Please continue to get your veggies from the following markets that stock produce from local growers: Alberta Coop (NE 15th & Alberta), People’s Coop and their Wednesday Farmer’s Market  (SE 21st north of Powell), Hillsdale Winter Farmer’s Market, Food Front (NW Thurman), & 12 Mile Market on SE 223rd in Gresham.

In Your Share This Week

Escarole – Coral. This is another in the endive/chicory family; it is very lettuce-like and is especially favored in France and Italy. It has a somewhat nutty but mildly bitter flavor. It can be eaten raw as a substitute – or in addition to – lettuce for salads. Best known as an ingredient in Escarole and White Bean soup, on back.

Broccoli – Fiesta. A relatively new variety for us; it’s a hybrid and proving to be good for this time of year.

Collards – Champion. Very commonly known in the south, it also grows quite well here, especially in the colder part of the year. These hearty greens should be cooked a good long time to pull the sweetness out.

Carrots – Shin Kuroda; these are a little better this week, but still best cooked.

Onion – Copra & Redwing – both excellent storage varieties

Sweet Peppers – Assorted varieties

Hot Peppers – Jalapeno, Fish &/or Bulgarian Carrot

Potatoes – Yellow Finn

Dill – Bouquet. Great in potato salads, mashed potatoes. Dill pesto would be great on baked squash.

Winter Squash – Delicata + Spaghetti + choice of 2 from: Black Forest, Futsu, Red Kuri

In Your Share This Week

Lettuce – Assorted varieties; the final week of lettuce.

Cress – Wrinkled Crinkled Crumpled. One of our favorite originals from Wild Garden Seeds, this is a cross between two other types of cress (Persian & Curly). Great in salads; it also makes amazing pesto, or Cressto(!)  Put ~5 loosely packed cups in food processor with garlic, maybe a little parsley and ½ a lemon. Slowly drizzle in ¼ – ½ cup olive oil. Stir in ½ – 1 cup grated parmesan or romano cheese and S&P to taste.

Kohlrabi – Gigante. A Czechoslovakian heirloom bred to be large and tender, OR Green Cabbage – Early Jersey Wakefield

Endive (aka Frisée) – Nina. Another favorite from our friends at Wild Garden Seeds in Philomath. Someone gave them some seeds hoping to have them ‘worked’ or brought back to commercial production. Endive is in the chicory family, which also includes escarole, radicchio, Belgian endive and dandelion greens. Most all chicories can be used interchangeably in recipes. Store unwashed in a perforated plastic bag in the fridge.

Carrots – Shin Kuroda. These don’t look so great this week, but they work very well as cooking carrots. Good for stir frys, soups, casseroles, etc.

Onion – Copra & Redwing – both excellent storage varieties

Sweet Peppers – Assorted varieties

Hot Peppers – Jalapeno, Fish &/or Bulgarian Carrot

Chard – Fordhook Giant, Golden and Rhubarb

Potatoes – Yellow Finn &/or Red Norland

Winter Squash – Sweet Dumpling

In Your Share This Week

Lettuce – Assorted varieties

Spinach – Long Standing Bloomsdale

Red Cabbage – Mammoth Red Rock This old American heirloom was first listed in 1889. Fantastic raw in salads or slaws, cooked, pickled or made into a beautiful red sauerkraut. In addition to Vitamin C, calcium and iron, red cabbage contains anthocyanin (the red color), an antioxidant. Cut cabbage will store well in your fridge.

Fennel – Perfection The fifth and final week of fennel.

Beets – Golden &/or Chiogga

Onion – Copra

Garlic – Metechi, a hardneck

Sweet Frying Peppers – Jimmy Nardellos

Eggplant – Assorted varieties

Cucumbers – Diva, Marketmore &/or Wautoma

Mustard Greens – Pink Lettucy. This is a mustard in the japonica group, meaning mild flavored and nutritious staples of east Asian cuisine. It is an example of creative, traditional plant breeding by Frank Morton of Wild Garden Seeds in Philomath that we’re trying for the first time. It’s supposed to be cold tolerant- so we’ll see.

