Not much has been happening this week. At least nothing exciting enough worth mentioning that is. With the days getting cooler that means sadly, the tomatoes are just about finished and ready to be pulled so enjoy the ones we can give you. But on the plus side that also means it’s more the season for a fire in the fire pit, hot chocolate or tea in your hands and being wrapped up in a blanket enjoying the cooler nights. Shares this week were a bit of a struggle. We are still trying to keep the unique factor going by adding at least one new thing each week, but with the in between weather we have been having were the cool season crops aren’t doing much and the warm season crops aren’t doing much we had to get a little creative…

• Half a dozen garlic
• Acorn squash
• Apples
• Salad mix
• Asian greens
• Lots of peppers (sorry about that)
• Cucumber
• Tomatoes 
• Torpedo onion 
• Carving pumpkin 

Also if you have any of our baskets we would really like to have them back. we are down to our last few.thanks in advance.

For the lemon dressing

• Juice of 1 lemon  (about 3 tablespoons
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 1-2 teaspoons of pure maple sugar
• 6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
•  pinch of sea salt

To prepare the dressing, combine everything in a glass mason jar and shake well to emulsify. Adjust the flavor to your taste

For the salad

• Assorted baby kale, spinach, or chard, as desired
• 1/2 ripe pear sliced, per serving
• 1 oz. crumbled feta, per serving

To prepare the salad toss each serving of salad with 1-2 tablespoon of dressing and allow to marinate for about 10 minutes. top each serving  with pear and feta cheese and serve immediately.

A good variation of this would be to grill the pear.

Ok, this is a chore!   This year we thought it might be fun to grow dry heirloom beans for shares. They turned out well, so prepare your meals this week with a fall twist on things and add these beautiful, (and time consuming), beautiful beans.  Add them to soups, stews, chili or save them for later this winter!  Get your meal plan on!

Parmesan, sweet squash, almonds, sage, and a hint of sugar are the flavors in a classic tortellini or ravioli filling. here the mixture is used to stuff rolled-up lasagna noodles, which are baked in a simple mixture of cream and Parmesan.

• 2 lbs butternut squash
• 8 large lasagna noodles
• 1 1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese
• 1 large egg
• 1/4 cup natural (unblanched) almonds, finely ground
• 1/4 cup panko bread crumbs
• 1 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
• 2 tsp. light brown sugar
• 1 tsp.  finely chopped fresh sage or 1/2 tsp. dried
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
• 3/4 cup heavy cream

Preheat oven to 400*F

Halve the squash crosswise, separating the narrow neck from the bulbous bottom. Cut them both in half lengthwise; scoop out and discard the seeds. Place the squash cut side down on a rimmed baking sheet, cover with foil and bake for 45 minutes, or until the squash is tender. (leave the oven on.) Scoop out the flesh of the squash and mash. measure out 1 1/2 cups and freeze the remainder for another use or double the recipe.

Grease a 9 inch square baking dish.

In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook the noodles according to package directions. Drain and run under cold water.

In a medium bowl, stir together the squash puree, 2/3 cup of the Parmesan, the egg, almonds, panko, mustard, brown sugar, sage, salt, and pepper. Place the lasagna noodles on a work surface with the short ends facing you. Spread the squash mixture over each noodle. Roll the noodles up into compact bundles and place them, seam side down, in the baking dish.

Pour the cream over the noodles and sprinkle the remaining 2/3 cup of parmesan over the top. Bake for 25 minutes, or until the cream is bubbling and the top of the dish is lightly browned.

Hello my friends, I hope everyone is doing great this week. We have been busy getting seed started for fall gardens, and or course trying to keep up with the summer garden that’s in right now, it’s just so darn hot its hard to want to be outside.

Anyways…. baskets are ready to pick up early today, YAY! It’s quite a pretty basket this week with lots of colors and some new things for you to try like tomatillos and watercress. Which brings us to what is in the basket

• Green Beans
• Tomatoes
• Cherry tomatoes
• Watercress
• Scallions (green onions)
• Tomatillos
• Squash
• Cucumber
• Walla Walla onion
• Bell pepper
• Strawberries
• Grapes
• Fresh basil REQUEST ONLY if you want it. (used in this weeks recipe)

We hope you all have a fantastic weekend and stay cool.

You’ve probably made gazpacho before, but you will want to give this one a try, and it’s perfect and fast for those summer back porch lunches or dinners! 

2 garlic cloves

1 jalapeño

10 husked tomatillos

1 avacodo peeled and pitted

2 T lime juice

2 T champagne vinegar 

2 T chopped fresh basil

2 scallions

1 lime cut into wedges

With a food processor running drop garlic and jalapeño in to mince.  Turn off processor, add tomatillos and process to chop and combine.  Add avocado, lime juice and vinegar, then process until smooth.  Add basil and pulse to mince.  I like to see the basil flecks, but you can blend till smooth.  Season with salt and pepper and top with chopped scallions and wedge of lime.  We also sprinkle with a few watercress leaves.  

*Note~ This weeks shares will have tomatillos, jalapeño, and scallions to help you prep this dish!  Basil only on request this week.   We have some nice cress ready in the greenhouse we will toss in a small bag as well!  

What you will need:

• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 2 Tablespoons cornstarch
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 2 cups whole milk
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 pint strawberries with the stems

In a heavy-bottomed saucepan, whisk together the sugar, cocoa powder, cornstarch, and salt. Add the milk, whisking to combine, and set the pan over medium heat. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, and cook until the pudding thickens, 2-3 minutes. Turn off the heat and stir in the butter and vanilla.

ladle the pudding into four 4-oz ramekins or small bowls and let cool.

serve warm, at room temperature, or chilled, passing the strawberries around for dipping.

serves 4

sometimes the classics are best

We are finished with shares today if anyone would like to pick up early!  We have been trying to beat the heat…….the nice balmy 108 degrees!   

This week the cucumbers took off and found their way into the baskets along with summer squash, tomatoes, small head of cabbage, yellow plums, apricots, delicious fresh potatoes, garlic, small bag of lettuce and microgreens.

Enjoy your fresh produce!  And remember if there is ever anything you don’t want or won’t use, leave it behind and we will pass it alone to some who is in need!  

Stay cool……. Sigh

Please bring back the little plastic containers we put your berries, currants and other small produce in!  We wash and reuse these little guys for the next shares in line.  Thanks

Wondering how and what to do with those large pods that look like a bean that you got in your shares today?  

They are a little work, but so worth it!  Shell the beans,  then toss them into boiling water for about 2-3 minutes.  Drain and let cool slightly or set them in an ice water bath to cool quickly.  Now for the “double Peel”.  Remove the skin that surrounds the bean.  Using a knife to pierce the skin encasing makes it a little quicker.  The inner bean will slip out.  

Toss these beans in salads, pasta dishes or vegetarian dishes.  Good cold or warm.

If you don’t have time to deal with these beans right away, keep them in a loosely sealed plastic bag in the crisper of your refrigerator, but no more than five days.  

Fava beans are low in fat and high in protein.  They are also a good source of fiber, vitamin A, C, potassium, and iron.  Those with Favism (a rare hereditary disease) should avoid fava beans.