- Salad mix – Salanova mixed with “New Fire”, “Sylvesta” and “Little Gem” – enjoy the salad while it is sweet and delicate. Wash it well, as slugs also love this spring treat.
- Radishes – “Cherriette” is bright red and sweet until it gets hot with the heat of the summer. Time to make radish top soup!!
- Green Garlic – use this early garlic as you would the store bought garlic or follow a recipe below that emphasizes it’s sweet subtle flavor. This is elephant garlic that we got from our Polly and James at Pumpkin Ridge Gardens. We are giving half of our crop as green and the other half we will save for seed for next year
- Chinese broccoli or white turnips. – The broccoli is coming on, but slowly so not quite enough for everyone just yet. I hope people who got to try it last week will give those who didn’t a chance to enjoy it this week. Remember you are supposed to eat the whole stem and leaves and flower portion. YUM! See the great recipe for turnips too.
- Bok Choi- a green to add to soups, stir fries , or smoothies. The leaves have tiny wholes which let us know our enemies the flea beetles are live and well! They just affect the appearance, not the taste.
- Cauliflower – the biggest of the season and the last of the over-wintering variety. Those who arrive early will see a cooler dominated by these giants, they take up 3 shelves. We enjoyed a whole head cut into flowerets, tossed with olive oil, salt and pepper and roasted for 40 minutes at 350 degrees. Also try cauliflower “rice” see recipe below.
- Onions or shallots
- Kale, chard or spinach – you choose your green for the week.
We have been busy on the farm clearing and tilling any last remains of season 2017. We are working from the east side of the field towards the hoop houses. We managed to get more lettuce, spinach, green onions, kale and cabbage in the upper portion. We then transplanted the first beans and seeded beets and carrots. We hope to start the process of transplanting the onions later today.
I worked the Beaverton Farmers Market yesterday on opening day and it was a nice crazy busy day. I sell with Polly from Pumpkin Ridge Gardens as we share the market business. We sell vegetable starts, flowers and herb starts and fresh cut flowers.. Next weekend is huge as it is Mother’s day, hope you can join us! We are there every Saturday from 8 – 1:30 I will be selling at Catlin Gable School this afternoon from 12 – 4 so come and see me. We will have a wide range of plants for your home garden. I have some starts at the farm as well, but I am having a hard time juggling getting the farm planted and seedlings for people, best to come to the market and I will help you get all that you need.
Juvencio’s hogs are making themselves at home. They are running in the yard and eating up as much feed and left over greens as they can. He has a ½ hog left to sell. Contact him immediately as this will be some delicious pork. He also has beef available and it will be our first Wagyu cross. “Wagyu is any of four Japanese breeds of beef cattle, the most desired of which is genetically predisposed to intense marbling and to producing a high percentage of oleaginous unsaturated fat”. He has ¼ left to sell. We will have ground beef available soon as well (it will not be Wagyu) and he would prefer to sell it in 20# increments. Make sure to touch base with him to order your grass fed beef. Contact him via email: lynjuve@msn.com or by text 503-830-0342.
Election time is near. It is very important that we turn in our ballots. I have information in the barn about Washington County candidates and new information about the DA race that is super important. We usually do not have a choice about the DA who sets the tone on equal justice and prosecution for all. Max Wall is the candidate who will ensure that justice is served with an equal hand in our county. Please do take the time to investigate who to vote for. I have a list of recommendations from our political activism group in the barn.
We had a listening session for our state representative Janeen Sollman last Sunday in the barn. It was a fairly good turn out with a lot of differing view points. I had to speak up about immigrant rights, preserving farm land and making sure there is space left to grow food. We will hold the election night celebration for Juan Carlos Gonzalez at the farm on election night 5/15 from 6- 9 p.m. please do join us. I can not remember a more important time to make our voices heard, to speak out for the rights of all to health care, justice, affordable housing, and the right to live without fear. You have an opportunity to participate right here at your farm, hope to see you here!
Here are the recipes for the week:
Raw Green Garlic Uses: mince and add to salads, pound into a paste to make green garlic aioli, use in salad dressings, sprinkle onto any creation using bread or noodles with cheese
Cooked Green Garlic Uses: Poach the last 4″ of the tips and dress with a mustard vinaigrette, dice and saute the tender portions and add to an omelet or frittata, chop and add to stir frys, chop and add to soup.
