Denison Farms

June week 1 week 2 week 3 week 4 week 5

July week 6 week 7 week 8 week 9

August week 10 week 11 week 12 week 13

September week 14 week 15 week 16 week 17 week 18

October week 19 week 20 week 21 week 22

November week 23 week 24 week 25 week 26

Denison Farms Harvest Box 2009:  Week 26
This is the last box. Please return any empties to the Corvallis Indoor Winter Market. (See market dates below).
You will receive a brochure for next year's box in the mail in February (if we have your current address).

In this box: ½# Spinach, 1 bunch Collards, 5# German Butterball potatoes—these are great mashed, roasted, or fried…, 3 Onions (from Persephone Farm) , 1 Sweet Bell Pepper, 1 Butternut Squash, 2# Gold Rush Apples (LaMancha Ranch & Orchard) Gold Rush apples have very intense flavor. If the flavor is too intense for you, they keep well, and the intensity mellows with time, 1 bag Fuyu-type Persimmons Try grilled persimmons! Slice persimmons ¼-inch thick, and grill on high for 2 minutes per side, 1 Denison Farms shopping bag

Thank you for letting us be your farmers. We are grateful for your choice to eat local, organic, in-season produce!

You can get local, organic produce all winter at the Corvallis Indoor Winter Market at the Benton County Fairgrounds. This year, the market will be EVERY Saturday, starting January 16th through the end of March. We will be there with salad mix, spinach, greens, potatoes, winter squash, cabbage, and more. Market hours are from 9 AM – 1 PM. We hope to see you there.

Butternut squash
        A recent broadcast of The Splendid Table (last Sunday on OPB Radio) had some wonderful ideas for butternut squash. Here's a brief synopsis of Lynne's inspirations (for the full details, go to splendidtable.publicradio.org for the podcast-follow the links to show archives/November 21st/calls pt.1/Trivia)
1. Butternut squash puree in a "pumpkin" pie. The flavor of Butternut squash is enhanced by the addition of a touch of vanilla to the pie filling. Otherwise, follow your favorite pumpkin pie recipe.
2. Roasted or sautéed Butternut Squash with lemon rind, fresh garlic, and rosemary, or orange zest and nutmeg.
3. Butternut custard pudding. This is a variation of pumpkin pie filling baked in custard cup. Vary the flavors by omitting the pumpkin pie spices, and instead adding vanilla, candied ginger, or candied lemon peel. Then slow-bake in a boiling water bath (go to the Splendid Table podcast or a classic cookbook for more details on baking custard in a boiling water bath).

New Ideas for Collards
    As I was searching the Internet for the butternut squash recipes I had heard on the Splendid Table, I came across a couple new ideas for collards. I now have two new favorite collard recipes-one very simple, and one more complicated. First, the simplest way to love collards: 
Lemony sautéed Collards: Rinse collard leaves, and shake dry. Cut into thin ribbons. Heat 2 Tbs olive oil and 1 Tbs butter in a sauté pan. Toss the collards into the hot pan. You will hear lots of popping and crackling as the leaves hit the hot oil.  Turn frequently to cook evenly until just wilted (6-8 minutes). Add a pinch of salt and the juice from half a lemon. Remove from heat and serve.

Collard Greens inspired by the cuisine of the Philippines
1. Heat large skillet over medium heat. Cook 6 pieces of bacon until crisp. Drain on paper towel, crumble, and set aside. Pour off the bacon grease-you won't use it in this recipe.
2. In a clean pan, heat 3 Tbs olive oil and 1 Tbs unsalted butter over low heat. Add 3 garlic cloves, cut in half. Slowly toast until golden brown (about 10 minutes). Be careful not to burn the garlic. Lift out the garlic and set aside.
3. Add 1 bunch thinly sliced collard greens to the garlic-oil pan. Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until the greens start to wilt, about 5 minutes.
4. Mix together crumbled bacon, 1/2 cup coconut milk, 2 Tbs low-sodium soy sauce, and 1 Tbs coarse, grainy mustard. (I found this dish a bit salty, so use low-sodium soy sauce, or less soy sauce unless you like really salty food).
5. Add bacon & coconut milk mixture to the collards. Stir occasionally and cook for about 20 minutes, or until the greens are tender and the sauce has thickened.
6. Stir the toasted garlic into the greens at the last minute, and serve.
top of page


Denison Farms Harvest Box 2009:  Week 25
In this box: 1/2# Salad Mix, 1 bunch Mizuna, 1 Basket Cherry/Grape Tomatoes , 2# Royal Chantenais Carrots (from Groundwork Organic Farm), 2 Leeks, 1 head Cauliflower, 2# Purple Viking Potatoes-these are great for soup or stew, or potato salad. Their texture is very creamy, and their flavor is mild., 1 Butternut Squash (see Newsletter Week 22 for Butternut squash ideas), 2# Cameo Apples (Gala Springs Farm)

Next week will be the final box. Please bring back all empties, and bring some bags to take everything home in, so you can leave the box next week.

Leek Pie
    Although I have been sharing this recipe for years, I still get requests for it. It's the BEST recipe for using leeks that I have ever found, and there should be enough leeks in your box today to make at least one great pie. This dish is very rich and elegant. I make Leek Pie when company's coming for dinner. The original recipe came from one of our Corvallis market customers. I have also included my own cheese-free variation.
Leek Pie
2 large leeks, (white and green parts) cleaned and sliced into thin rings 
2 Tbs. butter
1/2 lb. Crumbled Roquefort or grated gruyere cheese
1 egg, beaten
1/4 cup plain yogurt or heavy cream
pie dough for a single or double crust pie
    Sauté leek rings in butter on medium heat for 30 minutes. (Yes, 30 minutes. Cover if it seems to be getting too dry). Add cheese, egg, and yogurt or cream. Pour into pie crust. (Optional: cover with top crust). Bake at 350o for 35-40 minutes.

Elizabeth's Indonesian Leek Pie
    I created this one when we were looking for some satisfying dairy-free (except for the butter) ideas for our family. We served it to some friends from Indonesia, and they said it reminded them very much of a recipe from their homeland.
2 large leeks, cleaned and sliced into thin rings (use the green leaves also)
2 Tbs. butter
1/2 tsp salt
1 large or 2 small eggs, beaten
1/2 can coconut milk
grated rind and juice of 1 large lemon or 2 limes
single or double pie crust (I use a single crust. It's easier).
    Sauté leek rings in butter with salt on medium heat for 30 minutes. Add coconut milk, eggs, lemon or lime juice, and grated lemon/lime rind. Pour into piecrust. Cover with top crust. Bake at 350o for 35-40 minutes.

Cauliflower
     Cauliflower is at it's best when it is cooked until just barely tender. If you're steaming it, check for tenderness after 4 minutes. Cauliflower also roasts well, and it's harder to overcook it that way.

Caring for Greens
    To prepare greens: remove the twist-tie, and dunk the bunch in a large bowl of cool water several times to float off any dirt or debris, then shake off the excess water before cooking. It is important to completely submerge the leaves, so use a large bowl.
   
Mizuna
    Mizuna is one of the mildest of the mustard greens. You can eat it raw in a salad, or cook it as you would spinach or chard. Like spinach or chard (and unlike kale), mizuna is very tender, and cooks quickly to a soft texture.
Mizuna can be steamed or sautéed and served with a drizzle of sesame oil or balsamic vinegar, or sautéed and made into a filling for omelets, crepes, or lasagna ...... We like to chop mizuna finely and use a handful as a garnish on a steaming bowl of brothy soup (like chicken soup).
top of page

Denison Farms Harvest Box 2009:  Week 24
        There are 2 more weeks. Your final box will be just before Thanksgiving
In this box:  ½# Spinach (Corvallis boxes), or 2 Baby Bok Choy (Salem & Albany boxes) , 2# Slicer tomatoes  (Salem/Albany)  or 1 Basket Cherry/Grape Tomatoes (Corvallis boxes), 3# White Potatoes—these are great for soup or stew, or just steam them in a little water and serve as a simple side dish. The chunks hold their shape, are mild-flavored, and slightly sweet, 1# Broccoli, 1 Cabbage, 1 Winter Squash (either Sunshine, or Banana squash: either one would be great steamed or baked and then mashed with butter or coconut milk), 1 Sweet pepper (green and/or red) ,2# Braeburn Apples (from LaMancha Ranch & Orchard), 5 or 6 Fuyu Persimmons

Persimmons
    These Fuyu-type Persimmons are best eaten while still firm. (Hachiya is the type that must be as soft as jelly before they are edible). If you eat an unripe persimmon, it will be unpleasantly astringent.
   
Fuyu Persimmon Primer-or how to tell when to eat your Fuyu:
    There are two signs when your persimmons are ready-color and feel. A ripe Fuyu has a feel somewhat like a ripe pear or avocado. The fruit should give very slightly to thumb pressure, but not much.
    Color is bit harder to judge, because even a ripe Fuyu can vary in color from deep dark orange, to a lighter yellow-orange. However, if some of yours look definitely greenish under the orange, we suggest leaving them on the counter for a few days until the green turns to yellow-orange AND the fruit gives slightly to gentle thumb pressure.
    We tried to pack persimmons that will be ripe for you within a few days of getting your box. Leave them on the counter until each persimmon reaches that slightly-soft feel. Then refrigerate it until you're ready to eat it, or it will continue to become softer.
    There's no harm in eating a completely soft persimmon, but many people prefer the Fuyu-type persimmons when they have the texture of a ripe mango or peach, rather than jelly.

To serve Fuyu persimmons: cut off the calyx, then cut each persimmon into four to six wedges. Then serve the wedges as you would a sliced peach or mango. Persimmons are nice paired with some good vanilla ice cream, as a cheesecake topping, or sliced thinly and spread on warm toast. The skin is edible, but some people prefer to remove it.

Cabbage
    Cabbage has a lot more versatility than just cabbage rolls or cole slaw.  Once we discovered Drew's Lemon Goddess dressing, our boys became huge fans of cabbage salad. We can serve it nearly every night and no one complains. Annie's  vegan Goddess dressing is very similar to Drew's, and would be a good substitute if you can't find Drew's brand. The recipe: cut up cabbage, add dressing, and serve. No other ingredients necessary.
If you're in the mood to sauté, here's a very simple recipe that highlights the best qualities of cabbage (quick-cooking, mild flavored, and slightly sweet). If you don't have a leek in the house, save this recipe and half of your cabbage until next week, when leeks will reappear.

