THIS WEEK YOUR BASKET CONTAINS: Swiss chard, zucchini, cucumbers, carrots, tomatoes and/or cherry tomatoes, beans, RED ONIONS, and parsley.

BLACKBERRIES ARE RIPE! WE DON’T KNOW WHAT EFFECT THIS HOT WEATHER WILL HAVE ON THEM, BUT YOU MAY WANT TO COME OUT SOONER RATHER THAN LATER. You are welcome to come out and pick all you want free of charge.  We have many, many blackberry brambles that are away from roads (and thus the residues from traffic) for you to pick from.  It is also a nice way for you to come see the farm and enjoy it at your own pace.  Please do let us know when you want to come as we would like to say “hi” and can point you in a good direction.

Heather at MILLENNIAL ACRES has apples ready (Gravenstein right now; other varieties later).  More figs will be available in September. You can contact her directly at millennialacres@yahoo.com or order through her web site (https://millennialacresllc.weebly.com) and we will deliver your order with your veggies

WE ONLY GIVE HOT PEPPERS TO PEOPLE WHO ASK FOR THEM (no extra charge).  If you got them last year, you don’t need to do anything, and you will get some as they are ready.  IF YOU WANT TO GET ON THE LIST FOR THE FIRST TIME, JUST EMAIL AND LET US KNOW YOU WANT HOT PEPPERS.  We’ll add you to the list and send them along (usually in the greens bag) as they are available.

There is a restaurant in NW Portland at 25^th and Vaughn called Bing Mi that Polly & I love to go to when we can.  Their spicy Jianbing (think crepe wrapped around spicy meat and veg with a crispy crepe also in the middle) are amazing!  Equally good, and always included in our order, is their cucumber salad with sesame dressing.  Below is the best version of the dressing we could find.  It calls for kewpie mayonnaise, which is made with egg yolk and MSG, but most importantly it is thicker than regular mayonnaise.  We made this a couple of times with regular mayonnaise and found that in order to keep the sliced cucumbers from releasing a lot of water and further diluting the dressing, we salted the sliced cucumbers, let them drain for 30 minutes or so and then dressed them with the sesame dressing.  This has the added benefit of keeping the cucumbers crisper as well.

ROASTED SESAME DRESSING

3 tbsp toasted white sesame seeds

4 tbsp kewpie mayo

 1.5 tbsp rice vinegar

 1.5 tbsp light soy sauce

 ½ tsp toasted sesame oil

 1 tsp mirin

  1-2 tsp tahini

In a dry cast iron skillet, add the sesame seeds. Shift the pan back and forth to dry roast the seeds over low heat until you can smell the toasty aroma, about 2–3 minutes.  Transfer the seeds to a mortar and pestle. Hand grind until they turn into a coarse powder. Set aside. In a mixing cup, add the rest of the ingredients. Stir and whisk until well combined and the texture is creamy and smooth. Add the ground sesame seeds and stir again. The sauce will thicken slightly as the sesame seeds soak up the dressing. For a thinner sauce, add ½ tablespoon water at a time until you reach your desired consistency. For the best flavor, use it right away for maximum freshness. Store in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. The sauce will continue to thicken over time. Adapted from iheartumami.com

HARICOT MELANGE

6 cups water

1/2 pound dry white beans or small limas

2 1/2 pounds Swiss chard, stems removed

1/4 cup olive oil

1 small onion, coarsely chopped

6 to 8 tomatoes, coarsely chopped

3 medium cloves garlic, chopped

1 teaspoon fresh basil, chopped

1/2 teaspoon fresh thyme

salt and pepper

Bring water to boil in a saucepan, add beans, and boil 2 minutes.  Remove from heat and let stand 1 hour.  Return to boil, reduce heat, and simmer until beans are tender, about 1 1/2 hours.  Drain.  Wash chard, shake off extra water, and cook in a large saucepan over high heat until wilted, 3 to 4 minutes.  Stir frequently so it doesn’t scorch.  Drain well, squeeze dry, and chop coarsely.  Heat olive oil in heavy skillet over medium heat.  Add onion and sauté until softened.  Stir in beans, chard, tomatoes, garlic, basil, and thyme.  Add salt and pepper to taste.  Reduce heat and simmer 15 minutes to blend flavors, stirring frequently.  Adjust seasoning and serve.  SERVES 6.  From Winter Harvest Cookbook by Lane Morgan.