What a wild weather week we have had!  79 degrees to snow… Well, that’s March for us.

Shares are done early today for those who want to pick up early.  This week we have wonderful spinach, mixed large greens that are great for sauteing, green onions, radishes, salad greens, parsley, beets and other produce in the mix.

Large greens are great to saute.  It quick and healthy.  Chop leaves and stems coarsely.  Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in deep skillet.  Add greens and a few pinches of salt.  Cook until wilted and tender, but don’t overcook. Add 1 tablespoon of butter or ghee.  Season with zest of lemon, lemon juice or a nice robust vinegar to bring up the flavors.

Next week we are hoping for cabbage, salad turnips (these are so great!), cilantro and possibly rhubarb, and of course other spring crops. In two weeks we should have peas and asparagus!  And of course this all depends on Mother Nature!

It’s time!  Spring shares are about to begin. Here are some of the things you’ll find in our first week share.  Chard, arugula, leeks, mixed salad greens, celery, dill, green onions, bok choy, small radishes and green shallots. 

If you are not sure how to use any of the produce, we will list recipes weekly or you can search Desert Sage for more delicious ways to prepare our fresh produce. 

Young arugula is so good and good for us. This week we will be featuring a nice hefty bag of it in our shares. 

1/2 pound fresh arugula

1 1/2 tablespoon salt

1 tablespoon brown sugar or honey

1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

1 clove garlic

1 cup toasted pine nuts

1 cup peptias 

1 cup olive oil

Blend all ingredients in a food processor, stopping to scrape down sides and processing again. 

Use immediately for fresh use or freeze in greased ice cube trays for later.

Arugula pesto is great tossed with warm pasta, spread for pizza, or added to sour cream for a dip. 

With just a little over three weeks (June 24th), our Spring Shares begin once again!  We have been busy planting by seeds and transplants, filling in every little space we can with healthy spring veggies.  We have a few sneak peeks of some things that will be in our first baskets.  Leeks will definitely be ready.  They are looking great!  A mix of spring greens, lettuce, green onions and hopefully peas and spinach!   Cilantro of course!

Don’t forget to check back here the week of shares to get a good idea of what will be filling your Spring Share.  We don’t always know until the week of harvest.  You know, we work with mother nature and she ultimately decides!

What’s been happening beyond the vegetable garden;  This past Saturday we had the arrival of our first baby goats for the season.  Tory, the mamma did a great job!  She had 4 kids.  Two bucks, two does.  Dang they are so cute!  Milking chores and feeding is back in swing.  Ariel our other doe is due in April.   New baby chicks this week as well and our yearling chickens have begun to lay like crazy birds.  One of those girls are working overtime giving us two eggs a day.  That isn’t normal!  Blossoms are popping everywhere…We really hope there won’t be a hard freeze.  Everything is greening up and looking like spring. 

And March begins!  Where did winter go?  Or did we even have one?  As much planning and scheduling for plant maturity we never know what will happen with winter.  We have a few things that are ready to harvest this week and next already, due to the very warm February.  A flash back of last year.  All we can do is roll with it.  Napa Cabbage (a loose head cabbage) is ready this week.  If any of our spring share holders are driving by and want to incorporate Napa Cabbage in their meals, stop by and we’ll harvest some for you.

Alright I know it’s the dead of winter and not much is growing out in the garden right now but let me just say I think I found my new favorite vegetable…. Just to back track a little so we are all on the same page. This fall I was getting all my fall crop in and I had a spare bed left over not wanting to have empty space I figured I would throw in a random seed packet from my seed stash. One I have never tried before but figured what the hay, why not, worse that will happen is I compost it in the spring. The seeds I ended up planting were parsnips. Those weird bleached out carrot looking things. Well let me just tell you those are some of the best tasting “things” I’ve ever had from a fall/ winter garden! 

The recipe I choose to try them with was a breeze to make too, basically 4 ingredients; parsnips, carrots, dried thyme and garlic infused olive oil. Plus salt and pepper to taste. So I guess 6 if you want to get techincal, but who’s counting.

Wash and lightly peel the parsnips and carrots, in a bowl put in enough olive oil to coat everything and spread out in a single layer on a foil lined baking sheet salt and fresh ground pepper to taste. Bake at 425 for about 20 min or until tender but not mushy. Shaking the pan every so often to keep things from burning. Lightly sprinkle dried thyme over them and serve. 

I promise this will be one of your favorite dishes to eat

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Wash and scrub potatoes, put them in a saucepan, cover with plenty of salted water. Bring to a boil and simmer for 20 minutes until half cooked.  Drain cool slightly, quarter and  place on a large baking sheet.

Wash Jerusalem artichokes, slice into 1/4 inch slices and place on sheet with potatoes.  Add 4 crushed garlic cloves, 3-4 tablespoons olive oil, 2 tablespoons chopped sage and salt and pepper to your liking.  Mix well with hands and place in preheated oven.  

