Category Archives: Uncategorized

Savoy (wrinkly-leafed) spinach is much more winter-hardy than flat-leafed spinach.

THIS WEEK’S SUBSCRIBER MENU:
• Sugar Pie Pumpkin
• Topless Carrots
• Topless Beets
• Cabbage or Brussels Sprouts Tops
• Leeks
• Romanesco Cauliflower
• Garlic
• “Viking Purple” Potatoes

NEXT WEEK’S SUBSCRIBER MENU:
• Squash
• Topless Carrots
• Topless Turnips
• Cabbage
• Onions
• “Yukon Gold” Potatoes
• “D’Anjou” Pears from Cliffside Orchards
• Fresh Thyme

Click on the links above for information and recipes about these crops.

COMING SOON: Kohlrabi, Brussels Sprouts

First, we need to explain our Winter Holiday CSA Schedule:
The Tuesdays (November 18 and 25) are regular pickup days. Saturday/Sunday (November 22/23) are a two-week pickup, in which both weeks’ worth of produce will be picked up on one day. There is no CSA pickup the weekend of November November 29/30. This allows Teo to take Thanksgiving Thursday and Friday off to be with his family and relax. We will be at the markets Saturday and Sunday, but with a limited amount of produce.

So, to be clear, Regular pickup on Tuesdays, no pickup the weekend after Thanksgiving.

Frozen wind has a way of drying out plants that are supposed to be winter-hardy. Even the poor kale plants will need time and water to recover.

When we first heard about the “Polar Vortex” two weeks ago, we started watching weather reports religiously. I watched on the TV at the gym, I downloaded two more weather apps to my phone (for a total of FOUR) and checked them all every couple hours, comparing the predictions.

NONE of them hinted at what we got.

Our Swiss Chard plants survived the week of freezing temperatures, but the leaves are cooked. Hopefully, they will grow new leaves after the weather warms.

The average was that it was going to be very windy, and that we would be spared from the coldest arctic air, probably not dropping below 28° or so. Monday morning, we rose, ready to prevent nature from destroying all of our crops that had been flourishing in the extended Indian Summer/prolonged Fall warmth. We rolled out frost blankets on our remaining cauliflower patch of several thousand plants, covered the just-ready Radicchio planting, and the gamble of a fall Fennel crop. They would make it as long as it didn’t drop below 25°. That was our estimation. All of the winter squash, curing in the greenhouse got boxed up and put into the walk-in cooler.

We harvested the remaining cauliflower that wouldn’t make it. Harvested a few crops for CSA and markets. Things we were sure wouldn’t make it. And Monday night the wind DID roll in as predicted, gusting and making a mess for people everywhere through Tuesday. We survived the wind and the bit of chill.

We had hoped the Endive and Escarole would survive the cold, so we would keep enjoying winter salads, but the outside leaves are freeze-burned, even though the center leaves are just fine.

We checked the temperature every night and every morning, and every time we walked past the little computery box receiver. We were feeling pretty confident Thursday, but it didn’t stop. Friday morning it was 17°. Saturday morning it was 19°. All my produce froze as I unloaded it at the U District market. Sunday warmed up a bit. Monday afternoon I checked for damage, and it was pretty sad.

Kale is durable, chard not quite so much. Even though all the plants survived, the leaves were frozen and desiccated by the two days of freezing wind. They will need water and time to pop back to life.

Although Romanesco Cauliflower has a flavor somewhere leaning toward broccoli, it grows like a cauliflower plant with a central head wrapped in leaves.

The good news is that we still have lots of food. Amazingly, the Romanesco Cauliflower survived with it’s frost blanket. We have lots of squash, onions, garlic, leeks, cabbages, roots, and radicchio. Of those things, the only leafy survivors are cabbages and radicchio—we all need to learn what to do with them for the next five weeks of our CSA. I’ll be updating the Cabbage page with more recipes, and I may just make a NEW page for Radicchio.

