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May 30, 2006
Staying ahead, even in wet weather
As I am here at the computer contemplating what to write about, it occurs to me that many if not all of my blog entries have weather related themes. But when your office is 40 acres of uncovered valley, the weather is a very important aspect of your life. By the end of March I had a mid summers tan and couldn't go to the store without people asking me if I just got back from vacation or if I use tanning beds, I always tell em "no, I work for a living." This last 10 days or so have been particularly wet and miserable out here on the farm, times like these the temptation to just harvest and let everyone go home early is definitly apparent, but after doing this for 6 years or so, I know better than to fall behind early in the season. So we put in some long wet days and kept the momentum going. Which is always a tough call at the time, but seldom do I ever regret putting out that extra effort to get through the tough times. Even though we grow more and more every year it seems to get a little easier as we become more organized, and gain knowledge through trial and error, things are going quite smoothly so far and I am going to do everything in my power to keep it that way. Thanks for taking the time!!!
Posted by Brett at 03:45 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack
May 29, 2006
Simple Spring Meal
It seems we're all so busy this time of year. Here is a super easy and healthy meal with Spring Goodies.
1 Bunch Baby Turnips Cut in half
1 Bunch Carrots Cut into 1 inch pieces.
1/4 lb. Asparagus Cut into 1 inch pieces (smaller if it's fat asparagus)
Halibut Filet or Tofu cut into Strips 15 minute marinade of your choice. For Halibut I like very simple olive oil, salt, pepper, paprika. For tofu I like a bit more flavor, maybe soy sauce, garlic, sesame oil, some chili oil.
Rice
Cook rice. While rice does it's thing......
In med. size saucepan, saute veggies and 1 TBsp oil over med. heat about 10 minutes.
On a grill or in the broiler, cook fish or tofu. (Small pieces of Halibut may be easier in the Broiler)
This entire meal takes 30 minutes or less and is very satisfying. We've eaten variations of it a few times lately.
Posted by CSA at 09:33 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
May 22, 2006
Things are looking great!
A little rain never hurt anybody, and it is making my life a lot easier. These wet days have come at a great time, just as I was about to drag irrigation pipe across the whole farm. The plants are all very grateful for it too!!! And this will really give em a big boost, especially when the sun comes back out. Sugar snap peas are big and starting to fill out, our early seedlings won't be nearly enough for everyone but it will be a great addition to the tables even if there only on there for 15 minutes before there snatched up. As I walked the rows of strawberries on Saturday I spotted a few red ones!!! Jeff and I quickly ate them, A small quantity will most likely make its way to the tables this week, and if you have a chance to buy some, don't pass it up, I can assure you these are the best around and I'll take the Pepsi challenge on that any day. The markets are going so great we are underestimating our popularity and I can assure you that there will be more of our fresh healthy greens on the tables this week. We have been busy here, keeping up on everything pretty good, the more work we put in early will really pay off in the middle of the season. On the agenda today: We will be putting straw under all the strawberries to keep them off the soil and dry, we are also planting winter squash, and our big beautiful tomato plants. Our salad mix, baby head lettuce, and spinach are all on a special promotion with charlies produce this week and we plan to be cutting a lot of greens this week. We cut over 2500lbs of greens for them last week alone! We are very excited about this season and very appreciative of all the loyal customers who make everything worthwhile.
Posted by Brett at 10:05 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Spring Appetizer Week 3
Spring showers aren't dampening our spirits here at the farm. Although we have been excited about the warm weather speeding along the early summer crops, it has been a little strange to be hauling irrigation hoses in mid-May!
The first tender, sweet and crisp spring carrots are here. These slender carrots are exceptionally tasty. In addtion to the carrots, we will have more of those fresh spring greens. The warmth of last week should give us larger 'baby' heads of lettuce than what we were able to harvest last week. The spinach is looking really great this week so we are giving you a little extra. With an abundance of mangoes in the conventional stores right now, try one of our all time favorite spinach salads, Baby Spinach with Spiced Almonds. If you haven't used up all of last week's kale yet, try adding it to the spinach in Devra's Beans and Greens with Coconut Milk recipe. Devra is the owner of Patty Pan Grill, one of our newest CSA drop off locations.
