NEEDTOBREATHE & Spring in Seattle

So I got a message a few weeks ago from my grandma because I haven't been posting. She was worried that she was missing them since she usually uses the links I post on facebook.  It was a reminder that 1) I'm super behind on posting and 2) I have at least one reader! Thanks grandma!  So here you go grandma! Also don't forget to check for previous post in the next week or so as I'm slowly adding my backlogged post.

Here is a quick update on on the here and now. Needtobreathe came to town this weekend. My brothers haven't seen them live yet so I made sure to change that. They are an amazing band. The first time I saw them live back in 2009, I left the concert wanting to chuck all of their recorded albums. Once you see them live its hard to settle for a recording because they are that good.

We took this photo appropriately during the song "Brother".

These guys know how to rock

Report from the farm. Not too much Farmer Food or any food coming in right now. Lots of stuff growing but not to much is market ready yet except for a good deal of radishes. My coworker and I have been eating a lot of radish salads at lunch. Both the greens and roots.

This is a radish salad with vinaigrette, feta cheese, sunflower seeds and left over meatloaf.  

While the rest of us were out transplanting kale one fine afternoon our farm manager come cursing by on the "G" to seed radishes. He had picked up a hitch hiker from the office. Like me she doesn't get out of the barn area much so it was like a big party down in "field E" for us.

I was trapping rodents in the barn and had to siphon peanut butter from the jar in the green house. This was my label. I really think I should have gone into advertising.

"Critter's Last Meal...."

"...For the Critter in your Life". 

Fall Farmer Food Recap

I'm a bit behind on posting some of the wonderful creations me and my coworks have made this fall using things that are leftover on the farm or things we've traded with at market. 

 This one is just a bunch of random stuff leftover from market, but the picture looks really fancy (aka I can't really remember what it is, but don't it look nice) 

Thai style winter squash : I cooked winter squash (any type will do) then topped it with coconut oil, honey, thai five spice, sesame seeds and a bit of salt. 

Tomato soup: Right before lunch we took a bunch of 2nd tomatoes, oregano, leeks and some kind of hazelnut noodle (they were in the shape of those butter mints they serve at weddings). Turned out great. The tomatoes were so sweet.     

 Sauteed veggies. I believe we went Asian style on this one. Turnips, napa cabbage, leeks, sesame seeds, and smoked salmon. I think we seasoned with roasted sesame oil, soy sauce and sriracha.   

Smoked salmon salad thing on top of toast, side of extra sharp cheddar, sauteed golden beets in coconut oil.  

This fall on the farm the most awesome thing happened that could have ever happened. We got a fire pit! It's the coolest hang out for lunch breaks and post work parties. This photo was from our weekly potluck. My dish to share was the quesadillas with sauteed greens, chimichurri, and blue cheese. It went over better than I was expecting. I thought it was yummy but I wasn't sure how it would go over. Nailed it ... on accident. 

Fennel Flowers & Goat Cheese

I wrote the following for week 19 of Oxbow's 2013 CSA newsletter. Here is a link to the newsletter if your interested in seeing the final product and learning a bit more about my role on the farm. 

I have many favorite veggies that we grow here on the farm but I would have to put Fennel high in the ranks of my favorites. 2013 has been a stellar year for our dear little fennel friends here at Oxbow so as a farmer and fennel lover, I was really happy that one of our longtime CSA members took the time at the harvest party to tell me how much she has been enjoying all the fennel in her box this season.

I was introduced to fennel a few years before I started working at Oxbow, but now that I am coming to the close of my 2nd season here, I have come to appreciate it on a whole new level. I am always finding new and interesting ways to use it, whether they come from some crazy idea that pops into my head, a coworker tells me about a recipe they like, or I stumble across something online. Some of my my favorite fennel recipes are roasted and served with lemon pepper chicken, candied (bulb and/or stems) with lemon rid, and this year fennel flowers served over goat cheese. 

I had never used fennel flowers before this summer, but once they started coming in from the fields, it seems I couldn't get enough of them. Over the past several weeks, I have brought different variations of goat cheese and fennel flowers to our weekly lunch potluck. Every time I thought I was done experimenting with this dish and it was time to move on, a new idea would pop in my head and I had to try it the next week. Luckily, people either genuinely enjoyed it or did a really good job humoring me (I choose to believe the former). I hope that you enjoy the fennel flowers in your box this week. They will make you feel like a fancy gourmet cook with very little effort.  

Farmer Food Fennel Flowers

When there are extra or damaged items form the CSA or restaurants pack-outs, they go in a create at the end of the table and become "Farmer Food". That's some good looking farmer food. 

