Sauvie Island Organics Farm Blog

This Week’s Share

• Arugula

• Beets
• Carrots
• Fennel
• Garlic
• Lettuce
• Scallions (Green Onions)

Field Notes

It’s officially summer and the time of year when we are salivating in anticipation for the summer’s bounty. Soon your share will start to plump up with summer squash, beans, cabbage and parsley. Our tomato plants are starting to fruit, and our corn is as the saying goes “knee high by the 4th of July,” which means it’s right on schedule for arrival in your share later in the season. We hope you are as excited as we are for the season ahead and your share in the harvest.

Recipes

Beet Recipes

Arugula, Roasted Beet and Fennel Salad
Adapted from www.drgourment.com

2 large beets
1 large bulb or 2 smaller bulbs fresh fennel
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 cup arugula
1/4 teaspoon salt
fresh ground black pepper, to taste
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1 ounce feta cheese

Cut the stem and tip ends off of the beets. Scrub well and wrap in aluminum foil.
Place in the oven and roast for 45 minutes. Remove and let cool. (This may be done in advance, with the beets placed in the refrigerator overnight.) Remove the leafy ends from the fennel and any stalks that appear too tough. Slice very thinly. Place the olive oil in a small skillet over medium heat. Add the sliced fennel and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 15 minutes. Remove and let cool. Remove the beets from the aluminum foil. The skins will slip off easily after roasting. After they are skinned cut into 1/2 inch cubes. Mix together the beets, sautéed fennel, arugula, salt, black pepper, ground cumin and crumbled feta. Chill well.

Whole Beet Skillet
From Simply in Season by Mary Beth Lind and Cathleen Hockman-Wert

4-6 medium beets with greens
1-2 tablespoons lemon juice
1-2 teaspoons ginger root, peeled and minced
1-2 teaspoons honey (optional)

Cut green off beets, leaving about 1 inch of greens on beets. Place beets in large saucepan, cover with water, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until beets are tender when pricked with a fork, 15-30 minutes, depending on size. While beets are cooking, remove stem from beet greens. Chop stems in 1-inch pieces. Chop green separately. Drain the cooked beets and rinse with cold water. When beets have cooled enough to handle, slip off peel with finger. Cut beet in slices. In a sauce pan sauté stems in 1-2 tablespoons butter until tender. Add greens and sauté until bright green and just tender. Add sliced beets and heat through. Stir in lemon juice, ginger root, and honey and serve immediately.

Fennel Recipes

Note: This is the last fennel until the fall, so enjoy the sweet smell and delicious flavor while you have it

Pasta with Golden Fennel
From Local Flavors by Deborah Madison

Note: Member Jessica Roberts, excited for the first taste of fennel in her share, submitted this recipe to us after the first distribution of fennel. She often makes it with bulghur wheat instead of pasta, and says both ways are, “so delicious and easy!”

2 fennel bulbs
2 tablespoons unsalted butter (can use olive oil)
1 tablespoon olive oil
sea salt and freshly ground pepper
grated zest and juice of 1 lemon
1 1/2 cups water, divided
1 garlic glove minced
3/4 to 1 pound fettuccine
Parmigiano-reggiano or dry monterey jack cheese

Set aside the fennel greens. Quarter the bulbs and thinly slice. Heat a large pot of water for the pasta. Melt 1 tablespoon of butter with the olive oil in a wide skillet. Add the chopped fennel and saute over high heat, stirring occasionally, until browned in places, 7 to 10 minutes. Season with 1 teaspoon of salt. Toss with the lemon juice, then add 1 cup of water. Reduce the heat and cook, covered, until the liquid has evaporated. Add another 1/2 cup of water and continue cooking in this fashion until the fennel is very soft and deep gold in color, about 25 minutes in all. Season with pepper. If your fennel still has greens chop a handful of fennel greens (about 1/3 cup) with the garlic and lemon zest and set aside. Add salt and the pasta to the boiling water and cook until al dente. Scoop it out and add it to the pan with the fennel and chopped greens. Taste for salt and season with pepper. Serve with the cheese, finely grated or thinly shaved over the top.

