Sauvie Island Organics Farm Blog

This Week’s Share

• Basil
• Cabbage, red or green
• Carrots
• Cucumbers
• Garlic
• Lettuce
• Parsley
• Potatoes
• Summer Squash

In addition to potatoes, carrots, garlic, cabbage, squash, cucumbers and lettuce; you’ll also receive a bunch of parsley (approximately 1 cup chopped) and a couple ounces of basil. Not quite enough basil for pesto (yet), but a nice amount to add to a salad, sandwich or pizza. Beans are still making the rounds and you will see them in the next week or two. And stay tuned for corn and tomatoes.

The variety of garlic you’ll receive this week is Killarney, a hard neck variety. The cloves are easy to peel and have a strong flavor and reddish-brown skin. We’ve been saving and planting our own Killarney for over seven years. The garlic is planted in the fall to grow a decent sized bulb. This week we finished pulling all the garlic out of the field and now it’s stacked up in the barn curing. You’ll be enjoying a bulb of garlic each week, we have numerous varieties planted, so let us know if there is a variety you prefer.

Recipes (compiled by Heidi Noordijk)

My father is from the Netherland and whenever we had carrots and potatoes in the house he’d always make hutspot. It’s definitely a comfort food for me and I’d like to pass on the recipe. Before my vegetarian days my dad would add smoked sausage to this dish. Now he makes it sans meat. This recipe is adapted from Simply in Season by Mary Beth Lind and Cathleen Hockman-Wert.

HUTSPOT

6 large potatoes
6 carrots
1 cup onion
1/3 cup milk
2 tablespoons butter
1/4 teaspoon pepper

Chop these ingredients and boil in water for about 30 minutes. Drain and mash vegetables together. Gradually beat milk into vegetables. Add butter and pepper and beat vigorously until light and fluffy.

POTATO SOUP WITH CABBAGE AND PROSCIUTTO

Adapted from Fresh from the Farmers’ Market by Janet Fletcher

You may get a red cabbage or a green cabbage in your share; feel free to try this recipe with either.

4 Tablespoons unsalted butter
1 large onion, chopped
2 large cloves garlic, minced
2 ounces prosciutto di Parma, chopped
1 tablespoon minced fresh sage
1 teaspoon minced fresh rosemary
2 pounds potatoes, peeled, in 1/2 cubes
Salt and freshly ground pepper
2 cups broth
3/4 pound cabbage finely sliced

Melt butter in a large pot over moderate heat. Add onion, garlic, prosciutto, sage and rosemary. Sauté until onion is soft and sweet, about 10 minutes. Add potatoes, season with salt and pepper and stir to coat seasonings. Sauté about 3 minutes, add broth and 4 cups water. Bring to a simmer, cover and adjust heat to maintain a gentle summer. Cook until potatoes are tender, about 20 minutes.

Using a potato masher, mash potatoes until most of them break down and begin to thicken soup; it’s nice to leave a few slightly rough pieces to give the soup a more interesting texture. Stir in cabbage and simmer gently until it is just tender, about 10 minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning.

GRATED CARROT SALAD
Adapted from Fresh from the Farmers’ Market Janet Fletcher

1/2 pound carrots
1 1/2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 small clove garlic, finely minced
2 teaspoons chopped fresh chives
Salt

Peel carrots; grate with a large-holed grater. Transfer to a bowl and stir in olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, chives and salt to taste. Taste and adjust seasoning.

ROASTED GARLIC AND POTATO PURÉE
Adapted from Chez Panisse Vegetables Alice Waters

1 head garlic
Extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 pound potatoes
Salt and pepper
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted
1/8 cup milk, warmed

Preheat oven to 375˚ Break apart the heads or garlic into single cloves. Leave them unpeeled and crowd them into a baking dish. Drizzle generously with the olive oil, add 1/4 inch of water, and roast for 30 to 45 minutes. The garlic is done when a clove squeezed between thumb and forefinger expresses a soft purée. Do not over cook, or the garlic will dry out and burn, resulting in a very unpleasant taste. Extract the purée by squeezing the cloves by hand or passing them through a food mill.

