Diggin’ Roots Farm

Now is a time of transition in the garden.  Leafy plants have largely come and gone and fruits are on their way to being ripe.   

Conner and I have been doing our best to plan for succession.  It has worked very well with the lettuce and peas. Rather than eat 5lbs of peas in a week, we have been able to spread out the bounty for a longer period of time. Basically you just spread out your planting but weather and pests can largely effect the success of this planning.  We are at the tail end of lettuce and it looks like the peas are over.  The first flush of summer squash has come on and cucumbers and green beans will shortly follow.  We are excited as these new groups of plants mature and whole new dimensions of texture and flavor enter into our diet. We definitely know that greens do get old after a while.  

It takes a lot of patience to watch all these fruits mature but we can tell you, that there is a lot to look forward too. 

This week’s share:

Zucchini or Yellow Crookneck Squash- I would recommend chopping these up and sauteing with a little butter, salt, and pepper.  Sprinkle some chopped basil on top and you’ve got a perfect early summer side dish.

Basil- We put basil in salads, on sandwiches, in sautes, soups, and sauces. If you have run out of idea just make pesto and store it in your freezer for the winter. I like to put some in an ice cube tray and then I can add the perfect amount to my winter cooking.

Choice of Brassica (romanesco/broccoli/rapini)- This could very well be the last broccoli until fall.  We roasted our from last week and put it over pasta with basil. Yum!

Italian Parsley- Much like basil, parsley is a very complimentary herb. I can’t say it’s my favorite but some dishes are 10x better with just a tablespoon. Fresh herbs are just such a great gourmet touch to add to a dish.  We sprinkle this in almost all pastas we make, add it to rice dishes, almost every saute, and even pesto.

Garlic- This garlic is in the process of being cured.  After harvest, curing allows the garlic to concentrate its flavors and develop a protective outer layer for storage.  This should be used relatively soon but does not need to be stored in the fridge. A cool dry dark place would be a perfect place to keep it.

Rainbow Chard- Probably our favorite green. I think I’ve shared all my chard secrets already but Google brings up great fuel for creative cooking.

Lacinato Kale- Try Basil and Kale Goat Cheese Pesto. It sounds like a great appetizer to eat out on the grass before dinner. A combination of my favorite things!

I recently got back from a weekend out of town and raced to get everything packed this week. I am going to take a quick break before posting an update on our “farm life”.  I wanted to make sure you all got a list of what was included this week though….

Broccoli- We’ve been really surprised how many side shoots these are putting out! With the warmer weather these would be perfect for dipping. Use a recipe you know or try this one.

Snap Peas- Try these is a recipe using mint.  These are winding down and this might be the last week so enjoy!

Cilantro

Scallions- This is the first batch of onions harvested. They are super sweet and would be delicious raw on salads.

Romaine Hearts-The hearts of a new favorite “Crisp Romaine”. These are great fresh but would also be a great candidate for Grilled Romaine . We tried this at A Cena and were amazed at how great it was.

Baby Beets- We are really hoping this guys will size up with this warmer weather and more shoulder room. These are excellent cut in half and roasted or pickled over a salad.

Turnips- We’d just slice these thin and thrown them in a stir fry. They can also be steamed and added to mashed potatoes. The greens loose their prickliness when cooked and are great sauted. They are also VERY good for you.  These are also the last turnips for a good long while…..I know some of you are probably pleased ; )

Red Russian Kale

Mint- We had to add this because it peas and mint are a fantastic spring pair.  Try one of these recipes.

My family has been in town celebrating my grandpa’s 92nd birthday this weekend. With so much going on I haven’t had much time to spend out in the garden.  I can tell you that this sun today is exactly what we need to get things growing and ripening up.  There are summer squash forming on the plants and green tomatoes just waiting on the vines.

We didn’t give out any roots this week to allow them some more time to fully fill out. We also included a treat from another local organic farm…

This week enjoy:

Sugar Snap Peas- Snack on these fresh!  If you’ve had your fill you can quickly blanch them and throw them in the freezer for a winter treat too.

