This week your basket contains: potatoes, winter squash, leeks (full shares), elephant garlic (half shares) carrots, spicy cooking greens (mustard greens, Swiss chard, and collards) and salad mix (arugula, kale, and miner’s lettuce)

This week your basket contains: potatoes, winter squash, onions, carrots, bok choy, and RADISH microgreens.

The land on which we farm is in a 50-year rural reserve. Oregon’s strong land use planning laws are one of the reason we can grow food so close to you.  Right now a bill in the Oregon legislature (SB 4) is threatening to circumvent the planning process and ultimately threaten farms like ours. We urge you to learn more and sign this petition circulated by a neighboring farmer. https://www.change.org/p/modify-sb-4-and-save-oregon-s-working-farmland-and-rural-areas?redirect=false  Please also contact your state representative and senator and urge them to vote NO on SB4

This week your basket contains: potatoes, winter squash, leeks, carrots, salad mix (turnip thinnings, arugula, spinach, corn salad, miner’s lettuce, endive, baby bok choy leaves, cabbage, and kale) and RADISH microgreens.

This week your basket contains: Florence fennel, SHALLOTS, sweet peppers, KABOCHA SQUASH, elephant garlic, cooking greens (Swiss chard and Chinese cabbage), and green tomatoes.

This week your basket contains:  winter squash, beets, Brussels sprouts, onions, potatoes, and carrots.

Acorn squash, Pie pumpkin, Potatoes, Celeriac, Brussels sprouts, Parsnips, Baby fennel, Carrots, Cooking greens, Garlic, Onions, Shallots.

This week your basket contains: spinach, green garlic, lettuce, kohlrabi or Asian broccoli, snap peas, BABY NEW POTATOES, and CILANTRO

This is the final week of the subscription year.  Thank you all for your patronage and support throughout the past year. For those who will not be with us for next year, we will miss you.  Remember, though, you are welcome here on the farm any time.  Now, on to year #27!

The first new potatoes of the year are always a treat.  The tubers have not finished growing, their skins are not set, and starches have not been formed in the flesh as they are in mature potatoes.  The sooner you eat them, the better they are.

EASY ROASTED NEW POTATOES

Last night Polly roasted new potatoes in a very simple way.  While I was grilling other things on the barbecue, she made a simple tray by folding up the edges of a small (1 foot square) piece of aluminum foil.  She poured in 2 –3 Tbs. of olive oil then placed thinly sliced new potatoes on the improvised tray.  She sprinkled them with salt, pepper, chopped green garlic and cilantro (mint would also work).  We placed the tray on the lower level of the barbecue and turned it occasionally to insure even cooking.  When the spuds were tender to a fork, they were easy to pop off the foil and they came out with a nicely crisp cut face and a light fluffy center.  Yum!  This could also be done in the oven (350 degress).  When the potatoes are almost done, open the packets and place them under the broiler for a few minutes to brown the potatoes.

RICOTTA-SPINACH DIP

1 bunch fresh spinach

salt and freshly ground pepper

1 lb. ricotta cheese

1-2 tbs. fresh dill (optional)

3-4 scallions, finely minced

1/2 cup finely minced water chestnuts

5 to 6 healthy radishes, minced

Stem the spinach, clean and dry thoroughly (a salad spinner works fine, followed by paper towel).  Mince finely (a few whirls in the food processor with the steel blade works perfectly).  Place ricotta in a medium-large bowl.  Use a wire whisk or wooden spoon to beat it until quite smooth.  Stir in the spinach and all other ingredients, including the optional dill (or save as a garnish) and minced water chestnuts.  Cover tightly and chill until very cold.  Serve with chips, raw vegetables, or good crackers.  From Molly Katzen’s Still Life with Menu Cookbook.

ASIAN LETTUCE WRAPS

16 lettuce leaves

1 pound lean ground beef

1 tablespoon cooking oil

1 large onion, chopped

1 green garlic, minced

1 tablespoon soy sauce

1/4 cup hoisin sauce

2 teaspoons minced pickled ginger

1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar

Asian chile pepper sauce (optional)

1 (8 ounce) can water chestnuts, drained and finely chopped

1 bunch green onions, chopped

1 bunch cilantro, chopped

2 teaspoons Asian (dark) sesame oil

Rinse whole lettuce leaves and pat dry, being careful not tear them. Set aside. In a medium skillet over high heat, brown the ground beef in 1 tablespoon of oil, stirring often and reducing the heat to medium, if necessary. Drain, and set aside to cool. Cook the onion in the same pan, stirring frequently. Add the garlic, soy sauce, hoisin sauce, ginger, vinegar, and chile pepper sauce to the onions, and stir. Stir in chopped water chestnuts, green onions, sesame oil, and cooked beef; continue cooking until the onions just begin to wilt, about 2 minutes. Arrange lettuce leaves around the outer edge of a large serving platter, and pile meat mixture in the center. To serve, allow each person to spoon a portion of the meat into a lettuce leaf. Wrap the lettuce around the meat like a burrito, and enjoy!

Our strawberries are producing well, but the season won’t last long!  The variety is Shuksan, a large, very sweet berry that one old time berry grower we know calls “the Cadillac of strawberries”.  Email your order now, and we will send them along as soon as we can ($3/pint or $30/ flat of 12 pints).