Diggin’ Roots Farm

I love the fact that we are already getting inquiries about next year. That really speaks phenomenally of the local food movement here in the Portland metro area.  A brief update of where our farming life is at the moment:

For a while now we’ve been really striving to produce the highest quality veggies that we know how. We’ve looked at our experience here, as an urban farm, as an opportunity for learning and experimentation.  We’ve dry farmed, we’ve crop planned (again and again), we’ve tried numerous combinations of cover crop, we’ve raised and butchered poultry and lamb, and we’ve learned more than we probably could ever truly articulate.  We love Milwaukie and our proximity to our customers, our social life, and our off-farm jobs.  Really, it has been ideal.  At this point though we are yearning for a deeper connection to land that we can, not only call our own, but have long term security and understanding with.  

At this point we are unsure of exactly where this desire will lead us. There is the potential for us to stay right where we are and continue growing with this unique urban acreage.  On the other hand, there are larger, ‘more farmable’ plots out there that we could possibly rent or buy…. In the end we just don’t know.  We have every intention of continuing our CSA next season but it will largely depend on the ground we are on.  

Please email us if you’d like to be added to the 2010 wait list.  We will send out an email in VERY early spring for sign-ups.  In the meantime, check back and we’ll keep you posted on our life!

Thank you!!! We have learned an incredible amount this season and look forward to shared harvests ahead. We’ve greatly appreciated all the feedback from this season’s survey…Please feel free to add more as you think if it! 

This last share includes:

Lots of carrots- I am so glad that we ended on a high note with the carrots.  Some of these are a bit on the larger (or smaller) side but all are delicious. We’ve been enjoying them roasted and in soups. They go great with butter and lemon basil.

Lemon Basil

Fennel- These would be great sauted with garlic and roasted winter squash! And lemon basil!

Winter Squash, Sweet Dumpling- These are our favorite variety of winter squash. They’re a cross between acorn and delicata. We halve them and roast them in the oven until soft. You can also peel them (don’t worry about the skin in the creases) and put into soups and stews.

Mustards- These young mustards can be chopped and added to lettuce for a spicy salad or steamed and added to soups….

Lettuce

Eggplant

Peppers

Garlic

There is one more left! Throughout the season we have tracked and assigned value to everything in your share.  There have been instances when we’ve thrown things in because we’ve had it but didn’t “charge” for it (summer squash and kale).  That’s just part of sharing the harvest.  At this point the shares have averaged close to $25 which is great considering it is $22.50/week.  Rather than leave you with smaller baskets we are loading you up as the garden gets pulled out.

This week we had some friends in town who were very excited about picking Asian pears and grapes. The grapes are sweeter this week and I definitely prefer the dark concords.  The very end of the cucumbers and summer squash are yanked out. We pulled the quinoa today to avoid it getting rained on and now just have to figure out what to do with it….Picked the tomatoes back pretty hard to avoid major splitting from rain too.

This week your share includes:

Tomatoes

Cherry Tomatoes

Eggplant

Italian kale- Last night I was craving creamed spinach and instead made creamed beet greens and kale. So delicious with crusty bread! I steamed the greens, blended them with salt, pepper, yogurt, cream, and a pinch of nutmeg….

Asian pears- These made a fantastic salad peeled and tossed with steamed beets and feta.

Concord grapes

Chioggia beets- Steam these and marinate in a simple vinaigrette or use in a pear salad.

Italian parsley- I love parsley on any roasted veggie (beets, potatoes, eggplant).

Dill or Cilantro

Potatoes, ‘All Red’- These are some of our favorite spuds.  They make exceptional home fries but are great any other way as well.

Rosemary- Specially included for the potatoes….

Enjoy and please please please fill out the survey!

I can’t believe how few there are left!

Out in the garden things are starting to look more scarce.  You’ll be glad to hear that almost all of the summer squash has been pulled, the last of the green beans pickled, and cucumbers are done! This warm weather is greatly appreciated by the last tomatoes still left on the vine so we’re hoping they hold out for these last 2 weeks.  This weeks grapes are the first we’ve harvested so there should be sweeter ones to come.