Salad Mix w/ Nasturtium Flowers- This mix includes escarole and frisee so is a bit more on the bitter side. We like it with a creamier dressing or some kind of cheese mixed in.  The flowers are completely edible and have a spicy nutty taste.

Broccoli- We had this last night stir-fried with 2 heads of green garlic and butter over quinoa- so good!

Lacinato Kale- I wasn’t going to put this in because you’ve gotten so much of it lately but we have it and the purpose of a CSA is to share the harvest!  I hope you enjoy it as much as we do. If you haven’t yet tried it as a raw salad, please check over the past posts for ideas.

Rainbow Chard- Another versatile spring green….Chop and thrown in pasta, mac ‘n cheese, eggs, and even salad.

Green Garlic- Remember to store in the fridge. The more tender part of the stalk can be used as a leek… Peel cloves as you would normal garlic.

Basil & Italian Parsley- This bundle would be nice chopped and sprinkled on a big bowl of pasta.  Both of these herbs go well with eggs too.

Strawberries! These are from our friends at Groundworks Organics in Junction City, OR.

Yeah for more hot weather!  We are starting to feel like we are getting ahead of things here. Most of the ground is planted with irrigation set up so now it is just maintenance weeding and harvesting.

Part of growing a successful crop means planting more than you anticipate needing and crossing your fingers.  When you are direct seeding (vs. transplanting) you plant extra seeds to ensure that enough germinate and come up.  When you have good germination and you feel confident that they have overcome pest pressures, you have to thin these crops so that they can fully mature.  This week you are reaping the harvests of our thinned crops, beets and turnips (and even some of the lettuce in the salad mix).

Unfortunately, direct seeding crops can also be risky.  As I’ve mentioned before, we are having a very tough carrot year. I have replanted out initial carrot bed 3 times and finally gave in and tried a new bed. Last week we watched as all the seeds germinated and this week, as they have begun getting munched off.  I have been having a really tough time with this because carrots are my absolute favorite thing to grow.  I have even resorted to an organic pesticide to deter the sluggish creeps who insist on torturing me but so far its been tough.  I feel lucky that this is, of course, one of many crops that we are growing and is readily available at farmer’s markets but also that I have a group of dedicated farm supporters who have bought into this season and its ups and downs.  If I was a larger-scale farmer relying on this one crop I would be in a very tough situation but the fantastic thing about a CSA is that the risk of a single crop failure is very diluted and shared. So thank you! On the flip side, you also share in the bounty…

This week please enjoy the following:

Salad Mix- This is quite a mix. There are multiple varieties of lettuce, escarole, frisee, arugula, and calendula flowers.

Sugar Snap Peas- We’ve got to eat these while we can. They are ready to harvest so enjoy the abundance! We love them fresh but here’s a great recipe to try cooked. You can also just trim the ends, pull the string off, and saute and in butter.

Basil- You can make pesto by blending with green garlic, olive oil, walnuts, and parmesan in a food processor or blender. Or add to sauces, chop and sprinkle into salads and veggie dishes, or even add to lemonade.

Green Garlic- There are a million great recipes on the internet for this stuff. Basically it is immature garlic that has not dried down or cured. It should be stored in the refrigerator and used relatively quickly.  You can get fancy and make a cream sauce, risotto, or even aoli but we just use it as we would regular garlic.  The green stalk can be used almost like a leek (trim upper tops and use lower less green portion).

Purple Top Turnips- This is the first harvest from these turnips so some are on the smaller side. They are great at absorbing sauces in a saute and sweeten nicely when roasted.  The greens are also very edible and can be easily used in any greens recipe.  Some people prefer these peeled before eating…You can decide that for yourself.  I found this very helpful blog that has a bunch of great tips and stats on the turnip.

Baby Baby Beets- Another thinning foreshadowing larger roots to come.  These very baby beets are mostly used for their greens. Beets are related to chard and have very nutritious leaves and stems. We’ve been loving sauted greens topped with a fried egg, so simple and hardy. The small beets can be chopped and added to a salad or stir fry.

