It is almost the holiday season! At the Farm, the two weeks at the end of December to the beginning of January are one of the few times we almost completely shut down. Most of the crew has those 2 weeks off as a much needed break before the spring season begins again. The fields are full of vegetables and cover crops – all growing very very slowly now so they don’t need much attention from us. They will begin to pick up their growth rate after the Solstice ✨ when the days – and eventually temperatures – begin to increase. Until then, I hope you also find time for rest and relaxation in the weeks ahead. We’ll look forward to seeing you again on Jan 3rd 2023!

A few ideas for some of those veggies:

• Delicata Squash: A perennial favorite, this cucurbita pepo peaks in flavor from late fall to the early winter. We grow two different varieties. Zeppelin, in the photo above, has the classic creamy color with green & orange stripes. Candystick is a darker carmel color with similar green & orange stripes. Both are delicious with dark orange flesh and edible skin. Many years ago, I read an article that described the orange on a truly ripe Delicata as “pumpkin pie spice with the cinnamon stirred in” and that description has never steered me wrong. Beware underripe Delicata squash at the store! Any variety with light yellow or light orange stripes is likely to lack the superb nutty sweetness of a truly ripe Delicata. I usually cut them lengthwise and roast in the oven until soft. For a fun presentation they can be stuffed or made into Squash Rings.
• Winter Cabbage: Only a few special varieties are hardy enough to keep growing through our wet and cold winters. Some are purple on the outside, some are more saved, but all are more sweet and less dense than summer cabbage. They are great for slaw or can be cooked. There are many variations on the vegetable fritter, and one of my favorites features cabbage – Okonomiyaki is a delicious japanese fritter that features cabbage. One of my other favorite recipes is Roasted Cabbage Wedges.
• Brussel Sprouts: Just pop the sprouts off the stalk and peel a few layers off and they’ll be good to go. Sprouts are great roasted or shaved thin into salad. And I always have to include this super simple recipe for them with Gnocchi & Pesto.

Oh, by the way, whether you’re a shareholder or not, if you need some extra veggies for the holidays, we’ve got you covered! All you need to do is follow the link below and sign up for a single pickup half (aka the Try It Out) share. For example, reserve a Try It Out share on..

• Dec 13th for the Winter/Solstice/Hanukkah/Christmas Holiday
• Jan 3rd for a Happy & Healthy New Year

A quick reminder that pro-rated memberships in our Winter/Spring CSA – starting now through mid-April – are still available!

Hope you had a nice Thanksgiving! It’s feeling like a real Oregon winter day today and that’s fine with me – we need the rain and the cold weather makes all the crops even sweeter. Carrots are getting even more delicious if that is possible 🥕

A few ideas for the veggies in our share:

• Radicchio: I always have to mention my favorite Insalata Nostrana. This is Cathy Whim’s caesar-like salad made with radicchio instead of romaine. You’ll find chioggia or castelfranco – both of which would be delicious in the salad. They can also be sautéed and used in soup, over pasta and in risotto. Nice roasted on top of pizza or focaccia too!
• Purple Winter Radish: This doesn’t have the spicy heat of summer radish. Insead, it combines the flavor of mild daikon with the sweetness of winter which makes it tasty raw or roasted. Also tasty on top of ramen.
• Brussel Sprouts: Just pop the sprouts off the stalk and peel a few layers off and they’ll be good to go. Sprouts are great roasted or shaved thin into salad. And I always have to include this super simple recipe for them with Gnocchi & Pesto.

Does this sound delicious, but you’re not a shareholder? That’s an easy problem to solve! Come on board for our amazing Winter/Spring CSA on a prorated basis at one of our two pickup locations (SE Portland or Lake Oswego) and take home fresh, local, sustainably-farmed produce like this every other week!

Join us, won’t you?

Our pioneering Winter/Spring CSA runs November through mid-April 2023 over 11 bounteous pickups. We’ve got rows & rows of incredible veggies in the ground to help supply you and your family with delicious fresh food all season!

But what do you get, I hear you ask! Why, delicious, fresh, sustainably-farmed vegetables from a CSA with 27 years perfecting its craft, of course! As a shareholder, you can look forward to:

Wow, that’s a LOT of good eatin’! And to help you make the most of it, we also include a free membership in the essential CSA recipe source Cook With What You Have. All for as little as $4.50 a day (or $8.15 a day for a more ample, family-size whole share pickup). In fact, on average, you’d pay 10-20% more for the same veggies at your local natural food store.

