CSA Harvest #8

Here we are another week deeper into summer and still lamenting the rainy weather! The silver lining to all this rain is that we have not had to run around irrigating. Of course with the wet, warm weather we are worried about fungal diseases breaking out in our crops. Especially susceptible to diseases in this wet weather are the melons, tomatoes, beans, cucumbers and squash. We have to take preventative measures to avoid fungal outbreaks by not working in these crops when the leaves are wet. Beans are notorious for becoming diseased when you work in them and their leaves are wet. For this reason we had to wait until this afternoon when the day was late enough that the leaves of the beans were as dry as possible before we could harvest them. The beans in your basket this week are a variety called Italian Flat Pod. They are delicious and we hope you think so too!
Also today marks the first potato harvest of 2011! Thank you to our helper Geronimo who braved the mud to get them to you. Please do not wash them until just before cooking them. Once the skins get wet they will not keep. This variety in your basket today is an early maturing variety of potato called Red Pontiac.
Hooray also we wanted to start thinning out the largest Walla Walla onions and share them with you. Walla Wallas are a seasonal treat and we like to use them first since they do not store well.

We hope you enjoy these new tastes in your basket this week!

Locally yours~

Suzie, Asinete, Tione, M.A, Violet and Sally

Harvest This Week Includes:

Broccoli (last harvest until Fall)

Chinese Cabbage

Radishes

Raspberries (use quick! Rain made them soggy. Won't store)

Strawberries (also use quickly!)

Red Pontiac Potatoes

Walla Walla Onions

Lettuce

Italian Flat Leaf Parsley

Yellow Zephyr Squash

Italian Flat Beans


How to Cook it and Store it:

Potatoes~ wash only right before cooking. Store at room temp in a dark place (paper bags work well).

Walla Walla Onions~ these will keep best in a plastic bag in the crisper drawer of your fridge. They will store for a week before drying out and losing their flavor. We like to chop us the green leaves of the onion and use that in stir fry. Walla Wallas are the perfect sweet onion to top your favorite burger or however you can enjoy them raw!

Walla Walla Sweet Onion Salad

2 Walla Walla Sweet Onions thinly sliced
4 Cucumbers thinly sliced
1 Cup mayonnaise
2 Tbls. white vinegar
1 Tbls. of sugar
Separate sliced onions into rings and combine with cucumber in a large bowl. Combine remaining ingredients and beat until smooth. Pour sauce over onions and cucumbers and mix thoroughly. Cover and refrigerate at least 1 hr. Serve well-chilled.

Walla Walla Sweet Onion Rings

1 Large Walla Walla Sweet Onion
12 oz Beer (light or dark)
1 1/3 Cup all purpose flour
1 tsp. Salt
1 1/4 tsp. Baking Powder
2 1/2 tsp. sweet Basil leaves
Peel and cut onion into 1/4-inch slices and separate into rings.

Heat oil (1 inch deep) to 375 degrees in a large skillet. Beat remaining ingredients with rotary beater until smooth. Dip each ring into batter, letting excess drip into bowl.

Fry a few onion rings at a time in hot oil until golden brown, turn once, drain.

Mixed Green Salad with Apples and Walla Walla Sweet Onions
Serves 4 - 6
INGREDIENTS:

4 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

Salt and pepper to taste

1 medium Walla Walla Sweet Onion, peeled and cut into 1/8ths

1 large Granny Smith, or Red Delicious apple, unpeeled, cored, thinly sliced

8 cups (about 6 ounces), blend of greens

12 basil leaves

1 cup thinly sliced shaved Parmesan cheese, (about 2 ounces)


DIRECTIONS:

1.Whisk together the olive oil and vinegar in a small bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside.
2.Toss Walla Walla Sweet Onion together with the slices of apple, greens and basil in a large bowl. Add dressing, toss to coat. Top with shaved Parmesan cheese.


walla walla sweet onion and cherry tomato bruschetta

Servings: 8
Ingredients:

•20 cherry tomatoes, cut in half
•1 medium Walla Walla Sweet Onion, cut into thin slices
•15 kalamata olives, pitted and finely chopped
•2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh basil
•1-tablespoon capers, drained
•1/2 cup olive oil
•2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
•1 teaspoon finely chopped garlic
•Freshly ground black pepper
•8 slices Italian country bread, about
•1/2 inch thick and 4 inches wide
•4 ounces mascarpone cheese


Instructions:

1.Mix together tomatoes, onions, olives, basil, capers in a small bowl. Whisk together the olive oil, balsamic vinegar, garlic, and black pepper. Pour over the tomato-onion mixture, and toss. Set aside.
2.Brush the bread with olive oil and grill slices directly over medium heat, turning once, until toasted, 2 to 3 minutes total. Divide the mascarpone evenly among bread slices, spreading it with a knife. Spoon the tomato
onion mixture over the mascarpone cheese, dividing evenly and serve at room temperature


Italian Flat Beans~~ these beans are an Italian variety that are very tasty. They can be used the same way you would use any green bean. Please be aware that overcooking will cause them to become mushy. They will store best for up to a week in a plastic bag in the crisper drawer of your fridge.

Italian Flat Beans with Tomato and Garlic
4 servings

Ingredients:
1 pound Italian green beans or string beans, ends trimmed; cut on the diagonal into 2- to 3-inch pieces
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
3 medium cloves garlic, cut into very thin slices (a scant 1/4 cup)
1 medium tomato, preferably peeled, cored and seeded, then cut into 1/2-inch dice (8 ounces)
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
6 to 8 large basil leaves, cut into chiffonade (stacked, then rolled tightly and cut into very thin strips; optional garnish)
Directions:

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the green beans and cook for 5 to 7 minutes, until tender. Drain immediately.

While the beans are cooking, heat the oil in a medium saute pan or skillet over medium-low heat. Add the garlic slices, distributing them evenly. Cook for 4 to 5 minutes, until the slices become almost translucent and start to brown on the edges; be careful not to let the garlic burn. Add the diced tomato and salt and pepper to taste, then reduce the heat to medium. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes, so that the tomato is heated through. Add the cooked green beans and heat through for 1 to 2 minutes; mix well. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.

