Week #14 2019
- Lettuce
- Broccoli
- Kale
- Beets or cabbage
- Tomatoes (still just a taste of what is to come
- Green peppers
- Hot peppers
- Cucumbers
- Zucchini
- Basil
- Green onions
- Garlic
- Potatoes
- Beans (maybe)
- Currants
- Apples (early translucent, simple flavor good for pie and sauce)
We got out there last evening as time is short today and we managed to get most of the harvest done. We have a few items to gather today and it should be ready for pickup this morning. It really feels like summer with the change from no cucumbers to three per share. Green house number 6 is really cranking them out and we barely have one bed in production. This looks like a good year for cucumbers, zucchini, and winter squash. It is time to dust off old recipes and enjoy the cucurbits in all their wonder.
Juvencio and Cole managed to turn over green house number 1 and 2. They are essentially cleared of spring crops and have just a few summer crops. They are prepped for fall planting and overwintering crops. I planted radishes and carrots in hopes of having them ready for the canning party at the end of August. I am trying to hold back and save a tiny bit of room for winter crops like lettuce, radicchio, Chinese broccoli and kale, but it sure is hard to have an “open” bed without planting something. Two of the beds got late peppers and cucumbers (oh, no more cucumbers!). Green house #2 seems like it is dedicated to the gopher family that is racing up and down the newly tilled ground.
Juvencio has weeded the onion beds for the 4th time (that is the charm!). The rain last week was good for crops but also for weeds. The onions are bulbing nicely but probably won’t come out before mid August. We may have fresh sweet onions in the next weeks, but storage onions and specialty onions like the torpedo and cipollini will come later in the summer. The peppers are really loaded. I am harvesting the ones that got stuck in the center of the plant. They are mostly a variety I love for green called “Revolution” as big as a soft ball.
I have begun to transplant fall crops like cabbage and broccoli, cauliflower and fennel. Juvencio tilled my wheat beds and has them ready for brassicas. Lettuce is transplanted weekly through the beginning of September. I seed different crops every week and raise them in the greenhouse until they are ready for transplanting either into the field or a larger greenhouse. This past week I seeded more radicchio and spinach for fall harvest. I can’t believe it is time to think of the end of the season.
Here are the dates of the events to be had at La Finquita:
- August 25 – 9 – 5: Annual Canning party!! Sign up now in the barn, space is limited
- October 6 – Harvest Festival 2-6 p.m.
- July or September (TBA) Farm to Table dinner in the orchard – sign up and let us know you are interested!
We tried to offer fresh picked blueberries last week and there were very few people interested. I will not offer them again unless pre-ordered. You can pick your own at Sunrise Blueberry farm just 3 miles from La Finquita. Check them out at: Sunrise blueberries https://www.facebook.com/SunriseBlueberry/
We still need your help with harvest here at La Finquita. Our two helpers, Cole and Luna have found other jobs and will be available less often to help us. We would love for our subscribers who are able to sign up and help us bring in the harvest. There are 15 weeks left of the season and that is 30 harvests. As you can see from the list, it just gets longer from here on out. Sign up in the barn.
Recipes to enjoy:
Cucumber Salsa Salad
By MARTHA ROSE SHULMAN
This salad, which resembles gazpacho, is a lovely, light way to begin a Mexican meal. Serve it atop lettuce leaves as a salad, or serve over rice. Alternately, use it as a sauce with fish, chicken or fajitas.
1 long European cucumber, very finely diced
Salt to taste
1 small red onion, finely minced
5 medium-size ripe tomatoes, finely chopped
2 jalapeño or serrano peppers, seeded if desired and finely chopped
1/4 to 1/2 cup chopped cilantro (to taste), plus several sprigs for garnish
1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Leaf lettuce or Boston lettuce for serving (optional)
1 avocado, sliced, for garnish
1. Place the finely diced cucumber in a colander, and sprinkle with salt. Toss and allow to sit for 15 minutes. Rinse the cucumber thoroughly with cold water, and drain again on paper towels.
