Thanks for joining us this winter in some great seasonal eating. As your farmers we have always had crops in storage to eat over the dark winter months. We are excited to now be sharing this opportunity with you! Please give us feedback so we can know if you are enjoying the vegetables as much as we do.
| Beets: Chioggia | 4 lbs |
| Cabbage: Famosa | 1 head |
| Carrots: Dragon | 4 lbs |
| Leeks: Tadorna | 6 each |
| Potatoes: Canela Russets | 6 lbs |
| Radicchio: Leo | 2 heads |
| Shallots: Eds Red | 2 lbs |
| Winter Squash: Baby Butternut | 2 each |
| Winter Squash: Red Kuri | 1 each |
A Few Crop Notes:
- Chioggia Striped Beets: This heirloom variety is originally from Italy. Steamed and sliced they will bring some festive color to many a holiday meal.
- Purple “Dragon” Carrots: The color plays best on your plate if sliced thinly into coin shaped slices. When slow cooked whole and unpeeled in stews the interiors become a deep orange reminiscent of sweet potato.
- Canela Russet Potato: Cured Russets deepen in potato flavor and become drier and fluffier. According to Sauvie Island Organics’s Farm Manager Scott Latham, Canela Russets make the very best mashed potatoes & gnocchi ever! These potatoes are especially delicious because they were grown without extra irrigation, just rainfall. Do not be surprised if the potatoes feel be a bit softer then you are used to. This variety softens a little in storage. They may also have a few spots on their surface that can be easily removed with a paring knife.
- Leonardo Radicchio: Bitter greens like radicchio are nutritional and digestive powerhouses. They provide a refreshing counterpoint in flavor, especially during the winter months. If the bitterness is too intense for your preference, try sauteing or searing the greens (perhaps alongside caramelized shallots), and sprinkle with a hint of something acidic right at the end. The greens take on a sweeter, more nutty and savory flavor as they are cooked and the acid (think balsamic vinegar or lemon juice) works to neutralize the bitter flavor as well. Finish with some pine nuts or curls of parmesan for a great side dish! Radicchio will store for a long time in your fridge, so you can cut off a portion at a time much like you would with a cabbage.
- Red Kuri Winter Squash: The variety this year is Potimarron, an heirloom squash that originates from France. In French Potiron means pumpkin and marron, chestnut. After baking this squash, you do not have to add anything else, just set yourself down and grab a spoon.
Storage tips from Jennifer Surdyk, Sauvie Island Organics’ Harvest & Pack-out Manager.
Her expertise will help you keep your produce looking and tasting great.
Ever wonder why your farm fresh vegetables are not always staying perky in your refrigerator? The optimal storage condition for many root vegetables, leafy greens, cabbages, and leeks is very low temperature (just above freezing) and very high humidity (about 95% relative humidity). The inside of a refrigerator just has too much air movement and too low of humidity to keep vegetables completely happy. Plastic bags are your best friend for prolonging the life of produce in your refrigerator! Once you get your share home, put your root vegetables, leeks, radicchio, and cabbage all into plastic bags, even inside the veggie bin of your refrigerator. This simple step will keep your produce looking perky and vibrant for weeks to come.
The shallots and squash prefer to live outside of your refrigerator. You can enjoy the festive look of squash and shallots in a basket on the table or counter top. Shallots are more tolerant of light exposure, but will turn green if placed in direct bright light. They are still edible, but may attempt to sprout more quickly.
Jennifer also offers a few space saving techniques.
A trick I use to fit lots of leeks in my fridge when I’m low on space is to remove the unusable green portion and toss it into the freezer in a ziploc bag where I collect all of my vegetable ends, pieces, peels, scraps, and any meat bones. When I have a critical mass built up I make a batch of stock with it. Then you only have to store 8” of trimmed and ready to use leek, which should be kept in a plastic bag to prevent moisture loss and wilting.