Yummmmm!, Brett just came in and told me the sugar snaps are going to be ready really soon. They aren't quite sweet enough to end up in this week's box, but you will have them for sure next week!
REMINDER: Early Bird Discount for the Summer CSA program ends 5/25. Don't miss out on the opportunity to save $15-25!
Small Shares: 1/2# salad mix, 4 heads baby lettuce, 1/2# baby spinach, 1 bunch rapini, 1 bunch baby turnips, 1 bunch carrots
Medium Shares: 1/2# salad mix, 6 heads baby lettuce, 1/2# baby spinach, 1 bunch rapini, 1 bunch baby turnips, 2 bunch carrots
Large Shares: 3/4# salad mix, 8 heads baby lettuce, 1/2# baby spinach, 1 bunch rapini, 2 bunch baby turnips, 3 bunch carrots
Help us cut waste and save money by returning your boxes. We can usually pack our csa boxes 3 times before they start to sag. All of the market CSA and most neighborhood csa drop offs are happy to take exchange last week's empty box for this weeks full one.
Posted by Christine at 09:52 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
May 21, 2006
Beans and Greens with Coconut Milk
Beans and Greens with Coconut Milk (Devra Gartenstein, Patty Pan Grill)
1 Tablespoon olive oil
1 small or medium onion, chopped
1 small tomato, chopped, or 1/2 cup canned tomato (diced or crushed)
1 tsp. salt
2 cups small red beans, cooked or canned
1/4 cup water
2 cups greens, washed and chopped (spinach, mizuna, kale, mustard, or collards)
1/4 cup coconut milk
1/2 tsp. turmeric
Heat the olive oil in a medium sized saucepan, then add the onion and cook on medium low heat for about 5 minutes, until it's soft. Add the tomato and salt, cook a few minutes longer, then add the water and the greens. Cover the pan and cook for 3-5 minutes, until the greens are soft. Add the coconut milk and turmeric, heat it through, and serve over rice or millet.
Check out more of Devra's recipes in her book The Accidental Vegan
Posted by Christine at 10:44 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
May 15, 2006
It's hot!!! But I'm not complaining
Well the sun is out and it is hot. I had hoped that all the bad weather we had in April would be the end of the wet and cold, and it seems to be. The plants are also loving this weather, the lettuce and greens are growing fast, and the sugar snaps are coming on quick, finally I can see the rows of haricot vers, onions are looking better than I have ever seen them this time of year, and I can't help but smile when I think our beutiful strawberries! The past two seasons the strawberries have been few and far between, but alot of hard work went into them this spring and they look as happy as I am. It's crunch time now, and with heat like this, timing is everything, I have to plan the days harvesting very carefully. If anything is picked to hot or not cooled down quick enough it will result in an unacceptable product that will have a short shelf life, so with only a few exceptions everything is harvested before noon or after six, the mid day is reserved for packing, washing, weeding or crossing a couple things of my neverending maintenance list. I don't think the farm has ever looked as good as it does now, which means I'm doing my job.
Posted by Brett at 03:53 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
So fresh and so green!
Isn't it great finally having Willie Green's in your fridge again?! We of the farm family are delighted. I've been eating an average of 2 salads a day and putting that exquisite Arugula on everything! Large share received Arugula last week and everyone will receive it this week. This is really truly the BEST Arugula ever! It's sweet and just a tiny bit peppery. Yes, you really can eat it for 3 meals in a day! For breakfast, give it a rough chop and scramble it with you eggs. For lunch, put some on your favorite sandwich in place of or with lettuce. For dinner, wilt some with your favorite pasta.