Braised Cabbage and Leeks (modified from Martha Stewart Living, Nov 2004) 
2 Tbs. olive oil
1 large leek, white and pale-green parts, halved, rinsed, and thinly sliced crosswise
1/2 medium head green cabbage, cored, and thinly sliced crosswise
1/2 cup homemade or low-sodium store bought chicken stock
1 tsp. lemon juice
Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
    Heat oil in a large sauté pan over medium-high heat until hot but not smoking. Add leek. Cook until soft (2-3 minutes). Stir in cabbage, and add stock and lemon juice. Cook, stirring occasionally until cabbage is slightly soft, about 5 minutes. Stir in 1/2 tsp salt, and season to taste with pepper. Serve warm.

top of page



Denison Farms Harvest Box 2009:  Week 23
There are 3 more weeks. Your final box will be just before Thanksgiving

In this box: 1/2# Spinach (Salem/Albany  boxes) OR 2 Baby Bok Choy (Corvallis) Try it raw. It's crunchy and sweet!,
2# Slicer tomatoes  (Corvallis) OR 1 Basket Cherry or Grape Tomatoes (Salem & Albany), 3# Red Potatoes, 1 Sweet Red Onion (from Persephone Farm-Elanor sent me some history about the onion, and the lovely poem which I have included in this newsletter for you), 1 bunch Green Kale, 1 basket Raspberries OR Strawberries, 2# Cameo Apples (from  Gala Springs)
Developed in 1998, cameo is  thin-skinned, extra crunchy, and has balanced sweet-tart flavor. Definitely a good eating apple!

Nutty Delicata Bake
    Most of the time, I steam or bake my squash and eat it plain or with a little butter, but here is a recipe from the Corvallis First Alternative Co-op Thymes last year. Even though it sounds like an odd assortment of ingredients, I tried it and loved it!
    2 small or 1 large delicata squash, cut into 3/4" chunks (3 cups)
    1/2 cup almonds or filberts, chopped coarsely
    1/4 cup chopped dried tomatoes soaked in oil
    1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
    2 tsp chopped fresh rosemary
    2 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
    salt and pepper to taste
Mix all ingredients, stirring to blend and to coat the vegetables with olive oil. Bake, covered in a 9 x 13" pan at 350 degrees for 20 minutes. Remove the cover. Stir to loosen the bits from the bottom of the pan. Bake 10 additional minutes uncovered. Serves 4. ***important note: I have written the recipe as it was in the original source, but when I made this dish, I cooked it for about twice as long as suggested here. My suggestion is to bake covered 20 - 40 minutes until the squash is tender (a knife passes easily through the pieces), then stir and bake an additional 10-15 minutes uncovered.
   
Kale   
    Kale goes well chopped into a bean soup, or try this recipe, which has been a favorite of mine for years:
Hot and Sour Greens (from Andrew Weil, 8 Weeks to Optimum Health)
1 bunch greens (collard, kale, bok choy, or other green)
2 tsp. canola oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
dash of red pepper flakes
1/4 tsp. dry mustard
2 Tbs. rice vinegar
1 tsp. soy sauce
1 tsp. brown sugar
    Rinse and slice greens in 1/2 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 (or 3 minutes for tender bok choy).

Getting the most out of late-season Tomatoes
    Try Wilted Tomatoes to soften the firmness and bring out the flavor of late-season tomatoes:   
Heat 1 Tbs. olive oil in a sauté pan. Add 1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes (whole), or 2 large vine-ripe tomatoes (cut into large chunks). Sauté for 3-5 minutes until tomatoes begin to soften, but are still chunky. Stir in 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar, and a pinch each of salt and pepper. Toss with pasta.  (Recipe inspired by Cooking Light magazine, October 2009.)

The Traveling Onion
It is believed that the onion originally came from India.  In Egypt it was an object of worship--why I haven't been able to find out.  From Egypt the onion entered Greece and on to Italy, thence into all of Europe.                     
             --Better Living Cookbook

When I think how far the onion has traveled
just to enter my stew today, I could kneel and praise
all small forgotten miracles,
crackly paper peeling on the drainboard,
pearly layers in smooth agreement,
the way knife enters onion
and onion falls apart on the chopping block,
a history revealed.

And I would never scold the onion
for causing tears.
It is right that tears fall
for something small and forgotten.
How at meal, we sit to eat,
commenting on texture of meat or herbal aroma
but never on the translucence of onion,
now limp, now divided,
or its traditionally honorable career:
For the sake of others,
disappear.                    
--by Naomi Shihab Nye
    Note:  This poem is printed in In Praise of Fertile Land, edited by Claudia Mauro and published by Whit Press.  It is a lovely collection very worth checking out.  Proceeds from sales of the book go to saving farmland from development.
top of page



Denison Farms Harvest Box 2009:  Week 22
In This Box: 1/2# Salad Mix, 1 bunch Arugula, 1 Celery (from Springhill Farm), 2# Heirloom Tomatoes (Corvallis boxes) or 1 box Cherry or Grape Tomatoes (Albany & Salem Boxes), 1# Broccoli (mostly ours, but with a little help from Groundwork Organics as we didn't have quite enough), 1 Leek, 1 Red Bell Pepper, 1 Butternut Squash, 1 Basket Raspberries (Salem, Albany, and a few Corvallis Boxes) or Strawberries (most Corvallis boxes), 2# Liberty Apples (from LaMancha Ranch and Orchard)

Butternut Squash
    It is really exciting to see food magazines featuring seasonal produce! This month's Eating Well magazine has a picture of stuffed Acorn squash on the front cover (stuffed with chard and white beans); and inside the magazine are recipes for Roasted Butternut Squash and for Crispy Leeks (see below). I am reprinting a roasted squash recipe from a different source because the instructions are simpler.
Roasted Butternut Squash: (from Whole Foods Market October newsletter)
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Halve squash lengthwise. Using a spoon, scoop out and discard the seeds.
2. Peel with a vegetable peeler or cut into big chunks and keep steady on the cutting board while cutting off the peel with a knife.
3. Cut into 1" cubes. Transfer to a large, rimmed baking sheet. Toss with olive oil, salt, and pepper and spread out in a single layer. Roast, tossing occasionally, until just tender and golden brown, about 30 minutes.
   
Butternut squash is also excellent for making soup. Here's my favorite Butternut Soup recipe: 

1. Peel and cube 1 medium Butternut squash. (Peeling is optional, as it will be puréed later).
2. Cook for 25 minutes in 5 cups of stock or water.
3. Sauté 1 large chopped onion and 1 tsp dried thyme in 2 Tbs oil. Add to squash.
4. Cool and purée the squash and onions.
5. Melt 4 Tbs butter. Stir in 1/4 cup flour and cook 2 minutes.
6. Add 3/4 cup cream (or non-dairy milk). Add flour & cream mixture to soup. Stir.
7. Add 1 tsp salt, and 1/2 tsp tamari.
8. Simmer 15 minutes, stirring to prevent sticking.
9. Garnish with 1/2 cup sliced and toasted almonds and black pepper to taste.

Crispy Leeks (from Eating Well magazine, December 2009) As long as your oven is on to roast squash or peppers, here's a new way to cook leeks:
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Cut leek in half lengthwise, and then cut each piece in half crosswise. Cut each quarter into long, thin strips. Rinse the strips in hot water and pat dry.
3. Toss in a medium bowl with 2 tsp. olive oil. Sprinkle with 2 Tbs. flour, 1 tsp paprika, 1/2 tsp garlic powder, and 1/4 tsp salt. Toss well to combine.
4. Spread in an even layer on a baking sheet. Bake, stirring once or twice, until the leeks are crispy and golden brown, 10 -12 minutes.

Arugula
    There's no mistaking the peppery sharpness of arugula. And it's hard to not have a definite opinion about arugula-you either love it or hate it. If you love it, you'll probably like it in a salad. The bold flavor of arugula pairs particularly well in a salad with goat cheese and toasted walnuts or hazelnuts (and perhaps marinated roasted sweet pepper if you have some on hand) tossed with a slightly sweet balsamic vinaigrette.
    The flavor of arugula becomes much milder if you wilt it or cook it slightly. In the cookbook Local Flavors, Deborah Madison tosses a handful of arugula on top of a caramelized onion pizza the moment it comes out of the oven. The heat in the pizza will wilt the arugula just enough to take away the intensity of the peppery arugula, and the sweetness of the caramelized onions balances the strength of the arugula.
    Arugula also makes a good garnish for a brothy soup-much the way you might use watercress or cilantro, but with its characteristic peppery flavor.
top of page



Denison Farms Harvest Box 2009:  Week 21
In This Box: 1 Romaine Lettuce, 2# Heirloom Tomatoes (Salem/Albany boxes) or 2# Beefsteak Tomatoes (Corvallis boxes), 1 bunch Carrots (from Groundwork Organics), 3# Yukon Gold Potatoes, 1 bunch Red Kale (check our web site: last year's newsletters Week 3 for a great kale recipe), 1 Pepper, 1 chunk Sweet Meat Squash, 1 basket Strawberries, 2# Rome Apples (from Gala Springs)

Sweet Meat Squash
    Sweet Meat is a Northwest heirloom squash. Its flesh is fine-texture and very sweet. Since Sweet Meat are large, most boxes will contain a piece of squash. Once cut, squash will not keep, so you should cook it this week. Once cooked, you can freeze any you don't want to eat right away.
    Preparing Sweet Meat Squash: rinse squash and scoop out seeds. Place in a baking dish with a little water. Bake at 350-degrees for about an hour. Then cool, and scoop out the meat. The seeds can be rinsed and toasted for a great snack. 
What can you do with your cooked squash?

1.  Mash with butter and serve for dinner
2.  Freeze in 2-cup portions in zip-top freezer bags for later
3.  Make "pumpkin" pie (substitute mashed Sweet Meat squash for canned pumpkin. You might need to use less sugar because Sweet Meat squash is much sweeter than canned pumpkin)
4.  Make Nutted Squash Bread (This recipe works with either wheat flour or rice flour. Recipe can be doubled)

2 cups flour            
2 tsp baking powder       
1/4 tsp baking soda           
1/2 tsp salt               
1/2 tsp grated nutmeg       
1 cup mashed winter squash
1/3 cup water
1/3 cup oil
2 eggs
1/4 cup maple syrup
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup walnuts
1/4 cup raisins
    Mix dry ingredients together, mix wet ingredients together with nuts and raisins. Add dry to wet ingredients, and stir just until blended. Spread into a greased & floured bread loaf pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 50-60 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean. Makes 1 loaf.
           