Peel the potatoes and cut them into big chunks. Boil in salted water until they start falling apart. Drain them in a colander and put it in the oven for 5 minutes, to dry out the potatoes a little. Pass the potatoes through a food mill and whisk in the melted butter, the garlic purée, and enough of the warm milk to obtain the right consistency. Season with salt and pepper and finish with a little bit of spicy, fruity olive oil.

Zucchini and Basil Pasta

Adapted from Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone by Deborah Madison

This would be a great light lunch using your summer squash and basil

Prepare 1/4 pound of thin spaghetti or angel hair pasta. Warm olive oil in a skillet and add a clove of finely chopped garlic. Cut the zucchini into 1/2 inch chunks and add to skillet. Season with salt and pepper and cook gently over medium heat until squash is soft and browned in places. Add 3 tablespoons of half-and-half or milk and cook for 10 more minutes, stirring more frequently. Drain the pasta and toss with zucchini, freshly grated Parmesan cheese and a handful of basil leaves torn into small pieces.

PARSLEY SALAD WITH OIL AND LEMON
Adapted from Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone by Deborah Madison

1 cup parsley leaves- pluck the leaves from the stem, then wash and dry well.
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

Toss parsley leaves with oil and lemon juice. Season with salt and freshly milled pepper.

This Week’s Share

• Beets
• Carrots 
• Cucumbers
• Fennel
• Garlic
• Kale
• Lettuce
• Onions, sweet
• Summer Savory

Share Notes

For more information on Summer Savory see CSA Newsletter Week 6. Summer Squash and Greens Beans will be in your shares this week or next. And Basil is just a week away.

Recipes

Beet, Carrot & Fennel Slaw

adapted from myrecipes.com

3 beets (about 1 pound), peeled and coarsely shredded
3 large carrots (about 3/4 pound), coarsely shredded
1  fennel bulb, coarsely shredded
1 tablespoon brown sugar
3 teaspoons sesame seeds, divided
3 tablespoons peanut or canola oil
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (about 1 lemon)
2 tablespoons seasoned rice vinegar
1 tablespoon soy sauce
2 teaspoons sesame oil
1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger
Salt, to taste
Freshly ground pepper, to taste

Toss carrots, beets and fennel in a large bowl. Whisk together brown sugar, 2 teaspoons sesame seeds, and next 6 ingredients in a small bowl until well blended. Add salt and pepper. Pour dressing over vegetables, and toss until well coated. Sprinkle with remaining teaspoon of sesame seeds.

Roasted Roots

Any desired combination of:

Beets
Carrots
Potatoes

Fennel

Olive oil
Ginger, minced (Optional)
Salt

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Wash desired amount of veggies and chop into evenly sized chunks about 3/4 inch across.
3. Combine ginger and veggies in a bowl. Drizzle and coat with a thin layer of olive oil. Sprinkle with salt. Place on a lightly greased baking sheet. You can also slice into 1/4 inch slices for chips, in which case you should reduce the cooking time by 10 minutes.
4. Roast 35 to 45 minutes, flipping once about halfway through cooking. The roots should be tender and easily pierced with a fork, the outsides should be browned.

Savory and Garlic White Bean Aioli
Adapted from Veganomicon by Isa Chandra Moskowitz & Terry Hope Romero

This mayonnaise-free reinvention of aioli is delicious as a dip for vegetables and crackers, or as a creamy spread for sandwiches and burgers.

