This Week’s Share

Share Notes

• Mizuna: Mizuna’s mild, slightly nutty flavor and pleasant chew make it surprisingly versatile. Raw, you can enjoy it almost as you would lettuce, as the base of a salad, in a sandwich, or even as a bed of greens for meat or fish. Alternately, try throwing it in a stir-fry at the last minute, or wilting and serving with a soup or stew.

• Mustard Greens: If you are new to mustard greens then give these a little nibble fresh first as they tend to be packed with spicy kick. The mustardy hot taste mellows when cooked.

• Turnips, Hakurei: Hakurei turnips are of the salad variety, and are great eating fresh in salads or on their own. They also are great  in a stir fry, pickled, and in many other preparations.

Important Things to Remember When Picking-up

This Week’s Share

Spring (or is that Summer) has Sprung

With the warmest and driest spring on record in years, we could not ask for more ideal weather for plant establishment and growth. That said, boy are we busy with irrigation much earlier than usual. It’s hard to believe, but we have received a mere 2.4 inches of rain in March and 2.9 inches in April. Compared with the 12.5 inches in March and the 4.9 inches in April of 2012, it’s no wonder we are already busy laying irrigation pipe and drip irrigation so that we keep up with the various water needs of the crops.

The Joi choi (see photo above), green garlic, lettuce, kale (see photo below), radishes and bunched mustards planned for your first share are looking beautiful in the field, and we are brimming with excitement at the outlook for the first harvest. With the beginning of May there is plenty of work here on the farm, and we have a full crew starting this week ready for training and preparation for the first CSA harvest and delivery. It’s exciting out here with bodies moving, sprinklers spraying and plants and the people enjoying this glorious spring equally. We hope you too are enjoying your spring, and building excitement for your first share in just three more weeks.

CSA Pick-up Details Coming Soon

The first week of the CSA season is set to begin after Memorial Day, the week of May 28th. You can expect to receive detailed information about your pick-up site by May 15th via email. In the meantime please feel free to email us at csa@sauvieislandorganics.com or call our office 503.621.6921 with any questions you may have.

These sweet peppers, only seeds in early April, are now full grown starts ready for transplant into the field as soon as nighttime temperatures allow.

Come Join Us for the Spring Farm Tour & Potluck

Join us Saturday, May 18^st to kick-off the season with a tour of the farm and a CSA Community Potluck. This event is from 11am to 2pm. Tours of the farm will happen at 11am & 1pm and we will share a potluck lunch at noon. Bring your family, friends, kids, neighbors, and anyone you think would enjoy a day on the farm, and don’t forget to bring a potluck dish to share. The farm fields are located at 13615 NW Howell Park Rd, just a mile past the Sauvie Island Bridge.

Sauvie Island Center Offering Summer Farm Camps for Kids

Sauvie Island Center is a non-profit educating kids about food, farming and the land. They are offering several Summer Farm Camp programs in July, and you can find more information about those and how to register on their website (www.sauvieislandcenter.org/camps).

April Showers Bring….CSA Shares in May!!

That’s right, it’s April and we are as busy as the bees out here on the farm. We’ve got two-thirds of our full acre of broccoli transplanted out into the field (see photo above), we started seeding the sun lovers tomatoes, eggplant and peppers in our green house last week, the fava beans are up and on their way (see first photo below), and lettuce starts are being transplanted weekly  (see second photo below) to make sure we have plenty for your shares come May. We are also in the process of interviewing and hiring our 2013 Seasonal Field Crew, and are always on the hunt for hardworking individuals with a passion to learn and contribute to our team, and there is more information available on our website.

Shares are filling up, Don’t Miss Out on Yours

We are nearly full for the 2013 season, so if you’ve been on the fence now is the time to take the leap. Have a friend/neighbor/co-worker that missed out last year? Let friends, family and co-workers know about the joys of being an SIO CSA member now, and if they mention your name in their sign-up form comments then we’ll send you a $5 gift card to Food Front Cooperative Grocery. Food Front has been a long time customer of SIO, purchasing a variety of our crops throughout the season. In just the last year we harvested and delivered over 2,900 heads of lettuce and 250 pounds fennel to our friends at Food Front, and with their commitment to quality local producers and a delicious products we look forward to years of working together in the future.