Roasted Beet and Fennel Salad
(see above in Beet Recipes)

Scallion Recipe

Note: Scallions are new this year, we planted them as an trial crop and they showed great results that you will enjoy in your share this week. Scallions (also called green onions) are additions to salads, tacos, baked potatoes, and any other dish you find for them.

Shrimp a la Fein
From the Court of Two Sisters

Note: This recipe is incredibly delicious and very quick and easy. It makes a great 15 minute meal when served over couscous.

1/2 lb medium raw shrimp
2 strips of bacon
3-4 scallions
juice of 1/2 lemon
salt, pepper and paprika to taste
1 tablespoon butter
Tabasco
Worcestershire Sauce

Dice bacon and sauté in a skillet until half cooked. Pour off excess fat. Lower flame. Add butter, peeled raw shrimp, scallions (chopped fine), and season and to taste with salt and pepper. When the shrimp are turning pink, add lemon juice and 2-5 dashes each of Tabasco and Worcestershire Sauce. Serve over couscous, quinoa, or pasta if desired.

Excess Bag-gage

Over the winter SIO decided to do some number crunching and figure out our approximate plastic bag usage so we could place our order for 2009. In the process we were stunned to learn that in the 2008 season SIO and its members used nearly 16,000 bags last season. That breaks down to 64 bags per share for the season, or approximately 2 bags per share per pick-up. Those numbers caused us to think more about our produce bag choices, and as a result we chose to go with US produced plant based bio-plastic produce bags that break down in 1 year in ideal conditions. In exchange for SIO taking a step to reduce its impact, we now challenge SIO members to reduce their produce bag use by 25% by bringing your own bags, using one bag for several items, and reusing produce bags when possible. We will happily continue to provide produce and paper bags and at our bulk sites (and when needed in box shares) for the convenience of our members, but appreciate any efforts in reducing overall bag use at SIO.

This Week’s Share

• Carrots
• Fava Beans
• Garlic, Fresh
• Lettuce, Romaine
• Kale, Red Russian
• New Potatoes

Note: Potatoes may appear somewhat dirty because they are new potatoes, and in order to keep their thin and delicate skin intact we used a gentler washing technique.

On Rotation

• Broccoli

Recipes

Fava Bean Recipes

Warning: There is a rare genetic deficiency that affects some people and can lead to health problems if they eat fava beans. This condition is relatively rare and usually detected by childhood, but if you have never eaten fava beans before we recommend you check out www.g6pd.org to learn more.

Grilled Fava Beans
Recipe adapted from The Food Section, http://www.thefoodsection.com/foodsection

Olive oil, enough to coat pods generously

Salt, use generously

Fava bean pods, as many as you want to grill (I recommend a large number because they are so delicious and so easy to make)

Season the raw bean pods generously with salt and toss with extra virgin olive oil. Place the pods on the grill and cook until blackened and soft. As the pods pop and blister on the outside, they steam within. When they have sufficiently charred on both sides, remove the pods from the grill, let cool, and then pry them open to reveal the beans, which may be slipped from their thin skins or eaten whole, skin and all. The salty, meaty beans are as tasty as they are easy to prepare.

Spanish Tortilla with Spring Vegetables

Adapted from Fresh from the Farmers’ Market by Janet Fletcher

Note: The tortilla Española or Spanish tortilla is a traditional Spanish dish enjoyed at any time of the day, but is one of the most common dishes offered for tapas. Like an omelette, vegetable ingredients can be interchanged depending on the season (or what you need to get rid of in the fridge), but the tortilla Española’s distinctive olive oil poached potatoes and onions are what provide its delicious flavor and texture and should not be left out.

5 tablespoons olive oil

1½ pounds new potatoes, cut into 1/3-inch dice

salt and freshly ground pepper

3 cups onion, sliced

6 large eggs

1 cup fava beans, shelled

Heat 4 tablespoons olive oil in a large nonstick or well oiled cast iron skillet over moderate heat until hot but not smoking, then reduce heat to moderately low and cook potatoes, onion, 1 teaspoon salt, and a generous amount of pepper, stirring occasionally, until potatoes are tender (10-15 minutes). Drain potatoes and onions over a bowl and let cool. Crack eggs into a bowl and add the cooled potato and onion mixture, as well as the fava beans and mix well. Add 1 tablespoon drained oil to skillet and then add the vegetable and egg mixture and cook over low heat, covered, until sides are set but center is still loose, about 12 minutes. Remove from heat and let stand, covered, 15 minutes.