Transfer to a serving dish and top with the basil, if desired. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Italian Style Fried Potatoes
Ingredients:

*Two large potatoes
•1/2 pound of flat green (Romano) beans
•3 cloves of garlic
•2 tablespoons of tomato paste
•1-2 teaspoons of hot pepper flakes (optional)
•1/2 cup of extra virgin olive oil
•Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Process:

Begin by peeling the potatoes and cutting them in 1/8 inch slices. Next, submerge the potatoes in a large bowl of water and repeat process until the water turns clear (you're looking to remove the starch from the exterior of the potato as it will help during the cooking process). Add the olive oil to a large fry pan and add your potatoes (making sure the potatoes are well dried). After adding the potatoes, allow them to cook, untouched, for 5-7 minutes. Stir the potatoes and make sure both sides begin to brown and crisp up. Remove the cooked potatoes and place in a bowl with a few paper towels. Next, remove the stems from the green beans and quickly steam the beans for 2-3 minutes. Chop your garlic cloves into think slices and add to the fry pan with oil. Next, add the steam green beans and the tomato paste. Season the ingredients with salt and pepper and add the fried potatoes back the fry pan. Combine the ingredients until the tomato paste is dissolved and the potatoes and beans are coated with the paste.

CSA Harvest #7

Happy.... errr.. summer???? We have our doubts at this point if it is summer after all! Today when getting a head start on the CSA harvest Asinete dug out the rain gear that we had buried away for later months. I braved the drizzles to get some of the delicate raspberries harvested. Rain and ripe raspberries are not a good combination, the berries are so delicate that the rain turns them to mush and then to mold. For this week the raspberries will begin their rotation through the half share baskets. We still do not have enough of them for all but we do foresee that being a possibility soon (when the sun and warm weather return anyways).

Also this week marks the first week we were able to fill a bowl with our early Glacier and Oregon Spring tomatoes. Not enough to share with you yet but in another week or two yes!

Yesterday with some much needed help we were able to get the garlic all harvested.. just in time too as we need it to be dry to avoid molding. It is now hanging in the storage sheds to dry further. In the next week or so you will be getting some dried garlic bulbs to add to your recipes.

Asinete is still doing 98% of the harvesting and farm work on his own.. it is amazing to see how much work one person can do. Especially considering we are growing on 5 acres. I find that I no sooner step outside to try to help Asinete then the baby monitor is filled with Tione's wails and he needs feeding again, or a changed diaper, or a cuddle (but really no complaints here! Just don't let Asinete know I prefer taking care of baby more than I enjoy weeding :) ) Really just relishing in enjoying these first few weeks of our baby's life... they are going fast and we will not get them back.

We hope you are enjoying your produce so far! Next week we will have our first potato harvest so you can look forward to some potatoes along with some walla walla onions!

Harvest This Week Includes:

Carrots

Kohlrabi (recipe ideas below)

Green Onions

Head Lettuce

Bok Choy

Chinese Cabbage (please see recipes from last week!)

Raspberries (on rotation)

Summer Squash (on rotation)


Kohlrabi~ We know we threw you a curve ball the week Tione was born and you received this Dr. Seuss looking vegetable in your CSA share with nary a note or recipe to accompany it. Well this week we will let you in on the wonderful world of kohlrabi! Kohlrabi can be eaten raw or cooked, and it taste a lot like broccoli stems. The word kohlrabi is German for cabbage turnip (kohl as in cole-slaw, and rübe for turnip) though kohlrabi is more related to cabbage and cauliflower than to root vegetables. We usually eat them raw, just peeled, sliced and added to a salad, but they are also delicious cooked.

ROASTED KOHLRABI
Hands-on time: 10 minutes
Time to table: 45 minutes
Serves 4 (smallish servings since roasted vegetables shrink so much)

1 1/2 pounds fresh kohlrabi, ends trimmed, thick green skin sliced off with a knife, diced
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon garlic
Salt
Good vinegar

Set oven to 450F. Toss the diced kohlrabi with olive oil, garlic and salt in a bowl. (The kohlrabi can be tossed with oil and seasonings right on the pan but uses more oil.) Spread evenly on a rimmed baking sheet and put into oven (it needn't be fully preheated) and roast for 30 - 35 minutes, stirring every five minutes after about 20 minutes. Sprinkle with a good vinegar (probably at the table so the kohlrabi doesn't get squishy).


NUTRITION ESTIMATE
Per Serving: 64 Calories; 3 g Tot Fat; 0 g Sat Fat; 8 g Carb; 4 g Fiber; NetCarb 4; 31 mg Calcium; 1 mg Iron; 23 mg Sodium; 0 mg Cholesterol; 2 g Protein;

Kohlrabi Puree
4 kohlrabi bulbs with leaves
2 Tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
4 ounces mushrooms quartered (*optional)
3 Tablespoons cream (or milk, chicken stock, olive oil, or water)
salt and pepper to taste

1. Trim the kohlrabi bulbs, peeling them if the skins seem tough. Rinse the leaves (discarding any that are yellow) pat them dry, and coarsely chop. Set aside. Cut the bulbs into 1-inch chunks.

2. Bring a saucepan of lightly salted water to a boil, and add the kohlrabi chunks. Reduce the heat and simmer until tender, about 15 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a skillet. Add the onion and sauté over medium-low heat until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, another 1 to 2 minutes. Don't let the garlic brown.

4. Add the mushrooms and the reserved kohlrabi leaves to the skillet. Cover, and cook 5 minutes. Then uncover, and cook, stirring, until all the liquid has evaporated, 3 minutes. Set the skillet aside.

5. Drain the kohlrabi chunks and place them in the bowl of a food processor. Add the mushroom mixture and the cream (or whatever substitute you're using). Purée until smooth. Salt and pepper to taste.

6. Transfer the purée to a saucepan and reheat over low heat, stirring, 2 minutes. Serve warm.

Makes 6 portions

CSA Harvest #6

Hi everyone! We wanted to share the artistic talents of fellow CSA farmer Sandee McGee from Oh My Gato Farm. Sandee gave us the precious gift of a newborn photo shoot with Tione! Sandee and her husband Anthony operate Oh My Gato Farm out of Winston and Anthony is a baker supreme! You can find some of their baked delicacies at the Lookingglass Farmer's Market every Friday afternoon outside of the Lookingglass Store.

