In this box: ½# salad mix, 1# Tomatoes, 1 bunch Kale, 1# Onions (from Groundwork Organics), 1 bu Carrots (Groundwork), 3# Butterball Potatoes, 2# Sweet Potatoes, 1 clam Cherry Tomatoes (Eat the ripest ones first, the rest will ripen up on your kitchen counter), 3# Asian Pears (from Gala Springs Orchard)

End of the Season
        This is officially the final box of our Summer Harvest Box season. Although many of you are continuing on with our Early Winter Season (which starts November 6^th), I feel this is the appropriate time to thank you for your commitment to eat local, organic produce this season. We hope you have enjoyed watching the progression from early- to mid- to late-summer in your box and having a connection to our farm (and family).  Thank you for choosing our harvest box this year.

Sweet Potatoes
        Yes, it is possible to grow sweet potatoes in the Willamette Valley. It’s not easy, but it’s possible. The hardest thing is that sweet potatoes really like long, hot summers, and Corvallis just doesn’t offer quite enough heat for sweet potatoes to be really happy.  Our trick is to plant them as soon as the soil has really warmed up (typically mid-June), and leave them in the ground as long as possible. We dug our sweet potatoes in a hurry a few weeks ago as the cold rains were starting to soak the farm and cool down the soil. Then we put all the (unwashed) sweet potatoes in ventilated crates and stacked them in a dry, heated room in our barn. We turned the heat up to 90 degrees for exactly one week to “cure” the tubers—sweeten them up, and harden the skins so they will keep. If stored well, they should keep for several months. I’m not suggesting that you save these potatoes for that long, but it means that we should have sweet potatoes once or twice in the Early Winter boxes, and hopefully all winter for our Corvallis Indoor Farmers Markets. Sweet potatoes should NEVER be refrigerated, as any temperature below 50 degrees will cause them to rot.
        This summer was relatively cool (even for Oregon), so a lot of our sweet potatoes are small. Our family loves the little ones. We call them “baby bakers”. Here’s what we do with them: scrub the tubers and coat with a little olive oil or coconut oil. Bake at 350 degrees for about an hour or until they are really soft and the house starts to smell like sweet potatoes. Cool just enough so you can handle them, and serve. We eat them, skins and all, with our fingers, as you would a french fry.

Kale
        There are lots of varieties of Kale in the world. The bunch in your box today is Winter Hardy Kale—a new variety for us this year.  The seeds were given to us by our friend Steve West who grew them in his garden in South Corvallis.  Steve says that true to it’s name, it produces all winter no matter how cold it gets. Full-size kale leaves are usually cooked (although we put small tender kale leaves in our salad mix). For a simple preparation that enhances the texture and flavor of kale, coarsely chop the leaves (and stems) and steam or saute for 4-5 minutes. If you’re sauteeing, add some chopped onion or garlic. Then layer into lasagne, stuff into an omelet, dollop on top of pizza (then bake the pizza), or simply dress with your favorite vinaigrette dressing and eat your greens.

Important notes
This is the final summer Harvest Box.
Our Early Winter Box begins next Tues. 11/6.
Call the farm if you have any questions.
If you have mailed in your application in the past few days, it may not be processed yet.
We are still accepting members for the winter season, but please call as soon as possible so we know how many boxes to plan for.
If you are extending your membership for only your vacation credit weeks, let us know when you want your box(es).

In this box: ½# salad mix, ½# spinach (Saturday) or 1 bunch Beets (Midweek), 1 bunch radishes (from Groundwork  Farm-- Radishes are excellent in  a stir-fry, 1 bunch Mizuna (the most mild-flavored green in the mustard family) 3# Fingerling Potatoes, 1 piece SweetMeat squash, 1 basket raspberries, 3# Liberty Apples (from LaMancha Ranch and Orchard in Sweet Home) Liberty is a crisp, juicy sweet-tart apple, and the perfect “lunchbox” size.