Winter Squash – Gill’s Golden Pippin These are a Pacific Northwest heirloom, bred by the Gill Brothers Seed Company, formerly of Gresham. They started out growing vegetables and flowers and hauled them by horse & wagon into Portland to sell. This batch is not quite as sweet as some others; but excellent with butter or stuffed.

In Your Share This Week

Lettuce – Assorted varieties

Spinach – Long Standing Bloomsdale It’s back for a few more weeks! This is the same variety we started out with in the spring, but it tastes even a little better in the fall. This variety is the longest standing commercial, open pollinated variety in field scale production since 1925 in the US… it’s that good!

Green Cabbage – Early Jersey Wakefield

Dill – Bouquet Just as our cucumbers finish up, our dill finally comes on – Darn! Oh well. Fresh chopped leaves enhance the flavor of dips, herb butter, soups, salads, fish dishes, and salads, especially potato salad.

Potatoes – Yellow Finn Our seed comes from Ronniger Potato Farm in Colorado, who have always provided us with high quality stock. These have a buttery sweet flavor; are excellent mashed, roasted or in potato salad.

Onion – Redwing

Garlic – Italian Late, a softneck

Scallions – Evergreen Hardy White

Sweet Peppers – Assorted varieties

Sweet Corn – Silver Queen

Green Tomatoes – Assorted varieties

Winter Squash – Delicata To cook, cut in half, scoop out seeds and set aside; no need to peel. Brush surface of the flesh with oil or melted butter; arrange cut side down in a baking sheet, add some water and bake in 400º F oven until tender when pierced with a fork, 30-50 minutes, depending on size. You can also bake cut side up, just be sure to have the flesh well oiled. Delicata seeds are tasty & nutritious – try toasting with salt and/or other seasonings.

In Your Share This Week

Tah Tsai (or Tahtsoi) –  Mild tender green, good both raw in salads and cooked in stir fires and soups

Asian Greens (aka Mustard Greens) Bekana and Pink Petiole These mild greens are in the brassica family, meaning they’re related to cabbage and arugula. Chop into large pieces and throw into miso soup, or just about any other soup for that matter. Highly nutritious.

Cauliflower – Amazing Asian Sautéed Cauliflower: Cut cauli into quarters or smaller. Heat 5 Tbsp veg or chicken broth in skillet, add cauli and cover, steam for 5 minutes. Whisk together ½ tsp grated ginger, 2 cloves minced garlic, 2 Tbsp rice vinegar, 1 Tbsp honey, 2 Tbsp soy sauce, ½ tsp dry mustard, 1 Tbsp olive oil, S&P to taste. Add all to the cauli, mix well, marinating for 5 minutes to allow cauli to soak up the flavors. Sprinkle with cilantro.

Cucumbers, Marketmore, Diva (slicers)  or Wautoma (picklers)

Eggplant – Orient Express, Diamond, Traviata

Onion – Redwing

Sweet Peppers – Antohi Romanian

Hot Peppers – Jalapeno, Fish or Bulgarian Carrot

Sweet Corn – Silver Queen

Melon – Petit Gris (orange) or Rocky Ford (green). These Rocky Ford melons were grown right here at the farm, so you can enjoy them worry-free!

Garlic – Chesnok Red, a Hardneck This is from our own saved seed (!)

In Your Share This Week

Salad Mix –  a mix of 8-12 different varieties

Cabbage – Early Jersey Wakefield The variety ‘Early Wakefield’ was first brought to Jersey City from England in 1840. It was quickly renamed “Early Jersey Wakefield,” and by 1888 it was the most popular early cabbage in American gardens. It is still listed as among principle varieties of cabbage. It’s pointy-heads are delicious cooked, fresh, in salads, slaws and soups.

