This week on the Farm

We we put in a solid effort on our winter storage harvest (finishing our potato harvest and getting another round of onions pulled, trimmed and crated), harvested for wholesale, market, and Summer and Full Diet CSA, went to market… We did all the things. And then we went on the river. 

Almost the whole crew was able to motivate for the weekend (our Farmer weekend is Friday and Saturday) and launch on Thursday evening at Trout Creek for a 2-night Deschutes trip. To leave at this time of year takes something special (like Jeremy and Zoë’s birthdays, HURRAY!) and a whole lot of effort from a lot of people. Major shout out to Alfonso, Momo and Popo, Chef, Matthew, Caroline, and Melody for holding the fort down while ALL OF THE REST OF US went boating. 

Fun was had, sun was absorbed, sights were seen. We had some ducky and SUP swimmers and all the rafts had great lines. And, we had a full day of not really bad smoke. This type of coming together as a crew off Farm is one of the most special parts of Rainshadow Organics. We truly cultivate a community between all of us: employees, CSA members, everyone. It is one of the strengths of Farm and it makes the vegetables better, the animals healthier, and the whole work load 100% worth it!

And you know, when you get a group of people together who are passionate about a place and a profession, a fresh viewscape and a different activity can, in the best of moments, provide opportunities for problem solving. Which is how we found ourselves floating down the Deschutes on Friday baking in the sun discussing salad mix germination and why we have struggled with salad mix for the last few weeks. While we were wishing for shade, we decided that the salad mix probably had been too. The sun and the heat made the soil temperature too high for the seeds to germinate. New location, new insight. Bang!

What and how this will play out next season is still a topic of conversation. Salad mix is a work in progress, and we continue to question our previous approach and work towards a better, more efficient, and more effective

photo credit: Zoë Griffith

Winter CSA Check-In

This past week we continued to make solid progress harvesting our Winter Storage crops. We got all our potatoes out of the ground and crated in the barn for storage. We harvested another round of onions and they are crated and curing. 

This week we are looking at the calendar and figuring out when the biodynamic windows and the gaps in our schedule line up so we can harvest the rest of our storage crops! This includes beets, celeriac, carrots, parsnips, and multiple varieties of winter squash. As well as cabbage, leeks, daikon radish, and, of course, the rest of the onions that continue to round out our Winter CSA.

We still have space left in our CSA!

Vegetable ID: Celery

After trying to do celery for a couple years, we think we are finally hitting our stride! Farm-fresh celery often includes skinnier stalks than what you’d find at the grocery stores. Part of this is because we trim stalks from the outside of the plants in order to make a better celery head at the end. Farm Celery packs a flavor punch even if it is slightly smaller then it’s conventionally grown cousins. 

To store: You can wrap your celery tightly in foil and place it in the fridge. This will keep it crisp for weeks. If you don’t want to use foil, try chopping the celery into smaller stalks and putting them in a bowl of water in the fridge.

To prep: Rinse well. Cut a half-inch off the base. Cut the tops off the celery. Save these for your freezer scrap bag and make broth later! You can also save the tops and use them for salads, for dried herbs, or DIY celery salt.

To freeze: I recommend only freezing celery for soup bases and to add to broth. Frozen celery looses its crisp crunch but retains all its flavor, so it is great for sautéing and adding to soups but not good for eating by the stick after it is frozen. Chop celery to desired size and freeze in ziplock or vacuum sealed bags.

Vegetable CSA Harvest List

We think our foundation vegetables this week will include head lettuce. We will let you know on Wednesday how many other items you will get to select.

We have been keeping an eye on the hoops and 2-acre garden and have a pretty good idea of what is out there and ready to be harvested, but this is a Sunday estimation of what we will be harvesting on Tuesday. Also, because we have a market style CSA, this isn’t a guarantee of 1 of all these things for everyone. Instead, this will be the variety of what will hopefully (fingers crossed) have for you to choose from this week.)
 

Other Vegetable Options will probably include:

carrots
kale
green onions
chard
fresh onions/leeks
kohlrabi
patty pan squash
yellow summer squash
hot peppers
sweet peppers
eggplant
red radish
salad turnips

basil
beets
zucchini
fennel
cucumbers
napa cabbage
tomatillos
tomatoes
broccoli
cauliflower
cabbage
daikon radish
variety herbs

Keep an eye on our Instagram stories for a tour of what the options are on Wednesday around 11 am. 

Recipe Corner

The options are plenty at the Farm Stand these days. Here are a few leek recipes and a couple other ones for good measure. 
 
Lime Gazpacho with Feta
Adapted from My Fitness Pal
makes 2 cups
 
While we don’t grow limes or feta here, we do have most of the rest of this recipe. You can add other veg and expand this base recipe to your liking and to serve your needs!
 