Rome Apples
    Rome apples are excellent for baked apples, apple crisp, or applesauce. They have a sweet flavor, a lovely reddish tinge to the flesh, and a soft texture that (in my opinion) makes them more suited to cooking than to eating fresh.
    We've been making apple crisp almost every day-the kids love it for breakfast! You can cook it the night before, or get up just a bit early and prepare it for breakfast in just over 30 minutes. Our family is quite sensitive to sugar, so our recipe is unsweetened, and uses only 1 apple. If you are accustomed to sweeter things, feel free to use more than one apple, or add a bit of sweetening to the topping.
    Here's our recipe: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cut 1 apple into chunks and place in the bottom of a pie pan or 9-inch square baking dish. Chop 1 cup almonds (in the food processor), cut in 1/2 stick butter, then add 1 cup rolled oats and 1/2 tsp cinnamon. Blend everything together with a few pulses of the processor. Spread topping over apples, and bake for 25-30 minutes. Serve with milk for breakfast.
   
Strawberries: I doubt I need to give a recipe for strawberries, but I want to remind you that the berries are the most perishable item in the box today. I suggest you eat them soon-tonight if possible.

Late-Season Tomatoes
    My oven was on all weekend, roasting tomatoes for the freezer. Even these small, late-season (firm and not deep red) tomatoes make a fantastic, flavorful tomato sauce when roasted: see Newsletter Week 14 for the basic roasting recipe. In my oven, tomatoes roast better at 325 degrees than the original (375-degree) recipe.
top of page


Denison Farms Harvest Box 2009:  Week 20
In this box: 1 box Cherry Tomatoes, 11/2 # vine-ripe Tomatoes, 2 bulbs Fennel, 1 bunch Basil, 1 head Garlic, 1 red Lettuce, 1 bunch Chard (Groundwork Organics), 2 Acorn Squash, 2 ripe Peppers, 2# Liberty Apples (from LaMancha Ranch and Orchard)

Fennel
    The faint licorice smell that you may have noticed as you opened your box today is from the fennel. As some of you may not be familiar with fennel, I'll start with the basics, and then give you a couple of cooking ideas.
    To prepare fennel: Cut off the leaf stalks, discard or use for soup stock. The stalks have great flavor, but they are stringy. Save the frilly leaves for garnish. Cut a thin slice off the bottom (root) end, and slice the rest of the bulb either horizontally, or vertically into wedges. Gently remove any visible dirt with running water and a soft brush.
    What to do with fennel: Raw, fennel can be spread with creamy goat cheese, chopped and added to a chicken salad for a sweet, anise flavor, or eaten the Tuscan way: dipped in a bowl of salted olive oil. Cooked, fennel becomes milder in flavor, and develops a rich and creamy texture in a soup or roasted in the oven. Here is a fennel recipe that was created by one of our Farmers Market staff years ago, and I repeat it here because it is really easy, and highlights the best qualities of fennel.
Deb's Fennel Bake
    1 large or 2 small fennel bulbs, sliced horizontally 1/2" thick
    2-3 large garlic cloves, thinly sliced
    Gorgonzola cheese to taste (any comparable cheese will do, the more flavor, the better)
    Lay sliced fennel flat in a baking dish. Spread garlic on top and stuff in between bulb layers. Crumble gorgonzola cheese on top. Dot with butter and lightly coat with olive oil. Cover and bake at 375 degrees for 20-30 minutes or until fennel is tender.
    I also found a great recipe for Carrot Fennel Soup at Gourmet.com (from the Gourmet.com home page, search the recipe index for fennel). I haven't yet had a chance to make this, but I know it will be good!

Basil 
    The farm has been abuzz with activity this past week. Not only is our lovely dry early fall weather about to get traded for late fall's rainy weather, but we were also scurrying around on Saturday covering all our tender plants with row cover because of the forecast for sub-freezing temperatures. Often, our first killing frost doesn't come until late in October (or even November if we're lucky). Even a light frost will bring an end to basil, squash, cucumbers, peppers, and tomatoes. Fortunately, our crew keeps an eye on the weather (and they work on the weekends), so we were able to save our tender plants from the killing frost, and we can offer one more week of basil.

Bionda di Lyon Chard (From Groundwork Organics)
    Bionda di Lyon is a new variety of chard that has tender leaves, is much less fibrous than other chards, and has a smoother leaf (therefore is easier to clean). You can cook with chard any way you might cook spinach. I think the delicate flavor of chard goes particularly well with eggs-as a stuffing in an omelet or mixed in with the filling for a quiche. If you have family members who are generally not interested in eating greens, you can chop chard finely and add to a tomato sauce for a sneaky way to introduce greens into a meal. Personally, I like the flavor and texture of sautéed greens, but for those who don't, a good tomato sauce will disguise both.

top of page



Denison Farms Harvest Box 2009:  Week 19
In this box: 1 box Cherry Tomatoes, 11/2 # vine-ripe Tomatoes, 1# Broccoli, 1 bunch Collards, 2 Leeks (use like onions in a stir-fry), 3# Russet Potatoes, 1 Sunshine Squash, 2# Winter Banana Apples (Gala Springs),
1# Grapes: either Beauty (very dark in color), Red Flame (dark red) or Canadice (red skin) (from Reynolds Farm)
 (weights are approximate)
          
Sunshine Squash
    This Orange Kabocha-type squash has sweet dark orange flesh that is delicious baked or steamed and then mashed.  For a quick dish, we really like it steamed and mashed with coconut milk or butter. The skin is tender, so you don't have to peel it. Sunshine squash also makes excellent "pumpkin" pie or "pumpkin" bread, but first you need to make squash puree.
    To make squash puree: cut squash in half and scoop out the seeds. Place cut-side down on a baking dish. Add 1/4-inch water to the baking dish. Bake for about 1 hour at 350 degrees. When cool, scoop out the cooked squash, and mash by hand or puree in a food processor. You can decide whether to include the skin in your puree or not. Sometimes when I've baked squash in the oven, the skin gets too dry. Then I just scoop out the pumpkin and leave the skin. Squash puree can be used for breads, muffins, or pie. It can also be frozen for future use. Don't wait until Thanksgiving to enjoy pumpkin pie!
    To make pumpkin pie: substitute 2 cups of squash puree for a can of pumpkin. Otherwise, follow your favorite pumpkin pie recipe. You may be able to cut down on the amount of sugar, as sunshine squash is sweeter than canned pumpkin.
    Winter squash should not be refrigerated until they have been cooked or cut, and will keep for weeks or even months in a mild dry place like your kitchen counter or table centerpiece.

Winter banana (from Gala Springs Orchard) is an heirloom variety of apple. They are very crisp, and make a good eating apple. Some sources say they have a distinct aroma of bananas, but I couldn't quite get that from the ones I sniffed. Winter Banana's dense texture makes them especially nice for serving thinly sliced with cheese. The tart-sweet flavor of this apple also makes it an excellent cooking apple. Perhaps an apple crisp could be on this week's menu?

Collard greens with pasta and feta (my all-time favorite recipe for collards!)
6 Tbs olive oil               
2-3 garlic cloves, minced
(optional: one sliced leek)       
1 bunch Collards           
2 large tomatoes, chopped       
     (or a handful of cherry tomatoes, halved)
1 lb pasta: penne, fusili, or shells
1 cup crumbled feta cheese
Freshly ground black pepper

1. Bring pasta water to a boil.
2. Heat oil in a deep skillet. Add garlic (and optional leek), and cook gently for 5 minutes.
3. Add collards, stir for 2 minutes. Add tomatoes. Cover and cook 10 minutes over medium-low heat.
4. Cook pasta until al dente.
5. Crumble feta into vegetables. Mix gently.
6. Drain pasta and add to vegetables and feta. Simmer over low heat 3 minutes.
7. Serve with freshly ground pepper.

Russet Potatoes
This would be a great week for making hashed brown potatoes. Russet's flaky texture makes excellent fried potatoes, baked potatoes, or roasted potatoes.

End of season? Not yet!
    Although we've already had a light frost, we're not at the end of the season yet! Your Harvest Box membership will continue until the end of November-7 more weeks until the final box just before Thanksgiving.
top of page


Denison Farms Harvest Box 2009:  Week 18
In this box: 1/2 # salad mix (Corvallis boxes) or 1 head Cabbage (Albany/Salem), 1 box Cherry Tomatoes, 2# vine-ripe Tomatoes, 1 bunch Cilantro (Springhill Farm), 2 jalapeno peppers (Springhill Farm), 6 ears Corn, 2# Purple Potatoes (great for potato salad), 1# Spanish White Shell Beans, 1 basket Red or Gold Raspberry, 1# Canadice Grapes (Reynolds Farm) (weights are approximate)

Canadice Grapes
    Our neighbors, Kenny and Heidi Reynolds, own and operate a large farm that has been farmed by the Reynolds family for over 100 years. Although most of their acreage is in conventional grass seed and cannery crop production (like green beans), they have converted the 3-acre field in front of their house into organic grape production.
    Canadice is a seedless variety of table grape developed in upstate New York in the 1970's. They are described as having a slightly spicy flavor. If you like them, you can visit the Reynolds' farm on Highway 20 where their grape vineyard is open for u-pick for a few weeks in late September and early October. They have a number of other varieties as well, but Canadice was the only one that was plentiful enough for us to have some for every box.    
   
Spanish White Shell Beans
    For years Tom has had an interest in vegetables that you could live on if food wasn't available from outside our local region. Thus, our interest in fava beans, shell beans, & lima beans. Shell beans are usually harvested and eaten when their pods are still green-like the ones in your box today. Alternately, the pods can be left on the vines until they are quite dry. Then the beans will keep for a long time-just like any dry bean. But the flavor of fresh shell beans is special, and we didn't want to wait.
Keep your beans in the refrigerator until you are ready to use them. Then shell the beans (easiest if you twist the pod until it breaks at each bean), and steam for 20-30 minutes-watching to make sure the pot doesn't boil dry. For our family, these beans seem most digestible when they are well cooked.
After they are steamed, I like to serve shell beans with butter, and perhaps a garnish of chopped tomato and cilantro. Tom's favorite recipe is to make a fresh tomato sauce by simmering a pound of chopped tomatoes with some onion or garlic and a little olive oil while the beans steam. Then toss in cooked beans and simmer for an additional 10 minutes. Serve over a bed of fresh rice or noodles. Garnish with cilantro.

Tomatoes...Cilantro....jalapenos....
    This week's box contains several items from other farmers-which is more than usual. However, we thought it wouldn't be right to go for a whole season without at least once giving everyone cilantro and a couple of hot peppers. Here are the ingredients for a great salsa!
    Jalapenos are one of the most popular hot peppers for making salsa. As with all hot peppers, a lot of the heat is in the seeds. If you prefer spicy salsa, include some of the seeds and the white membrane surrounding the seeds. If you prefer mild salsa, remove the seeds and white membrane. You can also roast your jalapenos in a slow oven before making your salsa for a mellower smoky flavor. I think salsa is equally good whether you chop everything by hand, or throw everything in the blender. You can make it as chunky or as smooth as you like, and vary the ratio of ingredients depending on what you have on hand.
   
