew Gabriel and Farmer Melanie

A few mornings ago I woke up and didn’t want to get out of bed because it was chilly.  I thought it must be because I was so tired, but indeed the temperature was 45 degrees.  As I picked some things in the morning, the dew was so thick it dampened my pants, and fall’s arrival felt so close.  I love this time of year in the garden, when harvest is heavy with summer crops and fall greens and roots are popping out of the ground and filling the beds with a sea of deep greens and the earth is dark from watering the young plants.  Days are busy and hectic and there is a bit of relief as the sun goes down earlier and sleep is a little longer.  It’s a beautiful time.

In the field we’ve been weeding new crops and harvesting.  Today we’ll harvest all of the storage onions and some soup/dry beans.  A few other beds will be cleared to get ready for fall/winter cover crops.   This week we crossed over into the second half of the season, with 12 more weeks to go.  I hope you’re ready for lots more veggies:)  Be on the lookout for a potluck/open house/workparty invitation in September.

This Week’s harvest:

Box #14, tomatoes hidden by abundance of other freshness!

Buckwheat Greens –  I plant buckwheat as a summer cover crop.   Many seeds that didn’t sprout earlier in the summer came up when watered with the fall crops.  We weeded the plentiful buckwheat from the cabbage and radichhio row and bunched them up for you! In the buckwheat (polygonacea) family, the slight tang is similar to what you might have tasty in sorrel which is in the same family.  Filled with antioxidants, it is super nutritious.  It is grown as  a microgreen commercially, but not to be eaten in large quantities.  Split the salad with a friend and you should feel great.  I ate four handfuls in the fields and loved it!

Chard

Sweet Peppers – Jimmy Nardellos, carmen, sweet banana, lipstick, and little bells.  It was exciting to pick a larger harvest for you and this weekend’s heat should bring a lot more.

Eggplant –

Tomatoes – About 3 pounds of several heirloom varieties including orange king, gold medal, black prince, SW native with unofficial name “apricot”, super lakota, italian heirloom.  Some are large because they were pruned or it’s their nature and some are small similarly.  I top almost every dish with diced tomatoes, delicious!

Beets – This is the last pick from the first planting.   In a few weeks the fall crop will have a fresh young harvest.

Carrots – Yaya, scarlet nantes, and /or chantennay varietals.  I like to grate on salad for color, taste and texture.  Also pairs great with sauteed green beans.

Green beans

Cucumbers

Onion – Red torpedo.

Garlic – Mostly Spanish roja

Basil – Lemon basil and regular basil.

RECIPES

BUCKWHEAT GREENS SALAD

Toss greens with olive oil, black pepper and salt.

BUCKWHEAT GREENS SAUTEE

Chop up greens and stem and saute for one minute on high heat.  Top with salt.

Clea admiring her tomato harvest

BEET RAVIOLI WITH “GOAT CHEESE” AND AGED BALSAMIC VINEGARETTE

Raw recipe.

I had something very similar recently and it was delicious.  The nutritional yeast really enhances the cheesy and creaminess…yummm!!

Pine Nut “Goat Cheese”

• 4 cups pine nuts, soaked 1 hour or more
• 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 medium shallots, peeled and diced
• Zest of 1 lemon
• 1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 4 teaspoons nutritional yeast
• 2 1/2 teaspoons sea salt
• Freshly ground black pepper

Rosemary-Cream Sauce

• 1 teaspoon minced rosemary
• 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 3/4 cup filtered water
• Pinch of sea salt
• 1 clove garlic, peeled
• Freshly ground black pepper

• 2 medium beets (2 inches in diameter or more), peeled
• 2 tablespoons macadamia oil, or other nut oil, or extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 2 tablespoons high-quality aged balsamic vinegar
• Microgreens or other herbs, for garnish

Preparation

Pine Nut “Goat Cheese”
Process all ingredients in a food processor until as smooth as possible.

You should have about 4 cups. Reserve 2 cups for the sauce, and set aside the remainder.

Rosemary-Cream Sauce
Puree all the ingredients in a high-speed blender until smooth.

To Finish
Using a mandoline, slice the beets very thin (so they are pliable and not stiff, approximately 1/16 of an inch or less).

Make small stacks of the larger pieces and use a sharp knife to cut into squares—the size doesn’t matter much, as long as they are all roughly the same. Alternatively, use a round-, heart-or other- shaped cookie cutter to cut the slices. Cut at least 40 slices—10 per serving, with a few extra to spare.

In a medium bowl, place the beet slices, oil, lemon juice, and salt and toss gently to coat evenly. Allowing the beets to sit for a half hour or more will soften them; this is optional but a good idea if your slices are on the thicker side and still a bit stiff.

Lay half the beet slices on a clean work surface and top each with a rounded teaspoonful of the cheese. Top with the remaining beet slices and press down gently.

Spoon the sauce onto serving plates, and arrange the ravioli on top. Garnish with a few drops of aged balsamic vinegar and a few sprigs of either microgreens or fresh herbs.

Read More http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Beet-Ravioli-with-Pine-Nut-Goat-Cheese-Rosemary-Cream-Sauce-Aged-Balsamic-Vinegar-354390#ixzz1WojQvtjv

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CSA member John, Naomi, Farmer Mel and Quinoa

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