“It’s so dry the trees are bribing the dogs.”
― Charles Martin, Chasing Fireflies: A Novel of Discovery
We have missed the last two rains that have gone through our region – and so everything is looking so dusty and desolate. It is the strangest thing to look at the garden, standing in the middle of a desert. It is all green and lush, probably why the bugs are drawn to it. It is it’s own little ecosystem, a terrarium. My drip tape feeds it water. I wonder if the trees are jealous.
Farm News: No news is good news! At least where farming is concerned. We did figure out which cow aborted her calf. It was a heifer – her first calf – so I don’t think she new what happened.
What’s in the bucket? OCTOBER beans – in honor of October. You must shell these babies. They won’t take long to cook because they are fresh shell beans. Once they dry – it takes longer. Islander peppers, fennel, carrots, kale, a handful of cherry tomatoes, small bibb lettuce, baby turnips, small savoy cabbage.
What’s at market: collards, turnip greens, kale, carrots, October beans, small savoy cabbage, basil. KALE YEAH special: buy one get one free kale. Circle S Beef: ground beef, steaks, roasts.
I send out this recipe every year when I have kale and fennel in the same bucket. It is wonderful. If you haven’t tried it yet, here is your chance. The islander pepper will work fine – savoy cabbage for the red cabbage and I love to add grated carrot. The baby turnips will work fine too – slice them thinly and throw them in.
Emerald City Salad
This colorful salad is inspired by the beautiful deli salad at Puget Consumer’s Co-op, Seattle’s beloved chain of natural foods grocery stores. It is so popular that I have filled many classes with the mere mention that I would be demonstrating how to make this salad.
2 ¼ cups water or stock
1 tablespoon butter
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 cup wild rice (black; ½” long)
¼ cup lemon juice
¼ cup olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
½ cup chopped fennel bulb, core removed
½ of a red or yellow pepper, diced
½ cup chopped red cabbage
½ cup chopped Italian parsley
2 cups very finely chopped dark leafy greens (6-7 leaves of chard, kale, or collards)
Salt and pepper to taste
Pecorino or gorgonzola cheese (optional)
Happy Eating and thanks for buying local food from Circle S Farm