Monday was a fun day for us. We harvested early and were able to spend the majority of the day playing ‘clean up’.  For the garden that meant MAJOR weed pulling and cover crop sowing.  In organic farming we use open beds by planting cover crops to supply nitrogen, prevent erosion, build organic matter, and provide habitat.  Right now is the time to get cover crops in before cooler temperatures greatly slow growth.  

In our lives transition is in the air. Job changes, lifestyle changes, garden changes, and seasonal changes all make our life so full and abundant—we welcome to season to come!

This week you share includes:

Green Concord Grapes- These have seeds but smell intoxicating and delicious. Enjoy!

Tomatoes

Cherry Tomatoes

Eggplant

Peppers

Carrots

Chard- These large leaves work great as a wrap!  Try them with a grain/cherry tomato/basil salad and feta.  

Basil- It has been looking a little ‘holier’ than usual.  Cool temperatures bring with them a whole new slew of pests…who doesn’t like basil?!

Summer Squash- I know you’ll be smiling as you eat this….the very last for a whole year!

Garlic

Please help us with your feedback. If you loved the experience, please share! If you hated it, help us grow!  We will use this information in our planning for next year. As the fall and winter arrive, we’ll have plenty of time to mull over the season, make changes, and take your advice to heart. Thank you.

2009  Diggin’ Roots Farm Survey

This week we made major headway in getting the garden ready for fall.  We’ve pulled out the majority of the cucumbers (we’re hoping for one more harvest) and are set to pull the first round of beans and all the squash.  Fall cover crops are germinating and look poised to confront rain and cooler temps.  It’s exciting to see the transition. In many ways, it remind me of spring all over again- from chaos to control.  We’ve been cleaning up the beds, reshaping, fluffing, and seeding for 6+ months until they see another digging fork!

Today we pickled green beans and slowly our freezer is filling for winter.

On a personal note, I gave notice at Food Front and over the next couple of weeks will be transitioning to a new position with Zenger Farm.  I am going to be coordinating a program that provides assistance to immigrant farmers with language barriers, land access, technical training, and access to other local ag resources. I am so excited!  The position complements farm life well and will allow me more time to dedicate to our life here…

This week your share includes:

Asian pears- We love these sliced into salads. Like pears, they go well with goat and blue cheese.

Italian plums- Someone recommended making a crisp with these two fruits- sounds delicious!

Tomatoes- Tonight i threw these on a flat pie crust layered with fresh herbs, cheese, and sauted onion. I folded over the edges to make a galette SOO good!

Cherry tomatoes- We picked through these very carefully but rains put a damper on cherry tomatoes…cracking. Hopefully the weather will hold out for another week or two there is still tons of fruit on the plants.

Baby lettuce- Sweet little lettuce heads. There’s a mix between butterheads, oakleaf, and winter density.

Onions

Garlic

Peppers

Italian Parsley- Aside from basil, this is the most useful herb in the kitchen! Never let a pasta plate leave without a little sprinkle.

Fingerling potatoes- The last of the season…

This recipe is from one of our “long-time” customers.  

Slow-roasted Cajun Chicken

1  5 to 6 # chicken

1 T +1 t salt

2 t paprika

3/4 to 1 t cayenne pepper (or to taste)

1 t onion powder

1 t dried thyme

3/4 t white pepper

1/2 t garlic powder

1/2 t black pepper

1 cup chopped onions.

In small bowl, combine dry ingredients. Rub into chicken, inside and out.  Cover and refrigerate overnight.  Stuff chicken with onions.  Roast uncovered in a slow oven (250) 4-6 hours, basting occasionally.

This past weekend we brined and BBQ’d 3 birds with friends and they were delicious! We hope you’ve enjoyed them as much as us. Please share any other recipes you’d recommend.

Woops! Labor Day must have gotten the best of us! We totally missed out on the post this week.

In your share, you received:

2lb Asian pears

3/4lbs Italian plums

1lb tomatoes- slicer & heirloom mix

1lb cukes

1-2lbs summer squash

baby lettuces

scallions

1lb eggplants

1/2lb peppers

basil mix

carrots

beets

What a bounty! I hope you enjoyed it.