 
INGREDIENTS
3 cups fresh tomatoes, chopped
1 large cucumber, seeded and chopped
1 tablespoon olive oil
2-3 red bell peppers, chopped (shooting for around 1 cup)
2 large green onions, chopped (consider a leek instead)
1/2 cup fresh mint, chopped
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese (or cotija or some other crumbly white flavorful cheese)

INSTRUCTIONS

  1. Mix the tomatoes and cucumber in a large bowl. Measure 1 1/2 cups of the mixture and place in a food processor or blender. Add the olive oil and process until puréed. Pour back into the bowl. Add the peppers, green onions, mint, lime juice and Worcestershire, stir to mix. Chill until time to serve.
 
Late-Summer Kale Salad
Adapted from Clean Eating
Boy does Rainshadow do Kale well! Here is a great salad recipe using Kale but also involving a few other options from the Farm Stand!
 
INGREDIENTS
Salad Dressing
¼ cup oil, divided
1 clove garlic, minced
½ tsp chipotle chile powder
1 tbsp lime zest + 3 tbsp fresh lime juice
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
1 tsp honey
¼ tsp sea salt
⅛ tsp ground black pepper

Salad
4 red and/or golden beets, peeled and diced
2 tbsp oil, divided
¾ tsp sea salt, divided
¼ tsp ground black pepper
1 1/2 cup cooked chickpeas (if canned, drained, rinsed and dried)
1 bunch kale, tough stems removed and leaves chopped (about 6 cups)
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
1 large carrot, sliced or spiralized
2 nectarines or other stone fruit, pitted, cut into ¼-inch wedges (the peaches are going crazy at the Farmers Market these days)
4 radishes, sliced
¼ cup roasted, salted pumpkin seeds nor whatever you have on hand
2 oz grated ricotta salata, or crumbled feta or ricotta cheese, optional

INSTRUCTIONS

  1. Prepare dressing: In a small skillet, combine 1 tbsp oil, garlic and chile powder. Cook mixture on low until sizzling for 30 seconds, then transfer to a glass jar. Add 3 tbsp oil along with remaining dressing ingredients. Cover and shake to combine.
  2. Prepare salad: Preheat oven to 400ºF. Line a baking sheet with parchment. Toss beets with 1 tbsp oil, ¼ tsp salt and pepper. Spread beets over prepared baking sheet and roast until fork-tender, 35 to 40 minutes, stirring once or twice. (NOTE: If using both red and gold beets, place on opposite sides of the same tray.) Let cool.
  3. Reduce oven temperature to 350ºF; line a new baking sheet with parchment. In a bowl, toss chickpeas with remaining 1 tbsp oil and ¼ tsp salt. Spread onto prepared sheet; roast until golden and crisp, 40 to 45 minutes, stirring a few times. Let cool.
  4. To a large bowl add kale, vinegar and ⅛ tsp salt; massage until kale is very soft. Add carrot, nectarine, radish and 3 tbsp dressing; toss to coat, adding more dressing if needed. Season with remaining ⅛ tsp salt. Top with beets, chickpeas, seeds and cheese (if using) just before serving.
  5. MAKE AHEAD: Make recipe through Step 3 up to 4 days ahead. Store components in the refrigerator until ready to use, and store chickpeas in a jar left slightly open or paper bag at room temperature. Complete Step 4 right before serving. This salad will keep fully dressed in the refrigerator for 1 to 2 days.
 
Late Summer Fritata with Herbs and Tomatoes
Adapted from Nyssa’s Kitchen
We have eggs at the Farm Stand again. (Thank you chickens!) Consider getting a dozen this week and making a fresh frittata! 
 
INGREDIENTS
12 eggs 
1/2 cup milk
1 teaspoon salt
plenty of freshly cracked black pepper 
pinch of chili flakes 
1 1/2 tablespoons lard, butter, or oil
2 large shallots, cut in half lengthwise and thinly sliced (about 1 cups worth)
about 2 cups small tomatoes, cut in half (or 1-2 big tomatoes chopped)
1/4 cup fresh herbs, chopped (fresh parsley, dill or basil are all good options) 
2 cups roughly chopped greens
Optional add-in’s: cheese, leftover meats, breakfast style meats

INSTRUCTIONS

  1. Preheat oven to 375, or, if you plan to finish stove top skip this step.
  2. Prep the shallots, tomatoes, greens, and herbs, and whisk the eggs with the milk so everything is ready to come together quickly. 
  3. In a large 12 inch cast iron skillet, heat 1 1/2 tablespoons butter, oil, or lard over medium high heat. 
  4. Add thinly sliced shallots with a big pinch of salt and cook, stirring often so they don’t burn, until caramelized and soft – about 3 minutes. 
  5. When shallots are nice and caramelized, add tomatoes and cook for just a couple minutes, leaving them untouched so they have a chance to blister in the hot pan. 
  6. Add herbs and greens and stir to just barely wilt. (The time needed for this will vary depending upon the greens you choose.)
  7. Stir in your additions to the eggs and pour eggs into the skillet. 
  8. Let it sit on the stove top for about a minute or two, then move to the oven. 
  9. Let it cook for about 10-12 minutes, until eggs have just set and the middle is no longer wobbly. 
  10. Give the frittata a few minutes to rest before cutting or sliding out of the pan.
Photo Credit: Zoë Griffith

We can’t wait to see you on Wednesday!

The Farm Crew