Week #15!
In Your Share This Week
- Cabbage, mini
- Carrots
- Celeriac
- Jalapeños
- Lettuce
- Onions
- Poblanos
- Sweet Peppers
- Tomatoes
Crop Highlights
Celeriac: These crazy creatures are taking their sweet time to size up, but boy are they goofily cute and absolutely delicious! Celeriac, also known as celery root, is a variety of celery grown for its root. It is a great substitution for potatoes, and you can use the leaves in soup stocks or thinly sliced as a garnish. Check out this NPR Kitchen article if you are interested in learning more about celeriac: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=6551175
Jalapeños: This share is heavy on the peppers, some of my favorite SIO crops. Our jalapeño plants are amazing- I harvested these on Monday and some plants had up to 20 mature fruits on them! The ones that have white stretch marks on them or that are starting to turn red are older than the smooth green ones, and generally spicier.
Poblanos: Tiburon, the variety of poblano we’ve been growing for as long as I’ve been at SIO, has large yields and larger fruit than other poblanos. Poblanos are typically used to make chiles rellenos, and are called Ancho when dried (Ancho chili spice). They are super tasty roasted or stuffed, and also provide a nice kick if you’re making salsa. Enjoy!
Remember to check out Katherine’s recipe blog for new, delicious cooking tips:
http://www.cookwithwhatyouhave.com/sauvie-island-organics-recipes-tips/
Farmer of the Week
Meet Steve! Originally from Charlotte, Michigan, Steve moved to Portland about five years ago, and this is his third year at SIO. Steve works hard and can do many things around the farm; we rely on him as a harvester, irrigator (his favorite) and Reemay expert (Reemay is the white clothlike row cover we use to protect our crops from insects and frost). Steve is also doing some tractor work for the first time this season, and thus far has learned how to mow and use the forks to transport our big wooden harvest boxes from field to packhouse. He is pictured above and below with tomatoes, apt photos since they are one of his favorite SIO crops.
Steve is also DJ “Space Dogg.” He makes his own electronic music, and last year recorded sounds from the farm to mix into his tracks. He has played at Plews in St. Johns a couple of times, and we look forward to supporting his future endeavors! Steve is also one of the best cooks I know; he mushroom forages every year, can create wondrous meals with every type of vegetable, and makes delicious canolis from scratch. His dream is to one day be like chef Magnus Nilsson (Chef’s Table, anyone?) and open a farm-to-table restaurant.