We have been blessed by the spirit of camaraderie among fellow CSA farmers here. We have been helped along the way greatly by longtime Roseburg Farmer's Norm and Cinda Lehne who also operate a CSA program. When we got our new tractor and were in need of a brush hog for it to keep our land mowed Norm called us up and said we were welcome to indefinitely use theirs since they had other mowers. Also our first two years running our CSA program here were alot more crazy. We were still learning about the growing conditions in Oregon and Asinete was a first time farmer. We still had our CSA program going until Thanksgiving. Of course several hard frosts came in and knocked out 95% of our crops. Norm and Cinda called us up again and said their CSA had ended and we were welcome to come out and harvest whatever we could for the CSA out of their fields.
It is this generous spirit among our fellow farmers that we are so grateful for!


Hope you enjoy this week's harvest!

Suzie, Asinete, Baby Tione, and the Crew!


Harvest This Week Includes:

Strawberries (Half shares)

Raspberries (Full shares) *they are just now coming on.. we foresee enough for all soon!

Scallions

Beets (use the tops like Swiss Chard!)

Cheddar Cauliflower (high in beta carotene due to orange color)

Chinese Cabbage

Peas (Rejoice! This is the last of 'em.. the heat has done them in)

Italian Flat Leaf Parsley

Cilantro

Romaine Lettuce

Yellow Zephyr Summer Squash (we are hoping there is enough for everyone but if not there will be plenty coming on soon!)

How to Cook it and Store it:

Beet time! These beauties are chock full of vitamins and minerals. The beet greens can be used just as you would use Swiss Chard. Beets will store best with leaves removed, in plastic bag in crisper drawer of fridge. If you plan to use the leaves rinse well, and store in plastic bag in crisper drawer too. Beets are the King of storage, so if you don't get to them right away fear not! They will stay fresh and happy for as long as a month in your fridge (but we hope they get eaten this week!)

We wanted to include this recipe for any definite beet haters. Whip them up in these chocolate brownies and no one will be the wiser! The beets make the brownies ubermoist and also impart a wonderful rosy glow on the brownies.

Beet Chocolate Brownies (trust us these are delish!)
You need:

•3 oz (90 g) Dark chocolate (I used a 75 % cocoa dark chocolate)
•3.5 oz (100 g) flour
•3.5 oz (100 g) almond powder
•3 oz (90 g) sugar
•3 oz (90 g) butter (soft)
•4 eggs
•7 oz (200 g) shredded raw red beetroot
•Vanilla extract
•Confectioner sugar and cocoa for decoration
Steps

•Start by peeling and shredding the beets. Set aside
•Melt the chocolate in a double boiler.
•Mix together (using a food processor) the butter with the eggs, then add the sugar.
•Mix until lighter, then add the chocolate, flour, almond powder, the beets and the vanilla extract, and mix well.
•Butter a small mould (round mould or square one works well) and place greased parchment paper at the bottom)
•Pour the preparation in it and bake in the oven for about 30 mns in a preheated oven, 350 F (180 C)
Note: Your brownies are cooked once the blade of a knife comes out dry after you insert the blade in the cake.


< Beet Risotto
ingredients

1 bunch red beets with greens (about 1 1/2 pounds)
6 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth or vegetable broth
5 tablespoons balsamic vinegar, divided
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon butter
1 small sweet onion, such as Vidalia, cut into 1-inch cubes
2 cups arborio rice
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese (optional)

directions

1.Remove greens from beets; cut off and discard stems. Cut the greens crosswise into 1/2-inch strips; set aside. Scrub beets; place in a saucepan large enough to hold them in a single layer. Add broth and, if necessary, enough water to just cover them. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to a gentle boil and cook until the tip of a sharp knife can be easily inserted into the beets, 30 to 45 minutes.

2.Transfer the beets with a slotted spoon to a cutting board to cool. Measure the cooking liquid; either add water or reduce over high heat to get 6 cups total. Strain through a sieve lined with paper towels into a medium bowl. Slice off beet ends and slip off skins. (To avoid Lady Macbeth hands, wear rubber gloves or hold beets in a paper towel.) Cut the beets into 1/4-inch dice; transfer to a medium bowl and gently mix with 2 tablespoons vinegar. Set aside.

3.Heat oil and butter in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until translucent, about 3 minutes. Add rice, increase heat to medium-high and cook, stirring constantly, until all the rice is opaque, about 1 minute. Add the remaining 3 tablespoons vinegar and 1 cup of the reserved beet-cooking liquid. Stir until almost all the liquid has been absorbed, adjusting the heat as necessary to maintain a simmer, about 4 minutes. Continue to add the beet broth, 1 cup at a time, stirring after each addition until all the liquid has been absorbed and adjusting the heat as necessary to maintain a simmer.

4.Add the reserved beet greens to the rice along with the final cup of broth. Cook, stirring, until the greens are wilted, about 2 minutes. Add the reserved beets and continue stirring until all the liquid has been absorbed, about 2 minutes more. Season with salt and pepper. Serve with Parmesan cheese, if desired.


Chinese Cabbage~ yet another vegetable that may leave you scratching your head and wondering what to do with it! Good news is it is very simple to prepare. Add it shredded at the last minute to your stir fries or try it in the super easy Cabbage Salad recipe below. Stores best in plastic bag in your crisper drawer.

Chinese Cabbage SaladIngredients
2 tablespoons sesame seeds
1 1/2 tablespoons rice vinegar
1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
2 tablespoons white sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/3 cup olive oil
4 cups shredded cabbage
2 carrots, shredded
1 (3 ounce) package ramen noodles, crushed
Directions
1.In a small skillet, toast sesame seeds over medium heat until golden brown and fragrant.
2.In a small bowl, mix together vinegar, sesame oil, olive oil, sugar, salt, pepper, and ramen seasoning packet.
3.In a large bowl, mix together cabbage, carrots, and crushed ramen noodles. Toss with dressing to coat evenly. Top with toasted sesame seeds.


Sorry~ that is it for recipe ideas for this week as it is now 11:38pm Tuesday eve.. baby Tione was fussy until 10:45pm making the usual blog posting time unavail... Now off to sleep while I can! ~ suzie

CSA Harvest #5

Happy Day Everyone! It is with great pleasure that we introduce our greatest achievement to date and that is in the birth of our first child.. baby boy Tione (pronounced Sohneh) born June 20th at 8 pounds and 4 ounces. His name is a Kiribati name in honor of his Kiribati father and heritage and it means "gift from heaven".. we found the name very appropriate.