So come on board at one of our two pickup locations (SE Portland or Lake Oswego) and take home fresh, local, sustainably-farmed produce like this every other week!

A gentle reminder that membership in our Summer CSA – starting mid-May – beckoning!

We’re celebrating St. Patricks Day with lots of GREENS this week 🍀 In the share you’ll find a bag of sweet pea microgreens. Plus not just one, but two kinds of raab – the frilly one is kale and smooth stems are collards. Cook the stems, leaves, buds and all – they are tender, tasty and delicious.

I announced on instagram yesterday that I was sure we’d have PSB (aka Purple Sprouting Broccoli) in the share today, but my estimations were definitely off. There are so many plants out there in the field, but the harvest has continued to just trickle in. At some point soon we’ll have an avalanche of broccoli but that did not happen today. In farming I’m constantly reminded that “no plan survives contact with Mother Nature” or something like that 🙂

Here are some highlights from today’s CSA box…

• Pea Microgreens are an amazing little treat this time of year! With all the wild weather we’ve been having, I wasn’t sure they would be ready in time for the pickup. Saruh was watching over them at Grand Island and her careful management helped them pull through right on time. Sprinkle a few on salad, soup or sandwiches. They add a fresh & delicious sparkle to any dish.
• Leeks are not a vegetable I grew up with, but I’ve come to adore the delicious depth of flavor they add to everything this time of year. I made a variation on this Leeks & Greens in Coconut Milk last night with some turmeric and a little chicken which was amazing! I’m also a fan of this Onion & Squash Gallette made with leeks. For more tips & tricks with leeks and over 3 dozen recipes, check out the Cook With What You Have website (member access is included in our CSA, btw!)/

Does this sound delicious, but you’re not a shareholder? That’s an easy problem to solve! Come on board for our amazing Winter/Spring CSA on a prorated basis at one of our two pickup locations (SE Portland or Lake Oswego) and take home fresh, local, sustainably-farmed produce like this every other week!

First, a reminder that membership in our Summer CSA – starting mid-May – is now open for sale!

The atmospheric river has returned! Our farm crew had a super soggy harvest the last few days, but they brought in another round of beautiful produce for our shareholders and single-pickup customers. In additional to the delicious veggies we’ll also have some beautiful dry beans and honey for sale at the pickup.

Also sending a shout out to the City of Portland who came through this week and graded the gravel road in front of our house. We really appreciate it and imagine that you likely do too!

Here are some highlights from today’s CSA box…

• David & Katie are some of the most enthusiastic dry bean advocates in town!! You’ll likely recognize them because they’ve both worked at the CSA pickups (and at the farm) over the years. They will be here tonight to share their vast knowledge of all things beans and give you the opportunity to buy some extra dry beans and/or their very fun Bean Zean (or Bien Zine?). Last summer we hosted them at Grand Island where they grew almost 10,000 sq ft of 6 different varieties for their very own Dry Bean CSA @lamerendafarm. We really appreciate that them sharing their creativity and passion for this delicious crop.
• Collard Greens are back! Try them in a Comforting Curry, Spicy Eritrean Stew, or with Leeks & Beans in Coconut Milk. They are also delicious in this Caldo Verde. All recipes are on our special, shareholders-only 47th Ave Farm page at Cook With What You Have.
• The green Pan di Zucchero, aka Sugarloaf is one of the last chicory varieties of the winter. Try it in a Hearty Salad or carmelized with beans (lots of those on offer today!) and leeks with crispy shallots on top. Want to learn more about all things chicory? Check out this Radicchio Zine from our friends at the Culinary Breeding Network. It includes much history, trivia and my favorite radicchio salad recipe Insalata Nostrana (pg 20).

Does this sound delicious, but you’re not a shareholder? That’s an easy problem to solve! Come on board for our amazing Winter/Spring CSA on a prorated basis at one of our two pickup locations (SE Portland or Lake Oswego) and take home fresh, local, sustainably-farmed produce like this every other week!

First, a quick announcement that membership in our Summer CSA is now open for sale! Even better, if you sign up before Feb 25th, you’ll lock in last year’s Summer CSA prices before we have to raise them.