Signing-up is easy, just fill out and submit a Community Farm Agreement on our website we’ll get back to you via email confirming your sign-up and payment option.

Come Join Us for the Spring Farm Tour & Potluck

Join us Saturday, May 18^st to kick-off the season with a tour of the farm and a CSA Community Potluck. This event is from 11am to 2pm. Tours of the farm will happen at 11am & 1pm and we will share a potluck lunch at noon. Bring your family, friends, kids, neighbors, and anyone you think would enjoy a day on the farm, and don’t forget to bring a potluck dish to share. The farm fields are located at 13615 NW Howell Park Rd, just a mile past the Sauvie Island Bridge.

Getting Deep: Chard Transplanting at SIO

Check out this video taken today of our Harvest and Pack-Out Manager Jen transplanting chard starts with the  spring crew. The photos below the video show the chard starts in the trays before they are popped out for planting (top photo), and also the chard starts on the surface of the soil after they have been popped from the tray, dropped at eleven inch spacing, and ready for someone to plant them into the ground.

Recipes

It seems to be comfort food week —cozy, cozy fair which is what I crave with these cool, dark days. Do pick up some arugula or other winter salad greens if you’re out and maybe some fresh walnuts–both used in the recipes below. This is also the last week of the share so I wish you happy Holidays and a delicious, healthy and peaceful winter. I look forward to seeing you here again in late spring for the 2013 season. Thank you for cooking and please do send feedback of any kind.

All the best, Katherine Deumling (Cook With What You Have)

Provencal Cabbage Gratin
Rice and Smothered Cabbage Soup
Winter Squash and Peanut Stew
Spiced Squash and Lentil Salad
Onion or Leek and Winter Squash Panade
Roasted Beet, Walnut and Arugula Salad
Beet Sandwiches 

Provencal Cabbage and Leek Gratin
–adapted from Martha Rose Shulman in the NY Times

Serve this hearty gratin as a main dish. It’s good hot or at room temperature.

1 ½ lbs pounds cabbage, quartered, cored and cut in thin ribbons (about ¾ of a medium cabbage)
3 tablespoons good olive oil
1 onion, diced
2 leeks, carefully washed, cut in half lengthwise and cut into ½-inch slices
2 large garlic cloves, minced
6 leaves fresh sage, chopped
1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
Salt, preferably kosher salt, and freshly ground pepper
2 eggs
1/2 cup rice, preferably a short grain rice like Arborio, or brown rice, cooked
3 ounces Gruyère cheese or other flavorful grating cheese (sharp cheddar would be fine), grated (3/4 cup, tightly packed)
3 tablespoons breadcrumbs

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Oil a two-quart gratin. Heat two tablespoons of the olive oil in a large, heavy nonstick skillet over medium heat, and add the onion and leeks. Cook, stirring often, until tender and translucent, about five minutes. Stir in the garlic, sage and thyme, and cook for another minute until fragrant. Add the cabbage and salt to taste. Add 1/2 cup water, and bring to a simmer. Cook, stirring often, for 10 minutes until the water has evaporated; the kale and cabbage should be wilted and fragrant but still have some texture and color. Add pepper, taste and adjust salt.

Beat the eggs in a bowl, and stir in the cooked vegetables, the rice and Gruyère. Stir together well, and scrape into the baking dish. Sprinkle the breadcrumbs over the top, and drizzle on the remaining olive oil. Bake 40 to 45 minutes, until firm and browned on the top. Allow to sit for 10 to 15 minutes before serving. Serve hot or warm.

Rice and Smothered Cabbage Soup
–from the Wednesday Chef

This involves two steps but it’s worth every minute. It’s nothing much to look at but the flavor is wonderful.

Serves 3-4

For the cabbage:

2 pounds green cabbage
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon wine vinegar

Detach and discard the first few outer leaves of the cabbage. Shred the remaining head of cabbage very fine, either with your food processor’s shredding attachment or by hand. Be sure to remove the cabbage’s inner core.