Turnips are making their debut this week. Turnips have long been associated with beauty, and have loads of healthy properties. These little baby turnips are sweet and versatile. Try this sweet, simple turnip recipe. If you have someone who professes dislike of turnips, try this sneaky recipe.
Red Kale also makes its debut this week. Not only beautiful to look at, Kale is loaded with Vitamins A, C, K, and Manganese. Tender Red Kale may be eaten raw in salads, or wilted slightly as a side dish. Those beautiful jagged leaves require very little cooking time. Try adding some to soup just before serving.
Our baby bok choy is exceptionally cute and crisp. Although most folks equate bok choy with stir fries, it is also great braised. Try Jeff's Champagne Braised Bok Choy for something different.
Here's what you will receive in your boxes this week...
SMALL 1/4# Arugula, 4 Baby Heads of Lettuce, 1 Bok Choy, 1 bn. Radishes, 1/4# Red Kale, 1/2# Salad mix, 1 bn. Turnips.
MEDIUM 1/4# Arugula, 4 Baby Heads of Lettuce, 2 Bok Choy, 2 bn. Radishes, 1/4# Red Kale, 1/2# Salad mix, 2 bn. Turnips.
LARGE 1/4# Arugula, 4 Baby Heads of Lettuce, 2 Bok Choy, 2 bn. Radishes, 1/4# Red Kale, 1# Salad mix, 2 bn. Turnips.
Posted by CSA at 03:05 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Celebrate Spring with Champagne Braised Bok Choy
Champagne Braised Bok Choy
2TBS olive oil
2 small cloves garlic minced
6 whole heads of baby bok choy
1/4 c. champagne or white wine (not too dry)
1/2 tsp cornstarch
1/4c. cold water
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Using a large saute pan over medium heat, lightly saute the garlic in the olive oil. Do not allow the garlic to brown. Place the bok choy in the pan and gently toss until the bok choy is lightly coated with the garlic infused oil.
Add the champagne. Cover the pot and braise for three minutes. Dissolve the cornstarch into the cold water in a cup. Drizzle and stir the cornstarch mixture into the champagne sauce until slightly thickened (you may not need to use all the cornstarch mixture). Add salt & peeper to taste. Serve immediately.
Posted by Christine at 02:26 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
May 14, 2006
Root Mash
Turnips can be mashed with other root veggies like potatoes or carrots. Simply cut all of your veggies into like-sized pieces and steam together until fork tender. Then drain, add butter or oil, spices, and mash. This is a great way to get children to eat turnips.
Posted by CSA at 09:37 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Simple, sweet, baby turnips
Tiny turnips are a sweet spring treat
Slice turnips into "coins", not too thin. Melt 1 tsp. butter in a medium sized saute pan over medium heat. Sprinkle 1/2-1 tsp. salt and a pinch of pepper into butter. Add turnip coins and cook over medium heat to desired tenderness. Finish with a pinch of nutmeg.
I must admit that I was not a fan of turnips until I tried this recipe. This is a really great side dish or garnish. Some of the farm folks also really enjoy them cooked whole in a sweet buttery glaze and served over fresh turnip greens.
Posted by CSA at 04:20 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
May 08, 2006
Whats happening on the farm?
The fields are filling up and there is lots to do. It has already been a busy spring, with our constant expansion projects, fertilizing, prepairing the ground, seeding, transplanting, weeding and a long list of odds and ends, thats a full week as it is. With the weather finally on our side and the green's and veggies looking great, harvesting has started and will basically double the work load at this point. Its the most exciting time of year as everything you have planned starts to take shape and all the hard work starts to pay off. I am happy to say that our early sugar snap peas are full of flowers that should be forming pea pods very soon, and we are seeing our first rows of haricot vers coming up (the first two seedings rotted in the ground due to low soil temps), the lettuce and salad greens are all looking fantastic, and with the field full of different colors and beutiful plants it really looks great, and I can really feel the energy coming off the farm for the first time since last fall. The C.S.A. program is starting up this week and it is really nice to be supplying food to all my customers again, I say this every year, but its true, "this is going to be our biggest and best year ever", thanks for helping us do it!
