November 20th, 2023 Newsletter

Box Contents

1 bunch Dino Kale
1 lb Little Gem/Red Gem
1.5 lb Yellow Finn Potatoes
1 lb Sweet Peppers
1 lb Yellow Onions
1 lb Delicata Squash
1 lb Pomegranates

Thanksgiving Week Schedule Adaptations

Thursday Market Deliveries:  We will shift you to Tuesday market unless you tell us some other plan!
Thursday Folks: Your boxes will deliver on Tuesday 11/21/23
Friday Folks: Your boxes will deliver on Tuesday 11/21/23
Saturday and Sunday: Same as ever

Happy holiday weekend!

Last last Call for Thanksgiving Hams!

Exciting and/or new in your box this week:

Sweet peppers: For Thanksgiving!! What else can we say?! You're welcome. :) Italian frying peppers are conical and thick-walled, ranging in color from golden orange to deep red. Gypsies are more stout in shape, thin-walled and crunchy. Both are excellent for stuffing, roasting, enjoying fresh in salads, or with dip.

Yellow Fin potatoes: These flaky starch nuggets are ideal for french fries, roasting, or scalloped potatoes. They absorb flavors exceptionally well.

Dino kale: Before everyone grew it and knew it as Dino Kale, I got to know a chef who brought the seed over with the name Cavolo Nero, or "Black Cabbage." Dino, otherwise known as Lacinato kale, is a dark blue-green, heirloom variety of Kale. The moniker dinosaur refers to this variety of kale, because of the bumpy surface of its leaves is said to resemble dinosaur skin. Tastes great when steamed or stir-fried, versatile enough for juicing.

Pomegranates: Jewels of the fall! Pomegranates are high in vitamin C, add sparkle to a salad or a cocktail.

Check out our Instagram @riverdogfarm where we share images of the crops, farming, re-posts of your farm fixings photos and videos and provide market/CSA updates!

You can find us at these Northern California farmers markets throughout the week

Tuesday Berkeley Farmers' Market (2 PM-6 PM)
Adeline St and 63rd St

Thursday Berkeley Farmers' Market (3 PM-7 PM)
Shattuck Ave and Rose St

Saturday Berkeley Farmer's Market (10 AM-3 PM)
Center St and M.L.K. Jr. Way                                                   

Sunday Sacramento Farmers' Market (8 AM-12 PM)
Back under the Cap City Freeway, Broadway and X

Winters, CA Sunday Market (9am-1pm)
Main St just east of Railroad              

GIFT CERTIFICATES

What better gift than a month or a quarter of weekly fresh veggies? Remember we have eggs, chicken and pork too.

Riverdog Webstore

Augment your CSA with items from the farm store! Shop online for a custom order of our organic vegetables, nuts, eggs, fruits and meat (subject to availability).

Visit: https://csa.farmigo.com/store/riverdogfarmcsa to place your orders. Please place your orders by noon, 2 days before your delivery day to ensure same week delivery.

Riverdog Farm

Shop Webstore or Farmers Market
 

Yukon Gold potatoes

Beloved yellow potato variety with paper thin skins and a waxy texture. Yukon's keep their shape beautifully when cooked, perfectly suiting them to salads. Certified organic.
$20 for a 5 LB bag.

Shop the store »

Smoked ham

Riverdog hams are smoked over apple and alder woodchips by Roundman’s Smokehouse in Fort Bragg. They range from 8-12 lbs and contain no added nitrates. Pre-order for your holiday table!
$13/ LB

Shop the store »

The weekly veggie box contents are subject to change. We include a list of box contents in the newsletter to give you an idea of what to expect but it may differ from what is packed. Crop quality, daily yields and weather conditions will determine final box contents each week.

Please pick up your veggie box on your delivery day. Please pick up your CSA order on your delivery day so that it stays fresh and we can ensure quality. CSA site hosts may donate any unclaimed items no sooner than 24 hours after the original pick up day and time of 3pm. After 24 hours (3pm the following day) unclaimed orders may no longer be available and the subscriber absorbs the subscription cost for that week’s order.

  CSA Announcements:

1. Webstore Orders: Please Explore! As well as our veg we offer pasture raised pork and lamb. We offer eight types of sausage, classic bacon and no sugar bacon as well as frozen cuts.

2. Site hosts: Please email the CSA manager by the morning following the delivery day about any unclaimed CSA boxes. This way, we can contact CSA subscribers to remind them to pick up their veggie boxes.

• Please check your CSA account for the most up-to-date information such as your next delivery from our farm.

Whether you leave the box at the site or take it home to return the following week, please unfold (collapse) your box carefully to keep the end flaps from tearing. Slowly bend the two end panels towards the outer ends first then collapse (flatten) the whole box by gently folding the rest.

Give your account 48 hours to update when making changes. For example, when changing your account status from permanent hold to active by charging your credit card, the process may take up to 48 hours to update. The auto-pay option button is at the bottom of your account page. Please click it for auto-renewal of your CSA subscription and to ensure uninterrupted weekly veggie box deliveries.  Reminder: So that your subscription continues uninterrupted, please make sure your credit card on file is up to date on your CSA account. For those who need to end the CSA subscription before your balance is at $0, you MUST contact the farm through email to request cancellation. There is a 10% of your balance cancellation fee. You may put your account on a DELIVERY hold if you will be gone for periods of time.

• Please pick up your veggie box on your delivery day. It’s important to pick up your veggie box the day of delivery to maintain freshness.

• For any changes you need to make to your account, the cut off time is 12:00 NOON, 2 days before your delivery day Remember to make any changes to your account such as payment renewal, webstore orders or delivery holds by 12:00 NOON, 2 days before your delivery day. Thank you!

“Delivery hold” is used for short periods of time – you use this option 48 hours in advance to schedule the deliveries you are unable to pick up.

“Permanent Hold” is used for long periods of time – you use this option if you are gone for extended periods of time and wish to resume your account when you get back. You must change your status to “active” when you return in order to resume deliveries.

“Cancel” is used to delete membership details but not your balance, this means you would need to re-enter delivery status, subscriptions, and credit card information when you resume the Riverdog Farm CSA. To address your balance, please email csa@riverdogfarm.com

Frog Hollow Farm Fruit Box the weekly fruit box is $33.25.
To add the Frog Hollow Fruit box to your weekly subscription:

1. Go to your CSA account.

2. Log in then look at the right side of your page at the summary box - at the bottom of that box is your subscription with a darker green box that says "change". Click on change.

3. Below the title "CHANGE SUBSCRIPTION" you have 2 tabs - Click on the -options- tab. You will see the Frog Hollow Fruit box available to add.

4. ALL orders must be in by Sunday at NOON so we have the ability to process the order and deliver it.

The Frog Hollow fruit box will be available to add to your CSA account from Thursday to Sunday by NOON. Due to logistics, the Frog Hollow Fruit Boxes will only be available to the Wednesday/Thursday/Friday subscribers. CSA subscribers who pick up on Tuesdays/Thursdays/Saturdays, at the Berkeley farmers markets may purchase directly from Frog Hollow.  12:00 pm Sunday is the deadline to change your account for the fruit box, if you enter a hold any time after that, we can cancel delivery of the box, but your account will still be charged the full amount for the Fruit box. Frog Hollow CSA boxes come with 3-4 varieties of seasonal tree ripened, exceptionally tasty stone fruits. As part of their commitment to sustainability, Frog Hollow works hard to avert food waste. You can expect to see ripe, cosmetically imperfect fruit and small or large pieces of fruit in the fruit boxes. These characteristics should not affect the deliciousness of what you receive. Visit their web site to learn more about their CSA program, farm, ethos, fruits and recommendations: www.froghollow.com

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Our mailing address is:
Riverdog Farm
P.O. Box 42
Guinda, CA 95637

Please send any questions or comments to:
csa@riverdogfarm.com

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June 26th, 2023 Newsletter

MailChimp Newsletter

Box Contents

1 bu Carrots 
1 lb Summer Squash
1 bu Basil
1/2 lb Green Beans
1 hd Green Cabbage
3 pcs Slicing Cucumber
1 lb Scarlet Queen Turnips
1 lb Broccoli

Fourth of July Planning - The Fourth  falls on next Tuesday.  As with most holidays, it's pretty impossible to shut the farm down even for a day. We plan to deliver to all our regular residential drops on Tuesday but will bump the Tuesday drop at the Richmond Field Station to Wednesday and the Fatted Calf drop in Napa to Thursday.    Please look ahead to next week and let us know via our website or email if you need to skip next week or add on some extra goodies for a little extra fun!  All other days next week will roll out as usual. 

While Summer has officially arrived we are still very much waiting for crazy Summer harvest to kick in, as are many of you!  We have a smattering of cherry tomatoes as of last week and hope to have enough for your boxes by next week!  Early Girls are still two to three weeks out and I don't foresee the Heirloom Tomatoes coming on strong before mid-July.  We desperately needed the cool and wet rainy season, not it is time to pay the piper.   We will have sweet corn at market by Saturday and will have it in your boxes next week.  The only reason we will have Sweet Corn early and have Cucumbers and Squash now is that we started them in the greenhouse and transplanted them between Spring rains.  The soil was too cool to germinate these crops from direct seeding.   The Green Beans did germinate in the cool and are blessing us with their delicious Summer bounty as of today!  This week's broccoli will probably be the last of it as we are forecast to be around 105F through the holiday weekend.  See what really comes, a little serious heat might really kick summer harvest into gear.  It will certainly end our Kale season.

There's still time to order ham and sausage for 4th of July and beyond - order now to have it on hand!

With the weather so deliciously cool we have been working a lot of overtime to take advantage of the great working conditions and stay abreast of all of the tomato trellising and hoeing.  Days over 100F will bring that to an end.  Supervisors, Irrigators and Tractor Drivers start at 05:30 with field workers and the packers starting at 06:00 so it's not very practical for us to start any earlier; high heat just means shorter days. 

This week we are transplanting more leeks and chicories for Winter harvest as well as seeding lots more fall veg in the shade houses.  We are direct seeding more carrots, summer squash and cukes as well.  -Riverdog Tim

Carrots – Our Summer Carrot program is straight up orange Nantes types. The full color spectrum is going in the ground now for Fall harvest. We plant carrots almost every month of the year.

Summer Squash – We grow 12 different varieties of summer squash at Riverdog. Some of these varieties include: good ol' green zucchini, gold zuke, various colors of patty pan, and crookneck. Hopefully every week you get a variety of something you've never seen before and an old favorite. You can saute it in your favorite oil, steam it, bake it into bread, or hoard it to make a giant ratatouille. Best stored in any bag to help keep its turgor pressure so it holds it shape.

Basil – Basil stores best in a vase of water on a shaded spot on your countertop. Just like you would for flowers, trim the stems before putting into the water anything colder than 50F is too cold. Add it to salads to taste as well as your more traditional uses.

Green Beans – Raw, sauteed, steamed or baked these are an amazing treat. Along with Peas they are the most labor intensive veg we harvest. Eat them soon, there are more coming! Store them in the crisper, in a bag, but don't store them too long.

Green Cabbage – The humble green cabbage is so sweet and crunchy. Our toddlers love it best sliced thinly with a simple vinaigrette. Of course one can stuff, bake, soup or ferment it too! Have fun and enjoy it, we hope to have several more rounds before August.

Slicing Cucumber – We grow five different styles of cucumbers. The simple green slicer is the most prolific, if not the most exciting of these cucumbers. It is delicious and quenching and is one of our most resilient cucumbers. We rely on it to stand up against disease and pest pressure. I happily eat the skin, but my toddler daughter's absolutely refuse. You can also use slicing cucumbers in soups, smoothies, and dips, or a cold cucumber soup. My mom loved cold cucumber soups- it's also an easy way to get rid of a lot of cucumbers if you're not getting through them.

Scarlet Queen Turnip -- These are loose as the greens are feeling the effects of our warmish days. Bunched Scarlet Queens will return in the Fall. These are delicious raw, pickled, steamed and roasted. In warmer weather they have a little more kick than the Tokyo Turnips but they are still delightfully mild. Store the loose roots uncovered in the crisper unless you will hold onto them for more than a week.

Broccoli – Late June Broccoli is a bit of a miracle even if the bead color is not deep green. Even with the milder weather we've had, the June sun is intense. The whole plant is good food - eat the leaves, leaf stems, main stalk and the floret. My favorite prep is to slice the heads top to bottom, creating Quarter to eighth sections of broccoli, stems and leaves attached. Sautee these slices in a hot skillet with some garlic or onion, just until the leaves and exposed stalk browns a bit. The outside caramelizes just a bit and the core is still crunchy if you nail it right.

June 19th, 2023 Newsletter

Here is the link to the Mailchimp Newsletter: https://us6.campaign-archive.com/?u=e5242b0c1227215e9544a0709&id=67402eba25

Box Contents

1 bu Carrots 
.75 lbs Summer Squash
2 hds Red Batavian Crisp
1 bu Parsley
1 bu Dino Kale
2 hds Slicing Cucumber
1 bu Tokyo Turnips
1.25 lb Cauliflower/Broccoli

Happy week of Juneteenth!

Apologies for the late Newsletter delivery!   Gratifying to get emails looking for it though!  We had a seventeen hour power and internet outage here Monday evening through Tuesday mid day that caused a lot of chaos.   At least now we have our seasonal back up generator on hand and wired up, ready for more PGnE shenanigans.   More on public safety outages in the future!   We've had 4 over the past 9 days. 