Put the onion and olive oil and a large sauté pan and turn the heat to medium. Cook the onion, stirring, until it’s softened and taken on some color. Then add the garlic. When the garlic has turned a pale gold, add the shredded cabbage. Turn the cabbage over 2 or 3 times to coat it well, and cook it until it has wilted.

Add salt, pepper, and the vinegar to the pan. Turn the cabbage over once, completely, then lower the heat to minimum and cover the pan tightly. Cook for at least 1/2 hour, or until it is very tender, stirring from time to time. Add 2 tablespoons of water, if needed, during the cooking if the cabbage becomes too dry. When done, taste and add salt and pepper to taste, if needed.

For the soup:

The smothered cabbage from recipe above

3 cups homemade meat broth or 1 cup canned beef broth diluted with 2 cups of water or 1 1/2 bouillon cubes dissolved in 3 cups of water
2/3 cup Arborio rice
2 tablespoons butter
1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Put the cabbage and broth into a soup pot, and turn on the heat to medium.

When the broth comes to a boil, add the rice. Cook, uncovered, adjusting the heat so that the soup bubbles at a slow but steady boil, stirring from time to time until the rice is done. It must be tender, but firm to the bite, and should take around 20 minutes. If while the rice is cooking, you find the soup becoming too thick dilute it with a ladleful of homemade broth or water. The soup should be on the dense-ish side when finished.

When the rice is done, before turning off the heat, stir in the butter and the grated cheese. Taste and correct for salt and pepper. Ladle the soup into individual plates and allow it to settle a few minutes before serving.

Winter Squash and Peanut Stew
–Inspired by Gena Hamshaw via Food52

The original recipe uses yams or sweet potatoes but it’s delicious with butternut, red kuri, hubbard or buttercup. I wouldn’t use delicata as it’s not meaty enough. This stew is rich, nutrient dense, sweet, savory, and spicy and vegan. Garnish with green onions and crushed roasted and salted peanuts for an extra kick. It may seem similar to last weeks red lentil and winter squash dhal but the peanut butter and cinnamon and peanuts put this stew on the African continent.

You can also add carrots or substitute carrots for some of the squash.

Serves 4

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 1/2 tablespoon ginger, minced
2 pounds winter squash cut into chunks (you can always roast a whole or half squash, seeds strings and all, for 20 minutes or so in a 400-425 oven and then remove it and peel and dice which is easier than doing it raw and then proceed with the recipe)
A couple of carrots (see headnote), scrubbed and cut into rounds
1/2 cup red lentils, rinsed and drained
2 cups canned tomatoes, juice and all
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon,
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric,
Dash of cayenne pepper (to taste)
1/2 teaspoon sea salt (or to taste)
4-5 cups Vegetable stock + extra as needed (I use homemade veggie bouillon as you might imagine☺)
1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
1/4 cup green onion, thinly sliced
1/4 cup roasted and salted peanuts, chopped

Heat olive oil in a large pot set on medium heat. Add the onion and begin sauteing till onion is getting translucent (about 3 minutes). Add the garlic and ginger, and continue to saute for another 3 minutes, until garlic is fragrant. Add the squash, the red lentils, the tomatoes, the cinnamon, cumin, turmeric, and cayenne and give it all a good stir to combine.

Add 4 cups vegetable stock and bring mixture to a boil. If there isn’t enough broth to cover everything but at least 1 inch, add another cup of stock. When soup boils, reduce to a simmer and cook for 40-45 minutes, or until squash and lentils are very tender. If you need more broth as the mixture cooks, add it.

Add peanut butter and stir well. Using an immersion blender, blend soup till about half of it is pureed and the other half still has texture. The soup should appear creamy, but chunks of squash potato can be visible.

Season to taste, adding more salt and pepper as needed. 5. Serve, topped with a tablespoon each of green onion and crushed peanuts.

Spiced Squash and Lentil Salad
–loosely adapted from Bon Appetit

This is my idea of a perfect winter dish. It’s best if you have some arugula or water cress or spinach or parsley or some other flavorful green to toss in at the end. Alternatively a couple of thinly sliced scallions would be a good addition.