Shake skillet gently to make sure tortilla is not sticking (if it is sticking, loosen with a wooden or heatproof spatula). Slide tortilla onto a large flat plate or cookie sheet, then invert skillet over tortilla and flip it back into skillet. Round off edge of tortilla with a spatula and cook over low heat, covered, 10 minutes more. Slide tortilla onto a plate and serve warm, cut into wedges.

Lettuce Recipe

Caesar Salad

From Shannon Raider, a former SIO Farmer

Note: If you like a little less intensity you can adjust the taste, just put in less garlic and anchovy.

1-2 head romaine lettuce, washed and torn into salad-size pieces

3 cloves garlic

2 tablespoons olive oil, plus ¾ cup olive oil

½ tin of whole anchovy fillets

1 tablespoon dry mustard

2-6 shakes of Tabasco sauce

2 tablespoons Worcester sauce

1 raw egg yolk or 1 coddled egg yolk*

¼ cup lime juice

¼-½ cup grated parmesan cheese

salt and fresh ground black pepper, to taste

In the bottom of the bowl that you will serve your salad into, work 3 cloves of garlic into a paste with 2 tablespoons olive oil and pinch of salt using two forks. Next, add half a tin (or one of those tiny jars) of whole anchovy fillets into the garlic paste in the same fashion. Adjust anchovy amount to your liking. Then add 1 tablespoon dry mustard, 2-6 shakes of Tabasco sauce and 2 tablespoons Worcester sauce.
 Whisk in the raw egg yolk or coddled egg yolk*. Whisk in 3/4 cup olive oil and 1/4 cup lime juice.
 Stir in grated Parmesan Cheese (at least a 1/4 cup, but I like a lot of cheese).
 Add salt and generous amounts of ground black pepper to taste.
 Pour dressing into a jar and toss salad in the well seasoned bowl, toss with as much dressing as you like.
 Extra dressing can be stored for up to one week in the refrigerator.

*Coddling causes the egg white to cook and leaves the yolk liquid. This sterilizes the egg of any bacteria that could contaminate. Bring egg to room temperature. Place the egg in a small bowl or mug and pour boiling water around the egg until it is covered. Let stand for exactly 1 minute. Immediately run cold water into the bowl.

Kale and Carrot Recipe


Kale and Carrot Slaw
Adapted from Seasoned in the South by Bill Smith

3 cups kale, cut into ¼ in. strips
4 carrots, peeled and shredded
3 large garlic cloves, minced
1 onion, diced (optional, if used sweet onion lends better flavor)
Zest and juice of 1 lemon (about 3 teaspoons zest and 3 tablespoons juice)
1 teaspoon fennel or dill seed (optional)
½ teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
½ teaspoon sugar, plus more to taste
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
a few splashes of balsamic vinegar

Toss together the first 8 ingredients. Let stand 30 minutes. Stir in olive oil. Taste for seasoning, and add more salt or sugar, if desired. Refrigerate in an airtight container and let marinate for at least a few hours before eating. The slaw will keep for up to 1 week refrigerated in and airtight container.

Farmer In Training (FIT) Spotlight: Meryl

After taking a cross country cycling trip from Michigan to the west coast, and passing through Portland Meryl knew she had to move here. So in 2007 Meryl came to Portland with the goal of starting her own organic farm restaurant where the ingredients for the restaurant are raised and grown on her own farm. She began the Hospitality and Restaurant Management Program at Western Culinary Institute, and after completing the program and receiving her associates degree in Restaurant Management Meryl took time to work at some of the prominent restaurant kitchens in the Portland area, including Lovely Hula Hands, Wildwood, and Aquariva (all of which are SIO buyers). Although she enjoyed the restaurant industry, she still needed to learn more about the farming side for the organic farm restaurant and that is how she made her way to SIO. Through her participation in the FIT program she hopes to learn the skills needed to farm and sustain her own restaurant (hopefully back in Michigan where she is from). Her favorite job at SIO so far is harvesting lettuce because, “its really rhythmic and a good way to wake up in the morning.”