Many thanks to Maya for gracefully steering the CSA for the past nine months. We appreciate the energy and care she brought to the farm and will miss her as she moves on to her next adventure. Our current office crew will be filling her shoes in the meantime. Cristina, our stalwart, wise and knowledgeable Sales Manager and Nikki, our relatively new but learning fast Bookkeeper will be your primary points of contact as we move forward. My apologies for some recent delays in email and phone communications during this transition. 

Think ham and sausage for 4th of July! Order now to have it on hand!

Happy Summer Solstice week!  We gambled on a cool June and are delighted to still have so much Spring (for us) veg still thriving as we go into the end of June.  So far our high temps have been well below average and haven’t even seen anything into the low 100’s yet, no complaints! Although we planted our potatoes late, anxious that they would be damaged by June heat, they are maturing beautifully. We hope to have New Potatoes for your box next week. Cucumbers and Squash are really starting to push and we picked our first cherry tomatoes last Friday; we hope to have enough for your boxes in two weeks.  Heirloom tomatoes look to still be far off, maybe mid July, but hopefully the early girls will hit for the July 4th week along with our first round of sweet corn.   

Sweet peppers like the Jimmy Nardellos and Gypsies are looking like late July; we will have to see what the weather fates bring. In an act of probable insanity we just transplanted more lettuce just to see how far we can push this cool Summer theme. You will see mid-July Little Gem if it works. Shade cloth is up on our propagation houses as we get fall transplant production under way.  Thanks for being along for the wild ride through this deliciously cool (so far!) start of Summer.  

Box Contents
 

Carrots – You can "eat the rainbow" here at Riverdog with the variety of carrots we grow. Quick- which varieties do we grow here at Riverdog- we have Red carrots, Red Dragon carrots, Nantes (orange) carrots, Yellow Carrots, Deep Purple carrots, and White carrots. Every time I'm around these carrots I find it's necessary to do research, and eat one of each. Check out what the Spruce Eats has to say about the different carrots here. Carrots can be stored in the refrigerator for one to two weeks, remove carrot greens first.

Summer Squash – We grow 12 different varieties of summer squash at Riverdog. Some of these varieties include: good ol' green zucchini, gold zuke, various colors of patty pan, and crookneck. Hopefully every week you get a variety of something you've never seen before. Or an old favorite. You can saute it in your favorite oil, steam it, bake it into bread, or hoard it to make a giant ratatouille. Best stored in any bag to help keep its turgor pressure so it holds it shape.

Red Batavian Crisp – Red Batavian, it’s one of our favorite varieties called Batavian Lettuce, a mild type that is like a cross of butterhead and iceberg lettuce. Also known as French Lettuce or Summer Crisp Lettuce, and is also known as being the most common lettuce in France. Ways to enjoy Batavian lettuce are perfect for your spring raw veggie salads. But since Batavian are on the slightly firmer side, they can also be used in stir-fry recipes like this one.

Parsley – Red Riverdog grows exclusively Italian Flat Leaf parsley. It is in the same family as carrots, and cilantro -- you can catch hints of their flavor in each other. Replanting the parsley garden every spring. Parsley is popularly used as a garnish, we use it anything from soups to salads to smoothies. Best stored in a bag in the crisper of the fridge, something that will maintain the humidity.

Dino Kale – Before everyone grew it and knew it as Dino Kale, I got to know a chef who brought the seed over with the name Cavolo Nero, or "Black Cabbage." Dino, otherwise known as Lacinato kale, is a dark blue-green, heirloom variety of Kale. The moniker dinosaur refers to this variety of kale, because of the bumpy surface of its leaves is said to resemble dinosaur skin. Tastes great when steamed or stir-fried, versatile enough for juicing. Here is a recipe for a yummy pasta and kale salad.You could also use these leaves in your salad.

Slicing Cucumber – We grow five different styles of cucumbers. The simple green slicer is the most prolific, if not the most exciting of these cucumbers. This is one of our most resilient cucumbers. We rely on it to stand up against disease and pest pressure. I happily eat the skin, but my toddler daughter's absolutely refuse. You can also use slicing cucumbers in soups, smoothies, and dips, or a cold cucumber soup. My mom loved cold cucumber soups- it's also an easy way to get rid of a lot of cucumbers if you're not eating them.

Tokyo Turnip -- Tokyo turnips are a favorite here in the Capay Valley. They’re sweet and enjoyable raw, but can be cooked in numerous other ways as well (roasted, sautéed, glazed, and even pickled)! Don’t forget to eat your greens! The greens of your turnips are tender with a mild taste, you can use them anywhere that you would use arugula. For storage, remove the green tops from the roots and store in separate bags since the roots last longer than the greens.

Cauliflower – Spring cauliflower is always risky. It moves from not ready to overripe in a matter of a day. As it did this last week when we hit 98 degrees on Friday. Your cauliflower is a little bit loose, but still delicious. We do a cauliflower rice all winter long, you can basically slice it into small pieces and saute it until it's just the right texture for you. We love it - a little browned.

-Riverdog Tim

May 29th, 2023 Newsletter

Box Contents:

 
1 bu Carrots
 
1 bu Red Beets

2 hds Iceberg Lettuce

1 bu Red Leaf

.50 lb Braising Mix

1 lb Shelling Peas

1 bu Tokyo Turnips

CSA Notes:

Egg subscriptions will be closing for the year in mid-June!

May into June normally feels a lot hotter around here!  We are grateful for what we hope continues to be an extended spring harvest. We are yet to see a day into the 100s and have had few over 95! Despite the relatively mild weather, our pea season is fast drawing to a close. We were only able to hit two, of our normal four, pea plantings this past winter, due to those persistent and inundating rains.  

Likewise cabbage is just now re-appearing in late May. We should have started in early to mid April but we were still transplanting, again due to such a wet Winter. Due to the wildly wet winter and late planting of Summer crops we planted broccoli, braising and cabbages later than usual, gambling on a cooler than usual June.  Tomatoes, peppers, eggplant and melons are on there way, but are delayed, think late June. While we had some late April frost, which is to be expected here, we did not see the crazy May frost we had last year.
 

To balance this we do have knee high sweet corn, as we transplanted it for he first time ever.  It looks gorgeous so far and we hope to harvest by late June! Asparagus has been a staple of our spring veggie boxes for the past twenty years, but sadly we had to disc under most of our 'gras (asparagus) for lack of water to keep it alive through the summer of 2022.  See how the fates treat us this year but we hope to replant next winter, which translates to first light harvests in summer of 2026 and full harvest in summer of 2027. Farming is not for the feint of heart.  Enjoy the ride, we do our best to!

 
-Riverdog Tim

Upcoming dates to keep in mind:

 

This coming Sunday, June 4th is Bacon Fest. This event will feature some of our pasture-raised pork meat. All of our pigs have free-range access to pasture and wallows. They are rotated through the 50 acres to prevent manure build-up and soil erosion. Black Walnut and Oak trees provide both shade and contribute to a tasty all-organic diet of black walnuts, acorns, the farm's delicious produce leftovers, Cowgirl Creamery whey, grasses, farm-grown grains, and organic feed.

Another important event: Mid June our egg subscriptions will be closing! We will not open egg subscriptions again until next year. Our hens are heat and daylight sensitive. Now that their prime season of laying (March and April) have passed, and soon the 100 degree days will be here - we're looking at a big loss in the amount of egg laying. Subscriptions will open up again sometime early late winter or next spring of 2024! Please sign up now to get jumbo'd in.

Carrots – You can "eat the rainbow" here at Riverdog with the variety of carrots we grow. Quick- which varieties do we grow here at Riverdog- we have Red carrots, Red Dragon carrots, Nantes (orange) carrots, Yellow Carrots, Deep Purple carrots, and White carrots. Every time I'm around these carrots I find it's necessary to do research, and eat one of each. Check out what the Spruce Eats has to say about the different carrots here. Carrots can be stored in the refrigerator for one to two weeks, remove carrot greens first.

Red Beets –Beets savory, beets sweet, beets juiced, and the 26++++ delicious ways to cook with beets. We love our precious deep red roots. With the greens attached to the roots, it's really a two in one. The greens are like a salty chard, easy to stir fry, and deliciously hearty. The beets, like most root vegetables, can last a long time if store correctly. If the beets get soft, no worries, these are still delicious roasted.  Separate the roots from the greens for best storage and store both in plastic bags in the refrigerator. The beets, like most root vegetables, can last a long time if stored correctly.

Iceberg Lettuce –Iceberg lettuce is your classic household name lettuce. Also known as crisphead lettuce, it's known for its mild flavor and crunchy leaves, high in water content and grows in the shape of cabbage. It is truly a lettuce for everyone, you might be able to persuade a veggie hesitant child (or adult) with a salad dressing rich iceberg wedge salad. You can saute it, stir fry it, use as leaves in a burger or sandwich, or leave out the bun entirely and replace with iceberg lettuce leaves. For storage, will keep in the refrigerator for sometime. You can either transfer to a plastic bag, or put in plastic, to avoid wilting.
 

Red Leaf Lettuce – At Riverdog we grow more lettuce varieties than I ever thought possible. One of my favorite games to play with the students I teach is guess which variety. What are the subtle differences between each lettuce variety? Red leaf lettuce is mild with a slightly bitter undertone. The redder the lettuce, the more bitter, sort of like the mustard of the lettuces. Because of its curly crimson red leaves, red leaf lettuce makes for a beautiful base to a salad such as this Roasted Carrot and Red Leaf salad with buttermilk herb dressing. For storage, you can either transfer to a plastic bag, or put in plastic, to avoid wilting.

Braising Mix –  Riverdog owner Tim Mueller writes, "braising mix is a bit of a misnomer as my family mostly eats it raw as salad, it definitely does not need to be cooked, although it’s delicious cooked as well!" This is the last of our braising mix for the year. Enjoy and delight in its many flavors and textures, however you prepare it. You can store the braising mix in a perforated bag in the refrigerator for a couple of days.

Shelling Peas – It blew my mind to find out that these are the same peas that my mother would force me to eat when I was younger. I did not know they could taste this good! Unlike sugar snap peas or snow peas, the fibrous pods of English peas cannot be eaten. Instead use them for your veggie stock. It's recommended that you shell English peas immediately before cooking them. After shelling your English peas, you can boil them, and add salt and pepper, puree them into soup, mash them into a spread, process them to flavor doughs, or craft a salad recipe around them. Place peas in a perforated plastic bag or airtight container in the vegetable crisper section of the refrigerator.

Tokyo Turnips – Tokyo turnips are a favorite here in the Capay Valley. They’re sweet and enjoyable raw, but can be cooked in numerous other ways as well (roasted, sautéed, glazed, and even pickled)! Don’t forget to eat your greens! The greens of your turnips are tender with a mild taste, you can use them anywhere that you would use arugula. For storage, remove the green tops from the roots and store in separate bags since the roots last longer than the greens.
 

-Maya, CSA Manager

May 22nd, 2023 Newsletter

Box Contents
 

1 bu Carrots 
1 bu Red Springs Onions
.75 lb Little Gem
1 hd Napa Cabbage
.50 lb Sugar Snaps
1 lb Shelling Peas

CSA Notes:
 

I got a chance to catch up with Cristina Sanchez (sales manager) daughter, who sat in my seat several years ago. Here's what she had to say:

Maya: What has your experience been like with Riverdog, where did it begin?

Ana: So, my mom has worked on the farm for over 20 years now, so has my dad. I was really young when they started. Their daughter (Tim Mueller and Trini Campbell) Cassidy, I grew up with her, she’s one of my best friends. My parents would work, and I was that annoying little girl who would hang the shop with Cassidy and my brother, sneaking veggies, sneaking ice, and all that fun stuff. So I had a pretty early introduction to the farm. Tim and Trini were always like family.

After high school, I started working full time on the farm working in the pack shed, then in the office managing the CSA program, I helped with bookkeeping, I drove the box trucks, which at that time were all manual, I sometimes drove them to market, so I did market on my own a few times. I also drove the flatbeds, the trailers, I moved fertilizer, I move Whey around the farm. I was kind of a free-for-all. Tim would teach new things and give me the opportunity to try. Some I enjoyed more than others. I spent a few times hoeing in the heat of summer. That was probably--

Maya: The least enjoyable

Ana: (Laughs) Yes. It was very rough. I have a lot of respect for everyone that does that.

Maya: Yeah, it kind of sounds like you got the full picture. Is there anything that stuck with you in terms of skill set, or attitude towards work.

Ana: Because of the craziness of the farm, organization was a big thing. My desk was always super clean, super organized. The CSA program I had it super organized. Working in a farm is crazy, the day to day things can change a lot, and fast. It was just a fast paced environment and I think organization is super important.

Maya: Would you say it’s a faster pace than what you experience now in your life?

Ana: Not at all. It gave me a little time to get ready for what I do now. In Riverdog, the experience I had was I knew all the folks, family-owned business, fun and neat space to work at. I like what Riverdog does with supporting the people on the farm and the relationship Tim has with farmers market customers and restaurants, stores. So the environment at Riverdog was fun and easy-going. Full Belly was also a ton of fun, again it’s a family-owned business, I knew a ton of the folks there already, when you live in such a small community you just know everyone. From Full Belly I transitioned to working for the Yolo County supervisor for four years, so it changed to public service. In public service, you have to mentally and emotionally be able to deal with a lot. Then when my member turned out, then I got an opportunity to work with a state senator because of the connections I made when I worked with the county. Now I am on my third year in the capitol working with the senator.

