As is customary here at Dancing Roots Farm, we spent our Independence Day celebrating our freedom from unsustainable, Industrial Agriculture and worked on our farm! Well, OK, mostly independent… we’re not purists and do buy avocados, lemons and limes from California and the occasional can of tomato sauce from Italy. Indeed, we do shop at our local, independently owned stores like the Alberta Coop, New Seasons and 12 Mile Market in Gresham for bulk items, butter, oils, etc, and even then we look for products that are made as locally as possible. We understand, believe and have experienced ourselves first hand that buying local keeps money circulating in the local economy, which in turn benefits all of us who actually live here. Celebrate real independence and real food security… Buy Local!

In Your Share This Week:

Lettuce Heads, Red Sails or Victoria Butterhead

Carrots, Mokum, a hybrid

Fava Beans, Aquadulce

Beet Greens, Touchstone Gold

Garlic Whistles, Chesnok

Oregano

About those Garlic Whistles, or Garlic Scapes, or Garlic Flowers, or Garlic Tops

- These are the flower stalks that develop on our hardneck garlic.

- We clip these off to have a nice garlicky treat right now, but also to redirect the plant’s energy down toward the bulb and thereby help increase the size of the bulbs.

- Use just like garlic; it is generally more mild.

- They can be minced, chopped or sliced.

- Store unwashed garlic scapes in a loosely wrapped plastic bag in the fridge.

There is an excellent food website called Culinate, (www.culinate.com) and they had an article about Grilling Fava Beans last year. The gist is that you can grill them whole and eat like edamame. We haven’t actually tried this on the farm yet, but it sounds very simple and delicious. While you have the grill going, be sure to throw a few garlic whistles on for a real taste treat.

Steamed Beet Greens with Oregano from Leafy Greens by Mark Bittman

All your beet greens, washed             1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice

1/4 cup olive oil                                     1 Tbsp fresh oregano, S&P to taste

Steam beet greens just until tender. Rinse under cool water, press out as much moisture as you can, then chop finely.

Whisk together lemon juice, olive oil, and oregano.  Dress greens with this mixture, then season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Salmon with Fava Beans From Great Good Food by Julee Rosso

1 cup shelled fresh fava beans                                1 t unsalted butter, melted

10 oz cleaned and steamed fresh spinach                   1 T minced lemon zest

or other cooking greens                                                1/2 cup fresh dill

2 pounds fillet of salmon, trimmed of fat and skinned                1/4 cup dry white wine

Preheat oven to 375°. Form a bed of spinach or other greens on a piece of foil large enough to wrap around the fillet. Place the fillet on the greens, brush with butter, and sprinkle with lemon zest, dill, wine and fava beans. Close the package by folding the foil over the fillet and sealing the edges tightly. Set the package on a baking sheet and bake for 25 – 35 minutes.

Remove from the oven and serve immediately.

It’s finally started drying up out here, and before you know it, we’re further behind. Such is the life of small diversified farmers in the Willamette Valley: As we desperately work to get caught up with our planting and seeding, cultivating and mowing – all behind because of the spring rains – we now have to add setting out the drip lines to that list of backlogged TO DO’s. Sheesh, no rest for the weary!

In Your Share This Week:

Lettuce Heads, assorted

Beets, Early Wonder Tall Top

Fava Beans, Aquadulce

Kale, White Russian & Winter Red

Salad Mix, 8-10 different types of lettuces

Lavender, assorted varieties

Preparing and Using Your Fava Beans:

- Blanch or steam beans for 1-2 minutes, then break the skins with your fingernail and pop out bean.

- NOTE: The skin is perfectly edible, although for many it is too bitter and well worth the time and effort to remove. It is a bit of a chore; think of it either as adding to the anticipation of the tasty dish ahead, or as the perfect job for a youngster.

- Within a few days of pickup, peel and freeze the beans you don’t use.

- Pureed, steamed, or buttered they make a great side dish.

- Toss them with other vegetables in a stir fry.

- Chill, marinate, add to lettuce or grain salads.

Fresh Fava Bean & Rosemary Spread

2 cup shelled favas                                                   1 clove garlic, pressed

1 tsp fresh chopped rosemary or lavender                      1/4 – 1/2 cup olive oil

2 Tbsp lemon juice                                                     S&P

Put favas, garlic and lavender or rosemary in blender or food processor. While pureeing, drizzle in 1/4 cup olive oil, and lemon juice. Add more oil if needed. Adjust with S&P if necessary.

