Week #2, 2025

• Purple sprouting broccoli

• Kale

• Chard or spinach

• Herb (cilantro, chervil, thyme or sage)

• Shallots

• Arugula or radishes or baby bok choy

We had glorious weather for the opening potluck. Juvencio and I spent the entire party making pizza and greeting folks as we cooked together. Our friends Victor and Ale served up the most delicious tacos along with all the wonderful treats people brought to share.It was wonderful to see families enjoying the farm with their friends and family - that is the community we strive to create.

This week of dry weather has had us working from dawn to dusk. Juvencio has been preparing beds, adding compost and laying bark chips along the paths of my flower beds.I have planted with the head lamp a few nights trying to eke out an extra 30 minutes after night falls. We hope to get the rest of the broccoli planted along with the weekly supply of lettuce. We continue to battle the white crowned sparrows, starlings and house sparrows. We plant and they shred the leaves. Why can’t they just eat grass? There is plenty of that.

As we pull back the reemay (agricultural fabric) from some of the crops in the hoop houses we are disappointed. The lettuce got crowded out by weeds, things like carrots and radishes did not germinate well. Spring is such a time of boom or bust. We will keep plugging away and remember that it all works out in the end. Fingers crossed.

Next week we hope that lettuce will size up and we can offer that along with the first of the chinese broccoli. New potatoes are on the way, but may be a few weeks off yet. We hope to get the greenhouse tomatoes next week if they size up enough to grow fast once planted. I will pot up (the  intermediate stage from a row of tiny seedlings to 4” pots) all the peppers, eggplant and more tomatoes later today if time allows. If you are planning a home garden please do check out our listings of amazing seedlings at https://pumpkinridgegardens.square.site/ . Polly and I have been working since February on getting seedlings ready for customers. We are also at the Beaverton Farmers market every Saturday from 8:30-1:30. You can place an order and pick it up at our farm or the market.

We partner with Cloud Cap Mushrooms so that our subscribers can have fresh mushrooms with their share. Please consider this add on to your veggies by contacting them here:https://cloudcapmushrooms.com/la-finquita-del-buho/mushroom-add-on.

 Off to harvest! Enjoy some of these recipes this week:

Kale Pasta

• Freshly ground black pepper

• 1/4 cup EVOO, plus more for serving

• 2 cloves garlic, smashed flat and peeled

• 1 pound lacinato kale thick ribs removed

·        ½ pound pasta, like pappardelle or rigatoni

·        ¾ cup coarsely grated Parmigiano- Reggiano

Step 1

1.      Put a large pot of generously salted water over high heat, and bring it to a boil. In a small skillet over medium heat, add olive oil and garlic, and cook until the garlic begins to sizzle. Reduce heat to low and cook very gently until garlic is soft and begins to turn light gold, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat.

2. Step 2

When water is boiling, add kale leaves, and cook until tender, but not mushy, about 5 minutes. Pull out the hot, dripping kale leaves with tongs, and put directly into a blender. (Don’t drain the pot; you’ll use that same boiling water to cook the pasta.) Add garlic and its oil to the blender, along with a splash of hot water from the pot if you need some more liquid to get the blender going. Blend into a fine, thick green purée. Taste, and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper, then blend again.

3. Step 3

Add the pasta to the still-boiling water and cook according to directions on the package. Ladle out a cup of water to save for finishing the dish, then drain the pasta and return it to the dry pot. Add the kale purée, about ¾ of the grated cheese and a splash of the reserved pasta water. Toss until all the pasta is well coated and bright green, adding another splash of pasta water if needed so that the sauce is loose and almost creamy in texture. Serve in bowls right away, and top with an extra drizzle of olive oil and the rest of the grated cheese.

Radish Greens Soups #1:

·        2 tablespoons of butter

·        2 to 3 cloves garlic, minced

·        2 green onions, trimmed and sliced 1/2 inch thick

·        1 heaping teaspoon minced fresh ginger

·        1 bunch radish greens, chopped small (trim ends but include the rest of the stems)

·        1 medium yam or sweet potato, peeled and sliced 1/2 inch thick

·        2 cups of vegetable broth

·        1/4 cup half-and-half

·        Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

Heat butter in a deep pan over medium heat. Add garlic, green onions and ginger and sauté for 2 minutes. Add radish greens and yam and stir to combine. Add broth and simmer covered for 10 to 15 minutes. Remove from heat and let sit for 5 minutes. Put soup in a blender and process for at least 30 seconds to make sure all the stems are puréed (otherwise soup may be stringy). Return to pan, add half-and-half, and salt and pepper to taste. Stir to combine and serve. 