Posted by Brett at 04:40 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Our first course, Spring Appetizer
Welcome to our very first spring share!
We are excited to offer you the first of the season's produce. We hope that this CSA session will be a delightful introduction to a delicious and bountiful season. The relatively cool spring has delayed a few crops, but you will see more crops as the spring session unfolds. We begin the season with a colorful box of red and green vegetables.
This is only our second year of harvesting rhubarb, and we are pleased to begin your share with this spring herald. It is a vegetable that is cooked as a fruit. Rhubarb's bright red stalks are prized in pies and crisps, but it also shines in sauces for seafood and meat. Check out Dylan's rhubarb salad dressing for an innovative and refreshing spring salad. Have a rhubarb recipe that you would like to share with us? Just add it as a comment to this blog entry and all your fellow CSA share members can enjoy it as well!
Our baby spinach is delicious raw or cooked. Try it in a spinach quiche with wild spring mushrooms for a savory and decadent meal. Rapini is a very popular green in Chinese and Italian cooking. Although it is known by a variety of names, rapini or broccoli raab are the most common. It is delicious sauted with a bit of garlic in olive oil and then splashed with lemon. One of our all time favorite ways to enjoy rapini is on pizza.
Small Share: 1/2# salad mix, 1/4# spinach, 4 heads baby lettuce, 1 bunch radish, 2 bunches rapini, 3/4# rhubarb
Medium Share: 3/4# salad mix, 1/4# spinach, 4 heads baby lettuce, 1 bunch radish, 2 bunches rapini, 1# rhubarb
Large Share: 3/4# salad mix, 4 heads baby lettuce, 1/4# baby spinach, 3 bunch radish, 2 bunches rapini, 1 1/2# rhubarb
Posted by Christine at 02:33 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Heidi's Favorite Pie Crust Recipe
PIE CRUST
This is a great Crust Recipe for almost any pie, sweet or savory. I have modified it very slightly. If you want a very healthy option, use Whole Wheat Pastry Flour. This will yield a more toothsome crust.
From The Best Recipe by “The Editors of Cooks Illustrated”11/4 C. all purpose flour + additional for dusting
½ tsp. Salt for sweet (1 tsp. for savory)
1 Tbsp. Sugar (omit for savory recipes)
4 Tbsp. Butter chilled and cut into 1/4 “ pieces
3 Tbsp. Vegetable shortening cut into pieces. (I love Spectrum Naturals All Vegetable Shortening. It’s non-hydrogenated and has no trans-fats.)
1 tsp. Apple Cider Vinegar or White Vinegar
4-5 Tbsp. ice water
You may choose to rub these ingredients together by hand or use your food processor with a metal blade.
Combine all dry ingredients. Sprinkle butter and shortening throughout and rub together or pulse until mixture resembles coarse cornmeal. Add vinegar and water 1 Tbsp. at a time, until dough just forms into a ball. Do not over-work the dough. Turn dough onto lightly floured surface. Form into disk. Wrap in plastic and allow to chill for a minimum of 30 minutes and a maximum of 2 days.
When you’re ready to roll out the dough, allow it to soften at room temp for 5-10 minutes.
Roll dough into 12 inch disk about 1/8-1/4 inch thick. Place in pie pan and crimp edges as you wish.
Refrigerate for 40 minutes. Freeze for another 20 minutes. (This freezer step is not absolutely necessary, but it really makes a difference in making the crust ultra flaky.)
Preheat Oven at 375. Place foil in piecrust and weigh it down with beans or weights.
Bake for about 15 minutes until crust looks dry.
Gently remove weight and foil. Poke crust with a fork several times and bake for another 10 minutes.
If you will be using this crust for a no-bake pie recipe, continue to bake until golden brown.