Third in the Make-Your-Own-Salad-Dressing Series: Ginger Tamari Dressing

1 1/4 cup salad oil                                                          1 cup cider vinegar

2 Tbsp honey                                                                        1/4 cup tamari

1 Tbsp grated ginger juice                                       3-4 cloves garlic

Combine all, shake vigorously, and pour over salad.

Baby Beets with Ginger From Great Good Food, by Julee Rosso

all your baby beets                                                   1 sprig fresh thyme

1 sprig fresh Italian parsley                                   3 strips orange peel, 2”

1/4 cup + 1t red wine vinegar                                  1/4 cup sugar

3 Tbsp coarsely chopped crystallized ginger salt and freshly ground pepper

Cut any larger beets in half, so that all beets are about the same size. Tie thyme, parsley and orange peel together with a string or piece of cheesecloth to make a bouquet garni.

In a medium size saucepan, place the beets, 2 cup of water, 1/4 cup vinegar, sugar, bouquet garni and ginger. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat and simmer until beets are tender, 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove bouquet garni and discard.

Remove beets with slotted spoon to serving dish, leaving sauce in the pan. Add remaining vinegar to the pan to deglaze it, scraping down the sides. Taste and add S&P as needed. Spoon sauce over beets and serve immediately.

In Your Share This Week:

Lettuce Heads, assorted

Scallions, Evergreen Hardy White

Kale, White Russian & Winter Red

Spinach, Space, a hybrid

Mint

There are so many ways to use Spinach. Toss fresh leaves into green salads; stuff sandwiches, tacos and burritos, add at the last minute to soups, stir fries and sautés; toss tender leaves or cooked pureed spinach into pasta; add to crepes, quiche, lasagna and other baked dishes; puree for soup; make a spinach pesto, substituting raw spinach leaves for some or all of the basil. I found a great looking recipe for a spinach, scallion and mushroom tart at www.wholeliving.com.

As for the Scallions, you can eat the entire vegetable – even the roots! They are also referred to as ‘bunching onions’ or ‘green onions’ and they are usually less pungent than onions. Use them chopped as a garnish; use them in almost any recipe that calls for raw or cooked onions; they are excellent in soups and stews, especially when added at the end.

Second in the Make-Your-Own-Salad-Dressing Series:

Farmer Shari’s version of Annie’s Goddess

1 cup salad oil (we use safflower)                   1/2 cup apple cider vinegar

1/4 cup tamari/soy sauce/shoyu                         1/3 cup tahini (we use roasted)

2-4 cloves garlic                                                  1 capful toasted sesame oil

water to mix                                                             finely chopped chives and parsley

Mix all in a jar and shake vigorously.

Strawberry Spinach Salad with Poppy Seed Dressing – Perfect for this time of year!

The Salad:

1 bunch spinach                                                 1 bunch leaf lettuce

1 qt strawberries, quartered                            1/3 to 1/2 hd red cabbage, sliced thinly

1/3 to 1/2 medium red onion                          1 fresh pear, cut up (optional)

The Dressing:

1/2 – 3/4 c sugar                                                  2 tsp dried mustard

1 tsp salt                                                                     2/3 cup vinegar

3 Tbsp finely grated onion                                     2 cups salad oil

3-4 Tbsp poppy seeds

Blend first 5 ingredients. Slowly drizzle oil into blender. Stir in seeds, pour over salad and toss.

In Your Share This Week:

Lettuce, Red Sails, Black Seeded Simpson & Blushed Butter Cos

Kale & Chard mix, White Russian & Winter Red Kales, assorted chards

Salad Mix, 8-10 different types of lettuces

Spinach, Space

Shallot Scapes

Thyme

We’re also heavy into Salad Greens this time of year, so for the next several weeks look for recipes for home made salad dressings. Much better than store bought, much less expensive, and you control the ingredients that go into your meals, particularly the sugar and salt.

The Shallot Scapes are something new for us as this is the first time we’ve had shallots that were planted last fall. The scapes can be used raw in salads or cooked lightly as a vegetable or added to soups. Even the flowers can be used and eaten as a garnish.

“When in doubt, use Thyme” is the herbal rule of thumb offered for cooks by the Grass Roots Herb Society Newsletter, according to Rodale’s Encyclopedia of Herbs. “Leaves and springs are used in salads as garnishes and most famously in clam chowder, bouquets garnis and French, Creole, and Cajun cuisines.” It goes with dozens of foods including meats, fish, poultry, stews, soups, breads, herbed butters, flavored vinegars, mustard and any number of casseroles.

