4/24/24 Sharing with our Partners & More Farm Events

We love partnering with some of the amazing non-profit groups doing work in food and farming throughout the Bay Area. We wanted to tell you about a few with whom we’ve been sharing. We’ve are thankful that we are well positioned to give what is needed in specific situations. Your support allows us to share where we can.

We are thrilled to be a partner farm (as are many other Sonoma County farms) in a program called Grow-a-Row, a project of Native Food Ways and CWLF. They asked that local farms growing on formerly Miwok and Pomo lands grow one row worth of food for this program to support local Native populations as a small land back gesture. The last three years we have been sharing primarily spring lettuce with them weekly but sometimes squash, cabbages and more. We encourage you to learn more about them and support them and their wonderful local farm Heron Shadow (they even have volunteer work days on their farm).

CWLF (Celebrating Womxn’s Leadership in Food) is a local initiative that helps link many of these pieces.  We love this initiative because they get what farming locally is like, but also get what ways we can effectively share and help coordinate between groups. Not only do they help coordinate the Grow a Row program but a second program we love, Plants to the People.

In a similar way of linking Sonoma county farms this time to small urban farms who are of such a scale that they cannot have any meaningful nursery space. Our farm for instance may grow 4-8000 nursery plants a week (depending on the season). Through Plants to the People we donate 1-2000 every spring and a few more in late summer. Not much for us, but a LOT for others. This spring we were one of 10 local farms doing such.

We also have some of our own relationships and help stock some of Farm to Pantry’s community gardens and Community Soil’s garden in Larkfield from our nursery.

More Farm Events

Farm Events have been huge this spring as we’re trying them back on again after Covid to see what will work for the future. This past week we’ve had 2 workshops (one our own and one in collaboration with Climate Farm School). We are having many farm tours and talks including an SSU class today, a presentation to 4 classes at Analy HS tomorrow, Bodega Land Trust tour Saturday as well as a talk and dinner with a screening of Common Ground at the Alexander Valley Film Fest Saturday and Farm Trails next weekend. Check out our upcoming events. These are all open to the public but of course you are welcome.

April 27: AV Film Fest: Common Ground with Elizabeth and others in Regenerative ag.

May 4th: Farm Trails Spring Tour - two at Singing Frogs Farm

May 12 1:30: SFF Farm Tour

- Mother’s Day

May 19 1:30: SFF Farm Tour

Produce Notes & Recipes!

This Week’s Box

Cegolaine Lettuce

Chicory Mix (Classic) OR Broccoli (Family)

Rainbow Chard

Pea Shoots

Trumpet Royal Mushrooms (Mycopia)

Scallions

Family: Summer Squash & Red ButterWe have a wonderful box for you this week!

One of our many farm goals includes the beginning of Summer Squash in CSA boxes on May 1st. We’re thrilled to be a week early with family boxes. If we get more heat (doesn’t look so good this week) we will start a rotation very soon! We have one bed of Costata Romanesco that has good fruits and about three other beds of Zucchini and Yellow Squash behind. Yay!!

All Classic Boxes have a bag of Chicory Mix this week (Familie’s had it last week). This includes Frisée, Escarole and Radicchio. We love the as a salad with an acid dressing.

We have an abundance of light greens and were lacking an item of weight so we brought in one from some local producers… Mycopia here in Sebastopol… their Trumpet Royal Mushrooms! Something a little different from you as other farmers have very much the same that we do right now, last year we know many of you just loved these. We chose Trumpet Royal because they’re easy to use and versatile. Mycopia says they “can be sautéed, grilled, braised, stewed, or broiled... the stem has the same wonderful texture and flavor as the cap and it may be sliced into medallions and prepared like seared scallops. Firm porcini-like texture, its savory richness is emphasized by high-heat cooking. Sautéed with butter, it pairs with Chardonnay. Grilled or roasted with olive oil, pair it with Syrah. With meats, try with Pinot Noir or Zinfandel. It likes cream, walnut, sherry, parmesan, rosemary, balsamic. Keeps its shape and texture when sliced or diced.”

Here are some of our ideas:

• Sautéed Trumpet Royal and Scallions, add Stir-Fry mix in last moment and a splash of Meyer Lemon.

• Miso soup with Stir-Fry Mix, Trumpet Royale, and any of the following: ginger, soft tofu, Udon or soba noodles, sautéed scallions, 6 minute boiled egg, wakame seaweed.

• Sautéed with a poached or soft boiled egg on top and parmesan cheese over noodles or rice

• Sautéed with garlic over rice

• Sautéed with Indian spices

• Stir-fried with chicken thigh, and a chili sauce

Note: Top ANY of these with Pea Shoots!

I thought the following recipe was a perfect match for this week’s produce but I haven’t tried it out yet.

Trumpet Mushroom & Escarole/Chicory Salad (Guac Squad)

1. Wash a mix of Escarole and other similar greens (Chicory Mix would be perfect)/

2. Make your vinaigrette. You can follow this recipe from Bon Appetit as is or use Meyer lemon and omit the honey. 

Creamy Lemon–Mustard Vinaigrette (Bon Appetit)

This lemony dressing is the classic vinaigrette, and too easy not to make.

Ingredients:

1 small shallot, chopped

¾ cup olive oil

¼ cup fresh lemon juice

2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

1 teaspoon honey

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

3. Split the mushrooms lengthwise and grill over medium high heat turning until cooked through.

4. Toss the greens with some of the vinaigrette, but don't drown it.

5. Plate the greens, add mushrooms and drizzle a little more vinaigrette over the 'shrooms. If you must, toss on some walnut pieces.

A head of escarole and 5 mushrooms is enough for 2 salads as a meal or 4 side salads. This salad is delicious!

We would rarely would give Rainbow Chard twice in a row, we like to rotate through our bunching greens. BUT right now all our winter kales have bolted. The spring ones are growing at super speed so we’ll have them very quickly. But our overwintered Rainbow Chard is still looking amazing and our Spring Rainbow Chard is big and beautiful so we have a plethora! Enjoy. Here is a recipe from a long time CSA member.

Casserole of Swiss Chard and Gruyere

(NYT Cooking via CSA member Bullwinkle)

1 bunch Swiss chard (kale may be substituted)

3 Tbs extra-virgin olive oil

1 medium onion, chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

¼ cup chopped scallions

1 cup finely chopped well-drained canned plum tomatoes

½ cup freshly grated Gruyere cheese

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 Rinse the Swiss chard, drain it and chop it fine.

2 Heat the oil in a large, heavy skillet. Add the onion, sauté over medium heat until tender but not brown, then stir in the garlic. Add the scallions and tomatoes, then add the chopped Swiss chard. Cook for about 15 minutes, until the Swiss chard has wilted.

3 Remove from heat, stir in all but two tablespoons of the cheese and season to taste with salt and pepper.

4 Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

5 Spoon the Swiss chard mixture into a one-quart casserole. Sprinkle the remaining cheese on top. Bake for about 30 minutes, then serve.

We try to give you an herb most weeks. This week we’re excited to have some scallions but then we may be in an empty patch for a while. We did plant our first crop of Basil in our hoop house last week so hopefully we’ll have early crops of Basil for you!

Thanks everyone for your support! Please don’t hesitate to reach out with any questions.