Week 8 – 2010 Harvest
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.