Maya: It’s no surprise to learn about the person you’ve become. Working with Cristina, and witnessing her super powers, it makes sense.

Ana: My mom is the majority of the reason why I work as hard as I do, and why I try to keep doing better. I’m not sure how much she’s chatted with you but she has done a lot. In the last three or four years, she completed her GED, she’s taken classes after work, or on the weekends. English classes. So her working long hours, long, stressful hours and still driving to Woodland, taking classes, and going through the process of continuing her education has been inspirational. So, I would she is not only one of my biggest support systems but also my motivation to do what I do.

Box Contents

Carrots – You can "eat the rainbow" here at Riverdog with the variety of carrots we grow. Quick- which varieties do we grow here at Riverdog- we have Red carrots, Red Dragon carrots, Nantes (orange) carrots, Yellow Carrots, Deep Purple carrots, and White carrots. Every time I'm around these carrots I find it's necessary to do research, and eat one of each. Check out what the Spruce Eats has to say about the different carrots here. Carrots can be stored in the refrigerator for one to two weeks, remove carrot greens first.

Red Spring Onions –Betsy, our market leader, often wonders why May is National Barbecue Month. An online source states that National Barbeque Day "encourages us to break out our special recipes." With spring onions, Betsy says they are incredible cooked on heated grill for about two minutes for a milder sear, or grilled all the way to a soft almost mush like consistency. Spring onions are like a scallion, except more robust in flavor, like onion. They're versatile, you can cook them, eat them raw, they dry out easily, so you can mix them into salts, as seasoning to your soups. Your pathway to sweet and creamy is just a good ol' classic grill. Enjoy!

Little Gem – At Riverdog we grow more lettuce varieties than I ever thought possible. One of my favorite games to play with the students I teach is guess which variety. What are the subtle differences between each lettuce variety? Little Gem are has a pale, green heart and a crisp center and sweeter taste than common lettuce. Make sure your fridge is stocked with plenty of fancy, it's salad making time. For storage, you can either transfer to a plastic bag, or put in plastic, to avoid wilting.
 

Napa Cabbage – So excited, first of the spring season napa cabbage is here! Napa cabbage, also known as Chinese cabbage or hakusai in Japanese, belongs to the vast Brassica family. Excellent chopped raw and served in a salad, sautéed in oil with a dash of salt and pepper, but in my favorite form - Kimchi. Napa cabbage can keep for week or even longer when stored unwashed in a produce bag in the fridge.

Sugar Snaps – Great googly moogly, we've got some big sugar snaps! First of the season snap peas are crisp, delicate, and sweet. Sugar snaps, otherwise known as sugar snap peas, or just snap peas, is a cross between standard peas and snow peas that first came about in 1979, as a tasty, crunchy hybrid. They are delicious as a raw snack, but are excellent in a stir fry with bok choy and carrots. Toss them in at the very end to preserve their natural snap. For an easy cook recipe, check out this recipe for a quick salt, pepper, and lemon zest saute. Place peas in a perforated plastic bag or airtight container in the vegetable crisper section of the refrigerator.

Shelling Peas – It blew my mind to find out that these are the same peas that my mother would force me to eat when I was younger. I did not know they could taste this good! Unlike sugar snap peas or snow peas, the fibrous pods of English peas cannot be eaten. Instead use them for your veggie stock. It's recommended that you shell English peas immediately before cooking them. After shelling your English peas, you can boil them, and add salt and pepper, puree them into soup, mash them into a spread, process them to flavor doughs, or craft a salad recipe around them. Place peas in a perforated plastic bag or airtight container in the vegetable crisper section of the refrigerator.

-Maya, CSA Manager

May 15th, 2023 Newsletter

Box Contents

1 bu Carrots 
1 bu White Springs Onions
.75 lb Red Leaf
1 bu Dino Kale
.75 lb Arugula
.50 lb Snow Peas

CSA Notes:

This is Ramiro’s first year as a harvest supervisor on the farm. Ramiro smiles when he’s tired. He has a solid crew of about eight men. There are three harvest supervisors: Anahi, Ramiro, and Diego. They come into the office about three times a day, on average to report Cristina Sanchez, our sales manager. Their task every day is to harvest all the vegetables for CSA, wholesale, farmer's market, restaurants. If the harvest supervisors were the Charlie’s Angels of the mission, then Cristina would be their Charlie. Orders are picked the day before scheduled delivery, then at five AM our driver Jorge takes the orders to meet their maker. I print out the paperwork, and Cristina compiles the final numbers for everything. “Good morning, supervisors…” Cristina bellows over the radios. “Good morning Cristina,” the harvest supervisors all coo in unison. And so the harvest day begins.

Ramiro is looking especially haggard these days. Every one of our crew members is not just adjusting to the heat, but the rise of demand. As farm owner, Tim Mueller, fretted only months ago, “I’m afraid spring is already here.” Ramiro is the easiest crew member to chase down so I feel less like As the heat, the hustle, and my interview questions persist, so does Ramiro’s smile.

Ten years in total, Ramiro has worked for Riverdog Farm. He is insistent that he wants to do the entire interview in English. He grins, I am practicing my English. It is the end of a long day, I would not be smiling.

Maya: Are things different now that you are a supervisor?

Ramiro: A little bit different, because right now it is my first year with the supervisor. It is a little bit different. But, it’s okay?

Maya: Okay but what about the harvest, is it different this year because of the weather?

Ramiro: This summer will be different because the harvest, the flowers all come early. So we try to make all the harvest happen, but it’s hard at the same time. Lettuce. Early we pick lettuce. We pack, tie, and put lettuce in box all day.

Maya: Lettuce, that’s the hard part, all day lettuce.

Ramiro: Ee..yup!

Maya: What made you decide to work at Riverdog Ramiro, how did you get involved?

Ramiro: Before we work for irrigation jobs. So I have a couple of experiences working for irrigation. In this area, we working a lot with tomatoes.

Maya: Ramiro what is your favorite thing to eat here.

Ramiro: I like melons, cantaloupes. It’s good because we have a lot of choices, whites, oranges, yellows.

Maya: Yeahhh! So yummy.

Ramiro: Ee..yup!

Box Contents:

Carrots – You can "eat the rainbow" here at Riverdog with the variety of carrots we grow. Quick- which varieties do we grow here at Riverdog- we have Red carrots, Red Dragon carrots, Nantes (orange) carrots, Yellow Carrots, Deep Purple carrots, and White carrots. Every time I'm around these carrots I find it's necessary to do research, and eat one of each. Check out what the Spruce Eats has to say about the different carrots here. Carrots can be stored in the refrigerator for one to two weeks, remove carrot greens first.

White Spring Onions –Betsy, our market leader, often wonders why May is National Barbeque Month. An online source states that National Barbeque Day "encourages us to break out our special recipes." With spring onions, Betsy says they are incredible cooked on heated grill for about two minutes for a milder sear, or grilled all the way to a soft almost mush like consistency. Spring onions are like a scallion, except more robust in flavor, like onion. They're versatile, you can cook them, eat them raw, they dry out easily, so you can mix them into salts, as seasoning to your soups. Your pathway to sweet and creamy is just a good ol' classic grill. Enjoy!
 

Red Leaf Lettuce – At Riverdog we grow more lettuce varieties than I ever thought possible. One of my favorite games to play with the students I teach is guess which variety. What are the subtle differences between each lettuce variety? Red leaf lettuce is mild with a slightly bitter undertone. The redder the lettuce, the more bitter, sort of like the mustard of the lettuces. Because of its curly crimson red leaves, red leaf lettuce makes for a beautiful base to a salad such as this Roasted Carrot and Red Leaf salad with buttermilk herb dressing. For storage, you can either transfer to a plastic bag, or put in plastic, to avoid wilting.

Dino Kale – Dino, otherwise known as Lacinato kale, is a dark blue-green, heirloom variety of Kale. The moniker dinosaur refers to this variety of kale, because of the bumpy surface of its leaves is said to resemble dinosaur skin. Tastes great when steamed or stir-fried, versatile enough for juicing.You could also use these leaves in your salad.

Snow Peas – We are back with the first of first of the season's snow peas! First of the season snow peas are crisp, delicate, and sweet. Snap peas, otherwise known as sugar snap peas. They are delicious as a raw snack, but are excellent in a stir fry with bok choy and carrots. Toss them in at the very end to preserve their natural snap. For an easy cook recipe, check out this recipe for a quick salt, pepper, and lemon zest saute.

-Maya, CSA Manager

May 8th, 2023 Newsletter

Box Contents

1 bu Chives

1 bu Green Garlic

2 hds Red Leaf

1 bu Red Chard

1 bu White Spring Onions

1 bu Carrots

.5 Snow Peas

1 bu Cilantro

CSA Notes:

We love the support that we get from local farms in our area. Grateful for the support of Good Humus Farm. In 1976, Jeff and Annie Main started Good Humus on a 3/4 acre garden, and have since expanded to a beautiful multi acre farm nestled nearby where they host on-farm events, like the annual Peach Party since 1993, grow flowers, herbs, vegetables and fruits for CSA and whole sellers. In past years the Capay Valley Mother’s Day Garden Tour would happen for Mother's Day weekend in May. Private gardens throughout the Capay Valley would up their gardens to the public. That has not happened since 2021. However, if you are looking for a way to celebrate the weekend, Good Humus is hosting their Hats & High Tea on Saturday, May 13th from 2-5 pm.

Chives – This delicate member of the allium family gives a pungent, oniony flavor to anything it adorns. The internet loves to pair chives with eggs, check out these recipes (yum, yum, yummy). Try chipping into 1mm-long pieces and sprinkling on your next omelette or mashed potatoes.

Green Garlic –  I look forward to green garlic every season. One of my favorites is pork chops cooked in brown butter with green garlic. Green garlic is young garlic that hasn't fully matured yet. It has the same great garlic taste but is more mild than cured garlic. It can be used as substitute for garlic in recipes, but adds a fresh flare when added raw.
 

Red Leaf Lettuce – At Riverdog we grow more lettuce varieties than I ever thought possible. One of my favorite games to play with the students I teach is guess which variety. What are the subtle differences between each lettuce variety? Red leaf lettuce is mild with a slightly bitter undertone. The redder the lettuce, the more bitter, sort of like the mustard of the lettuces. Because of its curly crimson red leaves, red leaf lettuce makes for a beautiful base to a salad such as this Roasted Carrot and Red Leaf salad with buttermilk herb dressing. For storage, you can either transfer to a plastic bag, or put in plastic, to avoid wilting.

Red Chard – Riverdog's bright and shiny Red Chard makes a delicious and nutritious addition to any meal! More than a pretty face, this chard's bright red color comes from a powerful class of antioxidants called Betalain. Try them in a frittata, a yogurt dressed slaw, or stuffed into an enchilada or empanada!

White Spring Onions – Betsy, our market leader, often wonders why May is National Barbeque Month. An online source states that National Barbeque Day "encourages us to break out our special recipes." With spring onions, Betsy says they are incredible cooked on heated grill for about two minutes for a milder sear, or grilled all the way to a soft almost mush like consistency. Spring onions are like a scallion, except more robust in flavor, like onion. They're versatile, you can cook them, eat them raw, they dry out easily, so you can mix them into salts, as seasoning to your soups. Your pathway to sweet and creamy is just a good ol' classic grill. Enjoy!

Carrots – You can "eat the rainbow" here at Riverdog with the variety of carrots we grow. Quick- which varieties do we grow here at Riverdog- we have Red carrots, Red Dragon carrots, Nantes (orange) carrots, Yellow Carrots, Deep Purple carrots, and White carrots. Every time I'm around these carrots I find it's necessary to do research, and eat one of each. Check out what the Spruce Eats has to say about the different carrots here. Carrots can be stored in the refrigerator for one to two weeks, remove carrot greens first.

Snow Peas – We are back with the first of first of the season's snow peas! First of the season snow peas are crisp, delicate, and sweet. Snap peas, otherwise known as sugar snap peas. They are delicious as a raw snack, but are excellent in a stir fry with bok choy and carrots. Toss them in at the very end to preserve their natural snap. For an easy cook recipe, check out this recipe for a quick salt, pepper, and lemon zest saute.

Cilantro – Oh cilantro, there is so much to say. But why don't we start with using the roots? There is a ton of flavor in the root of cilantro in addition to the stems and leaves. The roots can blended for dressing or marinades, or chopped or sauteed into any rice dish. For the leaves I like to chop and mash into avocado with some lime and onion to make a simple guacamole. Or you could shoot for the "best ever" guacamole. Store in a bag in the refrigerator.

-Maya, CSA Manager

May 1st, 2023 Newsletter

Box Contents

1.5 lbs Murcott Mandarins 

1 lb Green Garlic

2 hds Batavian or Red Leaf

.75 lbs Spinach

1 bu White Spring Onions

1 bu Tokyo Turnips

.5 Snow Peas

CSA Notes:

Happy May Day, all! It's fitting that there is a bit of reprieve from the weather that climbed to the mid 90s last week. This week it's cold enough again to light a fire. What a great way, also, to celebrate Beltane! In other news, this week I will be off grid for an ancestral skills gathering. At this event we will learn about basket weaving, archery and bow making, clay pottery, animal tracking, animal processing, tanning hides, blacksmithing, too. There will be a fire lit at all times. We will be accompanied by the tule bulrushes and picturesque views of Lake Concow. Every day there will be an opening ceremony, song circles, and did I mention the event is off grid?! Someone once said upon witnessing the event for the first time, they felt like they were the subject in one of Jordan Peele's new movies. The event even hosts workshops on QIPOC inclusion and racialized trauma.