First in the Make Your Own Salad Dressing Series: Zesty Onion

1/2 onion                                          1 cup salad oil

1/4 cup apple cider vinegar                      1/4 cup tamari

2 Tbsp nutritional (or brewer’s) yeast         optional: tahini, parsley

Put onions in the blender first, then add the rest of ingredients. Blend all in blender or food processor.

Harriet’s Tasty Tofu & Spinach Salad

from Harriet Fasenfest

The Marinade

1/2 cup toasted sesame oil                                          1/2 cup peanut or other light oil

1/2 cup lemon juice                                                    1/2 cup soy sauce (light)

1 tsp salt                                                                     1 tsp sugar

1 Tbsp grated onion                                                 1 Tbsp toasted sesame seeds

Mix all above. Pour over 1 lb. of cubed, firm tofu. Marinate for at least 1/2 hour.

The Salad

Drain tofu, and set aside marinade. Toss spinach (all you have or as much as you want). Top with grated carrots or sprouts or radishes or any other favorite salad fixings. Add marinated tofu, extra toasted sesame seeds and chopped cilantro. The marinade makes excellent dressing.

About your Veggies: Kale is the most ancient and among the earliest cultivated member of the cabbage family; it was a favorite in ancient Rome. Kale is rich in vitamins A, C and calcium. It is also the highest in protein content of all the cultivated vegetables. Turnip Greens, according to Mark Bittman, are the “champion among greens when it comes to calcium,” they are also a good source of beta carotene, Vitamins C&E, many B vitamins and some iron. Beet Greens are a big time specialty treat. They are also high in vitamin C, calcium and iron and can be used interchangeable or in addition to any recipe calling for spinach or chard. All these greens are also high in dietary fiber and low in calories. These delicate little turnips are also known as “Salad Turnips.” The leaves are as edible and useful as the mild roots.

In Your Share This Week:

Beet Greens, Early Wonder Tall Top

Turnips and Greens, Hakurei

Lettuce Heads, Red Sails & Blushed Butter Cos

Sage

Kale, White Russian & Winter Red

Mustard Mix/Asian Greens

Spinach, Bloomsdale (savoyed leaves), Space (smooth leaves)

Love Those Greens! Ideas for Kale, Beet Greens, Spinach and Turnip Greens

* Remove stems from leaves by folding the leaf in half lengthwise and stripping or slicing away the stems; but use them! Sauté stems along with onions before adding the greens.

* Sauté leaves of kale or turnip greens in garlic butter or with onion.

* Toss steamed kale or turnip greens with olive oil, lemon juice, S&P. For an Asian flavor, toss with toasted sesame oil, rice vinegar and soy sauce.

* Include greens in stir-fries with different colored and textured veggies. Serve over rice or pasta.

* Add chopped or sliced raw kale to hearty soups and stews toward the end of cooking time.

* For breakfast, sauté slivered greens and garlic in frying pan before adding to eggs for scrambling.

* For richer greens, dot cooked greens with butter or cream and season with fresh herbs and/or S&P.

* There are many recipes on line under the search heading “spinach and sage recipes.”

Simple & Nutritious Beet Greens

from Sundays at Moosewood

Wash, drain and coarsely chop greens. Steam without additional water in a covered pot for 5 minutes. Drain and toss with butter or 2 Tbsp of olive oil with minced, sautéed garlic clove. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve topped with toasted sesame seeds.

Farmer Shari’s Decadent Eggs Florentine

Decadent because it uses lots of pots & pans

The Greens: In one pan, heat oil &/or butter, sauté onions. Coarsely chop all your beet greens (you can add spinach too if you like), add to onions and let wilt.

The Roux: In another pan, melt 2-4 Tbsp butter, sprinkle in ~1/4 cup flour. Using a whisk, stir until all flour is moist, then let brown a bit. Slowly add milk (rice or soy milk works fine) and whisk in. Keep adding more milk and stirring until you have a nice thick brown gravy.

The Eggs: In yet another pan, poach your eggs. Put several inches of water in the pan and bring to a boil. Hint: Add 1 capful of vinegar. Crack eggs gently into boiling water. (Some people crack eggs into a small bowl first, then pour into pan.) Put lid on and watch closely. Remove with slotted spoon when whites are set, about 2 minutes.

The Assembly: Toast your favorite bread or English muffin. When all is ready, put the toast on the plate, spoon on the greens, set one poached egg on top, and pour roux over the whole thing. Deeeelicious!