1 (15 oz) can navy or great northern beans, drained and rinsed
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon salt
Several pinches of freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup olive oil
3-6 cloves garlic
2 Tablespoons savory needles

1. Finely chop the garlic and savory. The easiest way to do this is to put it into the food processor for a few seconds.
2. Combine the beans, lemon juice, salt, and pepper in a food processor or blender and puree until smooth, scraping down the sides of the mixer to get everything.
3. Preheat a small pan over low heat. Cook the garlic and savory in the olive oil for about 3 minutes. You just want to gently heat it, not brown it.
4. Add the garlic-savory oil to the mixture in the blender and puree. Taste for salt, pepper, and lemon and adjust to your liking.
5. Transfer to a container, cover, and refrigerate until ready to use.

Carrot Pudding

adapted from veggieboards.com  

I first tried carrot pudding on an Indian airline and have since tried to recreate the initial experience. I have since realized it is delightfully reminiscent of pumpkin pie.

2 C cleaned (washed/peeled/ends cut off) and shredded carrots (about 2-3 LARGE)

1 C. vanilla Soymilk

1/3 C. raisins

1/3 C. chopped walnuts (optional)

2 Tbsp. packed brown sugar

2 Tbsp. flour

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

1/4 tsp. ground [powder] ginger

1/4 tsp. allspice

1/8 tsp. nutmeg

1. Pour milk into medium sauce pot. Over low-medium heat, whisk in sugar, vanilla extract, cinnamon, ginger, allspice, and nutmeg. Combined thoroughly, and whisk in flour until smooth.

2. Add raisins and nuts (if using) and stir gently to incorporate.

3. Add shredded carrot; stir to mix everything together.

4. Stir frequently over low heat, watching carefully so milk does not scorch.

5. Gently simmer for 30 minutes, or until liquid has mainly reduced (if not absorbed altogether), and carrots are soft.

6. Serve hot or cold.

Sisters Of The Road Cafe

This season all of our vegetable donations are going to Sister Of The Road Cafe.  The Cafe supports community driven solutions to the calamities of homelessness and poverty, in an atmosphere of gentle personalism and nonviolence since 1979. They serve low cost, hot, nutritious meals that can be purchased in a variety of ways, including with cash, food stamps, or in exchange for work.

Save The Date

Join us Saturday August, 16 for our annual potato harvest work party and french fry feast. This is a very kid friendly event. Please bring a potluck dish to share. Join us anytime during the event even just for lunch!

-10-12:30 spuds harvest
-12:30-1pm farm tour
-1pm-2pm potluck lunch

This Week’s Share

• Broccoli
• Carrots
• Chard
• Cilantro
• Cucumber
• Garlic
• Lettuce
• Potatoes    

Share Notes…

Cucumbers make their debut in the share this week.  Just enough at first to slice on a salad or sandwich, but look forward to more in the coming weeks.  You’ll start to see summer squash in the share this week or next.  The summer squash is a little behind this year.  Our first planting was set back by symphylans – a very challenging soil pest that we are trying to learn to out smart.  Symphylans are small, white “centipede-like” soil arthropods that feed on the root hairs of plants.   Despite our efforts to help the plants grow through this root pruning, many of the summer squash plants in the first planting are the same size as when they were planted weeks ago.  As soon as we realized the first planting wasn’t going to amount to much, we planted an extra couple of beds in another field.  These squash should start producing soon and will provide the usual bounty.  Also on the vegetable horizon are more fresh onions, basil and parsley, and tomatoes.

Recipes

Pommes a l’Huile

Adapted from Vegetable Love

1 ½ lbs new potatoes

1 teaspoon salt

3 grinds black pepper

1 ½ tablespoons tarragon vinegar (or substitute white wine vinegar)

¼ cup olive oil

¼ teaspoon dry mustard

1 tablespoon stock

1 tablespoon chopped herbs of your choice

Boil the potatoes in their skins in salted water until they can be pierced with a toothpick.  Drain.  As soon as the potatoes can be handled, slip off the skins in slated water.  Slice into 1/8 inch thick slices and put into a glass or ceramic bowl.  Combine remaining ingredients except herbs and toss potatoes in this mixture.  Cool to room temperature.  Fold in chopped herbs.