Broccoli, rescued from the icy grip of the Vortex, and into your CSA this week. Hopefully it will survive for another flush of sprouts.

THIS WEEK’S SUBSCRIBER MENU:
• “Jester” Squash
• Topless Carrots
• Broccoli Sprouts
• Cabbage
• Beets or Fennel
• Kale, Mustard Greens, Chard, or Turnips, or Endive/Escarole
• Onions
• “Yukon Gold” Potatoes

LARGE SHARES: (also available in the Trading Box)
• Artichokes or Zucchini (really the end, this time)
• Radicchio
• Leeks

TRADING/SHARING BOX:
• All of the above and more

Click on the links above for information and recipes about these crops.

COMING SOON: Kohlrabi, Pie Pumpkins, Savoy Cabbage, Escarole, Romanesco Cauliflower

Goodnight, Cauliflower. Preparing for the Arctic Blast by covering the nearly-ready cauliflower patch with frost blanket anchored by sandbags. Hopefully it does the trick. There are nearly 2,000 heads of Romanesco, Purple, and White cauliflower, nearly ready to harvest. They just need another week or two. Brussels Sprouts on the right, Cabbages on the left. Mount Rainier in the background.

At Farmers’ Markets this weekend, all the vendor talk was about the POLAR VORTEX, fueled by the Asian SuperCyclone. Luckily, it’s now looking like it will funnel through the East side of the state, and the Cascades will protect us. This time.

It’s a good thing, too, because not only has this fall season been amazingly beautiful and generous, but we have so much more to come! A full patch of various cauliflowers, another flush or broccoli, kohlrabi, radicchios, fennel, and tons of cabbages. All of these more tender crops will complement the winter hardy crops nicely.

Winter is prime time for cabbage. We have several types coming up—especially the very cold-tolerant Savoy Cabbages. Wrinkly and tender, they are delicious and versatile. Check out our new Cabbage Page for ideas.

What the cold really means is that everything is about to become EVEN SWEETER AND MORE DELICIOUS! That’s right: Temperatures below 32° turn those starches in the plants into natural antifreeze—SUGAR! Kale, Collars, Chard, Spinach, Carrots, Cabbage—they will all be even more delicious in another week! I can’t wait. I haven’t had kale once this fall, because I’ve been waiting for that temperature drop. At last!

We are in need of a Handyman to complete a few projects around the farm. Our butcher shed needs electricity and a door, the washing shed needs lights, and I would really like to have sliding doors on the greenhouses. If you are interested or know someone, please pass them along. We can trade for food (including meat) or a combination of cash and food.

Our Fall Brassica field is looking amazing—and it’s November! Cabbages of many kinds, Broccoli, Cauliflower—White, Purple, and Romanesco—all are coming to you in this wonderful Winter Season!

THIS WEEK’S SUBSCRIBER MENU:
• “Ambercup” Squash
• Topless Carrots
• Cauliflower
• Brussels Sprout Tops
• Curly Endive
• Spinach
• Beets of many colors
• Kale. Mustard Greens or Chard
• Leeks
• Garlic
• Curly Parsley

LARGE SHARES: (also available in the Trading Box)
• Mustard Greens
• Fennel

TRADING/SHARING BOX:
• All of the above and more

Click on the links above for information and recipes about these crops.

COMING SOON: Kohlrabi, Pie Pumpkins, Savoy Cabbage, Escarole

Curly Endive is slightly bitter, but it’s delicious in salad with fruit and cheese, or any other salty/savory combination. Those curly leaves hold lots of dressing!

Our Winter Season has begun, and what a glorious one it promises to be! We still have not had a frost or any freezing weather, so we have a lot of crops that we don’t usually enjoy in November.

The Turkeys finally got moved out to pasture! They really don’t like being in a building, they like being ON things, so there’s no point in building them a shelter. The donkeys are a little perplexed with them.