Sweetmeat Squash
        Sweetmeat squash is an heirloom winter squash variety—and they tend to run really large. So as not to overwhelm anyone with a 10-pound squash, we have cut the squash down to a manageable size. Once cut, squash will keep in the refrigerator for up to a week. I know I told you last week about making pie from Sunshine squash. Well, I spoke too soon, because I made a pie from sweetmeat this week, and it was even better. It required no extra sweetening for my family. If you don’t feel like making a pie crust this week, here’s my recipe for Sweetmeat custard cups (it’s a standard pumpkin pie recipe that I modified to be dairy-free, without the piecrust).
        Start by baking the squash until soft (350 degrees for about an hour). Since the sweetmeat may be cut into an odd shape, you might cover the baking pan with foil to keep the moisture in. When cool enough to handle, scoop out the insides and mash. Take 2 cups of mashed squash meat. Add 1 can coconut milk, 2 beaten eggs, ½ teaspoon of salt, 1 tsp. cinnamon, ½ tsp. ginger, ¼ tsp. nutmeg or allspice, 1/8 tsp. cloves. Pour the mixture into lined muffin cups. Bake at 350 degrees for about 40 minutes.

Potatoes
        We don’t actually eat many potatoes at our house, because our youngest son gets a rash from them. However, our older son really likes potatoes, and we have some really great varieties, so I’ve been cooking up potatoes for after school snacks this week. Now that the weather is cooler, it feels like potato weather—and they are so versatile. Boiled potatoes with butter, mashed potatoes, roasted potatoes, fried potatoes, pureed potato soup, chunky potato stew…..I will try to let you know which cooking method/recipe is best with each week’s potato variety.
        If you end up with several week’s worth of potatoes in the refrigerator, you can always roast them together for a nice effect. Even if the potatoes have very different textures, roasting a mixture (and possibly topping with grated cheese when hot from the oven) will yield excellent results.
        This week’s Banana potato is a gourmet fingerling variety. They can be roasted (whole or chunked) or used in stews. However, their delicate and slightly nutty flavor is really delicious just steamed (over salted water for 12-15 minutes) and dressed with butter.
        Store potatoes away from light—if exposed to light, they will turn green and be inedible.In a paper bag on the counter is fine for up to a week. Refrigerate for longer storage.

In this box: ½# spinach, 2 baby bok choy, 1# small Beefsteak OR 1 bskt cherry, tomatoes, 1 Sunshine Squash, 2 Sweet Bell Peppers, 3# White Rose Potatoes (White Rose has a flaky texture like a russet, and is good just boiled in salted water then buttered, or roasted, baked, or hashed), 1 bskt strawberries, 3# Liberty Apples (from LaMancha Ranch and Orchard in Sweet Home) Liberty is a crisp, juicy sweet-tart apple

Sunshine Squash
        Sunshine squash is a versatile and tasty winter squash. Sunshine can be baked or steamed, then mashed, souped, curried, or made into a lovely pie. If you know a lot about winter squash, you may recognize the shape of Sunshine—it looks like the more familiar green Kubocha or orange Amber Cup. However, in our taste tests, we find Sunshine sweeter and more moist than those other varieties.
        Baking instructions: cut squash in half, scoop out the seeds, and bake cut-side down in a baking pan with about ½” of water at 350 degrees for about an hour. Then scoop out the insides when cool enough to handle, and follow your favorite squash recipe. We like to mash sunshine with coconut milk for a slightly exotic and sweet side dish. It’s practically like a dessert.
        Sunshine squash can also be steamed. For steaming, cut the squash in half, remove the seeds, then cut each half into thin sections. When cooked, the skin is soft enough to be eaten, so you don’t need to peel it.

Greens
        Baby bok choy is a mild-flavored green that is great for stir-fry’s. I like to eat the crunchy white stems raw (the juicy texture reminds me of celery) while I prepare the leafy part for a stir-fry. Baby bok choy pairs nicely with spinach—you can combine them in a salad, or cook them together in any recipe. If you need a simple and easy greens recipe, here’s my all-time favorite recipe for all kinds of greens:

Hot and Sour Greens (from Andrew Weil, 8 Weeks to Optimum Health) 1 bunch greens (chard, collards, kale, spinach, tat soy, shungiku or bok choy), 2 tsp. canola oil, 2 cloves garlic, minced dash of red pepper flakes, ¼ tsp. dry mustard, 2 Tbs. rice vinegar, 1 tsp. soy sauce, 1 tsp. brown sugar

Rinse and slice greens in ½ inch shreds.
Heat oil, stir-fry garlic and pepper flakes 1 minute.
Add greens and mustard powder.
Stir to coat greens with garlic and oil.
Combine rice vinegar, soy sauce, and sugar. Add to skillet.
Cook, covered, over medium heat for about 5 minutes.
 ~I just realized, your sweet peppers would go very nicely in this greens recipe. I would sauté the peppers first until they are quite soft and even starting to brown a bit before adding the garlic and proceeding with the recipe. 