Washing & Storing Greens: We recommend washing everything when you get it home, then storing it properly. For head lettuce & lettuce mix, we use a salad spinner and find it indispensable. We often store lettuce in the spinner in the fridge. All other greens should be washed, spun dry, bagged and kept in the fridge. Salad spinners can be found at thrift stores of all kinds if you look diligently, or new at New Seasons, Fred Meyer, Kitchen Kaboodle and Sur La Table. New ones start at about $20.
If you don’t have a spinner, rinse greens well and let sit in a colander for a half hour or so. (Do this in the fridge if it’s really hot outside.) Then using a pillowcase, towel, shirt, or something like that, swing it around so that centrifugal force forces the water from the greens and through the linen.

In Your Share This Week:
Pea Greens,Austrian Field Peas
Radishes w/greens,Zlata
Lettuce Mix, 8-10 different types of lettuces
Spinach, Bloomsdale
Oregano

About those Zlata Radishes: According to the Territorial Catalog, these “flaxen, soft-skinned beauties comes from Poland.” We grew them last year for the first time and were mightily impressed. Many of our restaurants even know them by name. This recipe for Greens, adapted from Leafy Greens by Mark Bittman, is perfect for radish greens!

1 Tbsp peanut oil 1 Tbsp soy sauce 2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp sugar 4 nickel-sized slices ginger 1 Tbsp hoisin sauce (found at Asian markets)
1 tsp rice or wine vinegar 1/2 c water 3 scallions, in 1” lengths

Cut the stems of the mustards into 1” sections, coarsely chop leaves and set aside. Heat a wok or large skillet over medium-high heat. Add oil, garlic, ginger and stir for 10 seconds. Add stems and cook, stirring until they begin to brown, 2-3 minutes. Lower heat to medium, add rest of liquids, stir to blend. Cover and cook over medium-low until stems are tender, 5-8 minutes or less. Uncover, raise heat to high, add the leaves and cook, stirring until the sauce has all but evaporated. Toss in the scallions, cook another minute or so, and serve.

Jane’s Simple Spinach Salad
from my friend Jane Pagliarulo

all your spinach from pick up quarter to half a lemon
~ 1/2 c olive oil ~ 1 c. fresh grated parmessan cheese

Toss all together. That’s it and it’s absolutely delicious! Variations include topping with fresh ground black pepper, tamari roasted sunflower seeds or hard-boiled eggs.

Different Ways to Enjoy Radishes
* Enjoy raw, as is, sliced or grated into salads and slaws, or sliced into sticks for dipping.
* Cook to tone down the bite if it’s too pungent.
* Steam 8-12 minutes, until tender but not mushy. Roll in butter, add a dash of S & P.
* Bake or roast with other root vegetables or along side meats to absorb the flavors.
* Use in soups and stews as you would a turnip.
* Try a Radish Sandwich. Spread butter on french or sourdough bread and layer with thin slices of radish and sprinkle of salt.
* Slice or grate raw and toss with lettuce or other veggies in a vinaigrette or yogurt dressing for a simple salad.
* Make radish butter! Wash and chop them medium fine, skin and all. Measure radishes and add half that much butter. Mix well with .5 – 1 tsp fresh minced oregano or mint. Spread on crusty bread.

This is the last Update before our first pick up next Monday, the 17th!

In this Update:

Spring Crops
Weather
Our New Crew!
Pick Up FAQs
Payment Info

Spring Crops
We have 5 named fields at our farm: Annie, Bernice, Clara, Dolores and Esther. This year the Spring section is in Esther, meaning that is where most of our first 5-6 weeks of harvest will be coming from. Other crops will be coming from our unheated greenhouses, and a little bit from other fields. During those first 5-6 weeks of the season, you can look forward to spinach, head lettuce, Asian greens, radishes, chives, fava beans, kale, chard, salad mix and a few surprises. We won’t have all of those things each week; but several of each of these in various combinations.

The Weather
In 5 of the last 6 years we’ve had to move our first pick up date back at least one week due to rain, usually. This year, we are not only starting a week earlier than ever, we’re actually going to be starting on the originally planned week!! We’re mostly caught up on our planting schedule- which was an unheard of situation 3, 4, 5 years ago. We’ve already seeded most of our summer crops and hope to put the tomatoes in the ground next week. The prophouse is filling up with peppers, eggplants, cucumbers, summer greens, lettuces, summer squashes, and much more.

Introducing our New Crew!

This is Karen, our Excellent Production Manager
& Crew Leader potting up your future eggplant

This is Filomeno, harvester, weedwacker-man
and all around great worker, keeping the orchard mowed

Bryan & Derrick’s Front Mounted Flail Mower works Great!

Our newest member of the Greeting Committee, Boba
Fett on the left. Our veteran farm dog, Tavish on the right.