Lacinato Kale-  For lunch today we made a raw kale slaw.  I removed the ribs and chopped this very fine and added one grated apple, a splash of olive oil, about 1/4 c. yogurt, juice from half a lemon, and salt. I used my hands to mix and rub it together to loosen up the stalkier leaves and then poured a handful of sunflower seeds on top. It was delicious!

And it is spring again…. This cooler weather has been a nice break, much easier to work in.

Things are really starting to ramp up. The tomatoes have more and more fruit on them everyday. We got the last of the peppers and eggplants in and are seeding our second successions of cucumbers, summer squash, beans, and greens.  I’ve given up on the front carrot bed. It has gotten tiring watching every carrot that germinates get dessimated by slugs.  We decided to switch things up and are planting the majority of carrots down below and the rest of the summer squash and cukes in their place.

We are experimenting with a variety of summer cover crops and those all went in today.  Cover crops are planted for a variety of reasons.  They are generally non-edible crops that are grown to feed the soil.  Once mature, they are mowed and tilled back into the beds to incorporate organic matter and nitrogen.  There is a huge variety to choose from and all have varying levels of maintenance and “ease of incorporation”.  We are experimenting this summer with:

Sudan Grass- A large grass that you can mow and is killed by frost.  It provides a great mulch over winter and because it is not actively growing over the winter you can generally get in and work the soil pretty early in the spring.

Japanese Millet- A grass that is well adapted to cooler damper areas and good at smothering weeds. We have actually never grown this or seen it grown but are very excited to try it out.

Cowpeas- Are great at fixing nitrogen, increasing organic matter, and smothering weeds.  They are also very cool looking!

If you’re curious where things are planted and want to learn more about cover crops in your yard, ask away!

This week your share includes:

head lettuce- a variety of new types to try including trouts back, red romaine, crisp mint, marvel of four seasons, and batavian.

arugula- a bit of a spicier batch than last time. in the past month we’ve tossed it with hot pasta, added it to salads, put it on burgers, and made it into pesto….the possibilities are endless.

sugar snap peas- i think these are best straight into your mouth, pod and all. if you feel very inspired to cook with them try one of these delicious sounding recipes

broccoli- we’d hoped for larger heads but the suprisingly hot weather jolted the broccoli into thinking it was time to go to seed.  luckily, broccoli plants continue sharing the harvest with succulent side shoots. they can be eaten as you would normal broccoli. when we prepare it we eat it stem, leaves, and all.

garlic scapes- these are great in eggs! use as you would garlic or scallions.

a cooking green (kale, collards, or chard)

fennel- chop up in salads or saute in butter until golden….great with pasta!

cilantro- someone mentioned cilantro butter on corn…we’ve still been enjoying it in salads, quesadillas, and chopped up on beans.

basil- just enough to sprinkle on some pasta.

and guest additions from a friend’s abundant garden:

favas- we tried these tonight tossed in olive oil and salt and pepper and then broiled until very dark. the beans slip right out of the pod and are almost like edamame.

Yesterday we worked on cleaning up the huge pile of branches from the fallen tree, trellising (tomatoes and peas), and Conner built a tomato teepee.

This hot weather has been tough for some of our cool weather loving plants…The broccoli decided it was ready earlier than we would have liked, along with the mustards and lettuce.  On the other hand, it is great for our tomatoes, peppers, and squash.

This week your share includes:

2 heads of lettuce- we’ve been making delicious salads with equal proportions lettuce, cilantro, and arugula. if you don’t have any arugula left from last week, you can toss in some of the braising mix (finely chopped).  throw in some raisins and feta and toss with a light apple cider vinaigrette.

broccoli- my favorite way to eat broccoli?? hmmm…. i am sure we all have our own. i’d have to say either roasted in the oven or simply sauteed with garlic.