The office crew will cover me while I'm away but here's a quick reminder for while I'm gone. To place a delivery hold on your account, you must do so 48 hours ahead of time. Here are the instructions:
 

1. Go to www.riverdogfarm.com - at the top, click CSA.

2. Scroll down to "CSA Members -- Check your account here" and click on that rectangular box.

3. Sign in to your account.

4. On the top of "My Account" -- click the "Delivery Hold" tab.

5. Please click on the 'From' and 'To' boxes to set the dates you do NOT want a delivery. Please make a Monday - Friday selection.

6. MOST IMPORTANTLY: click SAVE.

7. You will receive an email confirmation that a hold was made on your account. Please review this email and make sure the dates are correct.

Also:

Please keep your eyes out for a revision in our policy regarding refunds/cancellations and Frog Hollow Fruit boxes. We feel so fortunate to be able to bring you fruit boxes from Frog Hollow. What a wonderful treat, especially during those winter months. There will be changes made to placing holds on your fruit box deliveries. For now, just as a reminder, the policy currently reads as: 12:00 pm Sunday is the deadline to change your account for the fruit box, if you enter a hold any time after that, we can cancel delivery of the box, but your account will still be charged the full amount for the Fruit box.

-Maya, CSA Manager

Murcott Mandarins – These are the very last of the Murcotts! Enjoy these bright slices of the valley, in salads, juiced, as a snack to go. Zest from the peel can be used as a vibrant addition to your morning tea.
Here is something special about the ranch where the mandarins in your box are from. Gold Oak Ranch is home to the second largest Oak tree in Yolo County. Why special? The oak trees of the Capay Valley are some of the great giants that line the grassy hills along the Cache Creek River giving us nothing short of a serene landscape. Hard work and sustainability are what helps these fertile farmlands thrive. We are glad to share these values with Jose Luis Melendez, David Scheuring, and the Gold Oak Ranch crew.


Photo from: https://visityolo.com/visit_places/yolo-countryside/

Green Garlic –  I look forward to green garlic every season. One of my favorites is pork chops cooked in brown butter with green garlic. Green garlic is young garlic that hasn't fully matured yet. It has the same great garlic taste but is more mild than cured garlic. It can be used as substitute for garlic in recipes, but adds a fresh flare when added raw.
 

Red Leaf Lettuce + Batavian Lettuce – At Riverdog we grow more lettuce varieties than I ever thought possible. One of my favorite games to play with the students I teach is guess which variety. What are the subtle differences between each lettuce variety? Red leaf lettuce is mild with a slightly bitter undertone. The redder the lettuce, the more bitter, sort of like the mustard of the lettuces. Because of its curly crimson red leaves, red leaf lettuce makes for a beautiful base to a salad such as this Roasted Carrot and Red Leaf salad with buttermilk herb dressing. For storage, you can either transfer to a plastic bag, or put in plastic, to avoid wilting.

This week’s box offers the first of the head lettuce: it’s one of our favorite varieties called Batavian Lettuce, a mild type that is like a cross of butterhead and iceberg lettuce. Also known as French Lettuce or Summer Crisp Lettuce, and is also known as being the most common lettuce in France. Ways to enjoy Batavian lettuce are perfect for your spring raw veggie salads. But since Batavia are on the slightly firmer side, they can also be used in stir-fry recipes like this one.

Spinach – At Riverdog we grow Savoy and Bloomsdale spinach. The spinach is good to enjoy massaged in a salad, lightly wilted, juiced. Somebody at market recently reminded me about Spanakopita, and I can tell you there's nothing better than eating Spanakopita fresh, preferably cooked by a 90 year old Greek mother of five. For storage, will keep in the refrigerator for sometime. You can either transfer to a plastic bag, or put the waxed paper bag in plastic, to avoid wilting.

White Spring Onions – Betsy, our market leader, often wonders why May is National Barbeque Month. An online source states that National Barbeque Day "encourages us to break out our special recipes." With spring onions, Betsy says they are incredible cooked on heated grill for about two minutes for a milder sear, or grilled all the way to a soft almost mush like consistency. Spring onions are like a scallion, except more robust in flavor, like onion. They're versatile, you can cook them, eat them raw, they dry out easily, so you can mix them into salts, as seasoning to your soups. Your pathway to sweet and creamy is just a good ol' classic grill. Enjoy!

Tokyo Turnip -- Tokyo turnips are a favorite here in the Capay Valley. They’re sweet and enjoyable raw, but can be cooked in numerous other ways as well (roasted, sautéed, glazed, and even pickled)! Don’t forget to eat your greens! The greens of your turnips are tender with a mild taste, you can use them anywhere that you would use arugula. For storage, remove the green tops from the roots and store in separate bags since the roots last longer than the greens.

Arugula – I remember as a kid I would eat leaves of Arugula like potato chips. Riverdog picks the perfectly tender, new leaves of these pungent, peppery wonders. Amazing on pizza, sautéed in an omelette, or raw at any moment like a chip (but more commonly in a beautifully prepared salad). For better storage, keep it in a bag in the refrigerator.

Snow Peas – We are back with the first of first of the season's snap peas! First of the season snow peas are crisp, delicate, and sweet. Snap peas, otherwise known as sugar snap peas. Their name is a bit of a misnomer, they are a non-starchy vegetable, fully edible from their bean to their pod! They are delicious as a raw snack, but are excellent in a stir fry with bok choy and carrots. Toss them in at the very end to preserve their natural snap. For an easy cook recipe, check out this recipe for a quick salt, pepper, and lemon zest saute.

-Maya, CSA Manager

April 24th, 2023 Newsletter

Box Contents

2 lbs Murcott Mandarins 
1.25 lbs Carrots
1 bu Curly Kale
1 hd Escarole or Frisee
1 lb Leeks
.75 lb Arugula
1 bu Oregano

Farm Notes:

Mid-day Monday we are almost done transplanting all the sweet corn we seeded in the greenhouse some 18 days ago and will roll into transplanting more peppers tmrw, followed by more summer squash and cucumbers.  Hopefully all in by Friday just in time for some record heat, to cap off the months of well below average temps we have had and projections that we will go back to below average for May.   We are doing our best to roll with it and make it all work.  As soon as we finish transplanting corn we will drill seed for the next round right next to it now that soil temps are coming up.  

All of the lush winter cover crops or vetch and wheat or triticale have been grazed (sheep) mowed tightly and worked in.  We are still planting at least one more round of spinach, arugula and other Spring greens but will watch the weather make a call on a mid-May planting.  Potatoes are stirring in the soil but have not emerged yet.  Last year they were a foot tall and frosted back to the soil line this week.  Every Spring is a wild ride for one reason or another, we always make the best of what comes.  
 

-Riverdog Tim

Murcott Mandarins – Here is something special about the ranch where the mandarins in your box are from. Gold Oak Ranch is home to the second largest Oak tree in Yolo County. Why special? The oak trees of the Capay Valley are some of the great giants that line the grassy hills along the Cache Creek River giving us nothing short of a serene landscape. Hard work and sustainability are what helps these fertile farmlands thrive. We are glad to share these values with Jose Luis Melendez, David Scheuring, and the Gold Oak Ranch crew. Enjoy these bright slices of the valley, in salads, juiced, as a snack to go. Zest from the peel can be used as a vibrant addition to your morning tea.


Photo from: https://visityolo.com/visit_places/yolo-countryside/

Purple Carrots – You can "eat the rainbow" here at Riverdog with the variety of carrots we grow. Quick- which varieties do we grow here at Riverdog- we have Red carrots, Red Dragon carrots, Nantes (orange) carrots, Yellow Carrots, Deep Purple carrots, and White carrots. Every time I'm around these carrots I find it's necessary to do research, and eat one of each. Check out what the Spruce Eats has to say about the different carrots here. Carrots can be stored in the refrigerator for one to two weeks, remove carrot greens first.
 

Curly Kale – Curly Kale is a fan favorite in our Riverdog customer base. Curly Kale is a bit more tender and sweeter than the more common Lacinato Kale on Dino Kale. Green Curly Kale can be enjoyed raw (but even better for you when massaged) and cooked, as well as for stir-frying, blanching, sautéing, braising, and steaming. Massage your Curly Kale with olive oil and salt and top with a bit of lemon. Add some slivered almonds and a mild goat cheese. Or add some Riverdog Bacon to it and call it a "killer salad."


Frisee or Escarole –  In the culinary arts, the word frisée (pronounced "free-ZAY") refers to a variety of endive with curly, pale-green or yellowish leaves. Like escarole, frisée is frequently used in salads. While it can have a slightly bitter flavor, frisée is much milder than other varieties of endive such as radicchio. Escarole is a yummy lettuce appearing chicory variety. Most often it is sauteed or braised down. You can use it in soups. Escarole stores for up to week in a your fridge, for better storage wrap in a wax paper bag or plastic.

King Richard Leek – King Richards are beautiful full sized leeks with white shanks over a foot long. Let's also talk about how leaves are more than just their white shanks. You can use the green parts too, and here's how. Also you can save these fibrous tips for veggie stock! Do not trim or wash before storing. Leeks have a strong odor so wrap leeks in plastic when storing in the refrigerator. Leeks will last up to two weeks. Be sure to rinse well, or put cut leeks in a bowl of water to remove the dirt and grit that can get stuck between the leaves.

Arugula – I remember as a kid I would eat leaves of Arugula like potato chips. Riverdog picks the perfectly tender, new leaves of these pungent, peppery wonders. Amazing on pizza, sautéed in an omelette, or raw at any moment like a chip (but more commonly in a beautifully prepared salad). For better storage, keep it in a bag in the refrigerator.

-Maya, CSA Manager

April 17th, 2023 Newsletter

Box Contents

2 lbs Murcott Mandarins 
1.5 lbs Sifra (New) Potatoes
1 bu Purple Carrots
1 hd Collards
1 bu Green Garlic
.75 lb Little Gem
1 hd Green Cabbage
.75 lb Daikon

One of our site hosts, Cinthea, has done several things in her career. The last thing she did before retirement was teach art in middle school. She's been an artist her whole life, and the only thing that’s hard about retirement is all the changes in her health. Cinthea has been an artist her whole life. Most of her artistic career, Cinthea illustrated scientific coloring books.

Cinthea: When I was in college I wanted to be a medical illustrator, but that is a field that have sort of narrowed out. Because people have made just about every drawing you need to make. There’s photography and computerized stuff. It was very sweet, I did a series of scientific coloring books. When I moved to [current location], I did drawings of many people’s homes and buildings. At least 15 years ago, I did a little ad for Riverdog Farm. We were trying to figure out how to spur business and I made a drawing for a flyer. It was kind of a cute little project. Freelance art, it’s good stuff. Creativity is a big part of life.

Retirement for Cinthea now includes visiting friends and family, taking naps after hard days, and experiencing the “things come and go” of life, now unable to make art due to having arthritis in her hands. So I asked more about the Riverdog flyer project she worked on before because it was now starting to ring a bell. Our market leader Betsy used to sit in the CSA seat, and I could recall Betsy saying once that she even had tea with one of our site hosts.

Maya: Now, Cinthea who did you connect with on that project, who was here to help you facilitate that?

Cinthea: I wanna say her name was Betsy. Was there a Betsy?

Maya: Ooooh, we love Betsy. Yes!

Cinthea: Yea, when she first started working for the farm, she was packing the boxes. That was how we got to speak. One summer we went to the farmer’s market. We set up a station for people to come and talk about Riverdog, she would give away [CSA] boxes for people to try. Betsy is sort of somebody who thinks in big terms, she thinks very big. I think you have to do that. I suppose as a farm, you’ve got to keep your marketing together. There are so many aspects to it.

Ain’t that the truth, Cinthea! Marketing is so important for a farm trying to stay afloat. With this comes network, connection. It’s why one of the key aspects of every single program on the farm, from wholesale, to farmer’s market, to CSA is that relationship with our customers. That’s why it’s so great to hear from Cinthea, who has been a CSA customer since the very beginning.  

Cinthea: You know, it was such a long time ago. I want to say it was 30 years, I used to love going to the Farmer’s market, and my favorite green grocers was Riverdog Farm. It was Tim and Trini. I just loved them. Then a couple of years later they said that they weren’t going to come to the Napa farmer’s market because they weren’t making enough money there. But they were starting up home delivery, and I was actually the first person that signed up with them. Then they said they were looking for houses and needed a host, and I said “I’ll be a host site.” So it’s one of the biggest blessings in my life. I tell everybody it’s just an unbelievable to thing to wake up and every week know that I’m going to have fresh vegetables delivered to the door.
 

-Maya, CSA Manager

Murcott Mandarins – Here is something special about the ranch where the mandarins in your box are from. Gold Oak Ranch is home to the second largest Oak tree in Yolo County. Why special? The oak trees of the Capay Valley are some of the great giants that line the grassy hills along the Cache Creek River giving us nothing short of a serene landscape. Hard work and sustainability are what helps these fertile farmlands thrive. We are glad to share these values with Jose Luis Melendez, David Scheuring, and the Gold Oak Ranch crew. Enjoy these bright slices of the valley, in salads, juiced, as a snack to go. Zest from the peel can be used as a vibrant addition to your morning tea.