I have not quite gotten enough of the summer season this year and already it feels to be slipping away.  I can imagine that it will bring some relief as your share of summer squash dwindles but I’m not quite ready to give up working in Tshirts, harvesting tomatoes off the vine, and relishing in all the flavors that have taken a good part of this year to grow.

The fall and winter garden is nearly complete at this point.  We have worked hard this past week transitioning our beds from crops or cover crop into broccoli related plantings, fall greens, and overwintered green manures.  It is always a clean transition to make. Summer brings so much to the garden that come September it usually looks awfully chaotic.  It is so nice weeding and turning the beds into blank slates to bring food into the future.  It is also a time when I generally start thinking about what worked and what didn’t and I have so many questions to ask you all!  There are some things we easily recognize could have been improved and there are things that clearly worked but we need your very important perspective so- stay tuned for an online survey!

Over the last few weeks you have some new things to look forward to: winter squash, raddichio, mustard greens, Asian pears, and butter oak lettuce. 

This week your share includes:

Heirloom Carrots

Baby Lettuce Heads

Cilantro- My favorite herb is back! Enjoy a salsa!

Leeks- I wanted to couple these baby leeks with the fingerlings because they are always such a good combo.  I would saute them in a little butter and olive oil and serve on top of roasted potatoes. They are also great in eggs!

Cherry Tomatoes

Tomatoes

Eggplant- This week I rediscovered how much I love to bread summer time veggies and then cook in the oven.  For eggplant, slice thinly and dip into beaten eggs. Then you can dip in corn flour (mixed with salt and pepper and herbs..)and put on a baking sheet in an oven at ~400 or fry!  This works great for summer squash too! I like it best topped with pesto but just some balsamic is great too.

Pepper- I really wish we’d gotten you these sooner but….there’s not much we can do to control the weather.  There will be more but we are still holding off for better color….

Cucumbers

‘Rose Finn’ Fingerling Potatoes- This salad sounded like a great weekday meal. Try these little guys roasted or glazed. They don’t need much- they’re great plain!

Italian Plums- These are the best plum variety to cook with. Try this Plum Upside Down Cake recipe.

Rainbow Chard

‘Cascade Giant’ Green Bean

Garlic

What a bounty!!!

While fall is my favorite season, it seems a bit early to be experiencing cool nights and dewy mornings.  The garden fruits are taking it to heart and we are seeing a gradual slow down of tomatoes, cucumbers, and squash.  The eggplants have continued to ramp up and peppers are slowly turning color.  Our second planting of beans and cucumbers is a welcomed arrival and we are enjoying the second flush of sweet little fruits.  

For dinner Monday night we experimented with a CSA share and made a perfect summer meal using almost half the basket.  We had a triage of salads and pita bread on the back porch- we’re taking full advantage of the warm evenings while we have them. Try making a roasted eggplant dip, a sliced tomato salad with pesto, and a cucumber salad paired with crusty bread or pita. You’ll finish a good chuck of your share and eat a fantastic meal!

On a more personal note, Conner and I have made the decision to start looking for a home/land of our own. We are so excited about finding a place to sink our roots into and do whatever we want with!  It is hard to imagine being somewhere new next year but it is a potential reality that we’re quite excited about.

This week your share includes:

heirloom eggplants- enjoy the bounty!  i have never seen such a productive crop. my favorite eggplant recipes involve either slicing thinly or dicing and tossing/brushing with olive oil and S&P. roast in the oven at ~400F until tender.  they are great on pizza, sandwiches, or tossed with a little garlic and balsamic on pita.

tomatoes- we sliced these thinly and drizzled them with pesto, balsamic, and chunks of feta- yum!

cherry tomatoes- for a great simple salad- halve these and toss in with sauted green beans. add a simple vinaigrette and feta.

basil- don’t stop making pesto! you’ll appreciate it this winter.

garlic

dill & parsley- there are two salads these would be great in: Balkan Cucumber Salad from Moosewood Cookbook and Italian Parsley and Beet Salad from Gourmet.

big bunch of beets- try the above mentioned salad.

cucumbers- the above mentioned Balkan Salad is my favorite for cucumbers.

summer squash-hopefully you all grabbed a copy of the zucchini recipes. i strongly advise checking out the Zucchini-Basil Soup it is SO easy and freezes very well.

Enjoy the bounty!