Life has been a bit chaotic since his arrival.. operating the farm on sleep deprivation has become the new routine and Asinete is on his own in the field for the time being until Mama heals up. We are more thankful than ever to our CSA support team M.A, Violet and Sally who are here every Wed to help harvest, wash and pack your baskets. Also thank you to our neighbor and good friend "Aunty Joo Joo" for helping with harvest while Mama is on the mend.

You are right to think it strange for farmer's to have a summer baby and we couldn't agree more! We had planned on a winter baby, a time of the year where we have time to put up our feet and enjoy the slower pace of life on the farm. But in the end Tione came when he was supposed to and we are just so happy he chose to come at all!

With the extra hubbub going on at the farm we have decided to hire someone once a week to help try to keep us from falling too far behind. We were fortunate to acquire the agrarian skills and gifts of Geronimo our Oaxacanian friend who comes and spends 9-10 hours a week with us. He has already taught Asinete quite a few tricks of the trade in the month he has been with us. We are grateful for his expertise and it sure is great to have another set of hands to battle the weeds that never give us a break, new baby or not.

As the summer crops draw nearer to harvesting next week we will be filling the now empty greenhouse with seed trays of fall crops. Kales, cabbages, broccoli, cauliflower, brussels sprouts and all the other yummy tastes of fall we love.

We hope your experience so far eating locally and in season has been a great one! We have many more veggies and fruits to tempt your pallets and your taste buds planned for the upcoming weeks.

Thank you for supporting this local(and now family)farm~

Suzie, Asinete, Baby Tione and the Crew

Harvest This Week Includes:

Fennel Bulb (try some recipe ideas below)

Nantes Carrots

Broccoli OR Cauliflower

Strawberries

Snow OR Snap Peas (freezing suggestions below if you'd like to save some of the bounty)

Head Lettuce

Cilantro

Cabbage (a very comical looking new variety we are growing called caraflex) Let us know what you think! It was bred this way to pack more easily. We hope it tastes good too!

How to Store it and Cook it!

Fennel~ love it or hate it we hope you give it a chance! Do not be offset by the smell and think it tastes like licorice. When prepared in one of the recipes below you will see too that the taste is like that of the most tender celery heart. Indeed fennel can be used in the place of celery in salads and other recipes. We hope you become a fennel lover too! The bulb keeps best wrapped in a plastic bag in the crisper drawer of fridge.

Oven Potatoes with Fennel

20 ounces Yukon Gold potatoes, cut in 1/2" cubes
1 medium fennel bulb, trimmed and cut in 1" slices
1 medium sweet onion, diced
1 tablespoon fresh parsley, minced finely
2 teaspoons vegetable oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
freshly ground black pepper -- to taste

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray. In large bowl, combine potatoes, fennel, onion, parsley, oil, salt and pepper; toss gently until well coated. Arrange mixture in a single layer on a prepared baking sheet. Bake, turning occasionally, until potatoes are crisp on all sides, 30-35 minutes. Serve immediately.

Fennel and Carrot Pasta

Ingredients

1 bulb fennel (about 1 pound)
4 ounces bow-tie, gemelli, or corkscrew pasta
2 large carrots, cut into thin strips (1 cup)
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons olive oil
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/8 teaspoon salt
1-1/2 cups shredded radicchio or fresh spinach
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

Directions

1.Remove upper stalks from fennel, including feathery leaves. Discard any wilted outer layers on fennel bulb; cut off a thin slice from the base. Wash fennel and pat dry. Quarter fennel bulb lengthwise and discard core; cut quarters in thin strips.
2.Cook pasta in a large pot of lightly salted boiling water for 5 minutes. Add fennel and carrots; cook for 5 minutes more or until pasta is al dente (tender but still firm); drain.
3.Meanwhile, in a small skillet cook onion and garlic in hot oil for 3 minutes or until onion is tender. Stir in pepper and salt. Transfer pasta mixture to a serving dish; add onion mixture, radicchio or spinach, and Parmesan cheese. Toss well to mix. Makes 4 side-dish servings.

How to preserve your snow/snap pea bounty for later in the season

It is that time of year again when the peas are coming in heavy, the big hurrah before the tender vines succumb to the summer heat and literally are killed off by it. We wanted to share with you a few easy steps you can take to freeze your peas for later use.
Your peas will need to be blanched before they can be frozen. Bring a large pot filled with water to boil on stove. Once water is boiling add the peas and boil for 90 seconds. Have a large bowl or pot ready nearby filled with ice cold water. After peas are blanched in hot water for 90 seconds immediately strain them and add strained peas to ice water for 90 seconds. Strain out cold peas and place in freezer bags (vacuum seal bags work best). Viola! You have your frozen peas ready to eat later this year.

CSA Harvest #3

Welcome to the third week of produce! Hopefully you have managed to keep up with the mass quantities of Spring roughage that has been coming your way.

We want to use this newsletter to introduce ourselves to some of you for the first time! We ran this post back in Jan of 2009 but wanted to dust it off and re post since our history has not changed! We are a husband and wife team farming 5 acres on the beautiful Umpqua floodplain! Here is our story....