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In this box: ½# Salad mix, 1 pint Cherry Tomatoes, 1 cabbage, 1 bunch Carrots, 1 bunch Golden Chard, 1.5# Parsnips (from Groundwork Organics), 1 bunch red scallions, (from Groundwork  Organics), 1 bskt gold raspberries, 3# Cameo Apples from Gala Springs Orchard

1. What happens if you forget to pick up your box on Tuesday afternoon?    You can still pick up your box! If you’re in Albany or Salem, unclaimed boxes will remain at the drop site until at least Wednesday at Noon. After that, they are donated to local families in need. In Corvallis, boxes return to the farm. You can call us to arrange a late pick-up.
   
2. The Trade Box is intended for exchanges. If you take something out, please put something back in. That way even the last people to pick up their box will have some choice if they wish to trade.
   
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In this box: 1 bunch Carrots, ½# Sweet Onions, 3# Purple Viking potatoes (these make  really creamy mashed  potatoes, or excellent  potato salad), 2 Ripe Bell Peppers, 1# Heirloom Tomatoes, 1 pint cherry tomatoes, 2 Sweet Dumpling Squash, 1 bskt Gold Raspberries or Strawberries, 1.5# Canadice Grapes (from Reynolds Farm, Corvallis)

Seasons change
        This week I noticed that our 16-year old barn cat has returned to her south-facing barn window for long naps during the day. She spent all summer hanging out at the front door of our house, ever hopeful that she might be invited inside some day. Now that the weather has turned cooler, she has returned to the sunny window in the upstairs of our barn.
        On the farm, we are noticing that the days are much shorter than they were just a month ago. We need a light to setup for early morning markets, and the crew is going home by 8 PM because it is too dark to work in the fields. Peppers and tomatoes are ripening much more slowly, and our fall raspberries are starting to produce a nice crop. These Golden Raspberries are my favorite. I’m glad they are growing just outside the office door, so I can grab a quick handful when I need a sweet snack. 
        Now that there are fewer tomatoes and peppers to pick, our on-farm crew is catching up on weeding. Today they swarmed the leek field for the second time since the leeks were planted, hoeing the weeds by hand. The fields look so nice when they are freshly weeded, and you can see nicely cultivated soil between the young plants. We’ve also been removing tired plants from cucumber, pole bean, and strawberry cold frames and planting spinach, lettuce, and other greens for the winter. Speaking of winter,

Registration Information for our Early Winter Harvest Box: Pick-up sites will be the same as for the summer box, but drop-off times will be a little different. If you have vacation credits, and you want to extend your summer membership for only your credit weeks, please send in a registration form indicating what weeks you want a box.

In this box: 1 Lettuce, 1 bunch Basil, 1 or 2 Eggplants (from Groundwork Organics), 3#  tomatoes, 1 basket pink grape or mini Roma tomatoes, 2 Red Bell peppers, 1# Sweet Onions, 1# Summer Squash, 3# Pears: Bartlett or Abate Fatel (from Gala Springs Orchard)

These are a few of my favorite things
        One of the things I like about being a small farmer in the Willamette Valley is the other farmers that have become our friends over the years. We have developed a community of farming friends who cooperate with each other in a lot of ways. You may have noticed we occasionally include produce from some other organic growers in your box. These other farmers are our friends. Some have worked on our farm before striking out on their own (Jamie at Springhill Farm, Gabe at Groundwork Organics), and some are friends that we have met because we sell at the same Farmer’s Markets (like Shane Baker from Gala Springs Orchard—Tom sees him in Beaverton every Saturday). We benefit from our cooperation in many ways, from having a more interesting Harvest Box to co-purchasing supplies like strawberry baskets or seed potatoes to save freight costs.
        Some other farming friends of ours are the Wood family. They used to grow vegetables, particularly melons, on their farm near Jefferson. About 10 years ago, they transitioned their farm to growing eggs and meat. Now they have lamb, pork, beef, and eggs, and they even make soap from their own lard!  We see them every Saturday at the Corvallis Farmers Market. At the end of the day, they take all our trimmings (carrot tops, cauliflower leaves, lettuce trimmings) and take it home for their pigs. We feel happy that someone is using our compost, and “Ben the Boar” is very happy with the fresh produce!

