Harvest Notes

Aug

05

2010

Harvest Notes August 5, 2010

Written by Dana Blizzard

This week for you to enjoy:

Mokum Carrots - this deep orange variety is not farmed commercially because these roots are so crisp and tender that the machine harvesters cannot get them out of the ground with out snapping them - and that's also why I love growing them! Sometimes they even break when we pull them out by hand, but they are worth it because they have better flavor than their hardier commercial cousins. 

Jul

29

2010

Harvest Notes July 29, 2010

Written by Dana Blizzard

I think by far Dad's favorite part of working in the Garden is digging up potatoes, and I really enjoy it too! It's a treasure hunt in the soil! The wet spring did make our early potato crop a bit light, but these Yukon Golds, especially selected by Kara for their early harvest and scrumptious flavor, are a real treasure when you serve them up for dinner! Also this week are:

Walla Walla Sweet Onions - another of my favorites and featured in this weeks recipe. If you have to store them for more than a week be sure to take them out of the plastic bag so they don't spoil - they were pulled from the ground today and are still pretty moist.
 

Jul

22

2010

Harvest Notes July 22, 2010

Written by Dana Blizzard

Well the sun is making everything grow like crazy in the garden. We finally have blooms on the tomatoes and squash, the weeds are becoming a constant battle, and the snow peas are dying back, all signs that we are in the heat of summer! At the Garden we do not have blueberry plants, yet, so the blueberries you received this week were from a friends blueberry farm in Cornelius. They are conventionally grown 35 year old bushes that started to slow in production so they pruned them back hard last winter and were not harvesting the small crop this summer, so we got to pick them! A special treat so enjoy! Also to enjoy this week are:

• Swiss Chard
• Kale
• Snow peas - definitely the last of them so savor every last one until next spring!
• Chardonnay Grape Leaves
• Touchstone Gold Beets
• Full shares got the first of the zucchini and a lot of arugula that was bolting so it needs some extra time to cut the leaves off the tough stems, but will make for a nice and spicy salad.

Again I'm including the Kale chips recipe. From my inquiries yesterday I discovered that some of you, despite all Kara and my encouragement, have not tried kale chips yet! So get on it!!!! They're good! My Kale Chips usually don't last long enough to mix them with popcorn, but when they do it's really good.

http://fiveandspice.wordpress.com/2010/06/29/goat-cheese-stuffed-grape-leaves-with-olives-raisins-and-mint/#comment-315

Popcorn with Kale Chips

1 batch of lightly salted popcorn (or 1 bag of plain/lightly salted)
extra virgin olive oil, preferably in a mister
sea salt
fresh cracked black pepper
nutritional yeast
crushed up kale chips

This recipe is all really to taste. But to make the kale chips, tear the kale into small pieces (small enough for popcorn). Put a little olive oil in a bowl and mix the kale with the oil. Bake the kale in a 350 degree oven for approximately 10 minutes (stirring the chips half way through). To make sure that all of the popcorn and kale gets seasoned evenly my grandfather taught me to put the stuff in a paper bag and shake like H-E-double-hockey-stick- this method always made the best popcorn-YUM!

Enjoy!
Dana

Jul

15

2010

Harvest Notes July 15, 2010

Written by Dana Blizzard

Hi All-
Even though Kara is far away in Pullman, WA, she still leaves her legacy with all the kale she planted! So eat up on this tasty leafy green; sauté it, boil it in salt water, stir fry it, or make kale chips (have we mentioned this is the nummiest recipe?!). Also to enjoy this week are:

• Carrots
• Butterhead and Romaine Lettuce
• Snow Peas (probably the last of them so enjoy!)
• Radishes for the half shares and Broccoli for the full shares)
• Raspberries!!

Below is an easy recipe for your raspberries that will liven up any breakfast or dessert. I made it for out of town guests last week and they were quite impressed! Enjoy!

Dana

Raspberry Orange Sauce for Pancakes or Desserts

1 pint Raspberries
1 cup orange juice
1 tsp corn starch
1 tblsp sugar (or more to taste)

combine corn starch and sugar, mix thoroughly. In separate sauce pan cook over med-low the orange juice with raspberries, stir in sugar/starch mixture and bring to a boil just long enough to thicken sauce. Serve on pancakes, waffles, or over ice cream for a tasty dessert!