Week #20, 2025

Tomatoes

• Cherry tomatoes

• Sweet peppers (including some Jimmy Nardelos - long and skinny)

• Hot peppers

• Cucumbers

• Zucchini

• kale

• Basil

• Beans or eggplant or tomatillos

• Onions

• Potatoes

• Beets are back!

• Apples, pears, asian pears = enjoy the fruit bar and mix and match

The heat has really crimped our style and limited our ability to be out on the farm doing meaningful work. Prior to the blast I planted thyme, more radicchio and Napa cabbage. I continue to fill every small spot that I can find with crops for the upcoming fall and winter. We will cover crop the rest. Juvencio was out weeding with a micro hoe that is good just as the weeds start to emerge. Then the temp soared to near 100 F and we were stuck inside or in the shade fanning ourselves.

We harvested early in the morning and will do so this morning as well. The hoop houses were almost unbearable by 9:30 yesterday morning. The grapes are turning to raisins on the vines - we hope that the temperature cools as expected by the end of the week. I have put off seeding as it is too hot for good germination, but I may do some before the sun bakes me back into the shade if we can finish the harvest early this morning.

I spent some of my day on Thursday writing letters about the lithium battery storage facility slated to be put up just 1 mile from the farm. The potential for well water contamination is real. The fire and noise hazards are real. Every official I emailed told me it was not in their jurisdiction to stop the project and exclusive farmland could be used to generate power that would be sold publically.The community is gathering to see how to stop this project and every letter you sent last week will go into the public record. 

Inspiring thought and experience for this week. Juvencio was reading about the amazing transformation in Medellin, Columbia. Starting in 2016,the city invested in planting trees to reduce temperature and absorb pollution. They planted thousands of trees in corridors throughout the city and were able to drop the temperature 2°C or 5°F in three years. I find this so powerful and hopeful that I looked for a similar organization in our area. There is not the same concerted effort, but I did just donate to Friends of Trees In Portland https://friendsoftrees.org/ and I’m thinking about volunteering sometime in the winter in my off-season to go and plant trees. 

Upcoming Events:

September 20th, 10-12: PNWCSA “Rooted and Rising: A Farm to Table Brunch Fundraiser https://www.pnwcsa.org/event-list Enjoy a delicious brunch, farm stories and support the Coalition for CSA farmers. We will be providing flowers! (your farmers will be harvesting that day so not in attendance)

September 28th, 1-4 (at La Finquita!!) PNWCSA “Tomato Canning Fundraiser”. More details to come but a OSU Master Canner will be teaching the workshop at La Finquita.

October 12th, 2-6 “La Finquita Harvest Festival” Mark you calendars and get ready to party.

Extra Herby Tomatillo Salsa - Rick Bayless

Or try this one: https://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/tomatillo_salsa_verde/

Here are 40 ways to use cherry tomatoes: https://www.killingthyme.net/cherry-tomato-recipes-2/

We made this one last weekend for “noche de ensaladas” one of our Sunday Family dinner themes:

Cucumber Salsa (or salad) (from Christine)

About 2-1/2 cups cucumber finely chopped (deseeded, if preferred)

1/2 cup sliced green onion

1/4 cup cilantro 

1/4 cup parsley

2 T fresh lime juice

1-2 red or green hot peppers, finely chopped

1 T olive oil

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 t kosher salt

1/4 t ground cumin

Caramelized Zucchini Pasta (from Wellspent Market)

 Serves 4 | 

10 minutes prep + 30 minutes cook time

 We make this a lot in the summer; it’s a great way to use up the abundant zucchini in our lives, and when cooked down like this, everyone’s favorite summer squash offers a surprising depth of flavor. It’s adaptable too: chopped hazelnuts are a great way to add texture, and fresh cherry tomatoes add a pop of sweet brightness.

 2-4 Zucchini, depending on size (it cooks down quite a bit, so err on the side of more) 

2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil, plus more for finishing 

1 Onion, diced

 2 cloves Garlic, minced 

500g Pasta (short shapes like caserecce or fusili are best) 

Juice of ½ Lemon 

Parm 

Fresh basil, to serve 

Fresh parsley, to serve

 Chopped hazelnuts or halved cherry tomatoes, to serve 

Step 1: Shred zucchini using the “big hole” side of the box grater. Step 2: Over medium-high heat, heat 2 tbsp olive oil in the saute pan; add the diced onion, season with salt and pepper, and cook until softened and translucent (4-6 mins). Step 3: Add minced garlic and cook until fragrant, taking care not to scorch (1-2 minutes). Step 4: Add grated zucchini, turn heat down to medium. Step 5 Cook, stirring regularly, until zucchini expels its water and turns to mush. Scrape up any brown bits stuck to the pan, adding water to deglaze if necessary (25- 35 minutes). Step 6 When the zucchini mixture is nicely caramelized, cook the pasta according to directions; reserve a bit of starchy pasta water. Step 7 Taste the zucchini and adjust seasoning; add lemon juice to taste, then add the noodles to the pan. Step 8 Stir in grated parm and splash of reserved pasta water and stir the pasta vigorously. Step 9 Add torn basil, parsley, chopped hazelnuts, or halved cherry tomatoes for serving