Recipe of the week:

•  The raspberry bushes that produced so many raspberries in June, and then grew into an impenetrable thicket have now been tamed, pruned, and trellised. Amongst the leaves, I find ripening raspberries to eat. Soon we will have plenty again as some of our raspberries are varieties that fruit in the fall.
  
• Along the driveway where we grew lettuce earlier this year, the ground has been rototilled and planted to young cabbage, cauliflower, and broccoli plants. These young plants grow incredibly fast—I think they double in size every week! Only a few weeks ago, they were tiny tender seedlings, and now the plants have grown to touch each other, and they are each showing their individual characteristics. The plants that will be purple cabbages are dark greenish-purple; the cauliflower leaves are starting to turn upwards in a bowl-shape, even though the creamy white cauliflower which will hide inside won’t form for another two months.  
• The heirloom tomato plants look very tired. They have been producing fruits since June, and are nearing the end of their productive life. Fortunately for us, tomatoes that ripen on older plants are sweeter and more flavorful than early in the season when the plants are more lush. This is probably the last week when we’ll have enough heirloom tomatoes the boxes.
  
• Our winter leeks were recently transplanted. Leeks are one of the slowest growing plants. When the seed (about the size of a poppy seed) sprouts, it sends up a green shoot about the size of a hair. We tend these seedlings for about 8 weeks in the greenhouse, watering them twice a day, and giving them a “haircut” when they are tall enough to fall over. (We literally cut them off with scissors, and they keep growing just like your lawn grass). When the seedlings are about the size of a pencil, we can transplant them to the field. Then we have to keep the weeds at bay, because weeds grow way faster than leeks. The best way to keep weeds out of leeks is hand hoeing. Fortunately we have an excellent crew of farmworkers, and they make quick work of the weeds, descending on the leek field as a group and working together to uncover the leeks from the weeds. Our crew seem to enjoy the work of hoeing—it is far less tiring for them than picking melons, which they are also doing a lot of this time of year.  

1. Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat.  Drain. Place in a large bowl.
   
2. Add goat cheese, basil, salt, and pepper. Stir until well blended.
3. While pasta cooks, heat oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Add garlic and sauté for 30 seconds.
   
4. Add tomatoes and cook 2 minutes, stirring frequently.
   
5. Add broth and cook 1 minute.
   
6. Add tomato mixture to pasta. Toss gently to combine. (4 servings).

1. <><>Cut 4 or 5 tomatoes into wedges and place in a large bowl. Coarsely chop roasted garlic and toss with tomatoes.
2. C<><>ombine 2 Tbs. red wine or balsamic vinegar with 6 Tbs. olive oil. Toss with garlic and tomatoes. 
   
3. <><>Season with salt and pepper to taste. Allow to rest for 30 minutes at room temperature before serving.

In this box: 1 Red Butter Lettuce, 1# Carrots, 1 head Cauliflower or Broccoli, 1.5# White Zucchini, 2# White Rose or Russet Potato, 1 pint sungold cherry tomatoes, 3# BeefsteakTomatoes, 2 Red Peppers, 1 Yellow  Watermelon

Cauliflower or Broccoli
        Here’s a trick to avoid overcooking cauliflower or broccoli. Tom learned this technique from his mother. Find a small steamer or saucepan with a tight-fitting lid. Add ¼” of water to the bottom of the pan, and place cauliflower or broccoli florets in a steamer or directly into the pot. Cover and place over high heat until the water comes to a full boil and steam comes out from under the lid. Then turn the heat OFF and leave the pan on the hot burner for 5 minutes. (This timing works great on our electric stove, because the burner stays hot enough to keep a light steam going for the 5-minute cooking time. On a gas stove, you may need to leave the gas on extra low for 5 minutes.) Serve immediately, or plunge into ice water to quickly stop the cooking process if you want to eat it later. 

French White Zucchini
        Zucchini seems to be the darling vegetable of the summer. I say this because every time I pick up a cooking magazine, there are great zucchini recipes. Here are a couple of new ones that would be great with this week’s French White Zucchini:

Sauteed Zucchini, Cherry Tomatoes, Olives, and Basil
2 Tbs extra-virgin olive oil, 1 ¼ to 1 ½ pounds zucchini (cut into ½ -inch thick slices), 2 large garlic cloves (sliced), 1 ½ teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary, 2 cups small cherry tomatoes (halved), 1/3 cup halved pitted Kalamata olives, ¼ cup thinly sliced fresh basil, 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

Heat oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add zucchini, garlic, and rosemary. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Saute until zucchini is just tender, about 5 minutes. Add tomatoes and olives. Saute until tomatoes just begin to soften, about 2 minutes. Mix in basil and vinegar. Season vegetables to taste with salt and pepper. Transferto a bowl. Makes 6 servings. From Bon Appetit, September 2007.