Steamed Carrots with Sesame Vinegar and Cilantro

Adapted from Kitchen Garden

2 tsp finely chopped cilantro

1 tablespoon finely chopped ginger

½ tsp. sesame seeds toasted

½ cup rice wine vinegar

¼ cup orange juice

2 tablespoons brown sugar

Combine all the ingredients except the carrots and set aside.  Cut the carrots into ¼ inch slices.  Steam in a steaming basket over boiling water until just tender – about 10 minutes.  Remove from steamer and mix with vinegar mixture.  Serve hot or chilled.

Chard Omelet

Adapted from Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 large onion, quartered and thinly sliced crosswise

1 bunch of chard, leaves only, chopped

Salt and freshly milled pepper

1 garlic clove, or equivalent amount of fresh garlic

6 to 8 eggs, lightly beaten

2 tablespoons chopped parsley

2 tablespoons chopped basil

2 teaspoons chopped thyme

1 cup grated gruyere

2 tablespoons freshly grated parmesan

Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a 10 inch skillet, add the onion, and cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, until completely soft but not colored, about 15 minutes.  Add the chard and continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until all the moisture has cooked off and the chard is tender, about 15 minutes.  Season well with salt and pepper.

Meanwhile, mash the garlic in a mortar with a few pinches of salt (or chop them finely together), then stir it into the eggs along with the herbs.  Combine the chard mixture with the eggs and stir in the gruyere and half the parmesan.

Preheat the broiler.  Heat the remaining oil in the skillet and, when it’s hot, add the eggs.  Give a stir and keep the heat at medium high for about a minute, then turn it to low.  Cook until the eggs are set but still a little moist on top, 10 to 15 minutes.  Add the remaining parmesan and broil 4 to 6 inches from the heat, until browned.

Serve in the pan or slide it onto a serving dish and cut it into wedges.  The gratineed top and the golden bottom are equally presentable.

Carrot and Cilantro Soup

Adapted from Chez Panisse Vegetables

1 onion

3 tablespoons butter

1 bunch of carrots

3 or 4 potatoes

Salt and pepper

1 1/2 quarts chicken or vegetable stock

Peel and slice the onion and put it on to stew in the butter over low heat, covered.  Peel the carrots and potatoes and cut them in large chunks.  Once the onion is fairly soft, add the carrots and potatoes, salt generously and continue to stew, covered, for about 10 minutes more.  Add the stock to cover, and simmer until the vegetables are entirely cooked.  Take the pot off the heat. Puree the soup in a blender or food processor and strain through a medium sieve.  Adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper.  To serve the soup, bring back to a simmer, ladle into bowls.

This Week’s Share

• Broccoli
• Carrots
• Fava Beans 
• Fennel
• Garlic
• Kale
• Lettuce

Recipes

Seasonalchef.com has nine delicious ways to use fava beans. Below is one of the recipes to see all nine click here.

Saute of Fresh Fava Beans, Onions, and Fennel
adapted from seasonalchef.com

3lbs fresh fava beans, shelled
1/3 cup olive oil
1 cup chopped onion
1 fresh fennel bulb trimmed, sliced
1 teaspoon fennel seeds coarsely ground with a spice grinder
1 1/3 cup canned low-salt chicken broth more or less
4 tablespoon chopped fresh dill
1/2 cup chopped pancetta
1/2 teaspoon dried savory
2 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
Salt to taste
Freshly-ground black pepper to taste

1.Cook fava beans in boiling salted water 2 minutes. Drain, cool and peel outer skins.


2. Heat oil in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and fennel bulb; saute 5 minutes. Add favas or lima beans and fennel seeds; saute 3 minutes. Add 1 cup broth and 2 tablespoons dill; bring to boil. Reduce heat; simmer 10 minutes to blend flavors.


3. Stir in pancetta and savory, adding more broth if mixture is dry. Simmer until favas are tender, about 15 minutes longer.


4. Mix in lemon juice and 2 tablespoons dill. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve warm or at room temperature. (Can be made 2 days ahead. Cover and chill. Bring to room temperature before serving.)