Photo from: https://visityolo.com/visit_places/yolo-countryside/

Newly Dug Sifra Potatoes –Last week some of our Yellow Finn's may have been a little close to their end. Please forgive us, can we make it up to you with some freshly dug Sifra potatoes? My own personal favorite. We grow a whole range of potatoes here at Riverdog that you can also order on our Farm Store. Try em' all and impress your friends with your knowledge of potato varieties. This week you'll find Sifra potatoes in your box. They have such a distinct taste, they stand out whenever I make soup! Also excellent in a roast like this Lemon Roast Potatoes recipe found here https://www.tamarindnthyme.com/lemon-roast-potatoes/.  It’s a great idea to store your potatoes in the refrigerator, especially when they’re new and haven’t been cured.
 

Purple Carrots – We've got many delicious purple vegetables in season right now, red cabbage (that looks purple), radicchio (type of chicory), and wonderful purple carrots. We also have many carrots too at Riverdog- we have Red carrots, Red Dragon carrots, Nantes (orange) carrots, Yellow Carrots, and White carrots. Could you imagine using any one of our varieties in your favorite carrot recipes? Just think... purple carrot cake! Every time I'm around these carrots I find it's necessary to do research, and eat one of each. Carrots can be stored in the refrigerator for one to two weeks, remove carrot greens first.
 

Collards – Whew, have you seen the size of these things? RDF collards for the win! This work my coworkers decided to shred the collards and put them in their tacos, using the collards as they're tortillas. Everybody is getting ready for their summer debut. They're sturdy so you can roll them up into wrap, shred them into a soup, bake them into a casserole, saute with eggs or meat, or even chop them up into toss them into a salad. Enjoy these recipes on how to get even more creative with your collards.


Green Garlic –  I look forward to green garlic every season. One of my favorites is pork chops cooked in brown butter with green garlic. There are so many delicious variations on that. Check out this garlic pork chop steak (here). Green garlic is young garlic that hasn't fully matured yet. It has the same great garlic taste but is more mild than cured garlic. It can be used as substitute for garlic in recipes, but adds a fresh flare when added raw.


Little Gem – At Riverdog we grow more lettuce varieties than I ever thought possible. One of my favorite games to play with the students I teach is guess which variety. What are the subtle differences between each lettuce variety? Little Gem are has a pale, green heart and a crisp center and sweeter taste than common lettuce. Make sure your fridge is stocked with plenty of fancy, it's salad making time. For storage, you can either transfer to a plastic bag, or put in plastic, to avoid wilting.


Green Cabbage – My friend and local Riverdog CSA member, Matt, swears by cabbage soup. Maybe not everyday for the rest of your life, but this versatile, hearty wonder can turn any meal into a veggie comfort food. In the winter, I live on cabbage soup. This soup can be made easily and simply by sauteing onions, garlic, olive oil, spices (don't leave out the coriander), adding cabbage and stock, and letting it simmer. For a truly "feel good meal," combine your cabbage with our succulent, organic ham in a crock pot or skillet. Amazingly, all those leafy greens can survive the frost, imagine what benefits they can bring to you. Cabbage is one of the most versatile vegetables around (braised, stuffed, stewed, roasted, fermented, pancaked?)-- and notorious for storing well.


Daikon – You may know daikon better than you think. Daikon is the white part of the pickle included in a bahn mi sandwich, popularly used in kimchi, and used as salad garnishes, pickles, and other garnishes. You can also make sauerkraut, or pickle with daikon and apple. It’s a member of the radish family and you can use it anywhere you’d use its smaller cousins. Daikon will last up to 2 weeks stored in the fridge, wrap in plastic bag for longer keep.

-Maya, CSA Manager

April 10th, 2023 Newsletter

Box Contents

2 lbs Murcott Mandarins 

1.5 lbs Washington Navels

1 bu Red Carrots

1 bu Red Mustard

1 bu Red Beet

1 lb Leeks

1.5 lbs Yellow Finn

.5 lb Little Gem

Farm Notes:

At long last the shift feels like it is on!  Maybe with no howling North Wind??   Just reaching close to seasonally average temperatures over the last few days feels radical here so I’ll try not to get carried away.  It is a bit ominous that we are planting tomatoes and potatoes at the same time, and both later than hoped.  Some peppers, sweet and hot, to follow later this week as well as what would normally be our last transplanting of lettuce but this year we seeded another round lettuce 2 weeks ago as the Spring groove was feeling like it would never move on.

Likewise we have sweetcorn transplants up in the greenhouse as well as cukes, melons and summer squash. Sweet corn is a first ever to transplant here at Riverdog but with the soil still so cold we decided to give it a go rather than having a poor stand for the first planting.  We are still seeding all the leafy bits for Spring harvest like spinach and the braising mix but also carrots, beets and broccoli, another first ever for this time slot. Our goal is to keep your boxes full in what looks like an uncertain June. We are thrilled you are along for the ride, we promise lots of goodies no matter the weather! 

-Riverdog Tim

CSA Notes

Maya here, I got to interview one of our crew members. Everyday Anahi comes into the office to report to Cristina about what orders have to be completed, the quality of vegetables from the pick, and other news from the field. I'm aware that Anahi met her husband here on the farm, the I would have to pry that story out of her. Here's what she had to say instead.

Maya: What’s in the name of your position and how to did you come to Riverdog?

Anahi: I’m in charge of a harvesting crew. I think I’ve been here for nine years. My aunt recommended this job. And I liked working in the fields. I like working in the fields. That’s why I continued working here. I like being outside, to see the plants, how they grow, to see the process, how they’re planted, and then to pick the plants. I like all of it.

Maya: What is the best thing to happen to you on the farm?

Anahi: Working here? The best thing that has happened is getting to know people. Working with different people. Develop friendships, and to learn a lot about what is being planted. What is being picked and harvested. That’s the best thing to happen to me, is that there’s a good relationship between the people who work here. It’s nice.

Maya: Do you have any stories about working at Riverdog?

Anahi: We have a story. In fact it’s here in Guinda. We had a little scare with a rattlesnake. It was a very big snake [laughs]. This is the biggest story we have. The fright that it gave us.

Maya: What happened after you saw the snake?

Anahi: In truth, we did not want to go back to picking. So we had to call, whom back then was our supervisor, Roberto Montes, and who took care of eliminating the problem.

Box Notes:

Gold Nugget Mandarins – Here is something special about the ranch where the mandarins in your box are from. Gold Oak Ranch is home to the second largest Oak tree in Yolo County. Why special? The oak trees of the Capay Valley are some of the great giants that line the grassy hills along the Cache Creek River giving us nothing short of a serene landscape. Hard work and sustainability are what helps these fertile farmlands thrive. We are glad to share these values with Jose Luis Melendez, David Scheuring, and the Gold Oak Ranch crew. Enjoy these bright slices of the valley, in salads, juiced, as a snack to go. Zest from the peel can be used as a vibrant addition to your morning tea.


Photo from: https://visityolo.com/visit_places/yolo-countryside/

Washington Navels (Not CCOF)–The Washington Navels in this weeks box are a delightful gift of fate.  The Scotts in Rumsey used to farm these trees organically but quit farming them some 10 years ago.  They are not Certified Organic but have not seen sprayed or fertilized.  The trees are rarely watered and typically harvested just to feed their four generations.   This year there was an abundance of fruit and they approached me about putting them in our veggie boxes.  I initially said we didn’t have the labor to harvest them but as the rains have continued  it was a great opportunity to keep a few hands busy so we harvested half the orchard last Wednesday.  We hope to harvest the other half later this week during some elusive sunny moment.  The trees are half dead from “benign neglect” but the fruit is very sweet after this cold wet winter.  In a more normal winter the fruit would have dropped or been soft by now.  Please look past a few blemishes and focus on the their luscious sweetness.   - Riverdog Tim Mueller
 

Red Carrots – You can "eat the rainbow" here at Riverdog with the variety of carrots we grow. Quick- which varieties do we grow here at Riverdog- we have Red carrots, Red Dragon carrots, Nantes (orange) carrots, Yellow Carrots, Deep Purple carrots, and White carrots. Every time I'm around these carrots I find it's necessary to do research, and eat one of each. Check out what the Spruce Eats has to say about the different carrots here. Carrots can be stored in the refrigerator for one to two weeks, remove carrot greens first.


Red Mustard –I can't hear the words mustard greens without thinking of a type of mustard greens dish my mother used to make growing up. Otherwise known as Japanese Giant Red Mustard, this type of mustard we grow is sharp, with almost a garlic-like, mustard flavor. Delicious when paired with fat, citrus, and salt. A simple saute would include olive oil or pork fat, garlic, navel citrus juice, 1/4 cup of broth (vegetarian or meat.) You can bring this to a simmer and add the greens for five minutes. Then serve. If you're not such a huge fan of bitters, one secret tactic is to blanch the bitters before throwing them in the pan. Store the leaves in your fridge, in a bag.
 

Red Beets – Beets savory, beets sweet, beets juiced, and the 26++++ delicious ways to cook with beets. We love our precious deep red roots. With the greens attached to the roots, it's really a two in one. The greens are like a salty chard, easy to stir fry, and deliciously hearty. The beets, like most root vegetables, can last a long time if store correctly. If the beets get soft, no worries, these are still delicious roasted.  Separate the roots from the greens for best storage and store both in plastic bags in the refrigerator. The beets, like most root vegetables, can last a long time if stored correctly.


King Richard Leek – King Richards are beautiful full sized leeks with white shanks over a foot long. Let's also talk about how leaves are more than just their white shanks. You can use the green parts too, and here's how. Also you can save these fibrous tips for veggie stock! Do not trim or wash before storing. Leeks have a strong odor so wrap leeks in plastic when storing in the refrigerator. Leeks will last up to two weeks. Be sure to rinse well, or put cut leeks in a bowl of water to remove the dirt and grit that can get stuck between the leaves.


Yellow Finn – We grow a whole range of potatoes here at Riverdog that you can also order on our Farm Store. Try em' all and impress your friends with your knowledge of potato varieties. This week you'll find Yellow Finn potatoes in your box. It’s a great idea to store your potatoes in the refrigerator, especially when they’re new and haven’t been cured.


Little Gem – At Riverdog we grow more lettuce varieties than I ever thought possible. One of my favorite games to play with the students I teach is guess which variety. What are the subtle differences between each lettuce variety? Little Gem are has a pale, green heart and a crisp center and sweeter taste than common lettuce. For storage, you can either transfer to a plastic bag, or put in plastic, to avoid wilting.

-Maya, CSA Manager

April 3rd, 2023 Newsletter

Box Contents:

2 lbs Gold Nugget Mandarins 

1.5 lbs Washington Navels

1 bu Purple Carrots

1 bu Curly Kale Rabe

1 bu Red Cabbage

1 bu Green Garlic

2 hds Red Leaf + Escarole

Farm Notes:

Our wonderful and dedicated egg crew have set aside cartons of white eggs, special for your Easter egg decorating. You can find these hand sorted eggs at any of our four farmer's markets (Berkeley Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday, Sacramento Sunday).

Welcome to our new bookkeeper, Nikki!

Before Nikki came to Riverdog, she stood at attention every morning at 6 am, was hand selected for personal security, trained with infantry and trained as a combat life saver. During her time in the military, Nikki lived in South Korea, Colorado, North Carolina, Virginia. Nikki even drove a giant fuel truck for several months. She did all of this while standing at a whopping 62 inches, don't let her "pint-sized" appearance fool you. After an honorable four years, she finally moved back home to start a family.

Nikki does not run the office like a drill sergeant. But she is a saint under pressure, with an eye for detail, and a dedication to helping people. Nikki's thought on our spring hams is "it speaks for itself." Nikki's favorite way to eat ham is by making a glaze combining brown sugar, maple syrup, pineapple and cherry juice. Nikki says when baking the ham, "threw the whole pineapple in there, too." Well actually, Nikki's real favorite is ham leftovers; "fried with eggs, lock it in with some cheesy goodness."

Because our hams don't have sodium nitrate, they do not keep their bright pink color as long as meats that have been cured with sodium nitrate. What's being used is celery powder which does not profuse as easily and may even leave a grey blemish on your meat. The cost of natural.

-Maya, CSA Manager

Gold Nugget Mandarins – Here is something special about the ranch where the mandarins in your box are from. Gold Oak Ranch is home to the second largest Oak tree in Yolo County. Why special? The oak trees of the Capay Valley are some of the great giants that line the grassy hills along the Cache Creek River giving us nothing short of a serene landscape. Hard work and sustainability are what helps these fertile farmlands thrive. We are glad to share these values with Jose Luis Melendez, David Scheuring, and the Gold Oak Ranch crew. Enjoy these bright slices of the valley, in salads, juiced, as a snack to go. Zest from the peel can be used as a vibrant addition to your morning tea.


