Farm NewsLetter 09/04/06

47th Avenue Farm Newsletter
Sept. 4th, 2006

There are only a few winter shares left. Please sign up this week if you want to continue with the farm through the winter (Nov-April). This last summer season sold out and we already have a waiting list for the winter season. To hold your place, please fill out the attached membership form and bring it with a check to pickup, or mail them to Laura Masterson, 6632 SE 47th Ave, Portland, OR 97206

We had a great turn out at the work party last weekend! Several beds of black radishes got a thorough weeding and thinning. This is the first year we’ve grown this variety and we’re looking forward to enjoying them this fall and into the winter. Black radishes have a thick black skin that needs to be peeled off, then they can be eaten raw or cooked like a turnip. They are high in Vit A, Vit B, sulfur, and have lots of fiber. Weeding the Curly Kale was also on the list for the work party and that team got through almost all the beds. These curly varieties, Winterbor and Redbor, are amongst the hardiest greens and are a staple of the share through the fall and winter. In the spring we’ll also harvest the sweet raab from each when they start to flower. There was some seeding to be done, and over 60 trays of lettuce and Walla Walla onions starts are now in the greenhouse soaking up the summer sun. The lettuce will go into the greenhouse when the tomatoes come out and be our main salad greens for the winter. The onions will get transplanted this fall and provide us with big beautiful sweet onions early next summer. Last but not least Terry Anderson, former Friends of Zenger Farm board member and the greenhouse “go to” guy came out and helped to repair the sagging side of the south greenhouse. It looks much better now and should be able to withstand whatever weather this winter brings.

This week we have a bumper crop of Anaheim chiles. This particular variety is called Big Chile II and has the traditional semi-flattened long green shape. This type of chile is also known as California green chile, long green pepper, or chile verde. The large, mild chiles are perfect for chiles rellenos. Mexican cooks also like to dice or purée them, and then add them to sauces, soups, and casseroles. They have a tough skin, but it peels off easily if you first char the chiles over a flame and then steam them in a paper bag for several minutes. Donna Kennedy suggests roasting them over the direct flame of the burner on a gas stove or putting them on an oiled pan skin side up 1 inch below a preheated broiler. Keep turning as they blister and brown. The skin should come easily away from the flesh. Be careful not to char them too much or you will burn right through the flesh.
The Weather: Hopefully this warm weather will ripen our heirloom tomatoes!
Thank you everyone for all your help!

Your share this week may include:

Anaheim Chile Peppers Best when roasted and peeled first- see chile rellenos below. They are also good baked them in cornbread or folded into quesadillas. These have very little heat.
Carrots Bunches of sweet baby carrots
Cucumbers These slicers are thin skinned and tasty.
Sweet Corn!! What more can I say?
Eggplant Use these long thin Asian eggplant just as you would the fatter Italian varieties.
Lettuce Heads Crunchy & sweet, this lettuce take me right back to my childhood.
Hot Peppers Jalapenos (green) are pretty mild, next up the heat ladder are cayenne peppers (red) and hottest amongst the varieties we grow are the habeneros (yellow-orange)
Plums From Zenger Farm, these heirloom prune plum trees were used originally as posts for the old pasture fence. They are having an extremely productive season!
Potatoes This variety, aptly named All Red are red all the way through!
Summer Squash Wow do we have squash this week! All different shapes colors and sizes.
Tomatoes These little Stupice tomatoes from the greenhouse are super tasty
Turnips These sweet little Hakuri turnips go great in summer salads.
Mustard Greens Saute these greens in one big batch so that the cooking is done all at once. They will keep in the fridge for several days, and can be used over pasta, in quiche, ploenta…

Los Chiles Rellenos
Based on a recipe from Mariquita Farm

8 anaheim or poblano chiles
8 pieces of a good melting cheese
1.5-2 pound ripe tomatoes
4 garlic cloves, skinned
1 onion, skinned, quartered
S & P to taste
4 eggs, separated
flour

Wash & lightly dry 8 chiles that are about the size of your fist or a bit larger. Put them whole under the broiler and roast, turning with tongs, until wrinkled & dark, but not burnt on most sides. Remove from oven and place in paper bag for 5 minutes. Take them out of the bag & skin them, trying to leave them whole as best you can, then let them cool down.
Tomato sauce: Chop & seed the tomatoes. Saute garlic & onions until soft. Add tomatoes and simmer until it is thick. Taste for salt & pepper.
Slit each chile with a small whole, then attempt to remove some of the seeds, keeping the chile whole if possible. Stuff the roasted chiles with the cheese pieces. Don’t worry if some of your peppers aren’t completely whole, I just wrapped the frayed pieces around the cheese, and you couldn’t tell those chiles from the truly intact ones once they were on the plate.
With the roasted chiles and tomato sauce ready, you can start on the egg whites. Whip egg whites & 2 T flour until soft peaks are becoming a bit stiffer. Fold in 2 of the egg yolks (you can do as you please with the other two, you won’t need them for this recipe) with a rubber spatula, taking care not to disturb the egg white mass more than necessary.
Dredge stuffed chiles in flour (I put about 1/2 a cup in a saucer for this task), then thoroughly coat with the egg white stuff. Fry in hot oil until golden brown, turning at least once to cook all sides. Serve immediately with a couple of spoons of tomato sauce served over the relleno. Divine!!