Serves 6-8 as a side

¾ cup French green lentils
2 pounds butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cut into 1-inch pieces (or other squash—and you can always roast a different kind of squash for 20 minutes or so in a 400-425 oven and then remove it and peel and dice which is easier than doing it raw and then proceed with the recipe)
3 teaspoon olive oil, divided
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 ½ teaspoons smoked Spanish paprika
1 teaspoon kosher salt
3-4 cups arugula or other green, torn or roughly chopped (optional – see headnote)
2-3 ounces feta or soft goat cheese, crumbled
1 – 1 ½ tablespoons red wine vinegar

Preheat oven to 375ºF. Place squash on a baking sheet and toss with 2 tablespoons oil, cumin, paprika, and salt. Roast 20 minutes. Turn squash over. Roast until tender, about 10 minutes. Cool.

Meanwhile cook lentils in boiling salted water until tender but firm, about 30 minutes. Drain and rinse under cold water. Drain again.

Combine lentils, squash, and oil from baking sheet with whatever green you’re using, half of the cheese, vinegar, and 1 tablespoon good olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle remaining cheese over.

Onion or Leek and Winter Squash Panade

This is a brilliant way to use up stale bread, but fresh can be used as well. Just make sure it’s a hearty rustic loaf with a good crumb and crust. I used an aged cheddar as my cheese.

2-3 large yellow or sweet onions (2lbs)
(you could alternatively use leeks for a delicious twist)
2-3 teaspoons thyme, leaves picked
½ a medium winter squash, peeled and cut into ¾-inch dice for about 3 – 4 cups
1/2 medium loaf rustic bread (1/2lb), torn in to chunks
1 packed cup (more or less) cheese (sharp cheddar, gruyere, aged-assiago; parmesan, etc.), grated
3 1/2 cups vegetable or chicken stock (I use homemade veggie bouillon)

Preheat oven to 400F

Cut onion in half lengthwise. Peel, then slice into half moons about 5mm (1/4in) thick. Heat 3 tablespoons olive oil in a large frying pan. Cook onion stirring occasionally until soft and golden brown. No need to caramelize. Stir in the thyme. If using leeks, cut them in half lengthwise and wash very well and cut into ½ moon as well and cook as you would the onions.

In a medium heatproof dish layer about a third of the onions. Sprinkle over some of the bread and cheese and squash. Repeat until all the ingredients have been used. You want to be able to see a little of each on the top. Bring stock to a simmer. Pour over the onion dish. Season.

Cover and bake for 30 minutes. Remove cover and bake for another 20 – 30 minutes or until the top is golden and crunchy and the stock has been absorbed by the bread. Run under the broiler for a few minutes if it’s not crispy enough. Let sit for 10 minutes before serving if you can.

Roasted Beet, Walnut and Arugula Salad

As you know I’m a fan of roasting all your beets at once. That way you have them all week, tempting you to add them to many things all week. My current favorite is this salad. There are fresh walnuts in the all the farmers’ markets right now and the combination is just too good. And if you don’t have walnuts, toasted pumpkin seeds are a good alternative.

Beets (scrubbed well but not peeled and roasted in a tightly covered pan for about 45 minutes with a couple of tablespoons of water until tender- then peeled and diced or sliced or cut into wedges)
Toasted walnuts (I bake them in an 350 oven for about 8-10 minutes or until nicely browned and smelling good), broken up a just a bit
Arugula (or other strongly flavored winter greens like tender mustards, radicchio or any kind of chicory), well washed, dried and roughly chopped or torn
A handful of diced sharp cheddar or crumbled blue or feta or goat’s cheese (optional)
Red wine vinegar (beets like acidity so the typical 3/1 ration olive oil to vinegar works well here)
Good olive oil
Salt and pepper

Toss everything together. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed.

* Thinly sliced shallots or green onions are a nice addition.

Roasted Beet Sandwiches

I’ve mentioned these before but will do so again since they’re the perfect winter sandwich. And if you have roasted beets on hand (see previous recipe) they’re a snap.

Good crusty bread (toasted if a few days old), goat cheese or cream cheese or pumpkin seed cilantro pesto or some other spread of your choice. Lots of sliced beets, maybe some fresh arugula, a drizzle of olive oil and generous salt and pepper and you’re done.