The sunny weather last week was such a spring tease! It’s not uncommon in the Willamette Valley to have some dry days in Jan or Feb, but we all know it’s likely to go back to rainy winter weather soon. And we hope it does, since we definitely need more snowpack in the mountains to recharge the aquifers across the state. In the break, we were able to get a few fields disked in preparation of sugar snap pea planting. Plus the sunshine also encouraged some of our biennial brassicas to start sprouting — hence the kale tops in the share today. It also means we’ll likely have Purple Sprouting Broccoli in the next share : )

Here are some highlights from today’s CSA box…

• Yes, you can eat popcorn on the cob too! Or at least you can pop it on the cob : ) If you want to leave it whole – just put the ear into a brown bag and microwave on high heat for 3 min max. Any longer and you risk catching it on fire which is not good. If you want to take it off the cob – use your fingernail to get the first kernels started then rub the rest of them off and pop it using your favorite recipe. This variety is from the late 1800’s and was preserved by the Pennsylvania Dutch. We were introduced to it by the inimitable Anthony and Carol Boutard of Ayers Creek Farm in Gaston, OR.
• We are so lucky to be able to grow these amazing winter cabbages!! I know that some people think of cabbage as a boring vegetable, but there are only a few exceptional varieties that will grow for us in the winter and be ready to harvest in February & March. Early in my farming career, we had to order the seeds from Europe! American seed companies thought the market was too small so they decided not to carry them. Happily, that has changed and with so much interest in winter farming many of our favorite seed companies keep them in stock. Lots of recipes for cabbage – including Caldo Verde – at Cook With What You Have, free if you’re a member of our CSA.
• The Chioggia Radicchio is one of the last chicory varieties of the winter. Try it in this Hearty Salad or carmelized with beans or greens. Want to learn more about all things chicory? Check out this Radicchio Zine (PDF) from our friends at the Culinary Breeding Network. It includes much history, trivia and my favorite radicchio salad recipe Insalata Nostrana (pg 20).

Does this sound delicious, but you’re not a shareholder? That’s an easy problem to solve! Come on board for our amazing Winter/Spring CSA on a prorated basis at one of our two pickup locations (SE Portland or Lake Oswego) and take home fresh, local, sustainably-farmed produce like this every other week!

We’ve had quite a few cold & sunny days the last few weeks. This is perfect weather for sweetening up the winter crops like chicory and cabbage. When the temperatures drop, many hardy vegetables convert the starches in their cells to simple sugars. This acts as an antifreeze protecting the plants so that they aren’t damaged by cold weather. It also makes them extra sweet & tasty!

Here are some highlights from today’s CSA box…

• We are so lucky to be able to grow these amazing winter cabbages!! I know that some people think of cabbage as a boring vegetable, but there are only a few exceptional varieties that will grow for us in the winter and be ready to harvest in February & March. Early in my farming career, we had to order the seeds from Europe! American seed companies thought the market was too small so they decided not to carry them. Happily, that has changed and with so much interest in winter farming many of our favorite seed companies keep them in stock. For our shareholders, lots of recipes for cabbage – including Caldo Verde – at Cook With What You Have.
• The Rosso di Lucca dry beans in your share this week are a beautiful rosy red, oblong bean with dark stripes and speckles. Said by growers in Italy to have a rich delicious flavor, pairing well with other strong flavors such as garlic, sage and rich fruity olive oil. Seed Ambassador Kayla Preece collected this variety in 2006 from Agricultori Custodi, a seed preservation group in Tuscany, Italy. They are also in the Slow Food arc of Taste! They’re versatile and delicious in anything from Red Beans & Rice to Pasta e Fagioli.
• The Sugarloaf Chicory is sweetened by the frost! Try it in this Hearty Salad or carmelized with beans or greens. Want to learn more about all things chicory? Check out this Radicchio Zine (PDF) from our friends at the Culinary Breeding Network. It includes much history, trivia and my favorite radicchio salad recipe Insalata Nostrana (pg 20).

Does this sound delicious, but you’re not a shareholder? That’s an easy problem to solve! Come on board for our amazing Winter/Spring CSA on a prorated basis at one of our two pickup locations (SE Portland or Lake Oswego) and take home fresh, local, sustainably-farmed produce like this every other week!