Photo from: https://visityolo.com/visit_places/yolo-countryside/

Washington Navels (Not CCOF)–The Washington Navels in this weeks box are a delightful gift of fate.  The Scotts in Rumsey used to farm these trees organically but quit farming them some 10 years ago.  They are not Certified Organic but have not seen sprayed or fertilized.  The trees are rarely watered and typically harvested just to feed their four generations.   This year there was an abundance of fruit and they approached me about putting them in our veggie boxes.  I initially said we didn’t have the labor to harvest them but as the rains have continued  it was a great opportunity to keep a few hands busy so we harvested half the orchard last Wednesday.  We hope to harvest the other half later this week during some elusive sunny moment.  The trees are half dead from “benign neglect” but the fruit is very sweet after this cold wet winter.  In a more normal winter the fruit would have dropped or been soft by now.  Please look past a few blemishes and focus on the their luscious sweetness.   - Riverdog Tim Mueller
 

Purple Carrots – We've got many delicious purple vegetables in season right now, purple cabbage, purple cauliflower, radicchio (type of chicory), and wonderful purple carrots. We also have many carrots too at Riverdog- we have Red carrots, Red Dragon carrots, Nantes (orange) carrots, Yellow Carrots, and White carrots. Could you imagine using any one of our varieties in your favorite carrot recipes? Just think... purple carrot cake! Every time I'm around these carrots I find it's necessary to do research, and eat one of each. Carrots can be stored in the refrigerator for one to two weeks, remove carrot greens first.
 

Curly Kale Rabe – Another way to think about what rabe is flowering kale. Kale is called ‘raab’ when the flower shows meaning that the plants have “overwintered” and survived until spring. Kale Raab is used similarly to kale leaves. It can be enjoyed raw and cooked, as well as for stir-frying, blanching, sautéing, braising, and steaming. You can cook the kale rabe the

 
Red Cabbage – My friend and local Riverdog CSA member, Matt, swears by cabbage soup. Maybe not everyday for the rest of your life, but this versatile, hearty wonder can turn any meal into a veggie comfort food. Cabbage is one of the most versatile vegetables around (braised, stuffed, stewed, roasted, fermented, pancaked?)-- and notorious for storing well.

Green Garlic –  I look forward to green garlic every season. One of my favorites is pork chops cooked in brown butter with green garlic. Green garlic is young garlic that hasn't fully matured yet. It has the same great garlic taste but is more mild than cured garlic. It can be used as substitute for garlic in recipes, but adds a fresh flare when added raw.

Red Leaf Lettuce + Escarole – At Riverdog we grow more lettuce varieties than I ever thought possible. One of my favorite games to play with the students I teach is guess which variety. What are the subtle differences between each lettuce variety? Red leaf lettuce is mild with a slightly bitter undertone. The redder the lettuce, the more bitter, sort of like the mustard of the lettuces. Because of its curly crimson red leaves, red leaf lettuce makes for a beautiful base to a salad such as this Roasted Carrot and Red Leaf salad with buttermilk herb dressing. For storage, you can either transfer to a plastic bag, or put in plastic, to avoid wilting.

Escarole is a yummy lettuce appearing chicory variety. Most often it is sauteed or braised down. You can use it in soups. Escarole stores for up to week in a your fridge, for better storage wrap in a wax paper bag or plastic.

-Maya, CSA Manager

March 27, 2023 Newsletter

Box Contents

2 lbs Gold Nugget Mandarins 

1.5 lbs Sifra Potatoes

1 bu Yellow Carrots

1 hd Green Cabbage

1 bu Spring Onions

1 bu Red Mustard

.67 lb Braising Mix

Farm Notes:
 

Dan and Holly have been CSA site hosts since 2003, and Riverdog shoppers since the 90s. I correspond weekly with Dan about what sort of shenanigans are happening over at Dan's site. It's always this story. This time I got a chance to get some of his story and here's how it went:

Maya: What influenced you to become a Riverdog site host, and what was your connection to Riverdog before becoming a site host?

Dan: We first moved into the house in 2003, 20 years now, and first couple of years in the house we were Riverdog subscribers… But then the site host moved away. In the Riverdog Newsletter, which back then was only on paper, Holly and I joked that they were having a beauty contest for a new site host in the neighborhood. And we just looked at each other and was like “this is perfect for us.” We responded and a week or so later they wrote to us “congratulations, we’d love to use your house as—”

Maya: The new "Miss Site Host…”

Dan: (Laughs) Yeah exactly. And we put on the tiara... and we’ve just been doing it ever since. Over the years we’ve had various friends sign up to get their veggie box from Riverdog. Some come, some go, some stay on. We enjoy doing, supporting, sustaining the Community Supported Agriculture. Making it easier for farmers to get food to the people that want it.

Maya: Thank you for doing that. Now I wonder, if your site is a bit of a party spot, you’ve invited your friends to join the program...

Dan: I wouldn’t call it a party spot. We have people who would come by whom we would chat with. If I was around the house or just coming home when people would pick up. There’s a number of people I know well enough to chat with. Party spot seems a little bit exaggerated. We put out boxes of vegetables, not a cooler of beer..

(Maya and Dan laugh)

Dan: We should try that sometime.

Box Contents

2 lbs Gold Nugget Mandarins 

1.5 lbs Sifra Potatoes

1 bu Yellow Carrots

1 hd Green Cabbage

1 bu Spring Onions

1 bu Red Mustard

.67 lb Braising Mix

Gold Nugget Mandarins – Here is something special about the ranch where the mandarins in your box are from. Gold Oak Ranch is home to the second largest Oak tree in Yolo County. Why special? The oak trees of the Capay Valley are some of the great giants that line the grassy hills along the Cache Creek River giving us nothing short of a serene landscape. Hard work and sustainability are what helps these fertile farmlands thrive. We are glad to share these values with Jose Luis Melendez, David Scheuring, and the Gold Oak Ranch crew. Enjoy these bright slices of the valley, in salads, juiced, as a snack to go. Zest from the peel can be used as a vibrant addition to your morning tea

Sifra Potatoes –We grow a whole range of potatoes here at Riverdog that you can also order on our Farm Store. Try em' all and impress your friends with your knowledge of potato varieties. This week you'll find Sifra potatoes in your box. They are a bit waxy, amazing as chips, and so flavorful they make an excellent addition  to your soup! Also excellent in a roast like this Lemon Roast Potatoes recipe found here.  It’s a great idea to store your potatoes in the refrigerator, especially when they’re new and haven’t been cured.
 

Yellow Carrots – You can "eat the rainbow" here at Riverdog with the variety of carrots we grow. Quick- which varieties do we grow here at Riverdog- we have Red carrots, Red Dragon carrots, Nantes (orange) carrots, Yellow Carrots, Deep Purple carrots, and White carrots. Every time I'm around these carrots I find it's necessary to do research, and eat one of each. Check out what the Spruce Eats has to say about the different carrots here. Carrots can be stored in the refrigerator for one to two weeks, remove carrot greens first.
 

Green Cabbage – My friend and local Riverdog CSA member, Matt, swears by cabbage soup. Maybe not everyday for the rest of your life, but this versatile, hearty wonder can turn any meal into a veggie comfort food. In the winter, I live on cabbage soup. This soup can be made easily and simply by sauteing onions, garlic, olive oil, spices (don't leave out the coriander), adding cabbage and stock, and letting it simmer. For a truly "feel good meal," combine your cabbage with our succulent, organic ham in a crock pot or skillet. Amazingly, all those leafy greens can survive the frost, imagine what benefits they can bring to you. Cabbage is one of the most versatile vegetables around (braised, stuffed, stewed, roasted, fermented, pancaked?)-- and notorious for storing well.

 
Red Spring Onions – Spring onions, scallions, green onions; the internet wants to know: are these the same things? The internet might have some different answers for you according to Bon Appetit, BBC good food, Healthline, oh, and this site.. But what we do know is the spring onions are young onions. Onions are usually picked for storage in the summer so Spring onions are just onions picked in spring. This gives the younger onion a chance to have a milder, sweeter flavor. You can eat all parts of the greens raw, chopped in a salad, as a top to any of your dishes, stir fried, in a stock, or even searing them on the grill (yum). In a perforated bag, spring onion can last in the fridge for up to four or five days.

Red Mustard–  I can't hear the words mustard greens without thinking of a type of mustard greens dish my mother used to make growing up. Otherwise known as Japanese Giant Red Mustard, this type of mustard we grow is sharp, with almost a garlic-like, mustard flavor. Delicious when paired with fat, citrus, and salt. A simple saute would include olive oil or pork fat, garlic, navel citrus juice, 1/4 cup of broth (vegetarian or meat.) You can bring this to a simmer and add the greens for five minutes. Then serve. If you're not such a huge fan of bitters, one secret tactic is to blanch the bitters before throwing them in the pan. Store the leaves in your fridge, in a bag.

Braising Mix –  Riverdog owner Tim Mueller writes, "braising mix is a bit of a misnomer as my family mostly eats it raw as salad, it definitely does not need to be cooked, although it’s delicious cooked as well!" This is the last of our braising mix for the year. Enjoy and delight in its many flavors and textures, however you prepare it. You can store the braising mix in a bag

-Maya, CSA Manager

March 20th, 2023 Newsletter

Box Contents

2 lbs Gold Nugget Mandarins 

2 lb Washington Navels

1 bu Yellow Carrots

1 bu Collards

1 bu Spring Onions

1 bu Cilantro

.67 lb Little Gem

Farm Notes:

I got the chance to catch up with Lovel, who has been helping with set up for one of Riverdog’s farmers market booths. I’ve known Lovel since high school, and this year we reconnected through Riverdog. A telephone interview ensued:

Lovel: I think one of the biggest blessings is getting to have fresh veggies from your climate, very seasonal. And, if you’re committed to Riverdog, because of working there, or CSA, or even if you just love it because it’s amazing, you go there every week and buy your groceries, and you get to try different things. I eat vegetables that I wouldn’t normally. I think normally I would get little gems or maybe a mix for salads. But now I eat all these different kind of green, leafy vegetables. Because you want to try something new, it’s easy to go, “I want to try Mei Qing Choi because I’ve seen this for a couple weeks now.” Once I had it I was like “wow, this is one of my favorite greens.” And I never would have got it in a grocery store, I would have normally gotten kale or something that I already know is good. 

Maya: I love that, being more connected to the farm and seasons. 

Lovel: Yeah I love it. I think having a relationship with a farm allows you to explore what they’re growing, because they know what grows well in our climate, so you know it’s going to be fire [delicious]. You find out that there’s a lot more variety, even inside things you’ve been eating for years. There’s like nine different types of kale. 

Maya: I like that, it’s like being comfortable knowing that the farm you choose to shop with grows great food, and that brings you out of your comfort zone to try new things. And how long have you been in relationship with Riverdog, Lovel? 

Lovel: (Laughs) Umm… errr.. Covid. About a month into Covid. I was living in a house in a community in the Berkeley Hills, and one of my housemates put it in the group text, “hey, I volunteer at this [farmer’s market] and they need help, plus you get veggies.” And I was in lockdown, for like a month and I just needed to get out of the house (laughs). So I was like, “yes, I’m in.” I helped set up. It was just so much fun to be in that environment and learning. I’ve been doing it ever since. And yeah, I just always look forward to melon season. 

Maya: (Laughs) That’s a real thing. Well, you definitely come off as a seasoned farmer’s market worker, like you could show anybody the ropes. 

Lovel: Oh yeah, definitely. Well, when I started here, Tim [Mueller] was still working markets. And — this should be in the newsletter, people always remember this — Tim would come, he would drive the truck in and unload the truck. And the crazy thing is, the way we have it now, there are two people unloading the truck. We have one person unload the back and the other person unloads from the side door. But when Tim did it, he did both sides of the truck at the same time. He does a better job unloading than we do with two people.

Maya: Awesome, that’s going in the newsletter, for sure…

Gold Nugget Mandarins – Here is something special about the ranch where the mandarins in your box are from. Gold Oak Ranch is home to the second largest Oak tree in Yolo County. Why special? The oak trees of the Capay Valley are some of the great giants that line the grassy hills along the Cache Creek River giving us nothing short of a serene landscape. Hard work and sustainability are what helps these fertile farmlands thrive. We are glad to share these values with Jose Luis Melendez, David Scheuring, and the Gold Oak Ranch crew. Enjoy these bright slices of the valley, in salads, juiced, as a snack to go. Zest from the peel can be used as a vibrant addition to your morning tea.

The Scott's Washington Navels – The Washington Navels in this weeks box are a delightful gift of fate.  The Scotts in Rumsey used to farm these trees organically but quit farming them some 10 years ago.   They are not certified organic but have not seen sprayed or fertilized.  The trees are rarely watered and typically harvested just to feed their four generations.   This year there was an abundance of fruit and they approached me about putting them in our veggie boxes.  I initially said we didn’t have the labor to harvest them but as the rains have continued  it was a great opportunity to keep a few hands busy so we harvested half the orchard last Wednesday.  We hope to harvest the other half later this week during some elusive sunny moment.  The trees are half dead from “benign neglect” but the fruit is very sweet after this cold wet winter.  In a more normal winter the fruit would have dropped or been soft by now.  Please look past a few blemishes and focus on the their luscious sweetness.   - Riverdog Tim Mueller

Yellow Carrots – You can "eat the rainbow" here at Riverdog with the variety of carrots we grow. Quick- which varieties do we grow here at Riverdog- we have Red carrots, Red Dragon carrots, Nantes (orange) carrots, Yellow Carrots, Deep Purple carrots, and White carrots. Every time I'm around these carrots I find it's necessary to do research, and eat one of each. Check out what the Spruce Eats has to say about the different carrots here. Carrots can be stored in the refrigerator for one to two weeks, remove carrot greens first.

