Weekly Abundance, Vol 6-09

Weekly Harvest

Beets – Chioggia, Golden or Kestral

Broccoli

Cabbage

Fennel

Summer Squash – Yellow Crook Neck, Green and Golden Zucchini

Red Torpedo Bottle Onions

Scallions

Lettuce – Butterking and Red Buttterhead

Parsley

New Potatoes – mixed varieties

Farm Life

You will find that your parsley keeps best if you treat it like cut flowers and put it in a vase of water out of direct sunlight.  If you are unable to use all your parsley, you may dry it for later use.

We are trialing several types of onions this year.  As mentioned in last weeks post, onions get much of their flavor from the soil where they are grown.  Consequently we are growing multiplevarieties so that we can identify those that produce the best flavor in our soil.  Last week, you sampled a sweet onion… the same variety used to grow the famous Walla Walla Sweets.  You will get a chance to sample this onion again in the coming weeks.

We are tasting Red Torpedo Bottle onions this week.  Red Torpedoes are considered a Pungent Sweet onion.  They do not dry well so are not used as a long term storage onion.   An easy way to cook them is to baste them in olive oil then cook them on the grill.  The green leaves make a convenient “handle” for turning them.  Unfortunately, we had significant germination problems with this onion so you will not get a second chance to try them.  Be sure to let me know what you think.  Should we grow this onion again next year?

Several people have asked about eggs.  We are asking the chickens the same question, “Where are the eggs?”  So far, the chickens haven’t answered.  So…. we wait and watch.  We will certainly let you know when there are eggs available.

However, there is still chicken available for sale for only $3.75/lb. This price is a bargain.  The last time I visited the Beaverton Farmer’s Market, chickens raised using methods similar to ours were selling for $5.00/lb.  Our pre-cut birds are particularly convenient for grilling and broiling.

Fennel

Featured Veggie of the Week

Fennel is crunchy and slightly sweet, adding a refreshing contribution to the ever popular Mediterranean cuisine. Fennel is composed of a white or pale green bulb from which closely superimposed stalks are arranged. The stalks are topped with feathery green leaves near which flowers grow and produce fennel seeds. The bulb, stalk, leaves and seeds are all edible. Fennel belongs to the Umbellifereae family and is therefore closely related to parsley, carrots, dill and coriander.

Fennel is very low in Cholesterol. It is also a good source of Niacin, Calcium, Iron, Magnesium, Phosphorus and Copper, and a very good source of Dietary Fiber, Vitamin C, Folate, Potassium and Manganese.  If you would like to increase the Vitamin C content even more, try this salad which uses both your fennel bulbs and your Red Torpedo Onions.

http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/fennel-and-red-onion-salad-with-parmesan

Or, follow this link for a  simple recipe for baked fennel.

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Baked-Fennel-with-Parmesan/Detail.aspx