Below are a few of my favorite variations of the fennel flower and goat cheese evolution. 

Fennel Flower & Goat Cheese version 2.0

Version 2.0. What's New : Fresh allium of your choice (shallot in in photo) drizzled with olive oil 

Served over slice of artisan bread 

Fennel Flower & Goat Cheese version 3.0

 Version 3.0. What's New : Caramelized allium of your choice (shallot in in photo) drizzled with olive oil 

Carmelizing the shallots breaks down the starches to sugars so its really nice and sweet


Fennel Flower & Goat Cheese version 4.0

  

 Version 4.0. What's New : Fresh allium of your choice (shallot in in photo), drizzled with olive oil and served with baked pears.

I switched back to fresh alliums for this version because I wanted the spice of the fresh allium to counter balance the sweetness of the baked pear. 

Oxbow Farm in all it's Fall potluck glory

Farmer Food : Thai Style

I have slowly moved a lot of my Thai spices down to the kitchen at works since that is where I do most of my kitchen creations these days.

 This dish was the result of sauteing parsnips, leeks, chard, and fennel in a cast-iron pan. Then I added noodles and seasoned with seasame oil, peanut butter, red curry paste and Thai five spice. 

September Farm Lunch

 It's here! It's finally here! Cheddar Cauliflower, Oh how we've been waiting for you and your gorgeous self all season! 

Rock'n the Cheddar Cauli

Cheddar Cauliflower Pasta

I used a dressing that a coworker had leftover. I did't catch the whole recipe but she said something about dill and parsley in olive oil. Might be more to it than that but I'll have to post it later. I sauteed Leeks, Cheddar Cauli, Brussel Sprout tips (leaves), tomatoes and garnished with French Sorrel. In the bottle is mint infused well water. 

Beet & Apple sautee

I sauteed Leeks, Beets, Beet Greens, Apples in olive oil. Added a touch of white wine vinegar, sesame oil and Thai Five Spice after. Served with a Side of Spicy Chai kraut and pita. Followed by a quick nap. 

August Farm Lunch

Beef & Coriander Pasta 

The pasta came from Pasteria Lucchese, who we trade with at the Ballard Farmers market. I took ground beef and sauteed it with walla-walla onions, dino kale, cherry tomatoes, and fresh coriander. The beef and coriander really stole the show in this dish.

Leftover Quiche

This Leftover quiche from our Wednesday potluck looked even better by the next day. I just added some caramelized leeks (some is an understatement, as you can't even see the quiche), extra extra sharp cheddar cheese and bit of kraut. This stuff just flew off the plate into my face. Before I knew it, I had horked-down all but 3 bites and was still standing in the kitchen. 

July Farmer Lunch

For a week or two in July this was the basic farm lunch : Rice, Sauce of some kind (soy sauce or my standard Asian inspired sauce), Hard boiled Eggs and whatever veggies and goodies were hanging around. Can't forget the Sriracha....of course. In this picture the feature of the day was sauteed fava beans, onions, and raisins with a side of sauerkraut.

My co-worker got me on a hard boiled egg kick for a while. It made the whole meal making thing go really quick.  Leaving more time to lounge or nap in the orchard. That's a win-win right there.

Lunch on the Farm

There are many reasons why I love to work on a farm, but one that is near the top is the Farm Lunch. I get an hour to myself to make lunch with fresh ingredients then I can go sit in the display garden and eat, rest, nap, and/or socialize with coworkers. 

Close up of Friday's concoction

I usually bring some kind of base item. Like today it was quinoa in a sauce I made out of sunflower seed butter, soy sauce, splash of chicken broth, and some ginger (needed coconut milk but I was out). Then I improvised with what was harvested today and what I could grab from the display garden. That's how the sugar snap peas, red romaine lettuce, arugula flowers, strawberries, and Moroccan mint garnish all ended up on my plate today.  Oh can't forget, the drizzling of hot sauce.  Lunch on the farm has turned into a choose your own adventure where I can foster my laziness or 'winging it' in the kitchen philosophy with special attention to exploration of  flavor fusions. It's awesome. 

Friday's lunch under the grape arbor and overlooking the raspberries. 

Having fresh ingredients right at my fingertips in every season is really great. I'm super lucky in that regard and I try not to take it for granted. I'm also trying not to take the beautiful weather we've had this spring for granted either. Compared to last year's grey "June-uary" this spring has been sunny and warm.  

Snapped this picture of the new grape vine growth on a particularly beautiful sunny day on one of my lunches last week

I love the color combination of green and blue in this picture. Blue and green are cool on their own, but so much cooler together.