Green Garlic Soup Au Gratin
8 Stalks Green Garlic
1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
1 Tablespoon Butter
2 Tablespoons Butter, plus 2 teaspoons Butter
8 sl Day-old Bread
1 1/4 c chicken or vegetable Broth
1/4 teaspoon Salt
1/4 teaspoon Ground Black Pepper
1/2 c Parmesan Cheese, grated
Remove and discard upper third of garlic stalks; (green leaf ends) thinly slice bulb. Heat olive oil and 1 T butter until beginning to foam. Add garlic; saute 1-2 minutes. Reduce heat, cover tightly, and cook 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Spread bread with 2 T butter; oven toast until lightly golden. Add broth to garlic, season with salt and pepper and bring to a boil. Ladle into 2 oven-proof serving bowls; cover with toasted bread and top with cheese. Dot each with a teaspoon of butter. Bake at 450F for 10 minutes, until cheese has melted and begun to turn golden.
Radish Top Soup
Don’t through out your radish greens. Believe it or not, those fuzzy leaves can be transformed into a smooth green soup, with a hint of watercress flavor.
6 tablespoons butter
1 cup chopped onions or white part of leek
8 cups loosely packed radish leaves
2 cups diced potatoes
6 cups liquid (water, chicken stock or combo)
salt
½ cup heavy cream (optional)
freshly ground pepper
Melt 4 T butter in a large saucepan, add onions or leeks and cook until golden, approximately 5 minutes. Stir in radish tops cover pan and cook over low heat until wilted, 8-10 minutes. Meanwhile cook potatoes until soft in liquid along with 1 teaspoon of salt. Combine with the radish tops and cook covered, for 5 minutes to mingle flavors. Puree finely in a food processor of food mill. Ad the cream if desired and enrich with 2 T of butter. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve hot. (serves 4-6)
Moroccan Chicken and Turnip Stew
2 cups cooked chickpeas
2 small (2 1/2 lb) chickens
3 Tb butter
1 Tb oil
2 onions
5 cups chicken stock
1/2 tsp white pepper
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1/8 tsp powdered saffron
1/2 tsp turmeric
1 lb small turnips
2 cups chopped turnip leaves and stems
1/4 cup lemon juice
Salt and Pepper to taste
Rinse chickpeas in water and rub lightly to remove skins; drain and set aside. Cut chickens into quarters, removing wing tips and backbones; put them aside for stock. Melt butter and oil in a casserole and lightly brown chicken on all sides, cooking in two batches if necessary. Slice onions and stir into butter and oil to color. Then add the chickpeas, stock, pepper, ginger, saffron, and turmeric. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 10 minutes. Add turnips and greens and simmer 20 minutes more. Remove chicken and turnips to a covered warm dish. Boil sauce to reduce, mashing some of the chickpeas against the side of the pan to thicken the sauce; it may take 10-15 minutes to produce a nice thick sauce. Add lemon juice and salt and pepper to taste. Reheat the chicken and turnips in the sauce and serve. Serves 6 to 8. From The Victory Garden Cookbook.
Asian Broccoli di cicco
1 pound broccoli di cicco, chopped into 1 inch pieces, including stems and leaves
1 teas. minced garlic
1/3 c. chicken broth
2 tbl. soy sauce
1 teaspoon sesame oil
Heat a large frying pan until very hot. Add the oil and immediately add the garlic. Let sizzle for 15-20 seconds. Add the remaining ingredients and give everything a quick stir. Without turning the heat down, cover the pan and let steam for 3 minutes, or until the broccoli is done.
Vegetable & Chickpea Curry
1 tablespoon olive or other cooking oil
1 cup chopped onion or leek
1 cup (1/4-inch-thick) slices carrot
1 tablespoon curry powder
1 teaspoon brown sugar
1 teaspoon grated peeled fresh ginger
2 cloves garlic
1 Serrano chile, seeded and minced
3 cups cooked chickpeas (garbanzo beans)
1 cups cubed peeled potato
1 cup coarsely chopped sweet (bell or other) pepper
1 cup cauliflower or romanesco, cut or broken up into florets teaspoon salt teaspoon black pepper
1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper
1 can (14.5 ounces) diced tomatoes, undrained
1 can (14 ounces) vegetable broth
3 cups fresh baby spinach or other cooking greens
1 cup light coconut milk
6 lemon wedges
Heat oil in large non-stick skillet over medium heat. Add onion and carrot, cover and cook 5 minutes or until tender. Add curry powder, brown sugar, ginger, cloves and chile. Cook 1 minute, stirring constantly.