Pick Up FAQ’s

What Day and Time is the First Pick Up?
Every Monday, beginning next Monday, May 17 and for the next 23 Mondays after that. Pick-up is from 5:00 to 6:30 pm.

We will be harvesting your share each Monday morning and bringing it to you that afternoon, so it won’t be available for you to pick up at any other site. If you receive this email you have signed up for the Farm pick up on Mondays. If you intended to sign up for a different site let us know right away.

Where is the Pick Up?

The address of our Farm is 29820 E Woodard Rd; directions are on our website. Our pick up will take place in a covered area off our ‘barnita’, so pull in to our driveway, and drive around behind the house and go forward until you see our set up.

What Should I Bring to Pick-Up?

Please bring an assortment of bags – cloth, paper or plastic – in a variety of sizes. Small boxes also work really well. There are always some items to weigh (like spinach or green beans), so plastic produce bags are especially good to have. We do not provide bags, so if you have them, we could always use clean (washed and dried) extra bags for those who forget.

What Will I Do at Pick-Up?

First, you hug your Farmer-she’ll be very happy to see you! Then you sign in; at the sign in table, there are newsletters or recipe sheets to take home. Then you look at the board which tells you how much of each item to take. You count and weigh the items listed on the board and bag them yourself. Sometimes an EXTRAS box is there for you to take what you want and to put in what you don’t. ?(But you’ll want to try everything, we’re sure of it!)

What about Eggs, Meat and Other Extras?

If you’ve ordered eggs from Terra Farma, they will be in a separate cooler and you’ll take from there. If you would like to order eggs now, call or email Mike or Linda right away so it can be available for next Monday’s pick up.  mguebert@comcast.net or 503.849.8121.

We still have Salad Lovers’ shares available. It’s not too late to sign up for this; the first Salad Lovers distribution will be in 4 weeks.

Can Someone Else Pick Up For You?/Picking Up for Others

If you cannot make pick up you are encouraged to have a non-member come for you. Just get them to the right place at the right time, remind them to bring a few bags, and we’ll walk them through the process. If you are picking up for others, please take your time and do not feel rushed, and don’t hesitate to ask for help if you need it. You are taking up less time than if each of you came, not to mention saving fuel. Two or more members who live a distance from a pick up site, and near each other, are encouraged to take turns picking up each others’ shares. As much as possible, we will try to link up neighbors who live near each other.

Regarding Payment Balances
If you have only paid your deposit so far, you should pay your balance soon unless we have made different arrangements. Feel free to save the stamp and envelope and bring a check with you to pick up. Remember, for those of you splitting your share with another household, PLEASE always have the same (original) person write the checks. Thanks.

Shares Available
We still have shares available for all our pick up sites. If you haven’t renewed yet and would still like to, please call right away and we’ll just harvest for you on Monday and take care of money at pick up. If you know of others in your neighborhood that might be interested, please pass along our information. Remember, any new members that join as a referral from you will earn you $20! We also still have money in the Scholarship Fund and we’d love to help low-income folks who want fresh vegetables but think they can’t afford it.

We’re all really excited about the new season and look forward to seeing you! Please call or email if you have ANY questions.

Shari, Bryan and the Crew
Dancing Roots Farm

Thank you for renewing or joining and being part of the solution with us! It is common for the first 3-5 weeks to be light, both in number of items and/or weight. You’ll find the selection will increase soon enough. Returning members know this; for new members just think of this as the time to ease into eating more vegetables and learning to eat with the seasons.

A typical first of the season share might look like:
Lettuce, spinach, Bloomsdale Radishes w/greens, D’Avignon & French Breakfast Braising Mix (Stir Fry Mix), Tah Tsoi, Green Wave, arugula, mizuna Pea Greens, Austrian field peas (our cover crop!) Chives w/edible flowers and maybe even a little Cherry Tomato plant…. here is a link to what shares might look like from spring to summer to fall.

Pea Greens (a.k.a. Pea Vines, Pea Shoots)
Adapted from Great Good Food by Julee Rosso

1/2 T olive oil
salt to taste
6 garlic cloves, minced
1/8 cup chicken or vegetarian broth
all your pea shoots, chopped about 1”

In large skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add garlic, toss well to coat. Add broth; cover and cook, stirring occasionally for 5-6 minutes until garlic begins to soften. Remove cover, turn up heat to high, and add pea shoots. Cover and let shoots wilt for 5-7 minutes, stirring frequently and adding one tablespoon of broth at a time to maintain moisture. Remove cover and turn up heat so that all the juices are completely absorbed.