Winter Harvest #1, 2025-26
Collards, kale or chard
Radicchio
Fennel
Tomatoes
Peppers
Hot peppers
Daikon
Persimmons ( these are the hard ones you eat like an apple- they do not have to be completely orange to enjoy)
Apples (a pippin we think and a red delicious?)
Dill or cilantro
Parsley
Eggplant or tomatillos or skillet peppers
Cauliflower or broccoli or cabbage
Arugula
Welcome to the first winter harvest. We are lucky to have a bit of crossover from late summer to fall. Always remember that roasting your veggies brings out the sweetness. We have many recipes below.
I spent 3 ½ hours on a zoom hearing about the proposed BESS facility slated to go in less than 1 mile from La Finquita in the residential area known as Bendemer. The county received over 300 letters about the proposed toxic plant. Much evidence was presented against the plant and the final decision will not come until mid December. There is grave potential to contaminate ground water and thus our well water in the event of a fire like what happened earlier this year at Moss Landing CA. I will keep you apprised of how you can take action, but they are looking for new testimony. In the meantime I have posters on the sign in table to put up at your home.
La Finquita food drive for Western Farm Workers: November 2-16. Non-perishable foods like beans, rice, flour, maseca, onions, potatoes, sweet potatoes, sugar , olive oil, . Please bring in a box that we can easily carry and package.
Food for families affected by ICE raids
I have been racking my brain all week on how to make an impact for families in our community. Here is what I came up with. We are gathering donations for families at my clinic who are sheltering in place due to ICE activity in our area. These families are not able to work, shop, drive, or go to school for fear of being picked up by ICE simply because of the color of their skin. This is not the America I want to live in. We take care of our neighbors and the most vulnerable in our community. Food donations will be delivered directly to the homes or agreed upon drop site. Please deliver donations in a closed box that we can carry. As we assess how well this works we will look for volunteers to deliver food. Please keep an eye on your email. Consider dropping a box of food every time you pick up your produce from La Finquita. We are seeking non-parishables as above. I went to Freddies yesterday and spent $59 . I am thinking this is supplemental food for a family for a week. Here is my example:
Please consider donating. I will ensure it gets to homes of those in need.
Ways to donate to support families who lost SNAP benefits: https://www.oregonlive.com/dining/2025/10/portland-coffee-shop-has-now-raised-nearly-200000-to-feed-people-losing-snap-benefits.html
If you are looking for places to make an impact consider giving to the Give!Guide. We contribute every year to many organizations that are having local impact. Here is the link: https://giveguide.org/
Sign-up for the Thanksgiving harvest 11/23/25 by adding your name to this list and prepaying $50. Sign-up for Thanksgiving Harvest 2025 and CSA 2026
We have tons of work to do on the farm before the heavy frosts. We still need to get plastic back on hoop house #5. (a strong wind about a month ago tore the $500 piece of plastic right off the 90 foot structure. Replacing the plastic requires a day with no rain and no wind and extra hands and some luck. This house had been replaced only 2 years ago and usually lasts 5 years. We hope to do this Sunday early morning if weather permits. We have to plant elephant garlic, tulips, daffodils and pull the dahlias. We have cover crop to sow and greenhouse beds to replant. These next few weeks are crucial and also hard to motivate. I will be spending many hours making holiday wreaths that go on sale 11/22 at the Beaverton Farmers market and will be available at the Thanksgiving pick up.
We are so thankful for our life. Our amazing little farm that houses two barn owls and so many other creatures. We are so fortunate that we are able to work this land and nourish it to produce food for so many. Thanks to our many subscribers and supporters we are in this together. Let’s see how we multiply that love by sharing with our neighbors most affected by this regime we live under.
Here are some resources for winter veggie recipes:
https://cookwithwhatyouhave.com/
One of our favorite cookbooks:
https://www.joshuamcfadden.com/sixseasons
Check out recipes for all winter vegetables here:
https://www.pnwcsa.org/consume-something-amazing
Here is what they had to say about celeriac:
https://www.pnwcsa.org/consume-something-amazing/celeriac
Here are some recipes to enjoy this week:
Our favorite radicchio salad:
Pro Tip: soak your radicchio in ice water for at least 15 minutes prior to making your salad!!