Posted by Christine at 01:37 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
May 07, 2006
Spinach Mushroom and Onion Quiche
Spinach Mushroom and Onion Quiche Filling for one 9 inch pie shell
2 large eggs + 2 separated yolks
1 C. Whole milk
1 C. Cream
1 tsp. Salt
1 generous Cup grated cheese (I like creamy and mild like Havarti or Gruyere mixed with a sharper Cheddar or pepper Jack for heat)
½ -1 lb. Spinach
1 TBS butter
½ small Onion (Diced)
¾ lb. Wild Mushrooms (Sliced) Morels are ideal and abundant right now!
Bring eggs and dairy to room temp.
In a large saucepan, cook onion in 1 TBS butter over medium heat for about 7 minutes. Add sliced mushrooms and cook until most liquid has disappeared. *If your crust needs to be pre-baked, fire it now. *
Add cleaned Spinach to Mushroom mixture. Cook Spinach until there is no longer liquid in the bottom of the pan.
Wisk Milk, Eggs, Cream and Salt together. Spread Cheese on the bottom of your warm Crust. Evenly distribute Spinach over the cheese. Gently pour egg mixture over other ingredients.
Bake at 375 on low oven rack until light golden brown and set but jiggly in the middle. A knife inserted 1” from the edge should come out clean. Approx. 30-35 minutes.
Posted by Christine at 10:20 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Springtime Rhubarb Salad Dressing
Rhubarb Salad Dressing (Dylan Stockman)
.5 # Rhubarb chopped
1 TBS Garlic minced
1 Orange zested
¼ C Orange juice
¼ C Honey
2 TBS Lavender minced
½ C Rice Wine Vinegar
1 C 2 TBS Olive Oil
1 TBS Salt and 2 tsp Black Pepper*
With 2 TBS Olive Oil sauté Rhubarb until it is broken down, and mushy. Add Garlic and sauté for another couple of minutes. Deglaze with orange juice. Set aside and let cool. Once the mixture has cooled, place in a large mixing bowl. Add Orange zest, Lavender, Honey, Rice Wine Vinegar, Salt and Pepper. While mixing with a whisk, slowly add the Olive Oil in very small amounts.
You can assemble the dressing using a Kitchen Aid, blender or a food processor to achieve a more emulsified dressing.
*Add Salt and Pepper to taste
Posted by Christine at 10:14 PM | Comments (2) | TrackBack
May 03, 2006
Get Your Fresh Spring Greens!
Things are growing!! Our first delicious spring greens are being harvested, and the first Markets have begun! It's time to place your orders for Willie Green's CSA! FRIDAY MAY 5 is the last day to order your Spring Share!
MONDAY MAY 15 is the deadline for CSA Market Vouchers!
THURSDAY MAY 25 is the deadline for Early Bird Savings on CSA shares!
Sign up online! You may also send us the order form from our Summer CSA Brochure. Contact us at...
csa@williegreensorganicfarm.com
425-802-4680 CSA Phone
425-485-4128 Farm
One of our friendly staff members will be happy to answer your questions and assist you!
Posted by CSA at 02:41 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
May 01, 2006
May Day
Dylan and Cypress enjoying May DayWhat a big day! Markets and Maypoles and protests, what fun! It seemed that everyone, everywhere was charged today. It's a great thing to be alive and feel rejuvenated by whatever moves you. Yesterday was the first Farmer's Market of the season. It was a beautiful day in West Seattle with a great turnout of Market folks. My Market experience this year is all-new from years past. My son Cypress just learned to walk and he has his own agenda for the Market. I have a slightly different perspective now that I'm a part of the Willie Green's Family.
I'm excited for a great season.******* Large immigrant-rights rallies took place all over the U.S. today.*******Earthy folk all over the world celebrated Beltane, marking the beginning of the fertile growing season. My family went to a beautiful May Day celebration in Woodland Park.
-Heidi
Posted by CSA at 08:48 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack