Week #3, 2026

• Shallots

• Baby bok choi

• Lettuce

• Herb- cilantro, dill, mint, oregano (choose one)

• Turnips

• Kale, chard,spinach (choose one)

This is the shoulder season. We are harvesting all that we can of overwintered crops and moving through most of them this week. We will harvest our first later winter planted chard and even some kale today. We have Little Gem lettuces and baby bok choi we planted in March that are ready to be eaten. The tasty spring turnips are here today and gone by next week. The cherry tomatoes are already nestled among them ready to take off once the bed is free from competition.

Last Sunday I got most of the high tunnel planted with summer squash, tomatoes, hot peppers and basil. Once we harvest the lettuce and spinach from those beds we will finish filling in the beds. Greenhouse #1 is almost ready to be turned over from lettuce and arugula to cucumbers and peppers. It is a never ending cycle of seed, transplant, weed, harvest, clear , compost and repeat.

Juvencio is busy laying irrigation as soon as I transplant. He is learning how to use his new compost spreader and it is a toss up if it saves time at this point, but as the compost dries and his skill improves we expect it to speed up the process of bed prep. We have managed to get in 3 of 8-9 beds of onions. I hope with warm days (88 is way too hot to be out there transplanting) will give me time to get the rest of the onions in and start on the cherry tomatoes outside as well as more flowers.

The sugar snap peas are tied up and climbing. We hope to have them by mid month. Our chickens are laying like crazy and several are broody. The rabbit enclosure is now being used as a nursery, we will see how that works out for our next generation of chickens. We do need more subscribers to the egg share to ensure that all the time and money we invest in feeding them doesn’t go to waste. We still have an over supply of eggs. Consider picking up a dozen with your veggies this week.

Ballots are out in the mail. It is very important to vote. Washington County has a lot to gain from a pro-immigrant, proactive and farmland friendly slate of candidates. Ballots due by May 19th.

Recipes to enjoy this week:

Ideas to use your turnips:

https://www.catenafarm.ca/blogs/recipes/sticky-onion-and-turnip-tart-adapted-from-jamie-oliver

https://www.thekitchn.com/turnip-greens-recipe-23457029

Baby bok choi suggestions:

https://www.loveandlemons.com/bok-choy-recipe/

SPANOKORIZO WITH JAMMY EGG

Yield:4 servings

· 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for serving

· 1 bunch scallions (6 to 9 stems), trimmed and thinly sliced

· 1 pound baby spinach (or 1 pound mature spinach, trimmed and roughly chopped)

· 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

· Salt and pepper

· 1cup basmati rice

· 1½ cups vegetable stock

· 4 large eggs

· 1 lemon, juiced (3 to 4 tablespoons)

· 1 cup roughly chopped dill or parsley

· 1(6-ounce) block Greek feta, crumbled (about 1⅓ cups)

1. Step 1

Heat a large, wide Dutch oven or deep skillet on medium-high heat. Add the olive oil and scallions and stir until fragrant and softened, 2 minutes. Add the spinach (depending upon the size of your pot, you may need to add it gradually, throwing in more as it cooks down), garlic and about 1 teaspoon salt; toss until wilted, about 2 minutes.

2. Step 2

Stir in the rice, then pour in the stock. Bring to the boil and then cover, reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until the liquid has been absorbed and rice is cooked, 15 to 20 minutes.

3. Step 3

Meanwhile, bring a medium pot of water to a boil over high. Add the eggs in their shells to the boiling water and continue to cook over medium-high for 7 minutes. (Make sure you set a timer.) Set up an ice bath. Using a spider ladle or slotted spoon, remove the eggs from the water and immediately add them to the ice bath. Cool for 3 to 4 minutes and then peel them.

4. Step 4

When the rice is ready, turn off the heat. Uncover and add the lemon juice and half of the herbs and gently toss them through the rice. Taste to check seasonings, adding salt if needed.

5. Step 5

Divide the spinach rice among bowls. Halve the eggs and place the halves on top of the rice; top each with feta and additional herbs. To finish, drizzle over some olive oil and season well with pepper.

Persian Herb Kuku

Yield:6 servings

· ½ cup plus 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

· 2 medium yellow onions, finely chopped

· 6 eggs

· 1½ teaspoons coarse sea salt

· 1 teaspoon ground black pepper

· 1teaspoon baking powder

· ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

· ½ teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg

· ½ teaspoon ground cardamom

· ½ teaspoon ground turmeric

· ¼ teaspoon ground cumin

· ½ teaspoon ground rose petal (optional)

· 1 cup finely chopped parsley

· 1 cup finely chopped cilantro

· 1 cup finely chopped fresh dill

· 1tablespoon dried fenugreek leaves (optional)

· ½ cup coarsely chopped walnuts

· ½ cup finely chopped romaine lettuce

· ½ cup finely chopped spring onions, white and green parts

· 2 garlic cloves, grated on a Microplane or minced

· 1 tablespoon rice flour

· ⅓ cup dried barberries or cranberries, soaked in cold water for 15 minutes, rinsed and drained

· 1teaspoon grape molasses, or substitute sugar

· Step 1

Heat ¼ cup of the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onions and cook until lightly golden all over, 15 to 20 minutes. Transfer onions to a medium bowl and cool to room temperature; reserve skillet.