Collards – Whew, Southern collard greens, there is nothing like it! This classic recipe is a beloved staple of the South, but what else can you do with collards? They're sturdy so you can roll them up into wrap, shred them into a soup, bake them into a casserole, saute with eggs or meat, or even chop them up into toss them into a salad. Enjoy these recipes on how to get even more creative with your collards.

Spring onions – Spring onions, scallions, green onions; the internet wants to know: are these the same things? The internet might have some different answers for you according to Bon Appetit, BBC good food, Healthline, oh, and this site.. But what we do know is the spring onions are young onions. Onions are usually picked for storage in the summer so Spring onions are just onions picked in spring. This gives the younger onion a chance to have a milder, sweeter flavor. You can eat all parts of the greens raw, chopped in a salad, as a top to any of your dishes, stir fried, in a stock, or even searing them on the grill (yum). In a perforated bag, spring onion can last in the fridge for up to four or five days.

Cilantro – Oh cilantro, there is so much to say. But why don't we start with using the roots? There is a ton of flavor in the root of cilantro in addition to the stems and leaves. The roots can blended for dressing or marinades, or chopped or sauteed into any rice dish. For the leaves I like to chop and mash into avocado with some lime and onion to make a simple guacamole. Or you could shoot for the "best ever" guacamole. Store in a bag in the refrigerator.

Little Gem – At Riverdog we grow more lettuce varieties than I ever thought possible. One of my favorite games to play with the students I teach is guess which variety. What are the subtle differences between each lettuce variety? Little Gem are has a pale, green heart and a crisp center and sweeter taste than common lettuce. For storage, you can either transfer to a plastic bag, or put in plastic, to avoid wilting.

-Maya, CSA Manager

March 6th, 2023 Newsletter

Box Contents

2 lbs Gold Nugget Mandarins 

1.5 bu Red Carrots

1 lb Bok Choi 

1 bu Red Beet

1 bu Red Russian Kale

1.5 lbs Sifra Potato

1 lb Garlic

Farm Notes:

With our 12 acres of almonds and 6 acres of mixed stone fruit in full bloom it is both gorgeous and terrifying to still see snow on the ridge to our West.  Even more fell this morning, though not on the valley floor as it did a few weeks ago.   The apricots seem unlikely to have any fruit, and the plums look the most likely to pull through with at least a small harvest.   Looks like we have at least ten days to two weeks of serious rain ahead so nothing feels certain. 

At the end of last week we managed to transplant more onions, kales and chards before the rain started again.  We have pushed our March 15 tomato planting date back to early April as we are frosted every morning the sky is clear.  Most years we are moving into full blown asparagus harvest by now but we are seeing no activity in the ‘gras field.   For the field crew it has been a tough Winter with limited hrs and cold working conditions.  While we are hoping for a serious planting window soon, we are grateful for the much needed water and are increasingly hopeful for a close to full water allocation this Summer!  

-Riverdog Tim

Gold Nugget Mandarins – Here is something special about the ranch where the mandarins in your box are from. Gold Oak Ranch is home to the second largest Oak tree in Yolo County. Why special? The oak trees of the Capay Valley are some of the great giants that line the grassy hills along the Cache Creek River giving us nothing short of a serene landscape. Hard work and sustainability are what helps these fertile farmlands thrive. We are glad to share these values with Jose Luis Melendez, David Scheuring, and the Gold Oak Ranch crew. Enjoy these bright slices of the valley, in salads, juiced, as a snack to go. Zest from the peel can be used as a vibrant addition to your morning tea.

 
Red Carrots – You can "eat the rainbow" here at Riverdog with the variety of carrots we grow. Quick- which varieties do we grow here at Riverdog- we have Red carrots, Red Dragon carrots, Nantes (orange) carrots, Yellow Carrots, Deep Purple carrots, and White carrots. Every time I'm around these carrots I find it's necessary to do research, and eat one of each. Check out what the Spruce Eats has to say about the different carrots here. Carrots can be stored in the refrigerator for one to two weeks, remove carrot greens first.
 
Bok Choi – Currently we are growing two types of bok choi-- the large white-stemmed joi choi, and the shorter green-stemmed mei qing. They are both delicious and crunchy and can be used in similar ways. Bok choi makes a great stir-fry, delicious is an addition in curry, soups, noodles, fermented, or eaten raw. Store in the refrigerator in a bag.
 
Red Beets –I did not discover my love for beets until later in life, it came in the form of roasted in balsamic beet slices with goat cheese and sprinkles of mint leaves, then I began to understand. Beets savory, beets sweet, beets juiced, beets, just ... beets. We love our precious deep red roots – with the greens attached. It's really a two in one. Separate the roots from the greens for best storage and store both in plastic bags in the refrigerator. The beets, like most root vegetables, can last a long time if store correctly, but often get soft. No worries, these are still delicious roasted. The greens are like a salty chard, easy to stir fry, and deliciously hearty.

Red Russian Kale –Red Russian Kale is popular at market, in CSA, and with chefs. The heirloom variety has bit of a misnomer, with leaves that are dark and pale green with purple veins. Known for it's sweet and tenderness. Red Russian kale, or "scarlet kale" is delicious stir fried or sauteed, adding sweet to whatever goes in.
 
Sifra Potatoes –We grow a whole range of potatoes here at Riverdog that you can also order on our Farm Store. Try em' all and impress your friends with your knowledge of potato varieties. This week you'll find Sifra potatoes in your box. They are a bit waxy, amazing as chips, and so flavorful they make an excellent addition  to your soup! Also excellent in a roast like this Lemon Roast Potatoes recipe found here https://www.tamarindnthyme.com/lemon-roast-potatoes/.  It’s a great idea to store your potatoes in the refrigerator, especially when they’re new and haven’t been cured.
 
Garlic – In an article written in The New York Times, 1979, titled "The World According to Garlic," Berkeley, CA is mentioned with,

"a French nouvelle cuisine restaurant called Chez Panisse celebrates garlic for a week in July, leading up to a Bastille Day feast in which every course of the dinner is made with garlic. And a group called the “Lovers of the Stinking Rose” in Berkeley publishes a newsletter called The Garlic Times."

I might love Berkeley almost as much as I love garlic. They seem to go hand in hand. Saveur writes a deliciously simple recipe on how to make Chez Panisse Garlic Butter.
 

-Maya, CSA Manager

February 27th, 2023 Newsletter

Box Contents

2 lbs Gold Nugget Mandarins
1.5 lb Yellow Carrots
1 hd Green Cabbage
1 lb White Daikon
.75 lb Braising Mix or Mustard
1 bu Gold Beets
1 lb Leeks

Farm Notes:

A winter storm warning came hailing through Yolo County on Friday, making the valley feel like it was encircling the north pole. Cristina Sanchez, our Sales Manager, had concerns over whether the snow covered crops would affect the plants. Cristina has worked at Riverdog Farm since Rd 61 and Buster's, before there was a Riverdog in Guinda, when the farm only had 10 crew members, and she was the first hired on female. For 20 years, there was Cristina, who started in the fields and eventually managed the pack shed (the epicenter of all CSA and customer orders). Up until 2017, when Cristina put down her muddy boots to become the sales manager of Riverdog Farm. So whenever there is any concern coming from Cristina about what's happening in the fields, that's the mind of a 20 year Riverdog farmer.

After research with the different field managers, and her daily inspection/walk to get her "steps in," Cristina found peace. The little plant starts in the newly tilled fields where resilient and unaffected by the snow or the arctic breeze. Cristina remains tuned in to both life inside the office box, and also way, way out of it.
 

-Maya, CSA Manager

Gold Nugget Mandarins – Here is something special about the ranch where the mandarins in your box are from. Gold Oak Ranch is home to the second largest Oak tree in Yolo County. Why special? The oak trees of the Capay Valley are some of the great giants that line the grassy hills along the Cache Creek River giving us nothing short of a serene landscape. Hard work and sustainability are what helps these fertile farmlands thrive. We are glad to share these values with Jose Luis Melendez, David Scheuring, and the Gold Oak Ranch crew. Enjoy these bright slices of the valley, in salads, juiced, as a snack to go. Zest from the peel can be used as a vibrant addition to your morning tea.


Photo from: https://visityolo.com/visit_places/yolo-countryside/
 

Yellow Carrots - You can "eat the rainbow" here at Riverdog with the variety of carrots we grow. Quick- which varieties do we grow here at Riverdog- we have Red carrots, Red Dragon carrots, Nantes (orange) carrots, Yellow Carrots, Deep Purple carrots, and White carrots. This weekwe are feautiring yellow carrots in our veggie box. If nothing else, watch the first couple minutes of this video for some behind the scenes on how Uzbek Plov (Pilaf) is made using lamb and yellow carrots. For a recipe step-by-step to follow, check out this link. Every time I'm around our carrots I find it's necessary to do research, and eat one of each. Check out what the Spruce Eats has to say about the different carrots here. Carrots can be stored in the refrigerator for one to two weeks, remove carrot greens first.
 

Green Cabbage – My friend and local Riverdog CSA member, Matt, swears by cabbage soup. Maybe not everyday for the rest of your life, but this versatile, hearty wonder can turn any meal into a veggie comfort food. In the winter, I live on cabbage soup. This soup can be made easily and simply by sauteing onions, garlic, olive oil, spices (don't leave out the coriander), adding cabbage and stock, and letting it simmer. For a truly "feel good meal," combine your cabbage with our succulent, organic ham in a crock pot or skillet. Amazingly, all those leafy greens can survive the frost, imagine what benefits they can bring to you. Cabbage is one of the most versatile vegetables around (braised, stuffed, stewed, roasted, fermented, pancaked?)-- and notorious for storing well.

White Daikon – You may know daikon better than you think. Daikon is the white part of the pickle included in a bahn mi sandwich, popularly used in kimchi, and used as salad garnishes, pickles, and other garnishes. You can also make sauerkraut, or pickle with daikon and apple. It’s a member of the radish family and you can use it anywhere you’d use its smaller cousins. Daikon will last up to 2 weeks stored in the fridge, wrap in plastic bag for longer keep.

Braising Mix – Tim writes, "braising mix is a bit of a misnomer as my family mostly eats it raw as salad, it definitely does not need to be cooked, although it’s delicious cooked as well!" This is the last of our braising mix for the year. Enjoy and delight in its many flavors and textures, however you prepare it. Once the braising mix runs out on the farm this week, members will receive mustard greens.

Gold Beets – I did not discover my love for beets until later in life, it came in the form of roasted in balsamic beet slices with goat cheese and sprinkles of mint leaves, then I began to understand. Beets savory, beets sweet, beets juiced, beets, just ... beets. We love our precious roots – with the greens attached, it's really a two in one. Separate the roots from the greens for best storage and store both in plastic bags in the refrigerator. The beets, like most root vegetables, can last a long time if store correctly, but often get soft. No worries, these are still delicious roasted. The greens are like a salty chard, easy to stir fry, and deliciously hearty.

King Richard Leek – King Richards are beautiful full sized leeks with white shanks over a foot long. Let's also talk about how leaves are more than just their white shanks. You can use the green parts too, and here's how. Also you can save these fibrous tips for veggie stock! Do not trim or wash before storing. Leeks have a strong odor so wrap leeks in plastic when storing in the refrigerator. Leeks will last up to two weeks. Be sure to rinse well, or put cut leeks in a bowl of water to remove the dirt and grit that can get stuck between the leaves.

-Maya, CSA Manager

February 13th, 2023 Newsletter

Box Contents:


2 lbs Gold Nugget Mandarins

1.5 lb White Carrots

1 bu Red Beets

1.25 lbs Purple Daikon+Red Daikon

1 bu Green Mustard

.75 lb 1 Treviso + 2 LittleGem

1 lb Cauliflower

Farm Notes:

There is something about sunshine and warmer weather that makes the clock tick faster and everything, from the plants to the people, work harder. Now that winter is over (which it isn’t, actually), the air is teeming with the business of welcoming spring's bounty.

A couple of days ago, amidst the frenzied buzzing of a yearly inspection on the farm and some serious technological warfare on the CSA front (sorry "Week B"), I get a call from Farmer Tim. On the other side I hear a muffled, something like “Maya… can you help load… chickens.” I’m on my way. My job as CSA manager isn’t just a dedication to screen time with all of you, your questions, concerns, and excitement.. Well, it is just that, most of the time. But every so often I’m woken out of a daze and called on a mission to the great outdoors; attention crew member Maya, time to get some mud on your shoes. Two miles down Forrest Ave, the chickens are preceded by squealing and high pitched shouting. Tim’s three year old and four year old daughters are emphatically directing Tim, and the other chicken handlers, on proper care technique: “watch your feet, you're going to step on the baby chickens!” Tim and others are unloading the 3000 or so baby chickens, box by box, that have just arrived to the farm. Soon I join the unloading crew and am very careful adding each peeping, feathery handful to our laying hen flock.

Farmer Tim says a couple times each year in the winter, a large amount of baby chicks are ordered as back up for our laying hens. When it’s really hot, the hens who have already been working hard during the quasi-winter and spring months, get the idea that they work too hard for too little pay. So, the hens go on strike. That is when all those chicks who arrived in February get eager to start their egg laying work, right around July. A second group of chicks that arrived to the farm earlier that spring, are ready to help when the chickens go on strike again in the winter. The winter strike happens around October out of a radical need for rest and self-care (scientifically speaking, to be certain), which is when we close egg subscriptions until March. The life of a CSA manager and a chicken goes hand in hand, most of production happens when were sitting, but there’s a whole lot of flying when we’re free to roam.