Radish Leaf Soup 2

Servings 6 servings

·        2 tablespoons of butter, salted or unsalted

·        2 tablespoons of olive oil

·        1 large onion, peeled and diced, or 2 leeks, cleaned and sliced

·        1 1/2 teaspoons kosher or sea salt

·        freshly ground black pepper, (I used a total of about 1 teaspoon of pepper)

·        4 cloves garlic, peeled and sliced

·        2 medium potatoes,, washed and diced, (12-16oz, 340-450g)

·        2 cups (500ml) water

·        12 cups (lightly packed) fresh radish leaves, rinsed very well (9 oz, 270g)

·        3 cups (750ml) chicken stock

·        1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

·        1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

·        1/2 cup (125ml) heavy cream, sour cream, mascarpone, or creme fraiche

1.               Heat the butter and olive oil in a soup pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the onions and cook, stirring frequently, seasoning them with the salt and pepper, until soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and stir for a minute or two, to help them release their aroma. 

2.               Add the potatoes and 2 cups of water to the pot. Cover, bring to a boil then reduce the heat to a steady simmer and cook until the potatoes are tender when poked with the tip of a sharp paring knife, about 10 to 15 minutes. 

3.               Add the radish leaves and stock. Cover, bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer just until the radish leaves are wilted and cooked through. Remove from heat. 

4.  If using an immersion blender, add the cream, mustard, cayenne, and cream to the pot and puree until smooth. If using a standard blender, let the soup cool until tepid then puree the soup with the cream and mustard. 

Radish Greens Pesto

Cook Time: 5

minutes mins

Total Time: 20

minutes mins

8 servings

Ingredients 

  2 cups radish tops, chopped (from about 1 bunch)

  ⅓ cup pine nuts, or sunflower seeds if nut-free

  2 whole garlic cloves

  ½ cup extra virgin olive oil

  ½ cup parmesan cheese, vegan if dairy-free

  ⅛ teaspoon salt

  ⅛ teaspoon fresh cracked pepper

  Optional: squeeze of fresh lemon juice

Instructions

1.               Wash radish tops: First, wash radish greens by cutting them from the stem and then soaking in a bowl of water. Remove from water and either dry by laying out flat or using a salad spinner.

2.               Blend ingredients: Add washed and dried radish tops, pine nuts or seeds, and garlic cloves to a food processor and pulse until finely chopped. Slowly add in oil and continue pulsing until well combined, but not completely smooth.

3.               Add cheese and spices to taste: Next, add cheese, salt, and pepper and pulse a few more times until combined. Taste the pesto and add more if needed to desired taste.

4.               How to serve: Use pesto as a sauce with your favorite pasta, mixed into your favorite vegetable soup, or even as a dip with fresh vegetable crudités.

SPRING MINESTRONE WITH ASPARAGUS AND KALE. Yield: 4 servings

¼cup extra-virgin olive oil

o   2 large shallots or 1 small onion, thinly sliced

o   2 celery stalks, thinly sliced

o   Kosher salt and black pepper

o   2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger (optional)

o   2 tablespoons minced garlic

o   2 quarts low-sodium chicken or vegetable stock

o   1cup ditalini or other small, shaped pasta (about 5 ounces)

o   8 ounces asparagus, trimmed and sliced into ½-inch pieces (1½ cups), thinly sliced zucchini or chopped broccoli

o   1 cup fresh or frozen peas

o   5 ounces baby kale, baby spinach or torn spinach (about 4 cups)

o   Store bought pesto and grated Parmesan, for serving

o   Step 1

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

o    

1.    Step 2

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

2.    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.

3.    Step 4

Divide soup among bowls. Swirl in some pesto and top with Parmesan.   Can add canned chicken peas or white beans to add protein/substance