Week #8, 2025
Turnips or Kohlrabi
Lettuce (time to make salad!!)
Sugar snap peas
Kale
Beets or spinach
Chinese broccoli or chard
Onions
Basil or parsley or cilantro
Zucchini (the first taste)
Potatoes
We continue to plug away at planting the remaining squash beds in the field. The tomatillos found their spot yesterday. Last year I missed them in the rotation and we didn’t have many to give.This year I have a giant variety and hope they will be plentiful. We got over 180 eggplants in the ground with high hopes for a stellar year. They are plagued by pests that eat their flowers so despite high numbers the product is not guaranteed.
We had our first helpers last week. They joined our small family crew to pick the peas as we raced to get the remainder of the harvest done. Christine got so excited by the prospect of clearing a whole bed of weeds that she kept on working after the harvest. When you get to enjoy “purplette” the small perfect red onions later in the season you can thank her for rescuing them.
Weeding the onions is a full time job, as is getting water to all the areas that need it. We took some time on Monday to clean the area around the barn and create an entrance to Luna and Kody’s duck yard. The ducks learned quickly that treats were available when the bell was rung. They love slugs and snails and we have tons in the flower pots around the entrance to the barn. There are treats available to purchase for them in the small greenhouse by their pen. The cost for a container of food is $1 and we will reuse the plastic balls. A great activity for kids and adults when stopping into the farm for your veggies.
From the Pacific Northwest CSA Coalition:
CSA Season is Here and So Is the Joy of Local Eating
It’s officially CSA season! Most shares begin in May and June, so members across the Pacific NW are starting to pick up their weekly boxes full of fresh, local produce. It’s an exciting time to reconnect with seasonal eating, but also a great moment to build habits that reduce food waste and make the most of every carrot top and leafy green.
Here are a few easy ways to get started:
🥕 Save your scraps – Onion skins, herb stems, and carrot tops make great veggie stock. Keep a freezer bag going and simmer when full.
🌿 Store smart – Most greens do best wrapped in a damp towel inside a container or bag in the fridge. Keep roots like beets and carrots in a sealed bag with the tops removed.
🍅 Preserve the bounty – Blanch and freeze greens like kale or chard for later use. Got too many herbs? Chop and freeze them in olive oil using an ice cube tray.
🍓 Dehydrate or pickle – Great for fruit, tomatoes, and root veggies. Even radishes are surprisingly delicious pickled!
Make sure to keep the pressure on your elected officials, cuts to programs like medicaid and medicare affect us all and especially the most vulnerable in our communities. Call them weekly, write to them and attend their town halls. Bonamici does a great virtual townhall that one can listen to and participate in every so often.
Flowers are popping! Pick up a bouquet today, brighten your home, work or any event.
Onward and out to harvest.
Tip of the week: I’ve been using those fresh onion stalks in lieu of scallions and/or leeks in other recipes.
Don’t forget Jingalov hate from one of the earlier posts—GREAT way to use up random leftover greens and herbs.
Greek Greens Fritters
300 gram or approx. 2 cups of a leafy green like spinach, kale, Swiss chard, etc finely chopped
3 Spring onions, chopped (1 1/2 cups)
4 tablespoons dill, chopped
3 tablespoons parsley, chopped
1 red onion, chopped very fine
1 teaspoon salt
A little pepper
1 teaspoon baking powder
150 gram flour or 1 cup of all-purpose flower 150 gram
½ cup olive oil for frying
Greek yoghurt dip
½ cup Greek yoghurt
2 teaspoons olive oil
A pinch of salt
A pinch of pepper
2 pinches of cumin, grounded
Zest of 1 lemon (organic)
Optional: 1 teaspoon honey
Instructions
1. Mix the horta or other leafy greens, the onions, herbs, salt and pepper and leave the mixture for about 30 minutes in the refrigerator.
2. Add and mix it with the flour and the baking powder. The mixture should not be too thin nor too thick, so you may need to add a little flour or a little water depending on how thick it is.
3. Pour the olive oil into a pan, bring to the heat and add the mixture spoon by spoon to the hot oil. Turn them from time to brown on all sides. Take the vegetable balls out of the frying pan and serve them hot.
4. Mix all the ingredients of the Greek yoghurt dip together. Serve the horta fritters with the dip.
Ottolenghi Corsican Greens Pie
12 oz puff pastry, thawed if frozen
2 Tbs plus 1 tsp EVOO
3/4 c think sliced red onion or shallot
3/4 c thinly sliced celery
8 oz chard/spinach/turnip/beetgreens or kale, coarsely chopped—any thick stalks sliced 1/2” thick
Salt, pepper
2 cloves garlic peeled/sliced
2 tsp chopped sage
2 Tbs chopped mint leaves
@ Tbs chopped parsley
1/2 c feta crumbled
1/2c finely grated pecorino
2 Tbs toasted pine nuts
Grated zest of 1 lemon
1 egg, lightly beaten
Preheat the oven to 425. Roll pastry out to 1/8” thickness and trim into 12” circles. Place on parchment lined baking sheet and chill until ready to use
In a large saute pan over medium heat, heat 2 tablespoons of oil. Add onions, celery, chard stems, salt and pepper and cook until softened, then add chard, garlic and sage and sauté until wilted. Remove from heat.
Stir in all remaining ingredients except egg. Allow to cool. Spread onto pastry circle leaving 1 1/4” border. Roll edges up and pinch to form a secure edge. Brush with beaten egg and refrigerate x 10 minutes. Bake until golden
Cold Noodle Salad with Peanut Sauce and Crunchy Vegetables
10 oz soba noodles
2 c. Sliced crunchy vegetables—ex, snap peas trimmed and sliced, turnips sliced into bite sized pieces, kohlrabi, radishes, cakes, zucchini (will be here soon enough!) red pepper slices
1 Tbs sesame oil
1/2 c roasted peanuts, roughly chopped
2 scallions, finely trimmed
Handful cilantro
1 lime, cut in wedges for serving
For the sauce:
1/2 c. Smooth peanut butter
1/4 c soy sauce
2 Tbs maple syrup
2 Tbs lime juice
1 Tbs sesame oil
2 tsp chili oil or hot sauce
1 clove garlic, grated
Cook noodles according to directions, then rinse w/cold water and drain well.
Combine sauce ingredients, then add warm water a tablespoon at a time until pourable consistency
Cut veggies into matchsticks and place in a large bowl; add the noodles and ! Tbs sesame oil and toss well.
When ready to serve, drizzle spicy peanut sauce over the veggie pasta mix and top with toasted peanuts and serve with lime wedges.