Weekly Newsletter

La Finquita Del Buho

The Weekly Share, May 4, 2008

Week #4/29

We were hoping the ewes would give birth when some of you were around on Thursday, but they both waited until Friday to pop out their twins. We now have 5 lambs romping in our orchard. All moms and babes are fine, getting woollier each day. We have raised goats for years, but this is our first season with our own lambs. They are quite different, in size, coat, mothering and intelligence. We are enjoying them for who they are, we hope you will too. Once they clear the orchard they will go off to other pastures here in the neighborhood and eventually to McMinnville.
We have managed to find our rhythm with the goat cheese. So far we can just manage the chevre and feta, but we’ll try our hand at harder cheese later in the season. Lyn starts selling at the Beaverton farmer’s market on May 10th so bread will have to wait until July. We sell vegetable and flower seedlings as well as cut flowers. Stop by our stand if you are in the area (Hall Blvd, near the Beaverton Public Library) on Saturdays May 10th thru June 30th. We sell with” Pumpkin Ridge Gardens”.
A group of Catlin Gable juniors came out to experience farm life and lend a hand last week. They helped lay the irrigation lines for the field and transplant the leeks. Both jobs were great to have the extra help. Juvencio spent much f Friday and Saturday digging a trench from our property to the field across the road to get water and electricity to that area. We look forward to the fruits of his labor in better production with adequate water.
We are in that precarious spot in farming between what the greenhouse can produce and waiting for the outside crops to take off. We are offering fewer items this week but also a special treat. We are making salad mix. It is quite a lot of work between cutting individual leaves and washing them all twice and spinning them twice. It is important that you also wash it once before you use it. Enjoy the end of the walnuts. Learn to eat your chard and Asian veggies, because are what grows at this time of year. Learning to eat what is seasonal is part of what CSAs are about.
The chickens have recuperated and are back in production. Eggs available from Thursday on. Thanks to the help of Carol and Doug this week for harvesting. Jacob and Diego arose late, but helped feed the harvesters and bunch the purple sprouting broccoli. Dee and Dan helped us later in the day get two beds of peppers into freshly tilled beds in the green house and tomatoes out in the field,

Please see display in the barn about what we can reuse.

We need: 1) brown paper bags
2) 4-16 oz. plastic containers with lids
3) Twist ties
4) Your May payment

The Weekly Share
Walnuts
Salad mix (lettuce, beet greens, spinach, arugula, water cress)
Chard or kale
Purple sprouting broccoli
Chinese broccoli or second bunch of sprouting broccoli
Asian green
Herb (dill, tarragon, sage, thyme or mint)
BIBB LETTUCE WITH BUTTER DRESSING1/2 pound Bibb lettuce (about 4 heads) or Boston lettuce (about 1 head)1 garlic clove1/2 stick (1/4 cup) unsalted butter4 teaspoons fresh lemon juiceSeparate lettuce leaves and put in a large bowl. Halve garlic and in a small heavy skillet heat with butter over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until garlic is golden and butter has a slight nutty aroma, about 3 minutes. Remove skillet from heat and discard garlic. Add lemon juice and salt and pepper to taste, swirling skillet to incorporate (butter will foam).Pour warm dressing over lettuce and toss to coat. Serve salad immediately.
Crispy Kale (the best new way to eat Kale or Collards)

1 bunch kale or collards
Salt to taste
Olive oil
Parmesan cheese

This is an easy and fast way to eat your greens at every meal! Wash the green and remove the tough rib. Cut in a few pieces. Place on a baking sheet on top rack of oven and turn the oven on broil. Broil for 5 – 8 minutes until the leaves are drying out but not burnt. There is a fine line between the two things so after 5 minutes watch the kale closely. Once it is crispy (you may need to toss the greens a bit to get all leaves) add a drizzle of olive oil and salt to taste and broil 1 -2 minutes more. Take out of the oven, sprinkle with cheese (as much as you and your family likes) and eat it. It often doesn’t even make it to a serving dish; it is gobbled up off the baking sheet!


Creamy Choi Soup
Farmer John’s Cookbook

Serves 4

1 tablespoon peanut oil
½ cup chopped scallions (about 3)
2 teaspoons coarsely chopped fresh ginger
1 pound choi (any kind)
1 large potato, peeled diced
2 cups vegetable stock or water
3/4 teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground pepper hot pepper flakes
1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
2 tablespoons sour cream

Heat the peanut oil in a medium pot over medium high heat. Set aside a couple tablespoons of scallions for garnish. Add the remaining scallions, garlic, and ginger to the pot. Cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute.
Add the choi and potato. Pour in the stock or water and add the salt, pepper and hot pepper flakes to taste. Increase the heat and bring to a boil; cover, reduce heat, and simmer until the potato is tender, above 20 minutes. Remove the pot from heat. Stir in the toasted sesame oil.
Transfer the soup to a food processor or a blender and puree. Ladle soup into individual bowls.
Garnish each bowl with a dollop of sour cream and some chopped scallion. Serve immediately.

Creamy Dill Sauce
Farmer John’s Cookbook

Great on egg salad, or tossed with cucumbers, or as a sauce for fish or crab cakes.
Serves about ¾ cup

½ cup extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar or sherry wine vinegar
½ teaspoon minced shallots
¼ teaspoon Dijon mustard
Pinch of salt plus more to taste
Freshly ground pepper
1 egg yolk
¼ cup sour cream
3 tablespoons minced fresh dill
Lemon juice

Combine the oil, vinegar, shallot, mustard, pinch of salt, and pepper to taste in a large jar. Cover tightly and shake the jar vigorously until the oil and vinegar have thickened.
Beat the egg yolk with the sour cream in a separate bowl until well combined.
If you’re using a food processor: Process the yolk and sour cream for 30 seconds and then add the vinaigrette in a very thin stream in about three additions, letting the sauce thicken before each addition. If you’re making the dressing by hand: Using a good whisk, beat the yolk and sour cream, then add the vinaigrette and scant tablespoon at a time, whisking thoroughly after each addition, until the vinaigrette is fully combined with the egg yolk and sour cream.
Once you’ve incorporated the last of the vinaigrette and the sauce is very thick thin it with either the lemon juice (1 or 2 teaspoons) or by vigorously stirring in 1 tablespoon of water.
Stir in the dill and add salt and pepper to taste.

Kale and Walnut Pesto, Farmer John’s Cookbook
¼ cup chopped Walnuts
1 tablespoon plus ½ teaspoon slat divided
½ pound kale, coarsely chopped
2 cloves of garlic
½ cup extra virgin olive oil
½ cup freshly grated Parmesan
1> Toast the chopped walnuts in a dry heavy skillet over high heat, stirring constantly, until they start to brown in spots and become fragrant. Don’t over toast. Immediately transfer the walnuts to a dish to cool.
2> Bring two quarts of water to a boil. Add the tablespoon salt, then add the kale. Cook the Kate until tender, about 10 minutes.
3> Put the garlic, walnuts and kale in a blender or food processor; pulse until well combined. With the blender or food processor running, pour in the olive oil in a steady smooth, pencil thin stream.
4> When the ingredients are thoroughly combined transfer to a bowl. Stir in the Parmensan, remaining teaspoon of salt and pepper and serve hot.