This Week’s Share

• Broccoli
• Carrots
• Chard
• Fennel
• Garlic Scapes
• Lettuce

Recipes

Fennel Recipes

Pasta with Fennel and Chard
Adapted from Riverland Farm in Sunderland MA, www.riverlandfarm.com

Note: Sweet fennel pairs nicely with bitter greens
Ingredients

1/2 cup olive oil
1 onion, minced
1 medium fennel bulb fronds removed and set aside, halved and thinly sliced
salt and pepper
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 lb spaghetti
1 bunch chard or (other cooking green), washed and chopped
1 cup grated parmesan cheese

Heat oil in a large braising pan or skillet with a cover. Add onion; sauté over medium heat until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in fennel; sauté until golden, about 10 minutes. Add 1/2 cup water and season to taste with salt and pepper. Cover and simmer over medium-low heat until fennel is tender, about 8 minutes longer. Stir in vinegar; simmer to blend flavors, 1 minute longer. Season to taste. Meanwhile, bring 4 quarts water to boil in large pot. Add 1 tablespoon salt and the pasta; return to boil. Add the chopped chard to boiling pasta and continue to cook until pasta is al dente, about 7 minutes. Drain pasta and greens, then toss with fennel mixture and cheese. Transfer portions to warm pasta bowls. Garnish with reserved minced fennel fronds. Serve immediately with more cheese passed separately.

Fennel, Mushroom and Parmesan Cheese Salad
Adapted from The Kitchen Garden Cookbook by Sylvia Thompson

Note: You can prepare the dressing an hour or two in advance, but the salad ingredients won’t keep pristine for more than half an hour.

For Dressing:
1/3 cup mild olive oil
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoons finely packed fennel leaves, finely chopped
salt & freshly ground white pepper to taste
a tiny pinch of nutmeg

For Salad:
2  fennel bulbs, sliced paper-thin
1 oz. Parmesan cheese, shaved paper-thin
4 plump mushrooms, about 1 oz each, sliced paper-thin
freshly ground white pepper to taste

Use a fork to blend the dressing ingredients in a small bowl.  Taste for seasoning.  Cover and keep in a cool place. Combine the thin sliced fennel and cheese in a mixing bowl.  Beat the dressing to blend it and add 1/4 cup to the bowl.  Blend carefully with your hands - the cheese tends to sink to the bottom, and you don’t want to end up with just crumbles. Spread a handful of this mixture on 4 salad plates, filling the plates.  Heap the mushroom slices lightly over the fennel, leaving a curly border of the fennel.  Beat the dressing again and spoon 1 Tbsp. over the mushrooms on each plate.  Grind pepper over the salads and serve at once as a separate course with bread.

Chard Recipes

Swiss Chard with Raisins and Pine Nuts
Adapted from Food to Live By, by Myra Goodman

1 bunch Swiss chard
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 tablespoons garlic scapes, minced
grated zest of 1 lemon
1/4 cup raisins (golden raisins have a nice flavor, but any kind will do)
1/2 cup toasted pine nuts
coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper

Rinse the chard and cut the ribs off the leaves. Cut the ribs into 1/2 inch dice and set aside. Stack the leaves and cut them into 1/2 inch strips. Set the leaves aside separately. Heat olive oil over medium heat in large, heavy pot or large, deep skillet with a tight fitting lid. Add the garlic scapes and chard ribs and cook, uncovered, until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the chard leaves and cook, stirring frequently, about 1 minute. Add 2 tablespoons water, most of the lemon zest, and the raisins. Cover the pot and cook, stirring occasionally, until the chard is tender and the water has almost evaporated, 4 to 8 minutes. If the water evaporates before the chard is tender, add an additional splash of water. Remove the pot from the heat. Stir in the pine nuts, and season the chard with salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately garnished with remaining lemon zest.