Place onion mixture in 5-quart electric slow cooker. Stir in chickpeas, potato, sweet peppers, the cauliflower/romanesco, salt, pepper, ground red pepper, tomatoes and broth. Cover and cook on high 6 hours or until vegetables are tender. Add spinach and coconut milk, stir until spinach wilts. Serve with lemon wedges. Makes 6 servings
Cauliflower & Quinoa Dish recipe by Jonathan Miller
I made a little cauliflower and quinoa dish last week at work for my quinoa-obsessed client. I used red quinoa, but it is good with ivory as well.
1 c quinoa
1 head cauliflower, cut into florets
1 c broccoli, cut into small pieces
large handful snow peas, sliced
1 shallot, minced
3 T lemon juice
1/2 T curry powder
cilantro
olive oil
marinated artichokes
Cook your quinoa and allow to cool slightly. Steam the cauliflower, broccoli, and snow peas to the texture you like. Make a vinaigrette with the shallot, lemon juice, curry powder, a bit of cilantro, and olive oil. Fold that into the quinoa with the vegetables and add salt and pepper to taste. Serve warm, topped with the artichokes. I also finished this with a blackened fish, but it is fine by itself.
Cauliflower Soup from Chef Jonathan Miller
Cauliflower, cut into florets
2-3 carrots, chopped
1 onion, chopped
2-3 T herb of choice (parsley or thyme are good choices)
Broth of choice (chicken stock, veggie stock, or even water), up to 1 quart, depending on size of cauliflower
1-2 c half and half or cream
Sauté the onion and carrots in oil or butter. Cook them until the onions are really soft but not brown. Add the cauliflower and the herbs and cook a few minutes. Add your broth until it comes up just below the level of your veggies and simmer until the cauliflower is cooked, around 12-15 minutes. Add some cream and blend in a blender, then check for salt and pepper.
Link to 25 Cauliflower rice recipes: https://ifoodreal.com/cauliflower-rice-recipes/
CAULIFLOWER FRITTERS
1 small head cauliflower (1 3/4 lb), cut into short 1/2-inch-wide florets
1 teaspoon coriander seeds
2 large eggs
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon chopped fresh chervil (optional)
1 tablespoon chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 tablespoon chopped fresh mint
1 tablespoon chopped fresh chives
1 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
1 to 2 tablespoons olive oil
2 oz thinly sliced smoked salmon, torn into 40 small pieces
1/4 cup crème fraîche*
Garnish: fresh chervil or chopped fresh chives
Cook cauliflower with coriander seeds in a 4- to 5-quart pot of simmering salted water, uncovered, until tender, 9 to 11 minutes. Transfer cauliflower with a slotted spoon to a bowl of ice and cold water to stop cooking. Drain well in a colander, then discard any seeds clinging to cauliflower and pat cauliflower dry. Lightly mash half of florets in a bowl with a fork and gently stir in remaining florets. Whisk together eggs, flour, chervil (if using), parsley, mint, chives, salt, pepper, and nutmeg in a large bowl until combined, then stir in all of cauliflower. Heat 1/2 tablespoon oil in a 10-inch heavy nonstick skillet over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking. Working in batches of 6, drop rounded teaspoons of cauliflower mixture into skillet, patting each lightly with back of spoon to flatten into a 1 1/2- to 2-inch round. Fry, turning over once, until golden and cooked through, about 2 minutes per batch, and transfer to platters. Add more oil to skillet between batches as needed.
Top each fritter with a piece of salmon and 1/4 teaspoon crème fraîche. Serve warm.
Cooks’ note:
• Cauliflower can be cooked and mashed (without egg mixture) 1 day ahead and chilled, covered. Bring to room temperature before proceeding.
Chinese Broccoli with Oyster Sauce
Chinese Cuisine, Huang Su-Huei
12 stalks Chinese broccoli (5-inch lengths)
2 T oyster sauce
1 T corn oil
Bring ½ pot of water to a boil; add a dash of salt. Place the Chinese broccoli in the water and cook for 2 minutes. Remove and drain. Place on a serving platter and sprinkle with oyster sauce and oil. Serve.