· Step 2

Heat oven to 400 degrees and line a 9-x-12-inch baking dish with parchment paper.

· Step 3

In a large bowl, lightly whisk to combine eggs, salt, pepper, baking powder, all of the spices and the rose petal, if using. Add caramelized onions, all of the herbs, walnuts, lettuce, spring onion, garlic and rice flour. Fold just to combine; do not overmix.

· Step 4

Brush prepared baking dish with ¼ cup oil. (It may look like a lot, but it gets absorbed into the batter.) Add batter, smoothing out the top and pushing it to the sides. Bake until center is set, about 20 minutes, and transfer to a cooling rack.

· Step 5

Meanwhile, place the skillet used to cook the onion over medium heat. Add remaining 1 tablespoon oil, the barberries, grape molasses or sugar and 2

tablespoons water. Simmer, stirring, until liquid is reduced and fragrant, about 4 minutes.

· Step 6

Top cooked kuku with caramelized barberries and cut into 6 equal pieces. Serve hot or room temperature, with lavash and yogurt, if desired.

Gnocchi With Miso and Fresh Asparagus (or sugar snap peas, or purple sprouting broccoli (our new fave)

Yield: 3 to 4 servings

· 1 tablespoon vegetable or canola oil

· 1(16- to 18-ounce) package shelf-stable potato gnocchi

· 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

· 2 tablespoons white miso

· 2 teaspoons sherry vinegar

· Black pepper

· 1 bunch asparagus (about 1 pound), tough ends trimmed, stalks cut into ½-inch lengths

· Salt

· 2 packed cups baby arugula, pea shoots or other tender greens

· Step 1

In a large nonstick or well-seasoned cast-iron skillet, heat the oil over medium-high. Break apart any stuck-together gnocchi and add to the skillet in an even layer. Cover and cook, undisturbed, until the gnocchi are golden brown underneath and no longer sticking to the skillet, 2 to 4 minutes.

· Step 2

Meanwhile, in a small bowl, smash together the butter, miso, vinegar and a few grinds of pepper until combined.

· Step 3

To the skillet, add the asparagus and a pinch of salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the asparagus are bright green and crisp-tender, 2 to 3 minutes. Turn off the heat and add the miso butter in spoonfuls. Stir until the butter has melted and gnocchi are glossed with sauce. Season to taste with salt and pepper, then stir in the arugula until combined. Serve right away.

Creamy Pasta with Swiss Chard and Leeks

Yield:4 servings

· ¾ pound green Swiss chard (1 large bunch), washed and trimmed

· 2 large leeks (10 to 12 ounces each)

· 5 tablespoons unsalted butter

· ½ cup panko bread crumbs

· Kosher salt and black pepper

· 3 tablespoons nutritional yeast

· 3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

· 2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves

· 2 cups chicken or vegetable stock

· 1 cup heavy cream

· 16 ounces linguine or fettuccine

· ¾ cup finely grated Parmesan

· Fresh tarragon leaves, for garnish

· 1 lemon, for garnish

· Step 1

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Prepare the chard: Tear the leaves off the stems, separating the leaves and stems. Thinly slice the stems, then coarsely tear the leaves into bite-size pieces. Set both aside in separate bowls.

· Step 2

Prepare the leeks: Trim off the bottom and the dark green portion at the top, halve the remaining white and pale green portion lengthwise, then thinly slice them crosswise. Wash and drain the sliced leeks. Set aside.

· Step 3

Prepare the bread crumbs: In a large skillet, melt 2 tablespoons butter over medium. Add the panko, season lightly with salt and generously with pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden and toasted, 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in nutritional yeast, then transfer to a paper towel-lined plate.

· Step 4

Wipe out the skillet. Add the remaining 3 tablespoons butter and melt over medium-high. Add the leeks, chard stems, garlic and thyme, season with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally, until leeks start to wilt and soften, about 5 minutes. Add the torn chard, season with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring, until just wilted, 2 minutes.

· Step 5

Add the stock and heavy cream, and boil over high until thickened, about 10 minutes.

· Step 6

Once the mixture is simmering, add the pasta to the pot of boiling water and cook until al dente. Drain pasta.

· Step 7

Transfer chard mixture to the empty pasta pot. Stir in the cooked pasta, then sprinkle with the Parmesan, stirring vigorously to melt it into the sauce. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

· Step 8

Divide among shallow bowls or plates. Sprinkle generously with the prepared bread crumbs, top with tarragon and grate fresh lemon zest on top. Serve