Pasta with Fennel and Chard
(see above in Fennel Recipes)

Carrot Recipes

Carrot Broccoli Salad
Adapted from allrecipes.com

2 cups fresh broccoli florets
1 cup shredded carrot
1/2 cup sunflower kernels
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup coleslaw dressing (recipe below, or you can purchase at the store)

In a small bowl combine all ingredients and mix well. Serve or refrigerate.

Basic Coleslaw Dressing:

Note: This is just a good basic dressing, but you can spice it up however you wish.
Mix it at least 24 hours ahead of time and refrigerate.

1/2 cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
1 teaspoon sugar (more or less depending on personal taste)
2 tablespoons milk
1 tablespoon celery seed

Mix all together, preferably in a glass container. Stir and taste a few times in 24 hours of time it is sitting.

Farmer in Training (FIT) Spotlight: Katie

Sauvie Island Center Summer Celebration

This Week’s Share

• Dill
• Fuyo Shomi
• Garlic Scapes
• Kale
• Lettuce
• Spring Onions, Walla Walla Sweets
• Turnips, Hakurei

On Rotation:

• Broccoli

Meet Our Farmer In Training Crew

Left to Right: Jeramy, Melissa, Carol, Caitlyn, Katie, Kristin, Justin, and Meryl

This Week’s Share

• Braising Mix
• Green Garlic
• Lettuce
• Mizuna
• Radishes or Turnips
• Spinach

On Rotation

• Broccoli

Recipes

Braising Mix Recipes

Our braising mix is one of our signature recipes at Sauvie Island Organics, arriving in your share during the cooler months of spring and fall when the many varieties of kale, mustard, and Asian chois that make up this mix thrive. You will enjoy green and red mustards, red choi, white steamed pac choi, yukina savoy (tatsoi) and Red Russian kale in this flavorful mix of “greens”.

Although all of these leafy greens can be eaten raw, as the name suggests, they are perhaps best lightly braised, steamed, or stir-fried. The recipes below offer ways to use them outside of a standard stir-fry or braised side dish. A quick and easy preparation is to sautee your green garlic until soft, adding in any other vegetables you want to use at the same time as the green garlic. Throw in the braising mix in the last few minutes of cooking with some soy sauce and rice vinegar and any other seasoning that you choose.

White Cheddar Polenta with Braised Greens, Spring Morels, and Pancetta
Recipe from Emily Thomson at Full Circle Farm, http://www.fullcirclefarm.com

½ pound fresh wild morels (or other seasonal mushroom), cleaned and sliced in half
3-4 tablespoons olive oil
1-2 stems green garlic, thinly sliced
¼ pound pancetta (Italian cured bacon), sliced
4 cups water
1½ teaspoons salt
1 cup polenta (coarse cornmeal)
¾ cup grated white Cheddar cheese
¼ cup butter
1 pound braising mix, washed and torn into bite size pieces
Salt and pepper, to taste
¼ cup freshly grated Parmiggiano-Reggiano cheese

Combine 4 cups water and 1½ teaspoons salt in large saucepan. Bring to boil. Gradually whisk in polenta. Reduce heat to low. Cook until polenta thickens and begins to pull away from sides of pan, whisking often, about 25 minutes. Whisk in the grated Cheddar and the butter. Adjust seasoning if necessary. Turn off heat, cover and set aside.

Meanwhile, rinse the braising mix in cold water and set in a colander. In a large, heavy pan, heat the olive oil and sauté the green garlic and pancetta until lightly colored. Toss in the morels and cook for 5-6 minutes. Turn heat to high and add the washed greens; the water that clings to them will create the braising liquid. Toss with tongs until slightly wilted, then turn heat to low, cover, and braise for 5-6 minutes.

Stir the polenta and spoon onto plates. Top with the greens and morel mixture and scatter the rest of the grated cheese over the top. Finish the dish with freshly ground pepper and a drizzle of olive oil.

Mess o’ Greens Salad with Warm Pecan Dressing
Adapted from www.seasonalchef.com

1 lb braising mix
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 teaspoons honey
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
2 teaspoons oil (vegetable, olive, peanut, etc.)
½ cup pecans, roughly chopped or broken

Wash greens, dry thoroughly, and remove and discard the long stems. Tear the greens into salad-size pieces and place in a large bowl. In a small bowl, combine the vinegar, honey and mustard. Set aside. Heat the oil in a small skillet until hot but not smoking. Add the vinegar mixture and pecans and cook, stirring regularly, for 2 to 3 minutes. Pour over the greens and serve at once.