Cucumbers, Marketmore, Poona Kheera & Diva (slicers)  or Wautoma (picklers)

Beets – Chiogga This is a Pre-1840 Italian heirloom named for a fishing town near Venice. wonderful for fresh eating and pickling.

Tomatoes – Slicers: Glacier, Stupice & Taxi; Saucers: Amish, Opalka, Orange Banana, San Marzano

Onion – Redwing Mild as far as red onions go, we can start enjoying them now. They are excellent keepers.

Sweet Peppers – Antohi Romanian Jan Antohi was a touring acrobat when he defected to the US. In late 1991, he visited his family in Romania after more than 8 years, and came back with seeds of this delicious heirloom. They’re good sliced fresh in salads, or stir fried or sautéed to bring out the sweetness.

Fennel – Perfection We wanted to have dill to go with the theme, but it wasn’t quite ready and this was. Fennel fronds can be used interchangeably with dill weed.

Sweet Corn – Silver Queen Just about everyone’s favorite!!

Melon – Petit Gris This was first noted in the garden of the Bishop of Rennes nearly 400 years ago. Petit Gris means “little grey,” the color before it’s ripe. Rare in the US, but common at Dancing Roots Farm!

• Outstanding in terms of taste—as defined in the context of local traditions and uses
• At risk biologically or as culinary traditions
• Sustainably produced
• Culturally or historically linked to a specific region, locality, ethnicity or traditional production practice
• Produced in limited quantities, by farms or by small-scale processing companies

In Your Share This Week

Lettuce – Magenta, Plato II (romaine) or Victoria (butter)

Chard – Rhubarb Red, Fordhook Giant, Golden

Onions – Pacific Pearl (white) or small Walla Walla’s (yellow)

Cucumbers, Marketmore, Poona Kheera & Diva (slicers)  or Wautoma (picklers)

Hot Peppers – Fish or Jalapeño. Fish is similar in heat to cayenne. Probably originated in the 1870’s and by 1900 was extensively grown by African-Americans around Baltimore. Traditionally used in oyster and crab houses around Chesapeake Bay. Great for medium hot to very hot sauces.

Potatoes – Red Norland

Garlic – Italian Late. This is our softneck garlic that we also got from our friends at Gales Meadow Farm. Softneck garlic stores for much longer than hardneck; it’s also the type you can braid.

Slicer Tomatoes – Glacier & Stupice (red) & Taxi (yellow)

Paste or Sauce Tomatoes – Amish Paste, Orange Banana, San Marzano and Opalka

Eggplant – Orient Express, Diamond, Traviata

Sweet Peppers – Jimmy Nardello’s Sweet Italian Frying Peppers. These thin-walled peppers are good raw, in stir fires and especially, fried. According to a Nardello family relative, “the only way to eat them is to string them, dry them, fry them and salt them.” Eat them plain or “better still as a sandwich on Italian bread with a slice of provolone.”  Came to the US from Italy in 1887. For more, see http://www.iowasource.com/food/cooks_0807.html

This is from a birthday card I received several years ago:

A zucchini can a monster be, if left for a single day. And the worst is not the cutting free, but how to give it away!

You’ll have to go out at midnight And leave it at someone’s door,

Because when it comes to zucchini, Less is definitely more.

This email just came from one of our members over the weekend:

“Just realized I made 4 different dishes this weekend with zucchini….! and have  much more left.”

In Your Share This Week

Lettuce – Magenta

Beet Greens – Touchstone Gold & Chiogga

Summer Squash – Black Beauty, Golden, White Bush, Bennings Green Tint, Yellow Scallop, Lemon

Walla Walla Onions – The real final week of these; this time we actually cleared the beds (!)

Cucumbers, Marketmore, Poona Kheera & Diva (slicers)  or Wautoma (picklers) The Poona Kheera cucumbers are new this year. According to the Fedco catalog, “This émigré from India… turns from cream color to golden yellow to russet brown… In Asia they are used in stir-fries, long-marinating dishes, pickles and chutneys. They keep their crisp texture and absorb sauce flavors in Thai and Indian food.”

