Welcome to week #3, and happy solstice! We are so excited that the long-awaited summer is finally here, and we can continue to introduce you to a variety of our crops. This week’s share is a bit heartier than the last two, so make space in your fridge and your bellies!
In Your Share This Week
- Beets, mixed
- Broccoli
- Cabbage, napa
- Garlic, young
- Kale, mixed
- Lettuce, summer crisp
Crop Highlights
Beets: The bunched beets you are receiving are mixed! When you cut them open, the pink/white swirly chioggia beets are a sight to see. Pronounced “kee-oh-gee-uh,” this variety comes from northern Italy and is also known as the candy cane or candy stripe beet. They are sweeter than red beets and absolutely delicious when grilled.
Broccoli: Broccoli is here! I don’t know about you, but broccoli is one of the only vegetables I liked when I was a child, so broccoli-time always makes me a bit nostalgic. The variety of broccoli we grow (belstar) has a fairly meaty stem, which is my favorite part (and reminds me of kohlrabi). You can peel the outer layer of the stem if it seems tough at all and cook it a tad longer than the florets.
Napa Cabbage: Napa cabbage originated near the Beijing region and is known by many as “Chinese cabbage.” It is one of the many types of cabbage we are growing this year, and last year we successfully grew it in the late summer/fall, so you might see it again in a few months. It is good for making kimchi, can be shredded and eaten raw in salads or slaws, and is also good when cooked (I like cooking it with onions and carrots and eating it on top of rice.) While most of the napa we are harvesting this week looks nearly perfect, sometimes the heads can develop “pepper spots,” which looks like there are flecks of pepper on the leaves. This is just cosmetic and does not affect its taste or edibility.
Enjoy, and remember to check out Katherine’s recipe blog for tips!
http://www.cookwithwhatyouhave.com/sauvie-island-organics-recipes-tips/
Farmer of the Week
Meet Tabitha! This is Tabitha’s fifth year on the farm, and we couldn’t imagine it without her. She is one of those folks you can send out with confidence to do any job; she is experienced in the greenhouse, the fields, and the pack house. Tabitha is known as the “Kale Queen” at SIO- she loves bunching kale and chard. Last year she stepped up as a field crew lead, and this year she is getting tractor trained! She has thus far learned how to mow and spade, and looks forward to more training from Brian and Jerry (our two main tractor operators) in the near future. Tabitha is a pleasure to work with, her jokes and her strong work ethic are completely infectious.
Off the farm, Tabitha stays wildly busy. She has been playing roller derby for Portland’s Heartless Heathers for six seasons, and on the all-star traveling team for three. She is also a licensed massage therapist, and gives (spectacular) massages at Unwind Massage on NE Sandy and 19th. I suggest you pay her a visit!