Suzie's story.....2011 will be my 8th year of organic farming. I was born into a rural lifestyle in Orange County, Ca. in the beautiful coastal sage scrub hills and canyons of Trabuco. I grew up without electricity (home was too far away from town at the edge of Cleveland National Forest). While my parents had jobs away from "the ranch" there were always plenty of horses, pigs, chickens and goats to contend with, hills to climb, streams to forge and snakes to catch! Growing up surrounded by nature was a tremendous influence early on that directed my lifestyle and career choices. While away at college in the Monterey Bay I became involved in environmental restoration using Ca. native plants. I became an AmeriCorps intern and helped many other interns and volunteers to restore the former army base of Fort Ord back to it's native state (replanting old fire roads and abandoned artillery ranges with native plant species to increase biological diversity and prevent erosion). While in Monterey I also became involved in an organic educational farm in Salinas called ALBA. ALBA consists of more than 100 acres and is used as a school to help teach migrant farm laborers how to become independent business people, teaching students how to grow using organic methods and how to successfully market their products. I began to volunteer my extra time here helping students with their CSA programs. At ALBA while harvesting and working with the land I found my calling~ organic farming! I received my Bachelors of Science in environmental studies but did not know what I would do with it until my days at ALBA. From Monterey Bay I took a job as a school farm manager in a small town in South Monterey County called San Ardo. Here with the help of the community and school we were able to turn an abandoned 1 1/2 acres into a certified organic school/community farm. The students from K-8th attended weekly classes held at the farm in our outdoor classroom. Some classes were spent digging in the compost pile to learn about decomposing, other days measuring plant growth, some harvesting all the ingredients needed to make some salsa! It was a great place to learn more about organic farming and share the beauty of nature with children. In 2002 I decided to take a year trip overseas.. this led me to New Zealand (picking and packing kiwi fruit), into Australia (just a tourist), Fiji and then to the remote country of Kiribati (in between Australia and Hawaii on the equator) where I was teaching English for two and a half years and where I happened to meet my future husband and business partner Asinete Tibwe! We married in his country and arrived in Oregon together in the summer of 2007. My folks live in Myrtle Creek and told us what an amazing place Douglas County was... they were right!

Asinete's story~ 2011 will be my 4th year as an organic farmer. Before this I was a fisherman in my country since Kiribati is made up of small islands surrounded by the Pacific Ocean. The Kiribati people source almost all of their food from the sea. We catch and eat all sorts of fish (reef fish, shark, marlin, barracuda, and our favorite~ tuna!) Also we catch spiny lobster, octopus, eels and many kinds of shellfish. We catch fish in many ways. We dive for many species and use long spears to catch them. Sometimes we drag nets under the ocean and catch reef fish that way as well. Many people use the local canoe called a waa and they fish from here with nets or poles.
The country of Kiribati is made up of scattered coral atolls. The highest point of all islands is only one meter above sea level. We have no mountains or hills, lakes or rivers. Except for harvesting coconuts and a root like vegetable called babai (like taro root) my people are not farmers. I have learned how to grow all these crops in the USA (most of which I had never tasted before!) My favorite crop to grow is broccoli and sweet corn.. both of which I had never tasted before coming to the US. I love farming but miss my days of diving and fishing in the ocean! It helps that we live on the river though since when summer comes I can at least dive in the river and look for crawdads!


Thank you for supporting our dream here in Oregon!

Suzie & Asinete


This Week's Harvest Includes:

Green Garlic

Strawberries (eat these fast! With the rain they got wet and won't keep long)

Head lettuce

Snow OR Snap peas

Broccoli (hooray~ we had enough for everyone last week and this week!)

Spinach

Radish OR Salad Turnips

Mesclun Mix


How to Store it and Cook it~


Broccoli~ Enjoy this fleeting crop while it lasts. Last Spring we had a bumper crop of broccoli but this season as you already know we have had one problem after another keeping it alive... we are hoping for one or two good broccoli harvest soon and then the rest will come this Fall when the weather cools down again.

Broccoli stores best in a plastic bag in the crisper drawer of your fridge for best taste and most nutrients use within 3-5 days.
Broccoli is hailed as a wonder vegetable. It is packed full of phytonutrients that boost your body's immune power. It has been found in numerous studies to prevent cancer, cleanse and detoxify cells, prevent heart disease and cataracts, build up the density of bones and strengthen the immune system.

Skillet Browned Broccoli with Pan Toasted Garlic

ingredients

3 large broccoli stems with stem end attached
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
Coarse sea salt
Ground black pepper
3 Tbsp. thinly sliced garlic (use your green garlic!)

directions

1.Preheat a 12-inch cast-iron skillet over medium heat. Slice broccoli heads lengthwise in a 1-inch-thick slices, cutting from the bottom of the stem through the crown to preserve the shape of the broccoli (reserve any florets that fall away for another use). Brush both sides of each broccoli slice with some of the olive oil and sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper.

2.Place half of the slices in the heated skillet and set a heavy medium skillet on the slices to press them to the cast-iron skillet. Cook over medium heat for 3 to 4 minutes, or until well browned. Turn slices and cook second side for 3 to 4 minutes more or until browned (for more tender broccoli, cook over medium-low heat for 5 to 6 minutes per side). Repeat with remaining broccoli slices. Transfer to a warm platter, cover, and keep warm.

3.Drizzle the remaining olive oil into the hot skillet, reduce heat to medium-low and add garlic slices. Cook garlic, stirring gently and constantly for 2 minutes or until the slices are lightly browned. Transfer to a plate lined with paper towel and sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper.

4.Arrange broccoli on serving platter. Sprinkle the toasted garlic slices over broccoli. Makes 8 servings.

5.*Kitchen Tip: Keep cooked broccoli slices warm in a 300 degree F oven or cover with foil while the remaining broccoli cooks.


Radishes~

Do you have a hard time facing those radishes each week? Cooking them actually turns the heat into a sweet flavor. Try this out and see how you like it!

Braised Radishesadapted from Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone by Deborah Madison

1 bunch red radishes
1 to 2 Tablespoons butter
1 stalk green garlic, cleaned as you would a leek and chopped, use all the light green part
1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
Salt and pepper to taste

Trim the leaves from the radishes, leaving a bit of the green stems, and scrub them. Wash the leaves and set aside. Leave smaller radishes whole and halve the larger ones.

Melt 2 to 3 teaspoons of the butter in a small saute pan. Add the green garlic and thyme and cook for 1 minute over medium heat. Add the radishes, a little salt and pepper, and water just to cover. Simmer until the radishes are tender, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the leaves and cook until they're wilted and tender, 1 minute more. Remove the radishes to a serving dish. Boil the liquid, adding a teaspoon or two more butter if you like, until only about 1/4 cup remains. pour it over the radishes and serve.

CSA Harvest #2

Hooray for sunshine and warm weather! We have had to take advantage of it and get the eight varieties of peppers all planted as well as 250 eggplant plants. Unfortunately last Friday we had to replant the first batch of sweet corn since our first sowing done on May 13th all rotted due to the cold, wet ground. We probably won't have corn that is "knee high by the fourth of July" but we are hoping to get a total of 4-5 different plantings of sweet corn in so we can have it all summer. We know it is a favorite among the CSA members! When we attended an organic farming conference last winter we were surprised to learn that sweet corn and cole crops (broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower) are the two main crops that farmers lose money on. The main reason being that thye need so much fertilizer to grow as well as time to mature that many farmers will not bother with them. However we know for the CSA that they are a favorite item!