Meanwhile slice a lemon thinly and toss with vegetables after they have roasted for 20 minutes and roast another 10 minutes.  Slice a big handful of cherry tomatoes in half.  Add tomatoes and 1/2 cup pitted kalamata olives to roasting vegetables.  Cook another 10-15 minutes longer, remove from oven and stir 2 tablespoons roughly chopped parsley.  Serve and enjoy!

November 5th, 2015

Here it is…The end of our fall shares.  Last night brought a touch of frost layering leaves in the garden and orchard.  The gardens are looking a little naked today after much of our summer crops have been pulled.  We haven’t seen bare ground in many months.  In a way, the smell of fresh, cool, fall barren earth brings a restful feeling, but in another, it’s empty and almost sad saying goodbye to many of our favorite crops.

Over the next several months we are still growing root crops, greens, broccoli, cabbage, garlic and Brussels sprouts.  Our gardens will become clothed in white frost blanket to extend the growing season.  I guess our gardens soil never gets a rest,….as the gardeners really don’t either, but work slows down outside to a low roar.

In our last basket you’ll find sweet meat winter squash, golden potatoes, Napa cabbage, cherry tomatoes, persimmons, quince and peppers.  Something new and maybe a little strange to you are Jerusalem artichokes.  Rinse these off well and put back into their bag and keep in the refrigerator crisper.  These should keep for several weeks.  We will post a recipe for them later.  Also, from Kira’s garden she’s added some terrific beets and turnips (these are in the large cooler), with fabulous greens.  Juice or saute these greens.  Plus a special thank you gift!

We want to sincerely thank everyone for picking up with no hassles, returning boxes (which we don’t need to for last pick up), and your support!  Everyone has been so great.  Thanks from us all!

See ya for Thanksgiving Baskets or in the spring!

Do you wonder what to do with the little red chile peppers in your shares?  They add a wonderful flavour to many dishes. We like them best dried. Just lay them out or string them up and they dry within a week to ten days. Once dried they crumble easy.  Red chile peppers are great to have on hand.  

Add them to chili, sautéed greens, egg dishes, soups and soufflés. 

Try this~

Sauté garlic and a chile in 2 tablespoons oil in oven proof skillet until garlic turns golden. Add 2 bunches of chard, escarole, turnip greens or bok choy, tossing until hot.  Add a dash of salt. Sprinkle mixture with 1/2 cup of Parmesan cheese and 1/4 cup panko bread crumbs and place in a preheated 350 degree oven for 5-7 minutes. Serve immediately. 

Cooler weather, crisp mornings and hardy veggies!  This week enjoy ~ acorn winter squash, persimmons, tart pomegranate, golden apples, peanuts, cherry tomatoes, slicing tomatoes, garlic, basil, tomatillos, red potatoes, small cabbage and micro-greens.

Stir up a hardy brew!

 Shares are done early today if you would like to pick up early. 

Just like all great tomato sauces, this one is fantastic on spaghetti and in just about any pasta dish really. Also very good with chicken, fish and other meats. This is a tasty example of how tomato sauce, which is already a healthy choice, can be packed with even more nutrients, the sauce will be on the thick side when you first make it, this way if you make a big batch you can freeze it. To use immediately, thin down with chicken broth or tomato juice until it is the desired consistency. Makes about 10 cups

What you will need

• 1 or 2 rimmed baking sheets, lightly oiled
• Preheat oven to 375*
• 2  medium eggplants, halved lengthwise
• 1/3-1/2 cup olive oil, divided
• 3 cups chopped onions
• 1 cup chopped turnips
• 1 cup chopped carrots
• 1/2 cup chopped parsnip
• 4 cloves garlic, chopped
• 8 cups chopped seeded paste tomatoes
• 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
• 1 tbsp molasses
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh basil
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh oregano
• 2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley

Arrange eggplant halves on rimmed baking sheet cut side down (use 2 sheets if needed) drizzle each half with 1 tbsp of olive oil. Bake in preheated oven for 35 minutes, or until flesh is soft. Let cool then scoop out flesh and discard skins.

Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat 3 tbsp of olive oil over medium heat. Add onions, turnip, carrot, and parsnip and cook, stirring constantly for 2 to 3 minutes. Reduce heat to low, cover and gently cook the vegetables for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add more olive oil as needed to keep from scorching. Vegetables should be almost tender and slightly browned. Add garlic and cook, stirring frequently, for 5-6 minutes or until early vegetables are cooked.

Add eggplant flesh, tomatoes, vinegar, molasses, and salt. Bring to a light simmer. Cover and simmer gently, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes. Stir in basil, oregano and parsley. Bring to a simmer and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Thin with tomato juice or chicken broth u tile desired consistency. Or remove from heat and let cool, pack into freezer containers of 2-4 cups servings leaving 1 inch of head space, remove air and freeze for up to 6 months.