If you had been to the farm in the last two weeks, you know what a mess all that rain made in the chicken yards. The chickens have now been moved to drier ground behind our house. The turkeys are enjoying their move to the Donkey Pen.

In November, we decapitate the Brussels Sprouts plants so they will put all their energy into growing the nuggets in their leaf joints. Right now they are the size of a fingernail, but in a few weeks they will be walnut-sized.

We are in need of a Handyman to complete a few projects around the farm. Our butcher shed needs electricity and a door, the washing shed needs lights, and I would really like to have sliding doors on the greenhouses. If you are interested or know someone, please pass them along. We can trade for food (including meat) or a combination of cash and food.

THIS WEEK’S SUBSCRIBER MENU:
• “Gold Nugget” Squash
• Carrots
• Sweet Japanese Turnips
• Beets or Baby Bok Choy
• Fennel or “Tendersweet” Cabbage
• Kale. Mustard Greens or Chard, or Lettuce
• Zucchini
• “Sugar Chile” Peppers (Sweet with hot ribs)
• “Lipstick” Sweet Peppers
• Green Onions

LARGE SHARES: (also available in the Trading Box)
• Brussels Sprouts Tops
• Eggplant

TRADING/SHARING BOX:
• Eggplant
• Hot Peppers
• Greens

Click on the links above for information and recipes about these crops.

COMING SOON: Kohlrabi, Pie Pumpkins, Leeks, Cauliflower

Just a quick blog post this week. Remember that next week wraps-up our Fall Season, so let us know if you want to continue with the Winter  Season for the 9 weeks of November and December.

If you haven’t made it out yet for a pumpkin or two, do it this week! We still have lots, so come and load up! Scare away those evil spirits with lots of Jack-o-Lanterns!

Pumpkins are ready! Our CSA-only Pumpkin Patch opens this weekend!

THIS WEEK’S SUBSCRIBER MENU:
• “Chioggia” Beets
• Fennel
• “Delicata” Squash
• Cabbage or Kale or Chard
• Spinach
• “Sugar Chile” Peppers (Sweet with hot ribs)
• “Lipstick” Sweet Peppers
• Lots of Lettuce
• Spicy Salad Mustard

LARGE SHARES: (also available in the Trading Box)
• Carrots
• Tomatoes
• Zucchini

TRADING/SHARING BOX:
• Green Onions
• Green Beans
• Lettuce
• Hot Peppers

Click on the links above for information and recipes about these crops.

COMING SOON: Arugula, Turnips, Greens

October Hash: Cubed “Yukon Gem” Potatoes, “Chioggia” Beets, Fennel, Torpedo Onion, and “Lipstick” Peppers.

What’s for dinner? That was my question last night. So I used what was in the walk-in cooler. Potatoes from last week, plus fennel, beets, and peppers from this week. I cut everything into 1/2″-ish cubes (size doesn’t matter, just make  sure all the pieces are roughly the same size so they cook evenly). Then I heated olive oil in a frying pan and dumped everything in except the peppers, which I cooked only for the last 5 minutes or so. Just stir everything so it doesn’t burn. And cover with a lid if it seems like it’s not cooking fast enough.

“Chioggia” beets, with their telltale candy-cane striping.

These were so pretty while I was cutting I had to take a picture. Peeled, halved, and cubed.

Fennel, halved, then cubed.

Fennel, halved and cubed. I just used the bulb part, including the core. Use the stems in salad.

“Delicata” Squash are easy to prepare and delicious.

One of our favorite squashes. Just cut in half and bake at 350°, cut side down. I like to oil the edges before cooking to keep them from sticking. You can also cut the other direction so you get rings and put them on the pan, well oiled. You can eat the skin, too, if you want.

Poor Blue Boy. Molting is a rough time of year. Not only is he ragged everywhere, but he has zero tail feathers.

Chickens, like all birds, lose their feathers in the fall. Their old-fashioned bird genes tell them they need a fresh set of plumage so they can fly south, but chickens don’t fly. They just need new clothes for winter. That’s why all of our chickens look so ratty right now.

PUMPKIN PATCH OPENS THIS WEEKEND!

I don’t have the blog done yet for today, but I want you to understand your peppers. The shorter, fatter ones are a sweet variety called “Lipstick”. The longer, skinnier ones are called “Sugar Chile”. They are sweet with hot ribs, so you can control your spiciness.

Beware–if you remove the ribs with your fingers, they will burn. So wear gloves and don’t touch your face!! The outsides of the fruits are only very slightly spicy and delicious.

I’ve taken to putting things in gallon jars with a basic salt brine and letting them ferment. In back: two gallons of garlic dill pickles, and in front a gallon of market leftovers.

THIS WEEK’S SUBSCRIBER MENU:
• “Stregonta” Shelling Beans
• Mixed Summer Squashes
• Cabbage or Kale or Chard
• Lemon Cucumbers
• Torpedo Onions
• Japanese Eggplant
• Sweet Peppers
• Curly Parsley

LARGE SHARES: (also available in the Trading Box)
• Spinach
• Baby Fennel
• Thyme
• Radicchio

TRADING/SHARING BOX:
• Green Onions
• Radicchio
• Lettuce
• Hot Peppers

Click on the links above for information and recipes about these crops.

COMING SOON: Arugula, Tomatoes, Carrots, Potatoes, Winter Squashes

The honeybees are finally interested in our Buckwheat cover crop. Getting a good bloom of buckwheat makes the difference in helping the colonies load up with food for winter.

It has been several weeks since I’ve had a moment to post anything. I’m sorry. I meant to, but the summer-to-fall transition is the busiest for us . Not only are there a bazillion things to harvest, but it’s crunch time for planting. If we are serious about getting a good stand of winter crops going, they all have to be planted and weeded by…about now. We haven’t done too badly. We had a crew of weeders the last two weeks, so things are fairly under control now.

‘Tis the season for….Ratatouille!

It’s the last gasp of summer. The summer squash and zucchini are going full-blast, the peppers and eggplant are ripening, and the tomatoes are too—hopefully not more than a week or two until there are enough to go around. Remember, we put up a new big greenhouse this year, so our plants were a few weeks late to get planted. But, they are pruned and loaded with green fruits, blushing around the edges with ripeness.

We are set up nicely for late fall and winter now. I’m not afraid to say it. Plenty of carrots and beets, and turnips on the way. A nice, large planting of cabbages, broccoli, and cauliflower growing strong. Brussels sprouts and leeks are looking good. And all the more delicate mustards (bok choy, mizuna, arugula, mustard greens, etc.) will be ready to harvest in the coming weeks. I believe we got our winter spinach planted on time this year, so we’ll have that to look forward to as well.

Cosmo was amazed to discover the size and construction of this abandoned Robins’ nest. The mud is smooth and strong. He’s become an avid birder this summer.

Fall is the time that the hens slow their egg production down, so there aren’t as many eggs to go around. It’s also the time we start seeing more animal tracks. Lots of them this week—snakes, raccoons, skunks, possums, coyotes, rabbits, and plenty of birds. Speaking of which, Cosmo has turned birdwatcher and used his hard-earned farm stand money to buy himself a set of binoculars. He found this used and abandoned Robin’s nest in a Hawthorn tree by the pole beans.

Evening visitors to the farm are becoming more frequent lately…Possum? Racoon? These were next to Coyote and Rabbit tracks.

Now that the house is cooling off, Della is ready to start up her baking business again,  Della’s Delicious Desserts. She is taking a limited number of subscribers this fall, so be sure and sign up early to take advantage of her tasty treats. Click here for her application form. And email her to let her know you’re interested, or if you have questions at dellamr.chew@gmail.com

Making pickles can be quick—I put this jar of slicers together in about 15 minutes. And that’s because I decided to put a sliced onion in the jar so I unpacked and repacked everything.

THIS WEEK’S SUBSCRIBER MENU:
• Romano Beans
• Broccoli or Cauliflower
• “Red Fire” and “Winter Density” Lettuce
• Cabbage or Kale or Chard
• Pickling Cucumbers and Dill Heads—MAKE YOURSELF SOME PICKLES!
• Torpedo Onions
• Japanese Eggplant
• Sweet Peppers
• Fresh Herbs (Basil, Parsley, Thyme, or Sorrel)

LARGE SHARES: (also available in the Trading Box)
• Yellow Romano Beans
• Slicing Cucumbers
• Zucchini
• Radicchio

TRADING/SHARING BOX:
• Green Onions
• Romano Beans
• Radicchio
• Zucchini
• Hot Peppers

Click on the links above for information and recipes about these crops.

COMING SOON: Summer Squash, Shelling Beans, Tomatoes

With big cucumbers, you can do slices or spears to get more into the jar.

It is pickle season, but don’t fear! Refrigerator pickles are quick and easy! Here is the recipe and instructions I followed, more or less. Except I added a teaspoon of sugar and a teaspoon of curry powder. And a small onion, sliced. Here’s the article: http://smittenkitchen.com/blog/2014/07/easiest-fridge-dill-pickles/

So exciting to have enough for everyone! Sweet peppers and Japanese eggplant.

I mentioned yesterday that eggplant were going to be in the CSA this week, and the responses ranged from joyful shouts to shouts of panic because people have never used an eggplant. Rest assured, these are Japanese eggplant, with thin skins and buttery flesh. The easiest thing to do is slice them lengthwise (no peeling necessary) and either pan sauté them or grill them. Then serve with a little soy sauce. You can also get crazy and make baba ghanoush or other fancy things.

Before freezing many vegetables, they need to be blanched to kill enzymes that could transform food while frozen. I just drop handfuls into boiling water, remove when starting to get tender, drain in a colander. Then I rinse in cold water and pack into bags.

We have pesto for dinner on Mondays, so instead of just making enough for dinner, I stuffed the food processor twice and made enough for four dinners—three go into the freezer for later. I also put away six meals worth of broccoli.

If you are overwhelmed with produce, put some away for later. I used to try to set aside whole days for food processing, but I never could find the time. Now I do just a little extra several times per week and it really adds up. I love my vacuum sealer–keeps fruits and veggies fresh for months in the freezer!

I found this little guy while picking cauliflower. He’s working hard to keep bugs out of your veggies!

There are a lot of great things coming along, as the weather and daylength start to shift into Fall. There are only two weeks left in our Summer season, so if you want to continue into September and October, make sure you’re signed up!

Have a wonderful week!

William the Poet and his apprentice (busking at the University District Farmers Market) wrote these poems for us last week. Fitting tribute.

THIS WEEK’S SUBSCRIBER MENU:
• Green Beans
• Carrots
• Cabbage
• Cauliflower
• Big Onions (Walla Walla Sweet or Red Torpedo)
• Red Russian Kale or Swiss Chard or Collard Greens (or other greens)
• Fresh Herbs (Basil, Parsley, Thyme, or Sorrel)

LARGE SHARES: (also available in the Trading Box)
• Green Onions
• Herbs
• Greens

TRADING/SHARING BOX:
• Green Onions
• Romano Beans
• Wax Beans
• Broccoli
• Fennel
• Herbs

Click on the links above for information and recipes about these crops.

COMING SOON: Summer Squash, Cucumbers, Lettuce, Romano Beans

Seasonal dinner for this week: Sautéed Green Beans and Sweet Onion, raw Cauliflower and dip, and pasta with Basil Pesto. And grilled wild salmon.

We are at an awkward point where we have a lot of a few crops, and many crops that are not quite ready to harvest. Enter Green Beans, Cauliflower, and Cabbage!

A growing cabbage is a beautiful thing.

This is the busiest time of year for us. Many people think spring is the busiest season, and while we are in it, we do too. But the real chaos comes in August—when we are harvesting like mad, trying to keep up with irrigation and weeding, AND planting all the fall and winter crops. We really have no time to think.

Found while picking cauliflower and cabbage…

This is the spring-planted field of cabbages. Just this week we completed the fall and winter planting of Cabbages, Cauliflower, and Broccoli. Even larger than this one.

That’s a lot of cabbages!

Basil is in it’s prime for a few more weeks. If you like pesto, be sure and get your pesto kit and get it in the freezer while you can! $25 for regular people, and $20 for CSA members. Makes 6 cups of delicious green stuff.

Just $20 for CSA members! Get your Pesto Kit soon, while Basil is in its’ prime!

So, a broccoli plant walked into a cabbage patch…

THIS WEEK’S SUBSCRIBER MENU:
• Broccoli
• Fennel
• Walla Walla Sweet Onions
• Choice of Lettuces
• Purslane or Tatsoi (like baby bok choy)
• Red Russian Kale or Swiss Chard or Collard Greens or Salad Turnips
• Fresh Basil
• Italian Parsley

LARGE SHARES: (also available in the Trading Box)
• Cabbage
• Zucchini
• Golden Beets

TRADING/SHARING BOX:
• Zucchini Blossoms
• Pearl/Green Onions
• Beets
• Zucchini
• Fennel
• Cabbage
• Lemon Basil

Click on the links above for information and recipes about these crops.

COMING SOON: Carrots, Beets, Cabbage. Cauliflower

The broccoli are heading up nicely, and there is enough for everyone this week! The large shares are getting the first cabbages brassica week!

During that sudden hot spell, we watered nearly 24 hours a day. High temperatures dry the soil, and water becomes the difference between life and death. The only thing is that when water is added to hot plants, they grow exponentially! Suddenly ALL the beans were ready, the lettuces were huge, and the cabbages and broccoli were heading up fast! This, we are out if beans until the next patch is ready (soon) and we have rolled into brassica season.

Actually the big brassicas can be tricky, and this video explains why:

At the end of a market day, we decide which things should go to the food bank, which can be saved until the next day, and which items go to the chickens. A little tired broccoli and fennel, mixed with chard and kale this time.

Unfortunately, the sudden hot spell means a decline in egg production. When the hens get hot, they have a hard time drinking enough water, and what’s a hen to do when an egg is 90% water? We add apple cider vinegar to their water to encourage them to drink more, but we still suffered a significant drop in our egg numbers.

We significantly overestimated our orders for eating chickens, so we have quite a lot of fryers (4-6#) and roasters (7-10#) in our freezers. Let us know if you’re interested in these tasty birds raised on pasture and corn-and soy-free feed.

The CSA U-Pick garden is now open. Sadly, as you know, pea season was all too short this summer, so there are no peas to pick, but there are LOTS of beans! We will be planting more peas soon, with hopes that the cooler fall temperatures will provide for better harvesting in September. There are a number of basils to cut and sample, and dill, and a few varieties of flowers as well.

Basil is in its’ prime right now, and now is the time to place orders for making pesto! Pesto kits will be coming this weekend—keep an eye out!

The peak basil season has arrived! Now is the time to place orders for pesto making! Make it now and stash it away for the winter!

Don’t be alarmed when you see Rigby with his new headgear. We had to come up with something to keep him from getting his head stuck in the fence. We were freeing him a dozen times a day, and eventually the worse was bound to happen. Problem solved with a few hose clamps and pvc pipe.

We’re getting ready to put all of our fall and winter brassicas into the ground, and it adds up to many thousands of plants. I know I am tired of bending over all day long, so when we found these transplanter pieces laying in the bushes, we decided to see if we could clean them up and get them to work. l make the job so much quicker and more pleasant.

The real pressure of farming is on now. We are in full swing of summer harvest, but we also need to get all of our fall and winter crops planted before the end of the month. Our apologies if we are scarce for the next few weeks.