Spinach Recipes

Spinach and Lentil Salad with Balsamic Vinaigrette
Recipe adapted from www.1001recipe.com

2 cups spinach
3-5 radishes or turnips, grated (optional)
½ cup mushrooms, sliced
¼ cup lentils
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons olive oil
Salt, to taste
Pepper, to taste

Cook lentils with some salt in boiling water for 20 minutes, or until done. Rinse with cold water. To make the vinaigrette, whisk thoroughly olive oil and balsamic vinegar with some salt and pepper, or use vinaigrette recipe from below. Combine spinach, grated radish or turnip, chopped mushrooms, and cooked lentils. Pour the vinaigrette on and toss before serving.

Spinach and Mizuna Salad with Baked Goat Cheese Rounds
Recipe adapted from the Culinary School of the Rockies Staff

2 cups spinach
½ bunch mizuna
8-ounce goat cheese log
Vinaigrette (recipe below) or bottled Italian dressing
½ cup breadcrumbs

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Rinse and dry mizuna and spinach and arrange on a platter or place in a salad bowl. Cut goat cheese log into eight ½ inch slices. Lightly brush goat cheese slices with some of the vinaigrette or salad dressing. Place breadcrumbs on a plate and thoroughly coat goat cheese slices in breadcrumbs. Place on a baking sheet and bake in oven for 10 minutes. Remove carefully from baking sheet. Place the baked goat cheese slices around the edges of the salad on the platter or on top of the salad in the bowl. Dress as desired and serve.

Note: Feel free to add whatever fresh sliced vegetables to the salad as you wish. Also try olives, fresh or roasted peppers, walnuts or almonds.

Basic Vinaigrette Recipe
Recipe adapted from the Culinary School of the Rockies Staff

Note: This recipe is given in terms of proportions so you can make as little or as much as you want.

3 parts acid such as vinegar or lemon juice.
1 part Dijon-style mustard
9 parts oil — vegetable (safflower, canola, etc.) or olive oils
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

Whisk the acid, mustard, salt and pepper together until dissolved. Add the oil very slowly, by droplets, whisking continuously until emulsified.

Mizuna Recipes

Soba Noodle Salad with Mizuna
Recipe adapted from Dani Spies, www.danispies.com

2 cups mizuna leaves, washed, stemmed, and chopped
4-5 radishes or turnips, thinly sliced
2-4 scallions, thinly sliced (optional)
2 carrots, cut into diagonal slices (optional)
2 cups of cooked Soba noodles
2 stems green garlic, thinly sliced
1 tsp ground ginger
1 tablespoon of toasted sesame oil
2 tbsp low-sodium soy sauce
2 tbsp sesame seeds

Combine mizuna, radishes or turnips, green garlic, carrots, scallions and noodles in a large bowl. In a separate bowl, combine garlic, ginger, oil, and soy sauce. Whisk together and pour over noodles. Top with sesame seeds and enjoy. Serves 3.

Spinach and Mizuna Salad with Baked Goat Cheese Rounds
(see above in Spinach Recipes)

What can I put in my SIO Compost Bucket?

If you’re at one of the bulk pick-up sites you can participate in our compost bucket exchange. Take a clean bucket and bring it back the following week with whatever compost you generate that week.

Here are the basic guidelines for what can go in the buckets: Any vegetable material, including coffee grounds, citrus, etc., also egg shells, and small amounts of oils, fats, and dairy are fine. Just please no meat in your buckets. We don’t like plastic bags in the buckets; they’re hard to clean out. Please don’t put rubber bands or other non-degradable items in the bucket, we end up having to sift them out and throw them away.

The most important thing is that you don’t hold onto a bucket for more than a week (and try to keep it in a cool place, out of the sun, during the week). After a week they start to get pretty smelly and that means they’re running out of air. This makes the compost from them less valuable.