Cilantro
    In addition to being an essential component of salsa, we use chopped cilantro as a garnish for curry, soup, tacos, and potato salad. One of my favorite restaurants used to make cilantro-jalapeno pesto. I recreated the recipe in my kitchen by using my standard pesto recipe, but substituting cilantro for basil, and adding jalapeno pepper while everything is in the food processor. For mild flavor, I use half a small jalapeno for a bunch of cilantro, and I leave out the nuts from my basic basil pesto recipe. If you like it hot, use more.
top of page



Denison Farms Harvest Box 2009:  Week 17
In this box: 1 box Cherry Tomatoes, 2# vine-ripe Tomatoes, 1 head Lettuce, 2 Sweet Dumpling Squash, 1# Green or Yellow Beans, 1 bunch Basil, 1 head Garlic, 4 Gold Bell peppers, 2# Abate Fetel pears (Gala Springs) (weights are approximate)

Sweet Dumpling Squash
    In addition to being very cute, these squash are delicious. They look like the inedible gourds that some people use for table centerpieces, but please don't just use them for decoration. Sweet Dumplings are easy to prepare.  Rinse your squash and place in a baking pan (yup, the whole squash, don't cut it) in a 350-degree oven for approximately an hour (until the squash pierce easily with a sharp knife, and your house smells sweet).
    To serve, cut around the stem like you would a jack-o-lantern with a sharp knife. Scoop out the seeds, and serve whole, or cut in wedges for smaller appetites. Sweet Dumpling squash have a very sweet & creamy texture that reminds me of pudding. You can eat the skin or not, depending on your personal preference. I eat the skin, enjoying the contrast between the very creamy flesh and the crunchy skin.

Abate Fetel pears
    Abate Fetel (named after the French monk who developed this variety in the 15th century) is reported to be Italy's favorite pear. Somewhat banana-shaped, Abate Fetel pears are noted for their sweet, fruity flavor. The flesh is white and aromatic. Our friend Shane Baker grows these pears on his farm, Gala Springs.
    Like all pears, Abate Fatel pears are picked from the tree before they are soft, and they need to ripen before eating. Leave them on the counter until they feel slightly soft when you press gently near the stem end with your thumb.
    Pears are not just for dessert. Because this variety is sweet and somewhat crisp, Abate Fetel pears would make a nice salad or main dish for dinner. Do you remember Waldorf salad? I grew up in the 1960's, and Waldorf salad was a very common dinner salad. However, it seems to have fallen out of favor, as I had to look in several cookbooks before I found a recipe in my classic (1975 edition) Joy of Cooking. The basic recipe is chopped celery, apples, & walnuts tossed with a mayonnaise dressing. Crisp pears (especially if they're not too juicy) are a great substitution for the apples in this recipe. In the 1980's yogurt moved into more common usage, so contemporary recipes combine yogurt with mayonnaise to make a slightly lighter, tangier dressing.
    One of our favorite quick dinners is a modification of the classic Waldorf salad. We always use pears rather than apples for this dish. Cut pears, walnuts, and cooked chicken into bite-sized chunks. Toss with a light coating of mayonnaise and a touch of curry powder. Serve on a bed of lettuce, or wrap in lettuce leaves like a burrito.

Here's another pear salad recipe from Simply in Season (a 2005 cookbook by Mary Beth Lind and Corvallis resident Kathleen Hockman-Wert): Green Salad with Autumn Fruit
Toss together in a medium bowl: 1-2 pears or tart apples (thinly sliced), 2 Tbs lemon juice
Add 6-8 cups lettuce or mixed greens and any of the following: 1/4 - 1/2 cup crumbled cheese, 1/2 cup dried cranberries, 1/2 cup walnuts, hazelnuts, or almonds (toasted or caramelized, see below)
Shake together in a jar with a tight lid: 1/3 cup oil, 1 Tbs Dijon mustard, 1 Tbs sugar, 1 Tbs lemon juice, 1/2 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp pepper. Add dressing to salad and toss gently or arrange on individual serving plates.
To caramelize nuts: Mix together 1/2 cup nuts, 1-2 Tbs corn syrup, 1-2 Tbs sugar. Toast in 350-degree oven until sugar begins to melt and nuts are toasted and coated. Watch carefully to avoid burning.
top of page


Denison Farms Harvest Box 2009:  Week 16
In this box: 1 box cherry or grape tomatoes (Salem, Albany  boxes) OR 1# Gold Roma or mixed Heirloom tomatoes (Corvallis boxes), <>1 head Red Leaf Lettuce, 2 Delicata Squash, 2# Russian Banana potatoes , 1# Green or Yellow Beans, 1# Broccoli (Tuesday Boxes) OR 1 head Cabbage (Wednesday), 1 basket Raspberries,  1 box Plums, 2# Gala apples (from Gala Springs) (weights are approximate)

September
    Our kids are back in school (2nd grade and 7th grade); I alternate between being a farm wife and a soccer mom; the mornings are crisp and sometimes fog hangs over the wetland; and winter squash is in your box. Delicata is a lovely and versatile winter squash. The skin is tender and edible, and the squash will hold its shape when cooked. Here are several cooking ideas (all require a large, sharp knife):
    1. Cut your squash in half lengthwise. Scoop out the seeds. Place cut-side down in a baking dish. Add 1/2 -inch of water. Bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes, until soft.
    2. Cut squash as above. Scoop out the seeds. Slice into 1/2-inch smile-shaped pieces. Steam for 10 minutes or until tender. Serve with butter.
    3. Cut squash in half lengthwise and remove seeds. Slice as thinly as possible (paper-thin if you can). Gently sauté in olive oil until slightly browned.
    4. Cut in half lengthwise and remove seeds. Fill the seed cavity with the your favorite meat loaf or nut loaf recipe, then bake for 30-45 minutes for a superb 1-dish meal.

Excitement on the farm
    Tuesdays are always a bit exciting (or stressful, depending on your perspective). This week seemed more exciting than usual for several reasons. We weren't sure we would have enough tomatoes or plums for everyone, or if we'd get the apples in time to get our trucks loaded on schedule.
    This week's Gala apples are from Shane Baker, whose farm (Gala Springs) is in Boardman. Tom usually connects with Shane to get fruit at the Beaverton Saturday Market, but Shane missed the market this week because his mother was in the hospital. Fortunately, Shane was able to leave his farm at 5 AM this morning to deliver the apples to us in time to get all our boxes packed on schedule. Clearly, Shane wasn't the one who got his kids to the school bus this morning.
    As for the plums, Pablo (who manages our picking and packing crew) suggested that we could do plums for everyone if we use several different varieties. Shortly after moving to this farm (in 1990), Tom planted a row of plum trees. Not knowing which varieties would be most successful, he planted 2 or 3 trees each of about 12 varieties. At the time, we didn't imagine that we'd have a CSA, let alone one with over 350 members! That requires a lot of fruit every week. Had we known that at the time, we might have planted more trees of each variety. We're fortunate that three different varieties are all ripe this week.
    Today, some members will get purple Satsuma Plums, some will get tiny French Petite Prune plums, and some will get an heirloom variety Italian Prune Plum. A "prune plum" is a plum that can be dried to make prunes. However, they are excellent as a fresh plum. Prune plums have a syrup-like sweetness when fresh. It's this high level of sugar that makes them dry so well. The round, purple Satsuma plums have a slightly tart skin, and firm flesh. If your plums seem very firm, you can leave them on the counter for a few days until you feel a slight softness under the skin.
    Your tomatoes this week are a similar story. We would love to put heirloom tomatoes in all the boxes, but our tomato plants started ripening fruit several months ago, and their production has slowed down. I believe Corvallis boxes will have heirlooms today, and Salem/Albany boxes will have either Sungold, Red Cherry, or Mixed Grape tomatoes. All the tomatoes this week would be great in a sauté.
top of page


Denison Farms Harvest Box 2009:  Week 15

In this box: 1 box cherry or grape tomatoes, ½# Salad Mix, 2# White Rose potatoes, 1# Green Beans, 1.5# Broccoli,
2 Red & 2 Gold Italian Peppers, 1 basket Raspberries, 1 French Cantaloupe or Honeydew (orange or green), 2# Bartlett Pears (from Gala Springs)

Sweet Italian Peppers
    Tom first saw sweet Italian peppers in the late 1970's when he was a student at Cornell University in upstate New York. He worked for a farmer while going to College, and sold produce at the farmers markets in Syracuse, and Ithaca, NY.  
    There are many Americans of Italian descent in New York and every time Tom went to a farm sale or auction there would be someone slicing these peppers into rings, frying them in olive oil with onions or garlic and serving them on good crusty Italian bread with cheese or sausage.
    Sweet Italian peppers are good raw or cooked any way you would cook bell peppers, but Tom still thinks they taste best fried til they are almost scorched.
    Italian peppers are slightly less juicy than bell peppers. This makes them an excellent choice for cooking-as there is less juice to dilute the flavor of your stir-fry.
    Italian peppers make excellent chiles rellenos. Since these peppers are not at all hot, if you want your rellenos to be spicy, you need to season the filling.

Bartlett Pears
    Here is some great pear advice that comes directly from Deborah Madison's 2002 cookbook Local Flavors (Deborah Madison is also author of the well-known cookbook, Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone).
"Unlike stone fruits, pears ripen off the tree. In fact, they must ripen off the tree. A tree-ripened pear will be unpleasantly mushy. Choose firm pears with a little give at the stem end. If they aren't ripe, let them sit at room temperature until the skin lightens in color and their perfume becomes noticeable. If you can't use them right away, store ripe pears in the refrigerator. While they make wonderful desserts, pears are also fine in salads. Since they're a fall fruit, you might mix them with nuts from your region-hazelnuts [or] walnuts-and their corresponding oils, if possible, such as in a salad of pears with arugula, walnuts, and walnut oil."
    The key point here is that pears need to ripen off the tree after they are picked. The pears in your box today were grown by Shane Baker, at Gala Springs in Boardman (his cantaloupe were in last week's box). They were picked at their peak so that they will be perfect after a few days on your counter. Exactly how many days? I can't tell you that, but keep an eye on them for that characteristic lightening in color, and slight softening at the stem end. If you are a good judge of the ripeness of an avocado or peach, you're looking for a similar feeling in pears. They are ready to eat when they give a bit to pressure at the stem end, but not so soft that they bruise immediately with slight pressure.