Lacinato kale- my favorite recipe for this kale is actually raw.  while it is great cooked like any other hardy green, this recipe tosses the kale with a hard salty cheese and delicious vinaigrette. a perfect use for kale on a warm spring evening!

rainbow chard- we had fantastic chard quesadillas last night.  saute up some onions with cumin and other latin inspired spices. thrown in the chard and any other veggies you’d like (braising mix? garlic scapes?). throw all the veggie goodness into a tortilla with cheese and heat through in a cast iron on the stove top. we made a sauce with finely chopped cilantro, plain yogurt, lime juice, and salt to top them with.

garlic scapes- these can be used as scallions. they are the tops of hard-neck garlic. you can use the whole thing.  we threw them into the quesadillas but they are great in any quick cooked dish.

cilantro- you can enjoy cilantro in just about anything. we put it in salads, sandwiches, and soups. if you have a favorite recipe please feel free to post it on the blog.

braising mix- use as you would any cooked green. i’ve been loving chevre lately and found it a great accompaniment to mustardy greens, try them both atop a piece of toast.

lemon balm- here is a great link for lemon balm uses. i like it best as sun tea but it sounds like there are quite a few possibilities.

Things here are growing: seeds, plants, insect populations, grass, chickens, farmer tans, etc. It feels so good to finally be excited about being outside! While last year was our first CSA here, this year feels new all over again. We are trying to start out fresh with a clean deck, weed-free beds, and mowed grass.  It’s easy to expect that as the summer unfolds things will unravel to more and more chaos…

As far as the garden goes, almost everything is planted. Half of the tomatoes are planted with the rest going in this week. Our first successions of green beans, summer squash, and basil are also sending out their roots.  The broccoli is within days of harvest as are the snap peas and the lettuce is ready to eat!

We’ve had a few setbacks too…Our first carrot seeding did not germinate as well as we’d hoped but it has already been replanted (we LOVE carrots so trust us-we’re trying).  Our first seeding of beans was decimated by slugs but it too has been replanted.  We worked hard over the winter planning out a rotation for the garden.  (You never want the same plant family in one bed for more than a season, it builds up pest pressure.)  With all the new plants in new places they grow differently and interact with the soil in different ways than they did the year before so it’s hard to predict what to expect.  I trust that things will grow just fine!

This weeks CSA includes:

2 Head Lettuce-Our favorites Winter Density (romaine) and Marvel of Four Seasons (red butterhead). They’ll be making guest appearances all summer.

Bulk Spinach- This variety is called Japanese Giant. It is the first year we’ve grown it. We’ve really enjoyed it stir fried with garlic on pizzas and would recommend it cooked vs. fresh but you choose!

Red Russian Kale- We’ve been harvesting SO much of this I had to come up with a creative use. Kale chips are just as good as I remember. Try these recipes:

http://phytofoods.blogspot.com/search?q=kale (a friends blog)

http://www.bonappetit.com/magazine/2009/02/tuscan_kale_chips (you can use any kale)

Radish- A mix of two varieties, Helios and Crimson Crunch. Try Radish Escebeche.

Braising Mix- This is a mix of mini kale greens, Ruby Streaks mizuna mustard, pac choi, tat soi, chard, etc.  I’d recommend throwing this in a stir-fry, soup, or slow cooking with bacon and a little broth.

Bulk Arugula- We just had the most amazing arugula pesto last night. I highly recomend trying this.  You can also bulk this recipe up with a bit of spinach.  This arugula is so young and tender that it would also make a great salad.

Rhubarb- We were lucky enough to harvest this from a neighbor. It is a green variety of rhubarb (for more info on varieties http://www.rhubarbinfo.com/rhubarb-varieties.html).  I made a rhubarb crisp last week with some strawberries that was amazing but I also just saw a recipe for poached rhubarb and rice pudding I thought I’d try.

Peppermint- We’ve been making sun tea with this. Just put the mint in a jar of water out in the sun. Leave it all day while you are at work…Come home and enjoy!

This week and the next few will be heavy on greens and a bit smaller than later in the summer. Do not fear- more colors are coming!  As always, feedback is much appreciate. If you are thinking it, others probably are too, and we’d love to know.

We hope you enjoy your first week’s share!

Sarah & Conner