Edible Portland has a wonderful article about fava beans. Try the EGG NOODLES WITH FAVA BEANS, LEEKS AND MORELS recipe they recommend.
 


Fava Bean Falafel
adapted from The Best of Bloodroot Volume One
by Selma Miriam and Noel Furie


1. Chop 1 large onion and a bunch of straight leaf parsley. Slice 3 to 4 cloves garlic.


2. Turn favas in a food processor. Add onion, garlic, and parsley. Also: 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, 1/2 teaspoon fresh ground pepper, 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda, 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin, 1 teaspoon ground coriander, 1 tablespoon Spanish paprika, and 1 teaspoon chili powder then process. Scrape down bowl and process again. Don’t make mixture too fine. Taste and adjust seasoning as you like. Turn into a bowl and pat down with your hand firmly. Let mixture rest in refrigerator at least one hour.


3. Prepare tahini sauce: rinse processor. Pour into it: 1/2 cup tahini, 1/4 cup water, 3 tablespoons lemon juice, 4 cloves garlic, 1/4 cup parsley, chopped, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Process, scrape down, and process again to make a smooth mayonnaise-like sauce. Turn into a mixing bowl and coat with a film of olive oil.


4. Fry falafel: Just before dinner, shape falafel into small balls. Use your hands to squeeze out extra moisture into a bowl (to discard), and then roll and pat into a ball shape about the size of a golf ball. Heat grapeseed oil in a wok. You will need enough to just cover the balls as they cook. When oil is hot enough deep fry 6 falafel balls per diner. Drain on absorbent paper and repeat. Alternatively, falafel may be shaped into small cakes and pan-fried, preferably in a cast iron skillet.


5. Falafel is traditionally severed as a sandwich in pita bread, with sliced tomatoes and onions and shredded lettuce. Offer the tahini sauce, cucumber sauce and pepperoncini peppers as well.


Fava bean Spread
Adapted from Simply Vegan by Debra Wasserman

3 cups favas
1/4 cup tahini
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/4 cup water

Blend all the ingredients together in a blender or food processer until smooth. Serve on whole wheat bread with lettuce

SICILIAN PASTA WITH SARDINES AT SEA

Red, White and Greens: The Italian Way with Vegetables

by Faith Willinger

“The sardines are at sea, not in the sauce for this vegetarian version of a classic Sicillian pasta that combines the traditional flavors of pine nuts, raisins, spice, and fennel greens.”

5-6 quarts water
2-3 tablespoons coarse sea salt
1/2 pound fennel fronds, tough stalks removed
1 large onion chopped
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 1/2 cups tomato pulp (fresh or canned)
3 tablespoons pine nuts
3 tablespoons dried currants
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
pepper to taste
1 pinch powdered saffron or a few saffron threads
16 oz spaghetti

1) In a pot, bring 5-6 quarts of water to a rolling boil, add 2-3 tablespoons salt, and cook the fennel fronds for 6-8 minutes or until tender. Remove the fennel from the pot with a slotted spoon, refresh in cold water, and drain. Chop coarsely. Reserve the cooking water.


2) Put the chopped onion in a large nonstick skillet, drizzle with olive oil, and stir to coat the onion. Saute over low heat until the onion is soft.


3) Add the tomato, pine nuts, currants, nutmeg, chopped fennel, and salt and pepper to taste and cook until the sauce thickens.


4) Dissolve the saffron in 2 tablespoons of pasta cooking water.


5) Return the fennel cooking water to a rolling boil, add the pasta, and cook until it still offers considerable resistance to the tooth, around 3/4 the recommended cooking time. Drain, reserving 2 cups of pasta water.


6) Add the pasta, saffron water, and 1/2 cup pasta cooking water to the sauce and cook over highest heat for 3-5 minutes until pasta is cooked and sauce coats pasta. Add more pasta water, 1/4 cup at a time, if sauce gets too dry.