Toro Bravo’s Radicchio Salad
2 to 3 heads radicchio
1/4 cup good-quality balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup good-quality sherry vinegar
1 red onion, chopped
1 tablespoon honey
3/4 cup olive oil
1 + 1/2 cups Manchego, grated and divided
In a large bowl, add the balsamic vinegar, sherry vinegar, and chopped red onion (I used 1/2 of a large red onion). Let it sit for 1 hour and then strain out the onions. (you can keep the pickled onions for another dish if you like)
Remove core from the radicchio and chop into 1-inch pieces. Place the chopped radicchio in a large bowl, fill with cold water and some ice cubes. Let it sit for 15 minutes to remove some of its bitterness, strain and then spin in a salad spinner until dry.
Add the honey and olive oil to the strained vinegars and whisk well, I use this stick blender which works great. Depending on the size of your radicchio you may not need all the dressing.
Toss the radicchio with the dressing until evenly coated. Add 1 cup of finely grated Manchego, salt, and toss again.
To serve, top the salad in a serving bowl with the remaining 1/2 cup grated Manchego. Serves 4-8.
Adapted from Food52’s Toro Bravo recipe
Radish Kimchi
5pounds Korean radish or daikon, peeled and cut into ¾-inch dice
3tablespoons kosher salt
3tablespoons sugar
10scallions, chopped
7garlic cloves, minced
2teaspoons minced peeled ginger
1cup coarse gochugaru (Korean hot pepper flakes), or to taste
⅓cup fish sauce or ½ cup soup soy sauce (see Tip)
Step 1
In a very large bowl, combine the radish, salt and sugar and mix by hand. Let stand for 1 hour, tossing every 20 minutes to distribute the salt evenly.
Step 2
Place a strainer over another bowl and drain the radishes. Reserve ½ cup of the brine and discard the rest.
Step 3
Put the radishes back in the bowl and add the scallions, garlic, ginger, gochugaru, fish sauce, sauerkraut (if using) and reserved brine. Mix together by hand until well incorporated. (Wear disposable gloves, if you like.) Transfer to one or more glass jars or airtight containers. Press down on the kimchi so it’s well packed and no air can get inside, then put the lid on the container.
Step 4
You can serve the kimchi right away or let it ferment. To ferment the kimchi, store it at cool room temperature for 1 or 2 days, until it smells and tastes sour. After a day, there will be quite a bit of liquid in the jar or container. When you open the jar, the mixture may be bubbling. Press down on the kimchi so that it’s submerged in brine, cover and refrigerate. The kimchi will continue to ferment in the refrigerator and become more sour. You can enjoy it at every stage. Whenever you remove kimchi from the jar, be sure to press down on the remaining kimchi with a spoon to prevent it from being exposed to air.
TIP
Soup soy sauce is much stronger, saltier and lighter in color than the soy sauce most Westerners are familiar with, and is available at Korean markets.
Coconut Milk Braised Collard Greens
1large bunch collard greens (1½ to 2 pounds)
1tablespoon unsalted butter
1tablespoon coconut oil
1bunch (6 to 8) scallions, white and pale green parts only, thinly sliced
1½cups unsweetened coconut milk
1tablespoon soy sauce
Step 1
Cut off and discard any dry or wilted bits from the collard greens and wash the remaining collards in cold water. Transfer to a colander to drain, then coarsely chop the stems and leaves into 2- to 3-inch pieces.
Step 2
In a large wok or skillet, heat butter and oil over medium-high until rippling. Add scallions and cook, stirring, until softened, about 1 minute. Add collards and cook, stirring, just until wilted, about 1 minute.
Step 3
Add coconut milk and soy sauce and bring to a simmer. Simmer, uncovered, stirring frequently, until collards are cooked to your taste, about 7 minutes for bright and crisp greens or 10 minutes for darker, softer greens.
Step 4
Season to taste with salt and pepper and serve immediately.