Mannie’s Cold Zucchini Salad (From Asparagus to Zucchini, Madison Area CSA Coalition)
Zucchini, canola oil, minced garlic, red wine vinegar  

Slice zucchini into thin strips lengthwise. Fry lightly in hot oil until soft throughout. Transfer zucchini to a bowl; salt lightly. Discard most of the oil in the pan. Add generous amounts of garlic and sauté lightly. Add ¼ inch of red wine vinegar to the pan and bring to a quick boil. Toss sauce with squash. Cover and refrigerate; serve in a few hours. Makes any number of servings.

        Many people have been asking if they can return the plastic clams and berry baskets. The answer is: maybe.  We are always happy when things can be re-used. However, only clean plastic and paperboard berry baskets are useful to us. If you think your baskets are clean enough that you wouldn’t mind receiving them back refilled, then you can bring them back and we will reuse them.  Otherwise, please recycle them.  Stay tuned for updates in the future, as the Food Safety Division at the Oregon Dept of Agriculture is currently working on new regulations for farmers. We expect more limited reuse of containers with the new rules.

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In this box: 1 Lettuce, 1# Carrots, 1 Bunch Basil, 1.5# Broccoli, 2# Red Potatoes, ½# Shallots, either 1 pint Mini-Roma Tomatoes (these mini-romas will be best in a few days when their color is a deeper red—then they’re great for cooking. Very intense flavor!) or 1 pint Sungold Cherry Tomatoes, 2# Beefsteak Tomatoes, 1 Guava Watermelon

Broccoli
        Have you ever thought of roasting broccoli? It’s one of my new favorite things. It’s hard to overcook broccoli by this method, because the outside of the stalks remain firm even when the insides are tender. And the floret portion becomes crispy and sweet. Here’s my technique: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cut broccoli into individual “trees”. Peel and cut stems into similar-sized pieces. Coat lightly with olive oil. Here’s a trick: put cut up broccoli into a large bowl. Pour a small amount of olive oil  (2-3 Tbs.) and a light sprinkle of salt over the top and mix gently to coat all pieces. Then spread broccoli 1-layer deep in a roasting pan. The alternate method for oiling the broccoli is to spread pieces in a roasting pan first, and drizzle with olive oil, then shake the pan to distribute the oil, but I find that this leaves most of the olive oil coating the pan, not the broccoli. Roast at 350 degrees for about 20-25 minutes, shaking after 10 and 15 minutes to make sure nothing burns. They’re done when the stems pierce easily with a sharp knife.

Basil, basil, and more basil
         What to do besides pesto? Well, at our house, we could eat pesto once a week, so that’s not a big problem. But here are some additional ideas if your family is getting tired of pesto:

1. Chop basil leaves and stems into soups and stews.
   
2. Layer basil leaves in a sandwich with sliced tomatoes and cheese.
   
3. Make pesto (recipe follows), and use pesto as a layer in lasagna, a stuffing for omelets, or a nutritious addition to mashed potatoes or mac n’ cheese.
   
4. Add torn basil leaves to a green salad.
   
5. Make Basil butter: Mix together ½ cup softened butter, 1 minced shallot, 2 Tbs. fresh minced basil, 1 tsp. lemon juice (optional). From Simply in Season by Mary Beth Lind and Cathleen Hockman-Wert. <>

1. Substitute zucchini for grated potato in a potato pancake recipe.
2. Grill zucchini halves or skewer and grill chunks of zucchini (anything on a skewer is popular with my kids!).
3. Grate or thinly slice zucchini and dress with lemon juice, olive oil, one clove of smashed garlic, and capers.
4. Grate and freeze in a zip-lock bag for winter cakes and muffins.
5. Add a layer of zucchini slices to a lasagna casserole.
6. Sauté zucchini (with or without onion, pepper & cabbage) until just tender (larger chunks maintain better texture). Gently mix with vinaigrette dressing and serve at room temperature. Make a simple casserole: Layer squash slices alternately with onion slices, bread crumbs, (and optional cheese). Repeat for a total of 3 layers. Top with butter. Cook at 350 degrees until hot and bubbly.
7. If you’re feeling like cooking something more complicated, try: