This week your basket contains: green garlic, mustard greens, lettuce, French sorrel, KOHLRABI, and purple sprouting broccoli

NEXT WEEK IS THE FINAL WEEK OF THE 2011-12 YEAR.  IF YOU ARE NOT CONTINUING WITH US please check around your home for any and all baskets that may be hiding out.  We will pick up your empty baskets and deliver your veggies in a bag next week.  Thank you all for supporting us throughout this past year.

KOHLRABI is not very well known to many people.  It is a close relative of broccoli which forms an enlarged stem that is the sweetest, most tasty broccoli stem (many people’s favorite part of broccoli) that you will ever taste.  The leaves can also be cooked like kale, though some people prefer to take out the rib before using it.  I think of this recipe as the quintessential kohlrabi dish.

KOHLRABI AND CHICKEN STEW

3-4 lb. Chicken

Cut chicken into serving pieces. Peel kohlrabis and/or broccoli stems; cut larger ones into 1-inch chunks. Cut cabbage into 1/4-inch strips. Peel carrots and slice diagonally into 1/2-inch thick pieces.  In a large saucepan, heat the butter and sauté the onions, tomatoes, salt and spices for 4-5 minutes. Add the chicken and cook for 5 minutes. Add the broth or water and parsley. Bring the broth to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer for 20 minutes. Add the kohlrabis and carrots, cover, and simmer for 10 minutes. Finally, add the cabbage and simmer, uncovered, 10 minutes longer or until all the vegetables are completely tender.  Adapted from The Victory Garden Cookbook by Marian Morash

An easier way to use the kohlrabi is this tip.

EASY ROASTED KOHLRABI

Trim leaves close to the bulb of the kohlrabi (no need to peel the bulb).  Cut the kohlrabi in half or quarters depending on its size and place on a cookie sheet.  Sprinkle with olive oil, salt and pepper.  Roast at 450 degrees until the kohlrabi is tender.

We have started to deliver the plants that you have ordered.  Not every variety is quite ready to go out yet, so we have held onto some plants to give them another week or so to grow in the greenhouse before we deliver them.  If your order is incomplete, we will get you the remaining plants next week.

We now have MIXED FLOWER BOUQUETS.  If you want us to add them to your basket (one time or standing order) please let us know.

We also have RHUBARB. We can add some to your basket for $3/bunch (approx. 1 Lb., enough for one pie).

This week your basket contains: radishes, turnips, green garlic, bok choi or mustard greens, Swiss chard, MINT, and salad mix (lettuce, spinach, arugula, and watercress)

Now that the threat of frost is (more or less) past, it is time for you to put your favorite plants into your garden.  We’ve included a list of plants that we can deliver with your basket.  The best way to order is email, but you can also mark up the sheet and return it to us (just make sure your name is on it!).  You can also visit Polly at Beaverton Farmers Market on Saturdays (8 -1:30) for a wider selection of plants.

This recipe looks like it was developed with this week’s basket in mind!

GREEN GARLIC AND GREENS

Preheat the oven to 500ºF.  Working with one fish at a time, remove the head. Gently pry open the belly to reveal the backbone. Place the fish, skin side up, on a work surface and run the palm of your hand along the spine to loosen it, then trim off the back fin. Turn the sardine over. Starting at the head end, pull the backbone towards the tail in a single motion. (Part of the tail may come off with the backbone.) Rinse the sardine under cold running water, checking for any loose bones, and then pat dry. Repeat with the remaining sardines.  Arrange the butterflied sardines on a baking sheet, skin side up. Season both sides with salt, and brush both sides lightly with olive oil. Roast the sardines, skin side up, for about 5 minutes, or until they are cooked through and the skin begins to sizzle.  Meanwhile, in a small sauté pan, heat a few tablespoons olive oil over medium heat. Add the green garlic and sauté for about 1 minute, or until softened. With a slotted spoon, remove the green garlic and set aside. Over medium-low heat, replenish the sauté pan with a few additional tablespoons of olive oil and sprinkle in the bread crumbs. Sauté for about 2 minutes, or until they crisp up and darken slightly. Remove from the heat, add the green garlic, stir in the capers and mint, and set aside until serving. Transfer the sardines to a serving platter or divide among individual plates, and squeeze the lemon half.

TULIPS AND DAFFODILS are finished, but in about two weeks we will have MIXED FLOWER BOUQUETS.  If you want us to add them to your basket (one time or standing order) please let us know.

We also have RHUBARB. We can add some to your basket for $3/bunch (approx. 1 Lb., enough for one pie).

This week your basket contains: radishes, turnips, purple sprouting broccoli, GREEN GARLIC, SPINACH, BOK CHOI, and salad mix (lettuce, arugula, and watercress)

While we have been able to plant a lot of things into the beds we formed in the last dry sunny spell we had, we are still taking much of the week’s veggies from the hoop houses.  Things are really growing fast in there, and all the turnips and radishes need to be taken now, before they send up flower stalks.  GREEN GARLIC can be used just like a leek or onion. A great recipe, Spinach Green Garlic Pie, can be found in the recipe section of our web site.  This is a recipe that a long-time subscriber sent to us.  It can be used with the turnips and/or the radishes.

PEPPERY TURNIP TREAT

2 tsp butter or margarine

Puree the cashews, vinegar, water, sugar, soy sauce, ginger, Tabasco, basil and mint in a blender. Separate bok choy leaves from stalks, and cut stalks into 1-inch long pieces. Sauté bok choy in a large pan over high heat (oil should not be smoking). Stir briskly for 1 – 2 minutes until it is bright green and well seared. Remove from heat and drape with cashew sauce. Serve immediately.   Serves 4

A few of you have Asian broccoli, which we plant to be a bridge crop between the purple sprouting and “normal” broccoli.  It seems to be coming on a bi earlier this year than we expected, but I know you will enjoy it.  It has thicker stems and broader leaves than purple broccoli, and all parts are used (leaves, stems and buds).  We’ll be tracking who gets it and make sure that over time everyone gets some.

TULIPS AND DAFFODILS are finished, but in about two weeks we will have MIXED FLOWER BOUQUETS.  If you want us to add them to your basket (one time or standing order) please let us know.

We also have RHUBARB. We can add some to your basket for $3/bunch (approx. 1 Lb., enough for one pie).

This week your basket contains: radishes, TURNIPS, arugula, purple sprouting broccoli, kale, and salad mix (spinach, lettuce, arugula, and watercress)

What a difference a weekend can make! The warm weather kept us outside and working pretty much from sun up to sun down for the past three days and we are finally looking at catching up on some of the planting.  One of the hardest lessons to learn is that after a long wet spell, you can’t just rush out and work the soil as soon as it gets sunny.  You have to wait for the sun to actually do some drying or you can pound the soil into muck that bakes into bricks in the sun.  We had to hold back, do the prep work of spreading compost (and making more compost) and time the tilling to try to get the beds prepped before it starts to rain again.  We’ve got over 20,000 square feet of garden beds made and will be planting, seeding and transplanting as fast as we can while hoping and praying that any rain we get holds off for a few days and isn’t too much when it does come.

We absolutely love these Japanese turnips.  They are so different from the purple-topped varieties many of us know (and perhaps dislike).  These are mild and sweet and can be eaten raw or used with dips.  One family we know told us that the recipe below is their traditional “it is finally spring” celebration meal. It is hard to beat.

MORROCAN TURNIP AND CHICKEN STEW

2 cups cooked chickpeas

Melt butter in a large saucepan, add onions or leeks and cook until golden, approx. 5 minutes.  Stir in radish tops and cover pan.  Cook over low heat until wilted, 8-10 minutes.  Meanwhile, cook potatoes until soft in stock along with 1 tsp. salt.  Combine with radish tops and cook, covered, for 5 minutes to mingle flavors.  Puree finely in food processor or food mill.  Add heavy cream if desired.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.  Serve hot or cold.  Note: less butter can be used and cream is unnecessary.  We add whole radishes to the potatoes for more radish flavor.  Serves 4-6.  Adapted from The Victory Garden Cookbook by Marian Morash.

As we have in past years, we will be offering vegetable, flower and herb starts for sale. We will send a list of what varieties are available to order in the next few weeks.

We also have RHUBARB. We can add some to your basket for $3/bunch (approx. 1 Lb., enough for one pie).

This week your basket contains: radishes, potatoes, purple sprouting broccoli, mibuna, collards, scallions and salad mix (spinach, lettuce, and watercress)

Purple sprouting broccoli and overwintering cauliflower are so delicious. Both benefit from simple preparations. One of our favorite recipes for dolling up either, however, is a simple sauté. We put a tablespoon of olive oil in a frying pan, add a small chopped onion and one diced clove of garlic, and sauté until translucent. Add the chopped cauliflower or broccoli, cook until tender (just a few minutes), and drizzle with balsamic vinegar. Let that steam for a minute more and you have a tasty dish, hot or cold.

Mibuna is very similar in taste to bok choy. It is a tender green that cooks even more quickly than spinach. It is perfect to throw into stir fries at the last moment. Collards, on the other hand, really benefit from longer cooking (10 minutes or so) or marinating in a salad dressing. We’ve been using the collards in minestrone-type soups. In the following recipe, you could use both types of greens, blanching the collards first and putting the chopped Mibuna in at the end without blanching first.

SMOKY GREENS SAUTÉ

Mix oil, lemon juice, and soy sauce.  Wash and coarsely chop the greens and place in a large bowl for easy mixing.  Add sunflower seeds, scallions, and any optional ingredients to the greens and mix gently by hand.  Pour dressing mixture over greens and continue mixing by hand to insure even coating and aiding absorption of the dressing.  Let sit for 20-30 minutes before serving.

Despite the almost constant rain, things are moving ahead on the farm. The hoophouses are chock full of crops coming along: white Japanese turnips will be ready next week, new potatoes are up and thriving, carrots have germinated and are visible as we clear out the radishes that were sown in the same row. Peas and lettuce have been transplanted outside and broccoli, kohlrabi, and spinach are waiting impatiently for their turn. Tomatoes, peppers and eggplants are being potted up into their own pots.

As we have in past years, we will be offering vegetable, flower and herb starts for sale. We will send a list of what varieties are available to order in the next few weeks.

We have DAFFODIL AND TULIP BOUQUETS.  As we have in the past, we will deliver bunches of 10-12 tulips or 15-20 daffodils for $6.  Just email to order and we will send them along as they become available.

We also have RHUBARB. We can add some to your basket for $3/bunch (approx. 1 Lb., enough for one pie).

This week your basket contains: radishes, potatoes, raab or purple sprouting broccoli, mustard greens, FRENCH SORREL, and salad mix (spinach, lettuce, and ENDIVE)

IF YOU HAVE NOT DONE SO YET, PLEASE LET US KNOW YOUR RENEWAL PLANS FOR NEXT YEAR RIGHT AWAY! We are holding deposit checks from prospective subscribers and they need to know if we will have a space for them before other farms fill up for the season.

We have given French sorrel in the salad mixes earlier this spring, but it is perhaps best known as the basis for this creamy soup.  This soup has the consistency of cream of spinach soup with the unique lemony flavor of sorrel.  We serve this soup with a hearty, peasant style bread, cheese, and fruit.

SORREL SOUP

3 cups chopped de-ribbed sorrel leaves

Wash and trim radishes, thinly slice.  Place the radishes in a steaming basket, lay greens on top and steam until tender-crisp.  Combine the cumin, coriander and ajwain seeds in a small bowl.  In a large, heavy bottomed nonstick pan, heat the oil over high heat.  When it is hot but not smoking, add the spice seeds and fry until they darken a few shades.  Seconds later, add the radishes and greens.  Stir in the turmeric, cayenne or paprika, and sweetener.  Reduce the heat to moderate and fry for 4-5 minutes.  Remove from the heat, add the salt and lime or lemon juice and toss to mix well.  Serves 4.  Adapted from The Best of Lord Krishna’s Cuisine by Yamuna Devi.

We have DAFFODIL AND TULIP BOUQUETS.  As we have in the past, we will deliver bunches of 10-12 tulips or 15-20 daffodils for $6.  Just email to order and we will send them along as they become available.

We will also have RHUBARB in the near future. We can add some to your basket for $3/bunch (approx. 1 Lb., enough for one pie).

This week your basket contains: RADISHES, potatoes, raab or purple sprouting broccoli, cooking greens kale, collards, and salad mix (spinach, lettuce, watercress, and turnip thinnings)

T IS TIME TO LET US KNOW IF YOU WILL BE RENEWING FOR THE 2012-13 YEAR which starts the first week of June.  We have included a renewal form and bills for deposits.  If you paid in advance last year we have billed you for the full year and have included your renewal discount and pre-pay discount on the invoice.  Because of the recent Oregonian article, we have a number of people anxiously waiting to see if we will have a space for them in the coming year. PLEASE RETURN THE FORM (or email us) WITH YOUR RENEWAL PLANS THIS WEEK so we don’t leave anyone hanging for too long before we have a final answer.

Radishes are so great to have.  These are the very first thing we seeded in January and are a sign that new things will be filling the baskets soon.  These crisp lovely radishes are great on their own, cooked in stir fry or as an addition to salad.  ENJOY!

In addition to the Purple Sprouting broccoli, we have been harvesting some overwintering cauliflower.  They are fantastic!  Some people say they are a gambler’s crop (they froze out for the past three years) and all cauliflower is very finicky, but this first variety to produce is amazing.  The only down side to the overwintering cauliflower is that it doesn’t mature consistently, so it is unlikely we will have enough for everyone in one week, but we are keeping track of who has gotten one and we will have some for everyone eventually.  We like to cook cauliflower very simply; just sautéing it with a few onions and sprinkling with balsamic vinegar, but this is also one of my favorite cauliflower recipes.

CURRIED CAULIFLOWER AND POTATOES

2 green chiles, seeded and cut into long slivers

In a medium sized bowl, mix yogurt, radishes, garlic, onion, lime juice and cumin together.  Taste and salt to taste.  Serve as a condiment for spicy meat dishes.

We have DAFFODIL AND TULIP BOUQUETS.  As we have in the past, we will deliver bunches of 10-12 tulips or 15-20 daffodils for $6.  Just email to order and we will send them along as they become available.

We will also have RHUBARB in the near future. We can add some to your basket for $3/bunch (approx. 1 Lb., enough for one pie).

This week your basket contains: potatoes, RAAB or PURPLE SPROUTING BROCCOLI, cooking greens (bok choi, mustard greens, Swiss chard, and Chinese cabbage) and salad mix (French sorrel, spinach, lettuce, watercress, and arugula)

After having our Purple sprouting broccoli freeze out three years in a row, we have harvested our first shoots from one of our hoop houses!  We seed PSB in June, transplant it into the garden in July, and wait all summer and winter for it to finally make its beautiful, sweet and tender heads in the spring. You use the entire sprout, leaves, stems and all.  Raab, also known as cima di rapa, is the flowering top of mustard family plants like kale, collards or mustard greens.  This is essentially another form of broccoli.

Purple sprouting broccoli on left; Pink Lettucey Mustard greens on right; Tuscan kale top middle; Rainbow Lacinato Kale bottom middle.

“Mapo” Tofu

2 cakes extra firm tofu

For the lentils: place the lentils, chopped garlic and sage in a small saucepan with enough water to cover them to twice their depth. Bring to the boil, cover and simmer for about 25 minutes or until tender. Drain if necessary and set aside.   Crush the fennel and chilli together in a pestle and mortar or spice grinder. Heat the 1 tablespoon of oil in a large heavy-based frying pan and lightly fry the fennel seeds, chilli and garlic for 1-2 minutes.  Meanwhile, blanch the cima di rapa in a pan of boiling water for 1-2 minutes. Once the cima di rapa is cooked, drain and add to the frying pan with the fennel seeds, chilli and garlic. Lightly fry for a few more minutes.  Remove the cima di rapa mixture from the pan and chop finely. Put it back in the pan along with the lentils and heat through with a splash of olive oil. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
For the scallops: if using scallops in their shells, remove from the shells, trim the scallops and reserve 4 cleaned shells for serving. Rub the scallops with a little olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Heat a large frying pan and fry the scallops for 1-2 minutes on each side until slightly caramelised and just cooked. To serve, pile the cima di rapa into the cleaned scallop shells, spoon over a few lentils and top with the scallops. Garnish with the parsley and capers.

Assuming we get some spring-like weather (which we must), we will have DAFFODIL AND TULIP BOUQUETS some time in the near future.  As we have in the past, we will deliver bunches of 10-12 tulips or 15-20 daffodils for $6.  Just email to order and we will send them along as they become available.

We will also have RHUBARB in the near future. We can add some to your basket for $3/bunch (approx. 1 Lb., enough for one pie).

This week your basket contains: cabbage, potatoes, carrots, bok choi, mustard greens, and salad mix (French sorrel, spinach, lettuce and arugula)

This week marks the official first day of spring, though you couldn’t tell it by being outside!  On the other hand, we met my definition of the first day of spring a couple of weeks ago; a day when we had snow, rain, hail and sun during daylight hours.  The cold weather has slowed things down quite a bit.  We have a pear tree on the farm that is very early to bloom.  About three weeks ago I noticed that its buds were about to burst.  I looked again yesterday, and the flower buds have hardly changed at all.  This all just goes to reemphasize  the importance of our hoop houses where much of this week’s harvest came from.

SMOKY MUSTARD GREENS SOUP

½ lb. sweet Italian sausage

Sprinkle chicken with soy sauce and set aside. Discard stems from mushrooms. Slice caps in half and set aside.

Heat peanut oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add chicken mixture, garlic and pepper flakes. Cook, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes. Add broth, vinegar, sesame oil and reserved mushroom caps and bring to a boil. Simmer uncovered until chicken is cooked through, about 2 minutes.  In a small bowl, combine cornstarch with cold water and stir into stew. Cook, stirring frequently, until sauce has thickened. Stir in bok choy and green onions; heat through.  Makes 4 servings.  Reprinted from Twenty Minute Chicken Dishes Copyright 1991 by Karen A. Levin

This week your basket contains: onions, potatoes, rutabagas, parsnips, BOK CHOI, and collards.

A few weeks back, when we had our tree planting party, there were a couple of items left by our helpers.  One is a shovel, the other a blue rain jacket. Just let us know if either is yours and we will send it (them) along with your basket.

This is a bit of a catch-as-catch-can week.  We’ve reached the end of many of the crops we’ve had in your baskets through the winter. However, the overwintering crops are coming along slowly. One bright spot is in the hoop houses.  We planted some of out purple sprouting broccoli in a hoop house to hedge our bets on winter weather, and we have seen the beginnings of little heads on these plants while nothing is showing on the outside plants.  We can hardly wait!  While the weather has been keeping us out of the gardens, we have been very busy in the covered spaces.  Our greenhouse is chock-a-block full of flats of tiny plants that range from snap peas to peppers and tomatoes.  We have been transplanting peas, lettuce, arugula, spinach, mustard greens and others into the hoop houses.  We have also planted red potatoes that we will be harvesting for those sweet little new potatoes.  We have radish, turnip, carrots and beets seeded and growing in the hoop house as well.  If you would like to see more about how we maximize the valuable, dry, and warmer space that the hoop houses give us, go to our web site and check out the blog post “polyculture” that Polly posted a few weeks ago. A hoop house is also where the bok choi came from this week.  In fact, these are the same bok choi we took outer leaves off of for last week’s cooking greens mix.  These are wonderful crunchy Asian greens that are a perfect ingredient for stir fry.  This very basic recipe is lovely.

GUANGDONG-STYLE BOK CHOY

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter or oil a 2-quart baking dish. Combine the polenta, salt and water in the baking dish. Place in the oven on a baking sheet. Bake 50 minutes. Stir in the butter, and bake for another 10 to 15 minutes until the polenta is soft and all of the liquid has been absorbed. Stir in the cheese, if using. While the polenta is baking, cook the vegetables. Heat the oil in a large, heavy nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring, until it begins to soften, about 3 minutes. Add the carrots, kohlrabi and parsnip, and then season with salt. Cook, stirring often, until tender, about 10 minutes. Add the garlic, and stir together for about a minute until fragrant. Stir in the tomatoes with their liquid, a pinch of sugar and salt to taste. Cook over medium heat, stirring often, for 15 minutes until the tomatoes are cooked down and fragrant. Add lots of freshly ground pepper, taste and adjust salt, and remove from the heat. Serve the polenta with the vegetables spooned on top.