Fennel, Radish and Citrus Salad
¼ cup white wine vinegar
1 tsp lemon zest
2 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 tsp orange zest
2 tbsp freshly squeezed orange juice
2 tbsp honey
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1 tbsp minced shallot
1 tsp minced garlic
1 cup neutral oil (safflower, vegetable, etc.)
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
2 tbsp chopped basil
2 tbsp chopped parsley
2 tbsp chopped mint
2 tbsp chopped tarragon
kosher salt
freshly cracked black pepper
Fennel & Radish Salad
1 bulb fennel, cored & thinly sliced
1 small daikonradish, shaved thin
2 radishes, shaved thin
1 red fresno chili pepper, thinly sliced
1 blood orange, peeled and sliced
fresh mint leaves
flaky sea salt
Citrus Herb Vinaigrette
Combine the white wine vinegar, lemon zest, lemon juice, orange zest, orange juice, honey, Dijon mustard, shallot, and garlic in a mixing bowl. Whisk until smooth.
Slowly drizzle in both oils, whisking continuously, until emulsified.
Stir in all of the herbs. Season with salt and freshly cracked black pepper to taste.
Fennel & Radish Salad
Combine the fennel, daikon radishes, radishes, chili peppers, and blood oranges in a bowl. Drizzle in enough vinaigrette to fully coat the ingredients. Save the extra vinaigrette in a sealed container in the fridge for another use.
Toss well and let the salad sit for about 5 minutes.
Garnish with mint and flaky sea salt.
Fennel Kimchi
3 fennel bulbs
1 large carrot
1 bunch scallions
1 daikon radish
2” piece of ginger
1 head garlic
1 tsp sugar
1 Tb cayenne
2 Tbs red pepper flakes
3 Tbs fish sauce
2 c brine (2 c water with 2 Tbs salt)
Slice the fennel, carrots and radish into thin slices. Cut the scallions into 1/2” pieces then chop lengthwise to make thin shreds.
Prepare the kimchi paste: peel and chop the ginger and garlic. Place the ginger, garlic, peppers, sugar, and fish sauce in a food processor and blend into a paste.
Wearing rubber gloves, massage the paste into the vegetables until starting to wilt and get a little drippy. Pack into a large crock or glass jar, the pour bone over until just covered. Cover and leave to ferment for 5 days.
Collard Green Curry
▢ 1 bunch collard greens
▢ 1 tablsepoon oil
▢ 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
▢ 2 teaspoons grated ginger
▢ 2 teaspoons grated garlic
▢ 1 small green chili, finely chopped
▢ 1 small onion, finely chopped
▢ 1 small potato, small cubes see note 1
▢ 1 cup tomato puree
▢ 2 teaspoons tomato paste (optional)
▢ ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder
▢ ½ teaspoon red chili powder
▢ 2 teaspoons coriander powder
▢ ½ teaspoon cumin powder
▢ ¼ teaspoon sugar
▢ 2-3 tablespoons coconut cream see note 2
▢ salt to taste
▢ 1 ½ cups water
▢ fresh coriander leaves for garnish
▢ 1-2 teaspoons lemon juice
Instructions
Wash the collard greens thoroughly, remove the thick central stem, and finely chop the leaves.
Heat a large skillet and add 1 tablsepoon oil. Once the oil gets hot add cumin seeds, ginger-garlic paste and green chili. Saute for a minute.
Add finely chopped onion and turmeric powder. Saute for a minute.
Add small diced potato, sprinkle some water and cook mixing often till they turn soft. ( alternatively you can skip this step and add some cooked potato at the end)
Add tomato puree and tomato paste and cook for 2 minutes. Then, add the spices and cook for another minute to blend the flavors. Tomato paste is optional, but adds a depth of flavor.
Add red chili powder, coriander powder and cumin powder and cook for a minute.
Add the collard greens, sugar and 1.5 cups of water, and cook until the greens are completely tender.
Add salt, and coconut cream. Let the curry simmer for a couple more minutes. Taste and adjust the salt, or add more water if needed. Finally, garnish with fresh coriander leaves and a squeeze of lemon juice.
Enjoy with roti, raita and pickle.