In other farm news we have been busy trying to keep up with the strawberries as they kick into high gear now with the weather warming up. Usually in the summer months strawberry harvesting takes up to 6 hours of our time each week. It is a slow process for us.. usually on hands and knees to be sure we don't miss any. Then we are sure to pop off any bad ones that the birds or slugs beat us too.. if they are not slimy we enjoy them ourselves to fuel our picking. Usually by the end of the strawberry harvest we are holding our berry swollen, aching bellies!

We hope you are all enjoying the tastes of late Spring from the farm! We look forward to meeting all of you at our upcoming farm tours and annual farm potluck!

Thank you for your support!

Suzie, Asinete and the Big Lick Crew: M.A, Violet and Sally


Harvest This Week Includes:

Rainbow Chard~ please see recipes from last week's newsletter!

Seascape Strawberries

Bok Choy~ more recipe ideas below

Spinach

Head Lettuce

French Breakfast Radishes

Snow OR Snap Peas

Broccoli (full Share only this week.. next week should be enough ready for all)


How to Store It and Cook It

Snow Peas and Snap Peas keep best in a plastic bag in the crisper drawer of your fridge. Their sweet sugars start turning to starch quickly so they taste best if you use them within two days. Both types of peas are high in Vitamins A and C. These peas are excellent prepared in dishes with your bok choy.. some ideas below!

Bok Choy with Peas
4-6 Servings Size

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon peanut oil
2 garlic cloves, finely minced
1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
3/4 lb baby bok choy, leaves separated
1/2 lb peas
1/2 cup chicken stock (or vegetable stock if you wish to keep it vegetarian)
2 tablespoons oyster sauce
1/2 teaspoon sesame oil

Directions:
Prep Time: 15 mins

1 Add the oil, garlic and ginger into a wok or large saute pan. Turn the heat to medium-high. As the oil heats, the garlic and ginger will infuse the oil with flavor. Take care that they do not burn. When the oil is hot, add the bok choy and the peas and toss to coat them in the oil.
2 Stir-fry the mixture for about a minute. Add the stock and oyster sauce and bring to a boil. Cover and cook for 2 minute until the bok choy stems are crisp-tender. Drizzle the sesame oil over the mixture and serve.


Shrimp, Bok Choy and Peas Stir Fry
Ingredients:
1 cup long-grain rice
3 tablespoons oyster sauce
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon Chinese rice wine (or dry sherry)
1 tablespoon water
1 teaspoon sesame oil
½ tablespoon brown sugar
2 tablespoons peanut or canola oil
16 large uncooked shrimp—peeled
1 red pepper—julienned
1 bunch bok choy—leaves separated and chopped
16 snow peas or snap peas—trimmed and halved on the diagonal
2 cloves garlic—crushed


COOK the rice. MIX together the oyster sauce, soy sauce, Chinese rice wine, water, sesame oil and sugar in a small bowl. HEAT a wok or large frying pan over a high heat, add 1 tablespoon of the oil and stir-fry the shrimp for 2 minutes. REMOVE the shrimp from the wok and set aside on a plate. HEAT the remaining oil in the wok and stir-fry the red pepper for 2 minutes. ADD the bok choy and peas and stir-fry for 4 minutes. ADD the garlic and stir-fry for a minute, then return the shrimp to the wok. ADD the sauce mixture and mix to heat through. SERVE with rice.

CSA Harvest #1 for 2011!!!

It is with great pleasure that we bring you the first CSA basket of the season! It has been a rough Spring for us as we explained in our long email to each of you. Last season seemed delayed enough but this season it rained all of March which is the usual time we get our ground worked up and our earliest crops started and in the ground (cauliflower, broccoli, cabbage, carrots, beets, potatoes, greens, herbs, onions, parsnips, radish and peas).

As organic farmers we are very mindful of how we treat the soil.. we know if we take care of it properly it will provide abundant crops for us. This is why we feed the soil and protect it from overwintering rains with cover crops like fava beans and clover that provide habitat for animals, protect the soil from erosion and when tilled into the ground in the Spring add nutrients and rich organic matter.

With that in mind earlier this Spring with a few days of sun and then a week of rain predicted after that we had to decide to finally get in and start working the ground even though it still seemed too wet. Several areas of the farm are loamy (almost sandy) and they tilled up fluffy and clod free. Other areas have more clay (which holds more water) and these areas looked good while we were tilling but then dried in huge clumps. The least favorite texture of soil we like to work with and the least favorite soil conditions for our plants to grow in! The soil texture also limits where we plant things. The softest, smoothest soil is where we focus planting the very small seeds like carrots, turnips and baby salad greens.

Even with this years delayed season we are still sticking with June 1st as the first delivery. We know several other CSA farmers who are delaying their first CSA harvest by 1 or 2 weeks.

We hope you understand that Spring time means greens and lots of them! Enjoy them now because when/if(?!) summer ever arrives the light greens will be replaced by hefty heirloom tomatoes, peppers, eggplants, potatoes, sweet corn and melons.

If you have trouble getting through the raw volume of greens try sauteing them up in one of the recipe ideas below.. they wilt down to a manageable size then!

We wanted to include a few pictures of the farm. There have been some big changes here this season... the biggest to come in the next few weeks.. the arrival of our new farm hand (eventually!) our baby boy due to arrive June 13th. We are expecting he will either come before or after that date though! Also with baby coming we finally took the plunge and bought a new tractor with all the necessary implements to farm with. We will be paying off this tractor monthly for the next five years but it was a wise investment considering the amount of time it will be saving us for years to come.

As the weather settles, warms and the sun shows its beautiful face again we will be hosting farm tours, and our annual potluck farm party in the late summer. We hope you can all make it at least once this season to see where the food you eat comes from!

Enjoy the bounty of the wet Spring and thank you for choosing to support local farmers!

Suzie, Asinete and the Big Lick Crew: M.A, Violet and Sally


Harvest this Week Includes:

Rainbow Chard

Pac Choi/Bok Choy

Spinach

Head Lettuce

Mesclun Mix

Hakurei Turnips (if you want still more greens tops are edible!)

Green Garlic


How to Store it, and Cook it!

Green Garlic~ green garlic can be used in a variety of ways.. it is good all the way up along the thick stalk and we even has someone at the farmers market say they were going to wrap the garlic leaves over their baked potatoes and the baked taters were heavenly.

Green garlic will store best in the crisper part of your fridge wrapped in a plastic bag. Be sure to wash well before using as sometimes grit can gather between the leaves.

Rice Bowl With Spinach and Green Garlic~ from NY Times

1 bulb green garlic, trimmed of stalk (save stalk for another recipe below!)

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1/2 pound scallions, white and light green parts only, finely chopped

Salt to taste

1 1/2 pounds baby spinach, stemmed and washed

1 tablespoon chopped flat-leaf parsley

1 tablespoon chopped fresh mint or tarragon

Freshly ground black pepper

Cooked brown rice or other grains of your choice for serving

1. If the garlic has formed cloves, separate them and remove the thick shells from the tender cloves. If it has not formed cloves, just remove the outside layers. Chop coarsely. You should have about 1/4 cup chopped green garlic. If using the pea shoots, sort through and discard any budding flowers or leaves and the thin ends with the tendrils. Wash thoroughly.

2. Heat the oil over medium heat in a large, heavy lidded skillet, and add the olive oil. Add the scallions, green garlic and a generous pinch of salt. Cook, stirring, until tender, two to four minutes. Working in batches, add the spinach or pea shoots and salt to taste. Turn up the heat, and toss with tongs until the spinach or pea shoots wilt enough to allow room for another batch. If using pea shoots, cover and steam two to four minutes. Spinach does not require covering; just toss in the pan until it wilts and is tender and fragrant. Add the parsley and mint or tarragon, season to taste with salt and pepper, and serve with brown rice or other grains of your choice.

Yield: Serves four.

Advance preparation: This dish is best served right after it’s made, but you can cook grains ahead and reheat.


Green Garlic Pesto

This pesto keeps very well, covered and chilled up to 3 days or frozen up to 2 months.

Prep Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Ingredients:
•1/2 pound green garlic
•1 Tbsp. vegetable oil
•1/2 tsp. salt, plus more to taste
•1/4 cup pine nuts
•1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
•1/4 cup freshly shredded pecorino cheese or other hard sheep's milk cheese
Preparation:
1.Trim and discard root ends of green garlic. Finely chop green garlic, rinse thoroughly and pat or spin dry.
2.In a large frying pan over medium-high heat, cook vegetable oil, green garlic, and 1/2 tsp. salt until soft, about 3 minutes. Let cool to warm room temperature.
3.In a blender or food processor, pulse pine nuts to chop. Set aside. Add green garlic and process, scraping down sides as necessary, until bright green and smooth. With motor running, drizzle in olive oil. Pulse in reserved pine nuts and cheese. Taste and add more salt if you like.

Makes enough Green Garlic Pesto to coat 1 pound linguine


Hakurei Turnips~ you've tasted turnips before and perhaps even shunned them but give these buttery gems a try and you too will be a turnip lover! These are a Japanese variety and the seed is pricey but worth it! We included turnip green recipes too!
Your turnips will keep best wrapped in plastic in the crisper drawer of fridge.

Creamed Turnips in Butter Sauce.
1.Slice the turnips very thin and chop the tops roughly. (I leave out the 2-3 inches of stem and the very top of the turnip bulb)
2.Place all in a pot with a little water (1/4 inch in pot) and boil until the turnips are tender and water is almost gone.
3.Turn off the heat and stir in 3/4 to 1 cup milk in the pot and season with salt and pepper to taste.
4.Add 1/2 teaspoon of dry chicken base.
5.Combine 3 T butter and 2 T flour in a microwave safe dish and microwave on high about 45 seconds until the mixture is bubbly.
6.Stir the flour and butter together and add to the pot. Cook and stir the mixture to make a light, buttery sauce.

White Hakurei Turnip Gratin

Melt 1 Tablespoon butter in a non-stick 12 inch skillet (make sure you have a top to fit the pan.)

Wash one bunch of white hakurei turnips well, top and tail them, and slice them in 1/4 inch slices. Save the turnip greens for another recipe. You don’t need to peel the turnips. Layer the slices in the pan. Sprinkle the sliced turnips with 1 teaspoon dry thyme, 3/4 teaspoon salt, 1/4 tsp. freshly ground pepper, and 1/8- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper.

Cook for 3 minutes over medium heat, then pour 1/2 cup heavy cream and 1/2 cup chicken stock over the top. Cover and cook the turnips over medium heat for 20 minutes. The turnips will be completely cooked through, but there will be considerable liquid left in the pan. Remove the cover and cook to reduce the liquid. When most of the liquid has reduced (about 5-10 minutes), and the sauce is thickened, grate finely 1/2 cup of fresh parmesan cheese evenly over the top. Watch closely as the cheese melts and make sure that the liquid does not entirely cook away. Recipe credit: www.gfzing.com

Serve the turnips hot. The recipe is supposed to serve 6, but maybe realistically it would only serve 4, once they discover that they love turnips!


Mesclun Mix~ the mesclun mix in your CSA share is a zesty mix of young arugula, tatsoi, ruby streaks and purple orach mustard. We love these greens mixed in with the mild spinach and lettuce leaves in a salad. They are also great plopped onto your favorite sandwich. Store in the plastic bag in crisper drawer and try to use up within a week!

Mesclun Salad
Ingredients:
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/4 teaspoon sugar
2 tablespoons olive oil
5 ounces mesclun mix(8 cups)

Preparation: Whisk together lemon juice, mustard, sugar, and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a large bowl until salt and sugar are dissolved, then add oil in a slow stream, whisking until emulsified.

Add greens to dressing and toss to coat. Serve immediately.

Rainbow Chard~ chard is chock full of vitamins and minerals and it is a great crop to grow on our farm since it keeps producing even after we harvest it once. Chard keeps best in a plastic bag in the crisper drawer (if you still have room in there!)

Rainbow Chard Bruschetta
ingredients
2 tablespoons olive oil
8 ounce Swiss chard, coarsely chopped (about 3 cups)
2 tablespoons water
Salt and pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
6 slices French bread, cut diagonally 3/4-inch thick and toasted
1/2 cup torn arugula (this can be taken from your mesclun mix)
2 ounces garlic-and-herb feta cheese or plain feta cheese, crumbled (1/2 cup)

directions
In a large skillet or wok heat the 2 tablespoons olive oil; stir-fry Swiss chard over medium-high heat for 2 minutes. Add water and cook 2 minutes more. Add salt and pepper to taste. Remove from heat. In a small bowl combine the 1 tablespoon oil and the vinegar, set aside. To serve, divide chard among the pieces of toast. Drizzle with the oil-and-vinegar mixture. Top with arugula and feta cheese. Serve immediately. Makes 6 side-dish servings.


Garlic Creamed Chard

Per serving: 141 calories; 9 g fat (4 g saturated fat, 3 g mono unsaturated fat); 13 mg cholesterol; 10 g carbohydrates; 4 g protein; 2 g fiber; 369 mg sodium; 625 mg potassium Nutrition Bonus: Vitamin K (463% daily value), Vitamin A (140% dv), Vitamin C (35% dv), Magnesium (24% dv).

ingredients

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 pound chard, stems and leaves separated, chopped (see Note)
2 tablespoons minced garlic (use your green garlic!)
4 teaspoons unsalted butter
4 teaspoons all-purpose flour
2/3 cup low-fat milk
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg

directions

1.Heat oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add chard stems and cook, stirring often, until softened, 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in chard leaves and cook, stirring constantly, until wilted, about 2 minutes. Cover and cook, stirring once, until tender, about 2 minutes more. Transfer to a colander placed in the sink and press with a wooden spoon to remove excess liquid. Return the chard to the pot, cover and keep warm.
2.Place garlic and butter in a small saucepan over medium heat and cook until the garlic is fragrant but not browned, about 2 minutes. Whisk in flour and cook until bubbling, about 30 seconds. Add milk, salt, pepper and nutmeg; cook, whisking constantly, until thickened, 1 to 2 minutes. Stir the chard into the sauce and serve immediately.
3.Note: After washing the chard for these recipes, allow some of the water to cling to the leaves. It helps steam the chard and prevents a dry finished dish.

recipe source
eatingwell


Bok Choy/Pac Choi~ Bok Choy is a unfamiliar vegetable to many of you but no longer! This Asian green is considered to have the highest amounts of calcium than any other vegetable. It is also an excellent source of Vitamin A, B complex, C and minerals. Like your other veggies it will keep best wrapped in damp towel or put in a plastic bag in crisper drawer of fridge. Only store for one week.

Stir Fry Bok Choy~ Thai Style

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 15 minutes
Yield: SERVES 4 as a Side Dish
Ingredients:
•2 heads of large bok choy
•1 Tbsp. coconut oil or other vegetable oil
•STIR-FRY SAUCE:
•2 Tbsp. oyster-flavored sauce (Vegetarians/Vegans: substitute vegetarian oyster-flavored sauce OR vegetarian stir-fry sauce)
•2 Tbsp. soy sauce
•2 Tbsp. fish sauce (Vegetarians/vegans: substitute 2 Tbsp. Thai Golden Mountain Sauce
•2 Tbsp. sweet Thai chili sauce (available in most supermarkets)
•2 Tbsp. brown sugar
•2 tsp. fresh lime juice
•7-8 cloves garlic, minced
Preparation:
1.Rinse the bok choy and cut off the bottom stem part at the base of each head. Separate into individual leaves. If the white sections of these leaves are very wide or large, you can slice them in half lengthwise, or into thirds. Tip: If stir-frying larger bok choy, slice off the green leaf tips. Add the thicker white sections to the wok first, then throw in the leaves at the end (these will cook very fast).
2.Mix all the stir-fry sauce ingredients together in a bowl or cup. Stir well to dissolve the sugar.
3.Heat a wok or large frying pan over medium-high to high heat for 30 seconds to 1 minute. Add oil and swirl around.
4.Now add the bok choy plus 2-3 Tbsp. stir-fry sauce. Stir-fry 1-2 minutes, or until pan/wok starts to become dry.
5.Now add another 2-3 Tbsp. sauce and continue stir-frying another 2-3 minutes, or until the bok choy is bright green and the white stems are softened but still crunchy.
6.Taste-test the bok choy with the sauce. Add more sugar if too sour for your taste, or more lime juice if too salty. Also, fresh minced chili or dried chili can be added if you prefer it spicier. If you prefer more sauce, add a little more, as desired.
7.To serve, lift out the bok choy and place on a serving platter or in a serving bowl, then pour the sauce (from the bottom of the wok or pan) over. Serve immediately with plenty of Thai jasmine-scented rice. ENJOY!
Stir-Fry Sauce Tip: Keep extra stir-fry sauce (in a covered jar or container) in your refrigerator for up to 1 month. This sauce is excellent with many different kinds of stir-fried vegetables, as well as with chicken, tofu or wheat gluten, pork, and seafood. Enjoy!

Garlic-Ginger Bok Choy Stir Fry

Bok Choy Recipe
Servings: 4
Ingredients:
1 1/2 pounds bok choy
1 1/2 tablespoons canola, vegetable or peanut oil
1-2 cloves garlic, finely minced
1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
3 tablespoons broth or water (or 2 tablespoons broth/water + 1 tablespoon wine)
salt to taste
1/2 teaspoon sesame oil

Directions:
1. Start by trimming the stem off - don't trim too much - just the end. Cutting the thick stem off will ensure that the bok choy cooks evenly. Separate out the leaves, keep the tender center intact and clean under running water. Drain.

2. Finely mince garlic and grate fresh ginger with a microplane grater. Grating the ginger helps break up the tough fibers! (and yeah, sometimes when the ginger is nice and fresh, I don't even bother peeling off the paper-thin skin)

3. Place wok or frying pan on your stove and pour in the cooking oil. Add the garlic and ginger. Turn the heat to medium-high. Let the ginger and garlic gently sizzle in the oil. When the aromatics become fragrant and light golden brown, add the bok choy leaves. Toss very well to coat each leaf with the garlicky, gingery oil for 15 seconds. Pour in broth, water or wine. Immediately cover and let cook for 1 minute. Season with salt and drizzle a bit of sesame oil on top.