This week your basket contains: radishes, green garlic, potatoes, Swiss chard, salad mix (lettuce, spinach, arugula, and endive), TURNIP GREENS and Purple Sprouting Broccoli or raab or cauliflower. 

We are planting seeds and transplanting baby plants just as we always do for our Beaverton Farmers Market garden starts business. The summer market won’t be able to function as usual, and we may find ourselves with a huge investment in seeds, supplies and labor that goes to waste. With that in mind, we have started an online store that will let us get plants to you no matter what. We are still able to deliver this expanded list of starts to you with your basket. Rather than printing a ton of paper (our list runs to 5+ pages), we hope that you will go to pumpkinridgegardens.square.site (link is live on the online version of this note on pumpkinridgegardens.com) and order the plants you’ll need. We also hope you’ll recommend us to your gardening friends to help us get the reach that market affords us. Although the web site states that pick up is the only option, please drop us an email or append the name on your basket to your order and we will deliver the starts as they are ready. 

In addition to offering cheese from Fraga farm, we are also partnering with Cloud Cap mushroom farm! Right now, they are offering a mix of Shitake and Oyster mushrooms that we can deliver with your basket. Although they thought they wouldn’t have enough product until next week, they have started delivering this week! Visit Cloud Cap’s website and click on Pumpkin Ridge Gardens to order directly through the site (credit/debit card only) at www.cloudcapmushroom.co/pumpkin-ridge-gardens.

The gorgeous weather has a downside. The tulips that were so lovely all decided to open. Sorry to all of you who ordered this week. I will soon have beautiful mixed seasonal bouquets for $7. Again, with market so changed, I will have an excess of blooms. If you would like a bouquet each week (or every other week) through the season with your basket, that would help!

The turnip greens in your basket are thinnings from our first seeding. Use the greens and the small roots chopped together. They and the chard would be great in the following Indian dish. The young turnip roots don’t need to be cooked before the greens.

SPINACH AND TURNIP BHAJI

7 ounces small turnips, peeled and finely chopped

1 pound frozen chopped spinach or other greens

1/2 teaspoon paprika

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 tablespoons grated ginger

1 onion, finely chopped

1 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice

Bring 1/2 cup water to a boil.  Add the turnips.  Cook 1 – 2 minutes. Add the spinach and paprika.  Cook 2 – 3 minutes or until all the water has evaporated. Mash the mixture to the best of your ability and remove from heat. Heat the oil in a second saucepan over low heat. Add the ginger and onion and cook 2 – 3 minutes.  Add the vegetables from the first saucepan.  Mix well and toss until everything is well seasoned.  Serve with the lemon juice.

This is another recipe that works well for this week’s basket:

GREEN GARLIC AND GREENS

1 to 2 Tbsp. olive oil or other cooking oil

3 green garlics, chopped

1/8 tsp. salt plus more to taste

2 slices prosciutto, sliced (optional)

1 bunch collard greens, kale, or Swiss chard thinly sliced or chopped

Freshly ground black pepper (optional)

Fresh lemon juice (optional)

Heat a large frying pan over medium high heat. Add oil. Swirl and add green garlic and salt. Cook, stirring, until wilted, about 1 minute. Add prosciutto, if using, and cook, stirring, until it loses its bright pink tone, about 1 minute. Add greens, stir to combine, add 1/4 cup water. Cover, reduce heat to medium low and cook until greens are well wilted, about 3 minutes. Stir, cover, and cook until tender. Depending on the greens used (chard will take a shorter time than the others) and your taste, this will take anywhere from 3 to 8 minutes. Add salt, pepper, and lemon juice to taste, as you like.

RHUBARB is ready.  We’ll send along approx. 1 Lb. for $3.  Just email to order.