Melons
    This week's melon offering is either a French Cantaloupe or a Honeydew (with orange or green flesh). French Cantaloupe have a smoother texture than regular cantaloupe, and a lovely perfume.
    I got to watch an Iron Chef show on the Food Network this weekend. The secret ingredient was melons! Although much of the food on the Iron Chef is far too complicated to prepare at home, one item looked very reasonable: grilled melon. I have not had a chance to do it, but I googled grilled melon, and found hundreds of recipes. The ones I checked suggest brushing melon slices with lemon juice, and grilling on high for 3-4 minutes until charred, but still firm. You can serve grilled melon either to accompany a main course, or with ice cream for dessert.
    Our melons are ripe when they are picked. Keep yours in the refrigerator until you're ready to eat it.

top of page
 

Denison Farms Harvest Box 2009:  Week 14
In this box: 2# vine ripe tomatoes, 1 box cherry tomatoes, 1 bunch basil, 1 head garlic, 1 red & 1 gold bell pepper, 1 quart strawberries, 1 half-pint raspberries, 1 cantaloupe (from Gala Springs), 1 watermelon, honey orange, or sweet diamond melon.

    This is the season of late summer; the time of year when plants that have been growing all summer are offering their fruits for harvest. Home gardens are bursting with tomatoes and zucchini, the farmers markets are overflowing with choices, and the Willamette Valley provides us with a wide variety of local food.
    Our Harvest Box tends to vary less from week-to-week over the season than you might expect because we plan carefully to make sure we have a lot to offer besides lettuce and radishes in the early summer. We start our tomato plants as early as possible so you can enjoy tomatoes for more than just a few weeks in the late summer, we grow varieties of strawberries and raspberries that produce all summer, and we pamper our cucumber and zucchini plants to produce fruit in the early summer-before your neighbor's are giving away produce from their gardens and you just don't want to see another zucchini.
    However, this week's fruit-filled Harvest Box is definitely a late summer box-it's filled with melons, tomatoes, peppers, and berries. We don't typically plan to put two melons in the box. But last week, when the nights were cooler, we thought our melons wouldn't ripen for this week. So we asked our friend Shane Baker of Gala Springs Farm to supply us with enough cantaloupes for everyone-they have filled our packing shed (and now your kitchen) with sweet perfume!

Melons
It's Sunday morning, and I've just been out in the packing shed talking with Pablo, our field manager about what we can put in the box this week. I like to check with him before I plan the week's box. He has a more realistic idea of what is ready to pick, as he is in the field every day, managing our crew to make sure that everything gets planted, weeded, and harvested at the right time. It's not always an easy task to predict what we will be able to harvest in enough quantity to fill everyone's boxes. In order to put a watermelon in each Harvest Box, we need about 35 CRATES of melons (each crate weighing about 50 pounds). For strawberries or raspberries, we need 3 stacks of berry flats-each 6-feet tall. It's a good thing that Pablo has worked on our farm for 16 years, and that he is a good estimator. This morning, he tells me we can probably put a melon in each box, but we won't know what kind of melon until late Monday afternoon when the melons get picked. This might be a good week for melon salsa, or savory melon salad with feta & basil, or fruit salad, or melon soup....

Roasted Tomatoes   
    This technique came originally from a column by Jan Roberts-Dominguez in the Oregonian. I encourage you to try it-now that the days are a bit cooler, and it's not such a chore to have the oven on. Roasting concentrates the flavor of tomatoes, and makes them distinctly sweet. And once roasted, they can be added to so many things. I roasted 2 pounds of vine-ripe tomatoes this afternoon, and ended up with two meal's-worth. Tonight, I added a ladleful of roasted tomatoes to my regular pesto recipe (on our web site: last year's newsletters/week 6). Later in the week I will use the rest for a quick pasta sauce, or freeze it for winter.
    To Roast Tomatoes:  Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Drizzle about 2 Tbs. olive oil into a baking dish. Core tomatoes, and cut in half (crosswise). Place cut-side down in the baking dish. You can crowd them, but don't go beyond a single layer. Roast in the oven until the tomatoes are well-browned, which may take 1-2 hours depending on the size and character of the tomatoes. When done, they will have collapsed and look quite wrinkled.
Remove the roasting pan from the oven and let the tomatoes cool. With a spatula, stir and scrape the cooled tomatoes to release all of the cooked-on bits of tomato. Scrape the tomatoes with their juices and the olive oil into the work bowl of a food processor, and process until nearly smooth.

top of page


Denison Farms Harvest Box 2009:  Week 13

In this box: 1 green leaf lettuce, 2# carrots, 2# fingerling potatoes, 1# sweet onions, 2# vine-ripe tomatoes, 1 head green cabbage, 1 quart strawberries, 1 watermelon or honey-orange melon (weights are approximate)

Sweet Onions
This is an excellent week to talk about sweet onions. In the world of onions, there are two types: sweet onions and storage onions. I know those two words aren't usually considered opposites, but I didn't make it up. Perhaps it would be better to distinguish them as mild vs. hot onions, but that is not the standard description.
Sweet Onions (like Walla Walla, Vidalia, Texas Sweet, and Maui Sweet) tend to be very mild in flavor, and they don't keep well in storage. They are only available for a few months in the summer, because they can't be stored for months like "storage" onions. Storage onions, on the other hand, can keep for months in a cool, dry place. Storage onions may actually have a high concentration of sugars (if you crush the onions, and measure the sugar concentration of the juice). However, their sweetness is hidden by a definite sharpness or hotness when you try to eat them raw. Once you cook a storage onion, the hotness mellows, and the sweetness is enhanced.
Sweet onions vary amongst themselves in mildness-some have a hint of hotness when raw. However, if you marinate them in something acidic (like salad dressing or tomato juice), or cook them a little bit, the hint of hotness disappears. If you cook them slowly (either in the oven, on the grill, or on the stovetop), they become absolutely sweet like candy. That is my kids' favorite thing!
    As sweet onions don't keep well, yours will be best if you can use them in the next week. In the meantime, you can store them on the counter or in the refrigerator.
    Here are some ideas to use this week's onions:
1. Fresh salsa: chop 2 cups tomatoes, and 1/2 cup sweet onion. Add 1/4 cup chopped cilantro, and a little fresh chopped jalapeno pepper or lime juice to taste.
2. Caramelized Sweet Onions-place sliced onions in a sauté pan with a generous amount of olive oil. Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until very soft and slightly browned. Amazingly sweet!
3. Onion Rings-Sweet onions make delicious onion rings, if you have the time and don't mind a bit of a mess to clean up. Although deep-frying is not used much in contemporary home cooking, you can probably find a recipe in any standard cookbook.

Carrot Soup  from the  orginal Moosewood Cookbook by Mollie Katzen

Bring to a boil. Cover and simmer 12-15 minutes. Let cool to room temperature:
2 pounds carrots, scrubbed and chopped               
4 cups water or stock                            
1 1/2 tsp. salt                                   
optional: 1 medium potato, chopped (for heartier soup)          

Sauté in 3-4 Tbs. butter with a little salt, until onions are clear:
1 cup chopped onion                       
1-2 small cloves crushed garlic                   
1/3 cup chopped cashews or almonds               

Purée everything together in a blender until smooth. Return the purée to a kettle or double-boiler and whisk in one of the following: 1 cup milk, or 1 cup yogurt, or 1/2 pint heavy cream, or 3/4 cup sour cream. Heat very slowly.

Season with 1 tsp. fresh-grated ginger root and a dash of sherry, or 2 pinches nutmeg and a dash of cinnamon. Garnish with toasted nuts or yogurt or sour cream.
top of page


Denison Farms Harvest Box 2009: week 12

In this box: ½# Salad Mix, 8 ears Corn, 1 bunch Basil, 1 head Garlic, 2# Yukon Gold potatoes, 1# Broccoli, 1 pint Red Cherry tomatoes, 1 Yellow Bell Pepper, 2 melons (watermelon, Margarita, or Sweet Diamond melon)
        
Passing of time
    I was walking around the farm on Sunday, seeking inspiration for this week's newsletter (and trying to figure out what we should put in the box), and I notice how quickly things are changing on the farm. Although we're still not quite half-way through our Harvest Box season, and the weather is still very summer-like, the farm is already looking ahead to winter.  Where today's potatoes were a week ago is now a field full of 3-inch high cabbage seedlings. They should be ready for harvest in January, or maybe the end of November if we have a mild fall. The hoop house from which we harvested our first green beans has now been cleared out, fertilized and rototilled, and will be planted to a crop of winter greens by the end of the week. The field next to the driveway has already grown two crops of lettuce since April.  Today's salad mix was the last of the lettuces to be harvested from this field. By next week, the field will be rototilled, fertilized, and ready for the next batch of seedlings from the greenhouse.

Yukon Gold Potatoes
    Although Yukon Gold potatoes are a great all-around potato (which means they can be roasted, fried, boiled, or mashed), I have lately been enjoying them "smashed". I first heard of smashed Yukon Gold potatoes on the menu of a really fancy restaurant in Corvallis, so maybe I feel particularly elegant when I serve them this way. Here's the trick: cut Yukon Gold potatoes in to chunks, boil or steam until tender, then mash slightly (with butter or grated cheese), adding back a bit of the cooking water as needed, until you end up with a very chunky texture. The point is to leave enough chunks in the mixture to give you an interesting texture.

Magarita Melon and/or Watermelon
    I expect that your box will contain two melons this week. Maybe you'll have a  ed, or yellow-fleshed watermelon and a yellow-skinned Margarita melon, or maybe you will have two Margarita melons, or maybe a Margarita and a tiny Sweet Diamond melon.....   Tom has been growing specialty melons for over 20 years, and he's always looking for interesting varieties that can grow well (which means getting sweet and ripe before fall) in our climate. We always try to plant enough for all the boxes, but this week's offering will be a mix.
    The Margarita melon is a type of Canary melon. It has bright yellow skin, and soft-textured pale green flesh with a clean, sweet taste. Sweet Diamond is a small round melon with white flesh. Enjoy!
top of page


Denison Farms Harvest Box 2009: week 11

In this box: 1 Red Romaine lettuce, 1 quart Heirloom tomatoes, 2 leeks, 6 ears Corn, 2# Red Gold potatoes, 1# broccoli, 1# Beans, 1 quart Strawberries, 1 Cantaloupe (from Gala Springs Farm)

Melons from Gala Springs
Those of you who have been members for several years will remember Martin Pitney and Shane Baker from Gala Springs Farm in Boardman.  Tom sees Shane every Saturday morning at the Beaverton Farmers Market. For many years we have put their yummy, organic pears, apples, and Asian pears in our harvest box.  This week we are including cantaloupe from their farm, which is new for us.  We are still growing some melons of our own this year but may be growing less of them in the future, so this is a trial run to see how it works for everybody.  The last five years we have been growing our melons on some nice loamy soil we have been leasing from another organic farmer.  Melons need a long rotation before they can be grown a second time on the same land so this additional land helped us keep a steady supply of melons.  This is the last year of that lease, so even though we are continuing to look for other land, we may not be able to grow many melons in the near future.  Shane and Martin grow excellent cantaloupes in a climate that is better for melons than what we have.  We hope you enjoy the fruits of their labor.

Cooking when it's hot
    I was listening to The Splendid Table on public radio the other week (it's on KOAC at 6 PM on Sundays), and the hostess was interviewing an author who has written a cookbook about how to conserve energy in the kitchen. She had a tip that we included in one of our newsletters (about 7 years ago), but I thought it would be time to repeat it. Tom learned this cooking method from his mother, so it's not new.

Many vegetables can be steamed simply in a pot with a snug lid and a little water in the bottom.  A steamer is not needed though it will hold the vegetables out of the water.  Romano beans and broccoli cook very well by this method.  We cut the vegetables into uniform sized pieces into a pot with about 1/2" of water in the bottom, perhaps add a little salt, put on the lid and place over high heat on the stove top.  Stay close until steam starts to escape vigorously from around the lid, then turn off the heat and leave the pot on the hot burner-with the lid on. After 5 minutes, open the lid and pierce a broccoli stem or bean with a sharp knife to see if they are done. Your vegetables should be crisp-tender, and bright green in color. The specific timing given above works with an electric range. If you have a gas stovetop, the amount of time it takes to reach perfect doneness may be a minute or two longer, as the heat under a gas burner does not remain after the burner has been turned off. 
   
There are several advantages to this cooking method. One of the biggest advantages for me is that it's really hard to overcook your vegetables in this way. I find the Romano beans are rather sensitive to overcooking, and they taste better when you catch them at the crisp-tender stage before they get too soft. In addition, it saves energy to turn the burner off as soon as the little bit of water has started to steam. Plus, your kitchen doesn't get so hot on these summer afternoons.

Leeks are in the same botanical family as onions, garlic, shallots, and chives (and lilies). To prepare for cooking, slice the entire leek lengthwise, and run cool water between the layers to remove any dirt that might have settled in the overlapping leaves. Then your leeks can be sliced and sautéed, substituted for onions in a stir-fry or casserole recipe, or used for traditional potato-leek soup.
top of page


Denison Farms Harvest Box 2009: week 10

In this box: 1 Romaine lettuce, 1 box Sungold tomatoes, 1 bunch Carrots, 1 Sweet Onion, 2# Purple Viking potatoes, 1# Broccoli, 1 Sweet Pepper, 1 basket Plums, 1 basket Strawberries

    Tranquilo is the Spanish word for tranquil.  Friday evening there is a lot going on at the farm because our two biggest farmers markets of the week are on Saturday in Corvallis and Beaverton. 
    This time of year there is so much to harvest during the day that picking often lasts until dusk.  Then when it's too dark to pick any more, it all gets washed, weighed, sorted and loaded on the two trucks that will head to market early the next morning.  
    Last Friday evening it was sometime after 10:30 PM, the kids were in bed, and Elizabeth was in the office working on payroll.  Tom (who gets up at 3:00 AM Saturday to drive to Beaverton and starts to get a little stressed if he isn't in bed by 11 PM) was out in the packing shed trying to record what was going to each market.  One truck was parked at each end of our packing shed with a loading ramp aligned with each door.  Both walk-in coolers were wide open and four people with four hand trucks were hauling stacks of boxes containing beans, carrots, lettuce, corn, strawberries, blackberries, plums etc. from the coolers in both directions, up the ramps and into the trucks.  Two more people with hand trucks were loading the heirloom, slicing, and cherry tomatoes, plus the sweet peppers (these crops never go in the cooler).  A couple more people were washing the last of the celery, and a couple more were weighing 1/2-pound bags of spinach. 
    Multiple questions in Spanish were echoing through the barn: "How many spinach bags for Beaverton?" "Where are the cherry tomatoes for Corvallis?" "Who has the special basil order for Joseph?" "Did anyone pick the figs?".   
    Then a smooth strong voice spoke a single word with exaggerated slowness "T R A N Q U I L O."   Everything got quiet for a moment, then a dozen slow voices in response " t r a n q u i l o," and everyone started moving again as if it was a choreographed dance scene, and a certain element of (relative) calm echoed through the packing shed.  Tom got to bed a little after 11:00, and the trucks were loaded and ready in the morning as always.  Have we mentioned that we really, really appreciate what a great crew we have?

Recipe ideas for this week's box
Potato Salad: Here's my recipe for Simple Potato Salad. It is excellent with this week's Purple Viking potatoes. This recipe reminds me of my German grandmother's potato salad. It meets the requirements of a good recipe in my kitchen: it's quick, easy, and delicious.
1. Finely chop 1/2 a sweet onion, place in bowl.
2. Cover with good olive oil and rice vinegar (use about twice as much olive oil as vinegar).
3. Cut 2 lbs. new red  or Purple Viking potatoes into bite-sized chunks.
4. Cover potatoes with water, add 1 tsp. salt. Boil for 10 minutes or until soft.
5. Drain potatoes and add to onions. Stir gently. Cool 10 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve warm or cold.
top of page


Denison Farms Harvest Box 2009: week 9
In this box: 1 Red Leaf lettuce, 1.5# Heirloom Tomatoes, 1 garlic, 2# Mixed summer squash, 1# Broccoli, 6 ears Corn—this variety grows small, but very sweet ear—it will be best if cooked tonight, 2# beefsteak tomatoes, 1 bunch basil, 1 basket Plums (Albany & Salem) OR 1 basket Strawberries (Corvallis)

Hot weather and produce
Especially in this hot weather, it's important to care for your produce as soon as you can. We try to pick everything during the cooler times of the day, and the berries and greens go directly into our cooler to chill thoroughly before they go into your box-which is why some things may still feel cool when you pick up your box, even on a hot day. However, this week's extreme heat is challenging the capacity of our coolers-and the sooner you get things home and in your refrigerator, the better. Here are some general guidelines:
* Lettuce and greens should be dunked in cold water, drained, and stored in plastic in the refrigerator.
* Broccoli and Corn should be refrigerated as soon as possible.
* Tomatoes and basil should not be refrigerated. 
* Berries should be eaten immediately!

Here is one more excellent recipe for summer squash!
Quick-Fried Summer Squash with Toasted Garlic and Lime
2 lb. Summer squash cut in 1/2 inch pieces   
2 Tbs. butter
2 Tbs. vegetable oil               
4-5 garlic cloves, thinly sliced           
1 Tbs. lime juice           
Generous 1/2 tsp. freshly ground pepper       
Fresh herbs (basil, parsley, cilantro, or oregano)   
About 15 minutes before serving, heat the butter and oil over low heat in a skillet large enough to hold the squash in a single layer. Add the garlic, stir until light brown, about 3 minutes. Do not burn garlic.
Scoop the garlic out of the hot pan with a slotted spoon, leaving as much of the oil & butter mixture in the pan as possible; set garlic aside.
Raise the heat to medium-high. Add squash to the pan and fry, stirring frequently, for 8-10 minutes, until browned and tender but still a little crunchy. Remove from the heat. Add lime juice and toasted garlic and toss thoroughly.
Sprinkle with pepper, fresh herbs, then mix. Taste for salt, and season if necessary. Serve in a warm dish. Modified from Kitchen Gardening magazine, "Mexican Ways with Zucchini", #14, p. 28.

Tomatoes
    Today's Oregonian Food Day has a great recipe for a Tomato Basil Tart in puff pastry. It uses ready-to-cook frozen pastry dough. The Oregonian recipe uses cherry tomatoes, but I would use slices of our vine-ripe beefsteak tomatoes instead. If you don't want to get the Tuesday Oregonian, you can also check our web site: Last year's newsletters Week 9 for another tomato tart recipe-and another summer squash recipe as well.  As for your heirloom tomatoes, I always suggest eating them lightly dressed in a simple salad, perhaps with a little salt or balsamic vinegar to preserve the individual flavors and textures that make Heirlooms special.

top of page



Denison Farms Harvest Box 2009: week 8
In this box: 1/2# spinach (or 1 head lettuce), 1# green or yellow Romano Beans, 1.5# Heirloom Tomatoes, 1 Sweet Onion, 2# mixed Summer Squash, 2# French Fingerling potaotes, 1 basket Sungold Cherry tomatoes, 1 basket plums OR Strawberries

Zucchini's legendary productivity has spawned a whole genre of jokes: "please take my zucchini, I have an ageing mother at home"...."I left my car windows rolled down when I went into the grocery store, and when I came back, my car was filled with zucchini"..... This legendary productivity is warranted, as zucchini plants not only produce a lot of fruits, but they grow from tiny to enormous in only a few days. In this weather, picking every day is almost not frequently enough to keep it from getting oversized. Of course, there are always one or two that hide under a leaf, and are missed by the pickers for a few days until suddenly you trip over a baseball-bat sized zucchini.

Incidentally, when Tom was working with a farmer in New York (in the late 1970's), they used to sell tons of leg-sized zucchini to the Greek immigrants who would slice them in half lengthwise, scoop out the seeds, fill them with meat and vegetables and cook them for weddings and large family gatherings. When the famine comes, zucchini might save us all. In the meantime, we'll keep trying to pick ours when they are small; and give you a good variety of colors, flavors, and textures.

Though different varieties of summer squash have subtle differences in flavor and texture, all are interchangeable in recipes. We think some of the yellow and light green summer squashes are more fun to eat than the basic green zucchini you see most commonly in the grocery store. We have been trying to mix up what you get each week, so that you can be exposed to all the different ones we grow-but not too many at any one time.
   
The mild flavor of summer squash works well with a vinaigrette dressing (use your favorite store-bought or homemade salad dressing). I prefer to steam or grill my zucchini before adding dressing, but some people like to use their zucchini raw.  Here's how to grill summer squashes: halve young summer squash lengthwise and brush with olive oil. Preheat barbecue, and place squashes cut-side down on hot grill. Grill approximately 4-5 minutes per side on a hot grill. Then cut into bite-sized pieces, add dressing, and chill.  I would add some finely chopped sweet onion, and steamed green beans, a little feta cheese, and sungold cherry tomatoes-and there's dinner!

Heirloom Tomatoes
    In case you weren't able to make it to our Heirloom Tomato Tasting at the farm on Sunday, we now have enough heirloom tomatoes that we can put some in the boxes. This week, I believe most boxes have one or two Brandywine tomatoes (pink in color), and either Kate's Favorite (yellow) or Chocolate Pear (dark green/red and pear-shaped). We hope you enjoy some of the variety of color, flavor, and texture of these unusual tomatoes. More different varieties should be coming later in the season.

French Fingerling Potatoes
    This is perhaps my favorite potato. Its yellow flesh is often streaked with pink color inside, and they are very flavorful. I think the flavor is slightly nutty, and my favorite cooking method is roasting: cut into chunks, coat lightly with olive oil and a little salt. Cook in a 350-degree oven for about 40 minutes, stirring occasionally until golden brown on the surface and tender when pierced with a knife. If it's too hot to turn on your oven, they are also great steamed and served with butter.

top of page


Denison Farms Harvest Box 2009:  Week 7
In this box: 1/2# spinach (or 1 head lettuce), 1 1/2# carrots, 1 bunch radishes, 2# vine ripe tomatoes, 1 sweet onion, 1 bunch basil, 1 garlic, 1 1/2# yellow Romano beans, 1 basket red raspberries.

     By the time you read this newsletter, it may feel like summer again, but as I sit at my computer late on Sunday evening gathering my thoughts for another week's newsletter, the ground is soaked, the trees are dripping, and our irrigation pump is silent for the first time in weeks.  What had been dust just the day before is now mud. However, I fully expect the farm to dry out soon, and summer to return.

Need a pesto recipe? Go to Last Year's Newsletters, week 6 for my basic pesto recipe, and several other ideas for using basil.
   
Romano Beans and Sweet Onion with Mustard Seed Vinaigrette  (slightly modified from Gourmet, August 2001)
Ingredients:
4 Tbs. olive oil
2 Tbs. mustard seeds
1/2 large sweet red or white onion, thinly sliced
1/3 cup red-wine vinegar
1 1/2 lb. yellow or green Romano beans

1. Heat 1 Tbs. olive oil in a heavy skillet over moderate heat until hot but not smoking. Cook 2 Tbs. mustard seeds, stirring, until they pop and are 1 shade darker, about 2 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl.
2. Add 3 Tbs. olive oil to hot skillet, then sauté 1/2  sweet onion, until golden brown (8-10 minutes). Remove from heat, and combine onions with mustard seeds in large bowl. Add 1/3 cup red-wine vinegar to bowl with onions and mustard seeds.
3. Have ready a large bowl of ice and cold water. Cook 11/2 lb. Romano beans in a pot of boiling salted water until crisp-tender (about 5 minutes). Drain and plunge into ice water, then drain well.
4. Toss beans with onion & mustard seed vinaigrette. Add salt and pepper to taste. Cover and chill 12-24 hours. Serve at room temperature or chilled. Serves 8.

Radish tip of the week: 
    Try sautéed radishes. A few minutes in a sauté pan creates a totally different taste-the hotness disappears, and you're left with a satisfying crunchy, slightly sweet-tasting root. Of course, I start with a little garlic and olive oil in the sauté pan, and cook the radishes until they just start to brown.

Denison Farms 12th Annual Farm Party this Sunday, July 19th. We start the afternoon at 2 PM with an heirloom tomato tasting, Farm Tour at 3, and potluck dinner at 4:30. Bring walking shoes and a sunhat for the farm tour, a dish to share and you table service for the potluck, and a lawn chair or blanket to sit on.

top of page


Denison Farms Harvest Box 2009:  Week 6

In this box: 1 red romaine lettuce, 1 bunch carrots, 1# vine ripe tomatoes, 1 basket mixed grape tomatoes, 1.5# Green Romano Beans, 2# mixed summer squash, 2# purple viking potatoes, 1 basket raspberries, 1 basket cherries

July   
I am struck at how rapidly the Willamette Valley turns from lush and green to dozens of shades of tan and brown as the grass seed matures and dries, wheat turns golden, and roadside grasses and flowers bloom and become dry. The only green that remains are trees, watered lawns, and irrigated agricultural fields. (We are grateful for our plentiful water supply and an irrigation pump that usually works). Perhaps I'm more aware of the dryness of our summer climate because I have just returned from the completely green state of Vermont, where it rained every day, preventing farmers from cutting their hay, and where the rivers swell and fall daily as the rain showers move over the land.  
    Now I'm back on the farm, and we find ourselves in the height of harvest. Green beans, summer squashes, tomatoes, and potatoes are abundant. Summer is really here.

Purple Viking potatoes
    This variety is one of the best for potato salad. Purple Viking's creamy white flesh is moist, and works well in all forms of potato salad, whether your family likes warm German Potato Salad with vinaigrette dressing, or prefers cold potato salad with creamy dressing. I suggest cutting your potatoes into bite-sized pieces, boiling for 10 minutes in salted water (or until tender), then tossing with your favorite salad dressing.

Green Romano Beans
    Although these green beans are larger than what you may be used to, their flavor is very much like a regular green bean (only better, in my opinion). They are delicious just steamed and served plain (or with a little butter), or used in any green bean recipe.
   
Cherries
    Although it's been a great season for cherries, we're nearing the end of our cherry crop. Our orchard has several different varieties. This one, Kristin, is slightly red in color, and firmer in texture than the Early Berlat's that you had a few weeks ago.

Mixed Grape Tomatoes
    Each of the different colors of grape tomato has it's own flavor, and everyone in our family has their own favorite. Taste them all, then come to the farm party and you can see them growing!

top of page

Denison Farms Harvest Box Week 5

In this box: 1/2# salad mix, 1 cucumber, 2# summer squash, 2# butterball potatoes, 1.5# vine ripe tomatoes OR 1 basket grape tomatoes, 1 basket red raspberries, 1 basket gold raspberries
   
Cucumbers   
    Our cucumbers have been producing really well this early summer. Here are some "new" ideas for cucumbers in case you want to try something different:
Chilled cucumber soup: Blend cucumbers with plain yogurt, a pinch of fresh herbs (mint or basil or dill), add salt and pepper to taste.
Tabouli: soak bulgur wheat, couscous, or quinoa for 30 minutes. Add chopped cucumber, tomato, sweet onion, cilantro/parsley/or mint. Dress with 2 Tbs lemon juice and 2 Tbs olive oil.

Farm Tour and Potluck July 19th
    Mark your calendars!  This is a Sunday afternoon.  Directions and details to follow.

This week Elizabeth, Carson, and Paul are back in Vermont visiting Elizabeth's parents.  On this yearly trip I get a good reminder of how much Elizabeth gets done around here.   Usually she takes care of all the office work, managing the CSA and markets, writing the newsletter, and countless other tasks.  This leaves me free to simply make sure things are growing well, that our farm crew has what they need to do their job, and that our wholesale accounts are taken care of.   The blessing is that most things are growing well so I can slack off on my work a little while I try to do hers.

All this sunshine we are getting is really helping the tomatoes.  We grow many different kinds of tomatoes in all shapes, sizes, and colors.  The sun helps all of them develop their best flavor because a tomato plant thrives in warm sunny situations.  It is good to remember also that tomatoes should not go in the refrigerator because it's too cold for this semi tropical fruit.   Flavor and texture both deteriorate rapidly in the fridge, so we leave ours out on the counter until we use them.

German Butterball potatoes are an old heirloom potato that we think is one of the best tasting.  They have a starchy yellow flesh that roasts, fries, or mashes well.  Because of their texture, if you boil them they tend to almost mash themselves.  Because of this they should be steamed not boiled if you want to make potato salad with them.

I hope to see a lot of you at the potluck and farm tour in about three weeks. 
    Tom
top of page

Denison Farms Harvest Box 2009:  Week 4

In this box: 1 green lettuce, 2 cucumbers, 2# summer squash, 2# Yukon Gold new potatoes, 1.5# vine ripe tomatoes, 1 basket red raspberries, 1 basket strawberreis, 1 basket cherries

Let's talk about Sugar
        Is there anyone who doesn't like sweet things? Sweet is one of the basic tastes that everyone seems to like. Whereas some people avoid bitter or sour flavors, sweetness is usually considered desirable. I'm not suggesting that we need a diet filled with processed foods that have lots of added sugar. I'm suggesting that if vegetables and fruits taste sweet, more people will like them.

    Few would argue that fruits are generally sweet (though their sugar content varies quite a bit depending on the variety, growing conditions and maturity when picked.) However, most vegetables have natural sugars also.
    Here's why: Plants convert sunlight into sugar. That's the basis of Photosynthesis. From there, plants will convert sugar into starches and other more complex carbohydrates. Many vegetables will be sweetest when just picked (like peas, sweet corn, new potatoes, carrots, and summer squash), but will lose their sweetness as the sugars turn to starches between when they are picked and eaten, or if the vegetables are more mature when picked.

Here's how to get the most sweetness out of your vegetables. Most vegetables and roots keep best in the refrigerator. Cold temperature slows down the process of sugars converting to starches, and prolongs sweetness. Exceptions to this are the "fruits" that are typically considered vegetables: cucumbers, tomatoes, and peppers suffer when they are too cold. Refrigerator temperatures will make tomatoes taste bland, and cause cucumbers and peppers to get spots. And, as I've written about before, the refrigerator is too cold for basil.

Summer Squash
    This is our first week with summer squash, and I believe everyone has a couple of varieties in your box. Here are some varieties that you may find today: green zucchini, white zucchini (pale green skin), yellow zucchini, green or yellow patty pan squash, and zephyr crookneck (yellow with green tip).
    This is the week to turn on your barbecue if you have one. Summer squash are absolutely the best when grilled. Here's how:  Preheat your grill on medium-high. Cut summer squash lengthwise if small, or into 1/2-inch disks if large. Brush with olive oil. Grill summer squash, cut side down first, for approximately 5 minutes per side until the surfaces becomes slightly browned, and they are just tender when pierced with a fork. Since we're talking about sugar in this newsletter, it's worth mentioning that the surface browning on summer squash (or onions, or sweet corn or potatoes) is caramelized sugar. No wonder browning brings out the sweetness in so many things!   

Yukon Gold New Potatoes
    When potatoes are young, their skins are very tender. This is when they are called "new" potatoes. At this stage, potatoes should be stored in the refrigerator in a plastic bag. Or, better yet, cook them tonight! Yukon gold new potatoes don't need any special treatment to be tasty. We like ours boiled in salted water and served with butter. Yukon Gold potatoes are also great for "smashed" potatoes. Make them like mashed potatoes, but leave some of the potato in larger chunks, instead of going for a completely smooth mashed texture. As Yukon Gold are a mild-flavored potato, they're great smashed with butter, cream, or sour cream.