Carrots – Scarlet Nantes

Garlic – Persian Star – This is one of our 3 varieties of hardneck garlic, originally from Uzbekistan, but we got ours from our friends at Gales Meadow Farm in Forest Grove.

Tomatoes – Glacier & Stupice (red) & Taxi (yellow)

Eggplant Orient Express, Diamond, Traviata – Orient Express is an Asian type; longer and thinner in shape. Diamond and Traviata are ‘bell’ types. You pretty much need to grow hybrids if you want eggplant to ripen here in the Pacific NW. We’re just trialing Traviata, a hybrid, fir the first time. This is our 3rd year growing Diamond and I’m thrilled to report that it’s an open-pollinated heirloom, originally from the Ukraine. Eggplant are excellent grilled, roasted, stir-fried, or sautéed.

It’s still full on blackberry season – so take advantage of your membership with Dancing Roots Farm and come pick to your hearts content, or you get too scratched up, whichever comes first! All pickers must wear closed-toe shoes and long pants. Bring lots of containers, some water, and be ready to get poked!

In Your Share This Week

Lettuce – Magenta

Scallions – Evergreen Hardy White

Summer Squash – Black Beauty, Golden, White Bush, Bennings Green Tint, Yellow Scallop, Lemon

Beet Greens – Touchstone Gold & Chiogga

Walla Walla Onions – Carmelized, the uses are endless. We put it on salad, along with red & yellow tomatoes.

Cucumbers, Marketmore, Poona Kheera & Diva (slicers)  or Wautoma (picklers)

Beets – Early Wonder Tall Top & Touchstone Gold

Tomatoes – Glacier & Stupice (red) & Taxi (yellow)

Ozette Fingerling Potatoes- The special story of the Makah Ozette potatoes: All potatoes originated in South America. Up until the 1980’s, it was understood that they came to this country by way of Europe from the Spaniards. However, in the late 1700’s a group of Spanish conquistadors thought to expand their territory from South America into North America. In 1791 they landed in Neah Bay, Washington to set up a fort and planted a garden that had potatoes brought directly from South America or Mexico. That winter, the settlers bailed; too cold! The fort was abandoned, but the garden overwintered. The Makah people, whose land it was, either traded for or found volunteers of this potato and became its stewards, growing it in their gardens for the next 200 years. They named it after one of their five villages.

And speaking of the weather, come get your blackberries! Wear closed toe shoes and long pants, bring lots of containers and be ready to get poked!

In Your Share This Week

Lettuce – Magenta; some biggies some smallies.

Parsley – Survivor

Scarlet Nantes Carrots These old heirloom carrots date back to the 1850’s in France.

Summer Squash – Black Beauty, Golden, White Bush, Bennings Green Tint, Yellow Scallop, Lemon

Here’s an absolutely delicious use for those huge summer squashes! Use a standard vegetable peeler to shave off thin strips of… zuccha-cini! (or zuccha-getti!). Make a thick sauce by cooking together eggplant, your pepper and tomatoes and put the hot sauce over the fresh, raw ‘zucchacini.’ Grated fresh parmesan over all. Any type of large squash would work; peeling the whole thing first was probably not necessary. The strips ranged from 1/4 to 1” in width and were just peeled right into the pasta bowl.

Gold of Bacau Yellow Romano Beans – They’ve gotten a bit tough recently, but are still very tasty and both beans & pod are still edible. Best cooked for at least an hour in a soup, stew, crock pot or in the oven.

Walla Walla Onions – Try carmelizing one or 2. Then put on pizza, in lasagna, over pasta or just on toast!

Cucumbers, Marketmore & Diva (slicers)  or Wautoma (picklers)

Sweet Peppers Mostly Antohi’s, some Romanian Sweets – first peppers of the season!

Hot Peppers, Jalapeños

Tomatoes!! Glacier (red) & Taxi (yellow) – Finally we get some summer! Hopefully this is just the beginning…