2. Meanwhile, place the onion in a bowl and cover with cold water. Let sit for five minutes, then drain, rinse with cold water and drain on paper towels.
3. Combine the tomatoes, chiles, cilantro, vinegar, lime juice and olive oil in a bowl. Add the cucumber and onion, and season to taste with salt. Taste and adjust seasoning.
4. Serve the salad on lettuce leaves, garnished with slices of avocado and cilantro sprigs, or spoon over steamed rice.
Yield: Serves six.
Advance preparation: You can assemble the salad a few hours ahead, but don’t add the cilantro until close to serving time.
North African Zucchini “Compote” Aljuk
1 lb zucchini, thickly sliced
1 large russet potato (1/2 lb) peeled and diced
2 Tbs lemon juice
2 Tbs olive oil
1-2 garlic cloves, mashed
1 tsp freshly ground caraway seed
3/4 tsp freshly ground coriander seed
1/2 tsp Harissa
Steam the veggies until very soft, then mash and blend in the
remaining ingredients. Use as a spread for pita or flatbread.
Paleo Zucchini Bread (tested and approved by Sue Kass)
Preheat
oven to 400. Prepare 1 dozen muffin tins or oil and line w/parchment standard
loaf pan.
Blend until smooth:
1 c almond butter
2 Tbs cocoa powder
3 Tbs maple syrup
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
Add in
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp apple cider vinegar
Mix well, then fold in
1 c. Shredded zucchini, excess moisture squeezed out.
Muffins take about 15-20 minutes, loaf 30-40.
Doubles, freezes well.
Lonnie’s chocolate Zucchini Cake
½ c soft butter
½ c cooking oil
2 eggs
1 ½ c sugar (can be cut down)
1 tsp. Vanilla
2 ½ c flour
1 tsp soda
½ t salt
½ c chocolate chips
½ c sour milk (buttermilk)
4 T cocoa
½ tsp. Cinnamon
2 c grated zucchini
¼ c chopped nuts
Mix butter,oil, eggs, sugar, vanilla and milk together. Add cocoa, soda, cinnamon and salt and mix well. Add flour, mix well, add zucchini, chocolate chips and nuts. Mix well. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes. 13 X 9 inch pan or 2 loaf pans.
Zucchini Bread Geri Jacob’s Special
3 eggs beaten 1 ½ cup sugar (scant)
1 cup salad oil 2 cups flour
¼ cup ground orange peel ½ teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt 2 teaspoons vanilla
2 teaspoons baking soda 1 cup chopped walnuts
2 teaspoons cinnamon 2/3 cups chopped dates
2 cups grated zucchini
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Beat eggs, sugar and oil in mixer until fluffy. Stir in Zucchini. Sift baking powder, salt, flour, soda, and cinnamon (set aside ½ cup of the mixture). Add flour to Zucchini, Mix well, stir in vanilla. In cuisenart chop dates, nuts and orange peel. Mix in the reserved flour mixture. Add chopped ingredients to other zucchini mixture. Pour into greased and floured baking pan (2 small loaf pans) and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Bake at 325 degrees, 50-60 minutes.
Cranberry-Cream
Scones (use currants instead!)
From
The San Francisco Chronicle Cookbook
2 C all-purpose flour, plus flour for dusting
1/3 C sugar
3 tsps baking powder
¼ tsp salt
½ C fresh cranberries (use currants
instead)
1 1/3 C whipping cream
1 Tble butter, melted
1 Tble powdered sugar
Position the rack in the lower third of the oven; preheat to
375 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Sift together the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt into a
large bowl. Mix the cranberries into the flour mixture. Whip the cream
in a bowl until soft peaks form.
Fold the whipped cream into the dry ingredients just until it
forms a rough semi cohesive mass. (It’s OK that some parts are moister
than others.)
Transfer the dough to a lightly floured work surface and knead
only a few times until the dough holds together. Lightly flour your
hands and pat the dough into an 8-inch circle; place on the baking
sheet. Brush the surface with the butter and sprinkle with the
powdered sugar.
Cut the circle into 10 wedges without detaching them.
Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until golden brown. Cut into the
premarked wedges. Serve hot or at room temperature. Yields 10 scones.
Baked Crispy Kale Recipe
Servings: 4 as snack Prep Time: 5 Cook
Time: 13
The biggest secret to getting the kale super-crisp
is to dry them in a salad spinner. If there is moisture on the leaves, the kale
will steam, not crisp. Also, do not salt the kale until after they have come
out of the oven. If you salt beforehand, the salt will just cause the kale to
release moisture…thus steaming instead of crisping. Have fun with this
recipe, I sometimes mix the salt with Cajun or Creole seasoning.
Ingredients:
4 giant handfuls of kale, tough stems removed (about 1/3 pound)
1-2 tablespoons olive oil
Romano cheese (Pecorino best, Parmesan OK too)
(I like to grate parmesan cheese over them before
baking)
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Place the kale leaves into a salad spinner and spin all of the water out of
the kale. Dump the water and repeat one or two times more just to make sure
that the kale is extra dizzy and dry. Use a towel to blot any extra water on
the leaves. Place the kale on the baking sheet.
3. Drizzle olive oil over the kale leaves and use your hands to massage the
leaves and coat the leaves well with oil. Bake in the oven for 12-20 minutes (I
find 13 minutes to be magical) until leaves are crisp. Take a peek at the 12
minute mark – the timing all depends on how much olive oil you use. Just use a
spatula or tongs to touch the leaves, if they are paper-thin crackly, the kale
is done. If the leaves are still a bit soft, leave them in for another 2
minutes. Do not let the leaves turn brown (they’ll be burnt and bitter) Remove from
oven and serve.
Thai-Style Cabbage Salad
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon peanut oil
- 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons Thai fish sauce
- 1 green cabbage, finely shredded
- 5-6 leaves kale
- 1 small red onion, sliced extremely thinly
- 3 peeled and grated carrots
- 1/2 cup chopped fresh mint leaves
- 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves
- Honey-roasted peanuts
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, stir together the lemon juice, oil, sugar and fish sauce until the sugar is dissolved. Add the cabbage, kale, onion, carrot, mint and cilantro and toss well. The dressing will coat the ingredients very lightly; there will not be a pool of dressing in the bottom of the bowl. Throw in a handful or two of peanuts, toss again, and serve.
- Serves 8-10.
Quick notes
Technique note: An easy way to get super thin slices of onion for use when you are eating them uncooked, as in this salad, is to do it this way. Slice an onion in half lengthwise (stem to root), cut off stem end and root end, peel off and discard papery skin. Then peel off a single layer of onion, press it flat against the cutting board, and slice as paper-thin as possible. Chop the onion one layer at a time, for maximum control.
Chocolate Zucchini Cake 2
A great cake for all that zucchini at the end of the season, and the kids love it too!
Makes 1 9 x 13 inch cake
Printed from Allrecipe, submitted by Sandi
½ cup butter, softened 1 ¾ cup white sugar
½ cup vegetable oil 2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract ½ cup sour milk
2 ½ cups all purpose flour ¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking soda 1 cup semiweet chocolate chips
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon 2 cups zucchini, finely diced
chocolate chips
Directions
- Preheat oven to 305 degrees F, grease and flour a 9 x 13 inch pan.
- Cream the butter, oil and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, vanilla and sour milk(sour milk = 1 teasopon vinager in ½ cup milk)
- Mix flour, cocoa, baking soda and cinnamon toger and add to creamed mixture. Beat well, stir in diced zucchini
- Pour into 9 x 13 inch pan and sprinkle with chocolate chips. Bake at 350 for 40 – 45 minutes or until a tooth pick inserted into the center comes out clean.