Next Week: I'm out of town visiting my parents in Vermont. I will be unable to post next week's newsletter to the web site next week, as I will not have access to a computer.  
top of page



Denison Farms Harvest Box 2009:  Week 3

In this box: 1 Red Leaf Lettuce, 1 Cucumber, 1 bunch Carrots, 1 bunch basil, 1# Sugar Snap Peas (from
Springhill Farm), 1 pint Red Grape Tomatoes (Salem/Albany) or 1# Oregon Spring Tomatoes (Corvallis), 1 pint Strawberries, 1.5# Cherries

Cherries
    When Tom started farming in Corvallis in 1978, he was farming some rented land on Seavy Avenue near Twedt's. He knew even then that he wanted to grow organic fruit, and started researching appropriate varieties for the Willamette Valley. At the time, many Willamette Valley cherry orchards were being taken out, as Hood River and the Dalles offered a more reliable climate for cherry production. But Tom's research led him to an old French cherry variety that is not widely grown any more-Early Berlatt, that seemed to have some advantages for organic production in our climate (although the Extension Service at that time said it wasn't possible to keep cherry trees alive with Organic methods). Not to be discouraged, he planted a prototype tree on the Seavy Ave. property, and not only did it survive, but it also produced lovely early cherries in years when the bloom time escaped our mid-Valley late frost. As soon as Tom moved to our present location 19 years ago, he planted 100 young cherry trees.  The trees are now gnarly and look a lot older than their age, and the branches are strong enough to support the weight of our 11-year old son as he climbs to the top to locate the perfect cherry.
    Even with the best care we can provide, we have a good crop of cherries only once every few years. Frequently we have a late frost that kills the blossoms, or rain when the cherries are ripe that causes the fruit to split. Last year, although we had good fruit set, most of our cherries were eaten by huge flocks of migrating birds before they were ripe. This year we were motivated to put up the bird netting (no small task when the trees are 20 feet tall!), and we're hoping it doesn't rain any more until we get all the cherries picked.
    These Early Berlatt cherries tend to be a bit soft when they are fully ripe, and they need to be refrigerated or eaten quickly.
   
Sugar Snap peas
    We are growing a small patch of sugar snap peas this year-something new for us. However, at the rate my kids are eating them (a couple of bowlfuls a day!), we didn't think there would be enough for all our members. So, we talked with Jamie Kitzrow at Springhill Farm (in North Albany). He grows a lot of sugar snap peas, and has enough to share them with us for your boxes this week. Enjoy them raw and crunchy, toss them into a stir-fry, or steam and serve with butter.

Oregon Spring Tomatoes
    Corvallis members should find a small bag of Oregon Spring tomatoes in your box today. Salem and Albany members will get them next week. Oregon Spring is a variety that was developed at OSU, and is particularly suited to Willamette Valley growing conditions. They have great flavor, are juicy,  and are excellent for tomato/basil/mozzarella salad, or pasta salad, or salsa, or cucumber/tomato/feta Greek salad. Oregon Spring tomatoes are not sturdy tomato-they need to be treated gently or they will become mushy. And make sure you use a really sharp knife if you're slicing them for a salad.
    Red Grape tomatoes (Salem/Albany boxes today, and Corvallis boxes next week) are fabulous for the lunchbox! They are sturdy, and can even get tossed around a bit without becoming mushy. Red Grape tomatoes are excellent for eating fresh, but if you can save some for dinner, they acquire a rich, sweet, and robust flavor if you toss them into a sauté pan for just a few minutes (with other vegetables, of course) before tossing with pasta (for example).
top of page


Denison Farms Harvest Box 2009:  Week 2

In this box: 1 green romaine lettuce, 1 red leaf lettuce, 1 cucumber, 1 bunch carrots, 1 bunch beets, 2.5# fava beans, 1 sweet onion, 1/2# garlic tops, 1 pint cherry tomatoes, 1 pint strawberries

    The weather has certainly been exciting this past week. Lots of rain has caused our strawberry production to drop, and makes the berries extra-perishable. Please refrigerate your berries as soon as possible after you get your box, and eat them quickly.
   
Fava Beans
    I am a newly-converted fava bean fan. For years I have tried to like them, but this is the very first year that I actually love them-thanks in part to a new variety we are growing that has a milder flavor; and in part due to my friend Julia who showed me a great new recipe. For those of you who have tried unsuccessfully in the past to enjoy fava beans, please give them one more try with this new recipe.
The secret ingredients? Yogurt and lemon zest.
The recipe: inspired by Deborah Madison's Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone-modified to suit the ingredients in your box today by the addition of an onion and slight modification of the cooking times to suit the particular maturity of the beans in your box today.
Preparing Fava Beans
1. Score the length of the pod with a sharp knife (score deeply enough to cut into the skin of the beans inside the pod-this makes step 4 much easier).
2. Blanch the beans: bring water to boil in a large pot. Drop the shelled beans in the boiling water for    3 minutes (or until you see the bright green inner beans poking out of their skins).
3. Quickly drain beans and chill with cold water or plunge into ice water.
4. Slip the skins off the beans, and they are ready for any fava bean recipe. If you have cut the inner skin during Step 1., the inner beans nearly jump out of their skins!
Too much work? I hear this complaint frequently when I talk about fava beans. So I actually set my timer, and checked how much time it took me to prepare a batch of favas. With my favorite paring knife, it took me less than 4 minutes to shell 2.5 pounds of beans (the yield was 2.5 cups of beans). After blanching for 3 minutes, it took me 2.5 minutes to slip the beans out of their inner skins. Total prep time: 6.5 minutes. In my opinion, that's faster than making a batch of pesto - and there are hardly any dirty dishes except for a bowl.

Fava Beans with Yogurt and Lemon
1. Heat 2 Tbs olive oil over moderate heat in a frypan until the oil shimmers.
2. Add 2 cups blanched, peeled fava beans and 1 clove garlic, sliced. Sauté for 3 minutes.
3. Then add 1/2 sweet onion, thinly sliced. Sauté for 3 more minutes.
4. Prepare dressing: whisk together 1 Tbs olive oil, zest and juice from 1/2 lemon, and a pinch of salt.
5. Toss sautéed favas with lemon dressing and cool for 5 minutes.
6. Gently fold in 1/4 cup yogurt. Eat immediately, or serve chilled. It's great both ways!

Garlic Tops
    These are the young flower stalks from our German Porcelain garlic. They are a popular stir-fry vegetable in many Asian cuisines. Garlic tops have a texture somewhat like asparagus, and a very mild garlic flavor. They are generally not eaten raw. I suggest you steam them whole and serve with a vinaigrette dressing, or cut them in chunks and use for stir-fry, soups, or pasta salad.

Newsletters on the Website: We try to put the newsletters up on our web site every Tuesday afternoon. If you forget to pick up your newsletter, you can go there to read it. Some weeks Tuesday afternoon is just too busy, so the newsletter may not appear on the web site until Wednesday morning.
top of page


DENISON FARMS HARVEST BOX 2008: WEEK 1
In your box: 1/2# salad mix, 1 green lettuce, 1 bunch carrots, 1 bunch green garlic, 2 cucumbers, 1 bunch basil, 2 pints strawberries

<>Welcome to all our returning and new members. We hope you enjoy this first box of the season. It's exciting to be starting the harvest box season again. Thanks for choosing to be part of our farm!

Getting the most from your Harvest Box: As this is the first box, many of you may be so excited that you will eat the entire contents in a day or two. However, if you already had some produce in your refrigerator, or you can't eat an entire head of lettuce AND salad mix in one night, here are some suggestions about how to deal with your produce so that you can get the longest enjoyment from the box.

<>Eat the most perishable items first:
Strawberries: Plan to eat your berries right away. If you really can't eat your berries tonight, get them into a cold refrigerator AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. And don't wash them until right before you plan to eat them.
Salad Mix: will keep longest if you rinse it as soon as you get home (dunk gently in a large bowl of cold water), then gently remove as much water as possible (salad spinner or drain on a towel), and store in a plastic bag or tub in the fridge. 
Rinse and trim lettuce and carrots before putting them in the refrigerator. That way your carrots will be ready-to-eat when you want them. By the way, we leave the carrots tops on because they look so pretty, and because some people (especially those under the age of 10) really enjoy holding a carrot by the greens and eating it like Bugs Bunny, but really carrots keep better without their tops. The greens will continue to lose moisture after they are picked, so your roots will be most crisp and sweet if you remove the tops before storing them in a cold part of the refrigerator.

Lettuce: gently dunk in a large bowl of cold water several times to remove any debris from between the leaves, but leave the head intact until you're ready to eat it.

BASIL: Don't refrigerate basil. It turns black when it's too cold. Basil will keep best if you treat it like cut flowers (trim the stems and place them in a jar of fresh water); then cover the leaves loosely with a plastic bag to prevent wilting. Even with ideal conditions, use your basil within a week. Or you could process the whole bunch into pesto (using your fresh garlic) and refrigerate it for a quick dinner later in the week. 

Cucumbers: Cucumbers that are sold in grocery stores are often coated with wax so that they will stay crisp and not lose moisture during their travel from farm to store to your kitchen. Our cucumbers are in their natural state, which means that they will lose moisture from their skin and become less crisp unless they are stored in a cool, moist environment. Refrigerators are really too cold for cucumbers. If you are planning to eat them in the next day or two, just leave them on the kitchen counter. For longer storage, keep in a plastic bag (to prevent moisture loss) in the warmest part of your fridge.

Fresh Green Garlic is a seasonal treat that is only available in the late spring.  At this stage garlic looks like small leeks or green onions, but definitely has garlic flavor. Use it to make garlic butter, pesto, or slice it into a stir-fry or scrambled eggs for gentle garlic flavor. The whole plant is edible, all the way to the top of the greens. A few of you will get bunches of green garlic that are more mature and starting to make a bulb at the bottom.  If your garlic has a well-developed bulb, use the bulb like you would regular garlic. At this stage, the greens have less flavor and inferior texture. The flavor concentrates in the bulb as the plant matures. Green garlic is not meant to be stored for a long time. I suggest using yours this week. You'll get cured garlic that will keep for a long time later in the summer.

Recycling berry containers We package your berries in recyclable plastic clams in order to keep the berries from spilling out of their boxes and getting mashed into jam between our farm and your kitchen. We cannot reuse the containers, but they can be recycled.
top of page