I See Daffodils….
  Spring has sprung as far as I’m concerned. The daffodils and other little bulbs are popping up everywhere. This recent warm weather spell has been really great for us at the farm. During the sunny weather we spent some time migrating many of our supplies from our Sauvie Island parcel up to Malinowski Farm where we also work several acres. We have put up another greenhouse up there and I believe we’ll consolidate 15 Miles Farm entirely to the Malinowski land. The conditions have been so ideal there, we have our organic certification in place, it just really can’t be beat.
I’ve been seeding many many flats of veggies for the spring/summer CSA while continuing to tend our winter crops. It’s a delicate balance between seasons working on closing out winter and moving into spring. I cannot believe how fast winter has gone by. The weather has been wonderful for the greens as well as the mushrooms. I’m really excited about a grove of trees we’ve expanded into at Malinowski farm – I’m setting up many oak logs that I will grow oyster and shiitake mushrooms on in the shade of these trees. I’ve also got 1,000 strawberry plants coming from Seeds of Change that we are just waiting to get into the ground. To prepare for that we’ve been digging the beds by hand with shovels and adding chicken manure compost. We’re working by hand because it is entirely too wet for rototillers or other machines and it is definitely warm enough to start getting some things for spring and summer in the ground. Also going in this week are all the onion transplants. Exciting! I have a ton of photos I’ll be uploading to the flickr account over the next few days. Winter CSA Harvest List Week of 2/15
This Week’s Recipes
Broccolini with Lemon Oil Remove zest from lemon in 1-inch-wide strips with a vegetable peeler. Cut off any white pith from zest with a small sharp knife. Halve lemon and set aside. Heat oil and zest in a 5-quart wide heavy pot over moderate heat until zest is golden, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat and discard zest, reserving oil in pot. Cook Broccolini in an 8- to 10-quart pot two-thirds full of boiling salted water , uncovered, until crisp-tender, 5 to 7 minutes. Drain well in a large colander. Reheat lemon oil over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking. Add Broccolini and cook, tossing, until coated well and heated through, about 1 minute. Add salt and pepper to taste, then squeeze half of lemon over Broccolini. (Reserve remaining lemon half for another use.) Chicken, Mushroom, and Bok Choy Kebabs Marinate chicken: Boil soy sauce, Sherry, and brown sugar in a small saucepan over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until reduced to about 2/3 cup, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in garlic paste, ginger, and sesame oil, then cool to room temperature. Pour half of marinade into a large sealable bag and chill remainder for basting. Add chicken to bag and marinate, chilled, turning bag occasionally, at least 3 hours. Make kebabs: Meanwhile, halve bok choy lengthwise and blanch in a large pot of boiling salted water (2 Tbsp salt for 5 qt water) until crisp-tender, about 2 minutes. Immediately transfer with tongs to an ice bath to stop cooking. Pat bok choy very dry, then, bending leaves, thread 3 or 4 halves (through bulb and leaves) onto each of 3 or 4 skewers. Put on a tray. Toss mushrooms with vegetable oil. Thread mushrooms (through sides) and chicken (discard marinade) onto remaining skewers, alternating them. Put on another tray. Oil grill rack, then grill chicken-and-mushroom skewers, covered only if using a gas grill, 6 minutes. Turn over and baste with some of remaining marinade, then grill, turning and basting occasionally (but not during last 3 minutes), until chicken is just cooked through and mushrooms are tender, 6 to 8 minutes more. Lightly brush bok choy with oil and grill, covered only if using a gas grill, turning once, until grill marks appear, about 2 minutes total. Citrus Collards with Raisins Redux In a large pot over high heat, bring 3 quarts of water to a boil and add 1 tablespoon salt. Add the collards and cook, uncovered, for 8 to 10 minutes, until softened. Meanwhile, prepare a large bowl of ice water to cool the collards. Remove the collards from the heat, drain, and plunge them into the bowl of cold water to stop cooking and set the color of the greens. Drain by gently pressing the greens against a colander. In a medium-size sauté pan, combine the olive oil and the garlic and raise the heat to medium. Sauté for 1 minute. Add the collards, raisins, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Sauté for 3 minutes, stirring frequently. Add orange juice and cook for an additional 15 seconds. Do not overcook (collards should be bright green). Season with additional salt to taste if needed and serve immediately. (This also makes a tasty filling for quesadillas.)
Cook collards in a large pot of boiling water with 1 tablespoon salt until just tender, 6 to 8 minutes, then drain. Transfer to a bowl of cold water, then spread leaves, undersides up, on paper towels, overlapping cut edges slightly, and pat dry. Bring wine to a boil with shallot, garlic, 4 tablespoons butter, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper in a heavy medium saucepan. Add mushrooms and cook, covered, over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 12 minutes. Butter a 2-quart shallow baking dish, then strain mushroom juices into baking dish, reserving mushrooms. Preheat oven to 450°F with rack in lower third. Mound about 1/4 cup mushrooms in center of each collard leaf. Fold leaves to enclose filling and arrange bundles, seam sides down, in 1 layer in baking dish. Dot with remaining tablespoon butter and cover with foil. |
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