Gold Nugget Mandarins – Here is something special about the ranch where the mandarins in your box are from. Gold Oak Ranch is home to the second largest Oak tree in Yolo County. Why special? The oak trees of the Capay Valley are some of the great giants that line the grassy hills along the Cache Creek River giving us nothing short of a serene landscape. Hard work and sustainability are what helps these fertile farmlands thrive. We are glad to share these values with Jose Luis Melendez, David Scheuring, and the Gold Oak Ranch crew. Enjoy these bright slices of the valley, in salads, juiced, as a snack to go. Zest from the peel can be used as a vibrant addition to your morning tea.

White Carrots – We have many carrots at Riverdog- we have Red carrots, Dragon carrots, Nantes (orange) carrots, Yellow Carrots, and purple carrots, and white carrots. Here's a guide for growing carrots at home in which different varieties are discussed! Every time I'm around these carrots I find it's necessary to do research, and eat one of each. Carrots can be stored in the refrigerator for one to two weeks, remove carrot greens first.

Red Beets – Beets savory, beets sweet, beets juiced, and the 26++++ (https://insanelygoodrecipes.com/beet-recipes/) delicious ways to cook with beets. We love our precious deep red roots. With the greens attached to the roots, it's really a two in one. The greens are like a salty chard, easy to stir fry, and deliciously hearty. The beets, like most root vegetables, can last a long time if store correctly. If the beets get soft, no worries, these are still delicious roasted. Separate the roots from the greens for best storage and store both in plastic bags in the refrigerator. The beets, like most root vegetables, can last a long time if stored correctly.

Purple + Red Daikon – You may know daikon better than you think. Daikon is the white part of the pickle included in a bahn mi sandwich, popularly used in kimchi, and used as salad garnishes, pickles, and other garnishes. You can also make sauerkraut, or pickle with daikon and apple. It’s a member of the radish family and you can use it anywhere you’d use its smaller cousins. Daikon will last up to 2 weeks stored in the fridge, wrap in plastic bag for longer keep.

Green Mustard – I can't hear the words mustard greens without thinking of a type of mustard greens dish my mother used to make growing up. The type of mustard we grow is sharp, with almost a garlic-like, mustard flavor. Delicious when paired with fat, citrus, and salt. A simple saute would include olive oil or pork fat, garlic, navel citrus juice, 1/4 cup of broth (vegetarian or meat.) You can bring this to a simmer and add the greens for five minutes. Then serve. If you're not such a huge fan of bitters, one secret tactic is to blanch the bitters before throwing them in the pan. Store the leaves in your fridge, in a bag.

 1 Treviso + 2 little Gem – Treviso is a yummy Italian chicory variety. Otherwise known as Radicchio di Treviso, it comes from the Italian region of Veneto and has elongated wavy leaves that are similar to red lettuce. Try it grilled on the barbecue and drizzled with olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Radicchio will stand up to heat, bringing out it's sweet flavor, try it with hot honey vinaigrette and cotija cheese. Treviso stores for up to week in a your fridge, for better storage wrap in a wax paper bag or plastic.

Cauliflower – When we eat cauliflower, we are actually eating a flower that has not fully developed. At Riverdog we dare not grow just cauliflower, but also beautiful purple cauliflower, and Romanesco. Check them out at one of our four farmer's market locations (South Berkeley, North Berkeley, Downtown Berkeley, Sacramento). Cauliflower is totally pizza friendly. Ranging from the possibilities of making cauliflower crust or loading your toppings with curried cauliflower like Majka’s Pizzeria of Sacramento has done here. Eat raw, roasted, or extra roasted, steamed or sauteed. Enjoy!

-Maya, CSA Manager

February 6th, 2023 Newsletter

Box Contents:


2 lbs Gold Nugget Mandarins

1.5 lb Yellow Finn Potatoes

1 hd Napa Cabbage

1 bu Scarlet Queen Turnips

1 bu Dragon Carrots

1 bu Leeks

2 hds Cauliflower

Gold Nugget Mandarins – Here is something special about the ranch where the mandarins in your box are from. Gold Oak Ranch is home to the second largest Oak tree in Yolo County. Why special? The oak trees of the Capay Valley are some of the great giants that line the grassy hills along the Cache Creek River giving us nothing short of a serene landscape. Hard work and sustainability are what helps these fertile farmlands thrive. We are glad to share these values with Jose Luis Melendez, David Scheuring, and the Gold Oak Ranch crew. Enjoy these bright slices of the valley, in salads, juiced, as a snack to go. Zest from the peel can be used as a vibrant addition to your morning tea.


Photo from: https://visityolo.com/visit_places/yolo-countryside/

Potatoes -- We grow a whole range of potatoes here at Riverdog that you can also order on our Farm Store. Try em' all and impress your friends with your knowledge of potato varieties. This week you'll find Yellow Finn potatoes in your box. They are recommended for making french fries, roasting, like in this scalloped recipe, because they absorb flavor well. t’s a great idea to store your potatoes in the refrigerator, especially when they’re new and haven’t been cured.
 
Napa Cabbage – I am thrilled whenever there is napa cabbage in season. Excellent chopped raw and served in a salad, sautéed in oil with a dash of salt and pepper, but in my favorite form - Kimchi. Napa cabbage can keep for week or even longer when stored unwashed in a produce bag in the fridge.
 
Scarlet Queen -- Thank you Good Eggs for this suh-weeet write up on our Scarlet Queen Turnips: "These vibrant and beautiful turnips can be boiled, roasted, steamed, or eaten raw. Their flavor is among the freshest of all root veggies, as they're a little sweet, and somehow very light on the palette. Mash some up with other roots for a bit of a kick, slice them up and put them on your salad for some extra zip, roast them along side your root medley and they won't disappoint."

Dragon Carrots – We've got many delicious purple vegetables in season right now, purple cabbage, purple cauliflower, radicchio (type of chicory), and wonderful purple carrots. We also have many carrots too at Riverdog- we have Red carrots, Dragon carrots, Nantes (orange) carrots, Yellow Carrots, and White carrots. Could you imagine using any one of our varieties in your favorite carrot recipes? Dragon carrots have a beautiful red purple exterior with a light yellow-orange core. Just think of the beauty you can create with every meal like in this dragon carrot risotto! Every time I'm around these carrots I find it's necessary to do research, and eat one of each. Carrots can be stored in the refrigerator for one to two weeks, remove carrot greens first.
 
King Richard Leek – King Richards are beautiful full sized leeks with white shanks over a foot long. Let's also talk about how leaves are more than just their white shanks. You can use the green parts too, and here's how. Also you can save these fibrous tips for veggie stock! Do not trim or wash before storing. Leeks have a strong odor so wrap leeks in plastic when storing in the refrigerator. Leeks will last up to two weeks. Be sure to rinse well, or put cut leeks in a bowl of water to remove the dirt and grit that can get stuck between the leaves.
 
Cauliflower – When we eat cauliflower, we are actually eating a flower that has not fully developed. At Riverdog we dare not grow just cauliflower, but also beautiful purple cauliflower, and Romanesco. Check them out at one of our four farmer's market locations (. Cauliflower is totally pizza friendly. Ranging from the possibilities of making cauliflower crust or loading your toppings with curried cauliflower like Majka’s Pizzeria of Sacramento has done here. Eat raw, roasted, or extra roasted, steamed or sauteed. Enjoy!

-Maya, CSA Manager

January 30th, 2023 Newsletter

Box Content:

2 lbs Gold Nugget Mandarins

1.5 lb Sifra Potatoes

1 hd Green Cabbage

1 bu Cilantro

1 bu Purple Carrots

1 bu Ethiopian Kale

2 hds Cauliflower

.33 lbs Garlic

Farm Notes:

We are doing our best to enjoy 42 degrees with a serious North Wind howling today!  While the wind is a challenge to work in we need a few more days of drying to get some tractor work done and maybe even plant more carrots, beets, peas, arugula, spinach and goodness knows what else might possess us.  We also have another generation of onion transplants looking to get into their beds, so the wind is our friend, if a little hard to bear.  We all have those friends, yes?

I hope you have all been enjoying the citrus this year.  Both operations, Blue Heron and Gold Oak Partners, both of Rumsey, are also certified organic by CCOF.  Rumsey is about 50 ft higher in elevation. Where Riverdog is located in the “mid-valley” region of the Capay (Guinda/Brooks), we are consistently five or more degrees colder than Rumsey. Hence, citrus trees cannot survive on our farm. Citrus might survive a few years in our location, but never more than that. We are just too cold.

In any case, we are thrilled to have two neighbors who grow amazing citrus and are honored to share their bounty through our CSA boxes.  Other than for the citrus and occasionally our neighbor’s fuyu persimmons, we rarely include anyone else’s produce and we will always let you know when we do.   Hopefully Blue Heron will have another two rounds of their delicious Washington navels and this week we are finishing out Gold Oak’s Gold Nugget mandarins, before moving on to their Tango mandarins. 

-Riverdog Tim

Gold Nugget Mandarins – Here is something special about the ranch where the mandarins in your box are from. Gold Oak Ranch is home to the second largest Oak tree in Yolo County. Why special? The oak trees of the Capay Valley are some of the great giants that line the grassy hills along the Cache Creek River giving us nothing short of a serene landscape. Hard work and sustainability are what helps these fertile farmlands thrive. We are glad to share these values with Jose Luis Melendez, David Scheuring, and the Gold Oak Ranch crew. Enjoy these bright slices of the valley, in salads, juiced, as a snack to go. Zest from the peel can be used as a vibrant addition to your morning tea.

Sifra Potatoes – We grow a whole range of potatoes here at Riverdog that you can also order on our Farm Store. Try em' all and impress your friends with your knowledge of potato varieties. This week you'll find Sifra potatoes in your box. The are a bit waxy, so not really meant for mashed potatoes, but amazing as chips! It’s a great idea to store your potatoes in the refrigerator, especially when they’re new and haven’t been cured.

Green Cabbage – My friend and local Riverdog CSA member, Matt, swears by cabbage soup. Maybe not everyday for the rest of your life, but this versatile, hearty wonder can turn any meal into a veggie comfort food. Cabbage is one of the most versatile vegetables around (braised, stuffed, stewed, roasted, fermented, pancaked?)-- and notorious for storing well.

Cilantro – Oh cilantro, there is so much to say. But why don't we start with using the roots? There is a ton of flavor in the root of cilantro in addition to the stems and leaves. The roots can blended for dressing or marinades, or chopped or sauteed into any rice dish. For the leaves I like to chop and mash into avocado with some lime and onion to make a simple guacamole. Or you could shoot for the "best ever" guacamole. Store in a bag in the refrigerator.
 
Purple Carrots – We've got many delicious purple vegetables in season right now, purple cabbage, purple cauliflower, radicchio (type of chicory), and wonderful purple carrots. We also have many carrots too at Riverdog- we have Red carrots, Red Dragon carrots, Nantes (orange) carrots, Yellow Carrots, and White carrots. Could you imagine using any one of our varieties in your favorite carrot recipes? Just think... purple carrot cake! Every time I'm around these carrots I find it's necessary to do research, and eat one of each. Carrots can be stored in the refrigerator for one to two weeks, remove carrot greens first.

Ethiopian Kale – Otherwise known as Amara Mustard, is actually a mustard, but sweet like kale. One of our longstanding farmers market employees, or "quarterbacks," as some may call them, stands fully behind Ethiopian kale as "the best." That quarterback I'm talking about is Lenin; check out this Instagram throwback photo of Lenin, and one of our other super star market employees, Claire. This heirloom variety has thicker, juicier and more mild tasting overtones than other varieties of kale. It is great as a raw standalone, in salads, braised, juiced. Store in the refrigerator in a bag.

Cauliflower – When we eat cauliflower, we are actually eating a flower that has not fully developed. At Riverdog we dare not grow just cauliflower, but also beautiful purple cauliflower, and Romanesco. Check them out at one of our four farmer's market locations (. Cauliflower is totally pizza friendly. Ranging from the possibilities of making cauliflower crust or loading your toppings with curried cauliflower like Majka’s Pizzeria of Sacramento has done here. Eat raw, roasted, or extra roasted, steamed or sauteed. Enjoy!

Garlic – In an article written in The New York Times, 1979, titled "The World According to Garlic," Berkeley, CA is mentioned with,

"a French nouvelle cuisine restaurant called Chez Panisse celebrates garlic for a week in July, leading up to a Bastille Day feast in which every course of the dinner is made with garlic. And a group called the “Lovers of the Stinking Rose” in Berkeley publishes a newsletter called The Garlic Times."

I might love Berkeley almost as much as I love garlic. They seem to go hand in hand. Saveur writes a deliciously simple recipe on how to make Chez Panisse Garlic Butter.


 

-Maya, CSA Manager

January 23rd, 2023 Newsletter

Box Contents:

2 lbs Blue Heron Navels

1 lb Potatoes

1 hd Cauliflower

1 bu Gold Beets

1 bu Carrots

1 bu Spinach

1 lb Purple + Red Daikon

Farm Notes:

Does anybody remember that article from the New Yorker in 2015 about Riverdog eggs? The author, David Darlington, observed the egg lines of the Riverdog farmer's market booth as having, "certain cultlike overtones." Not much has changed since 2015. It's always easy to pick up the agonized undertone when the, "are you out of eggs?", lamentations begin thirty minutes after market opens.

Tonight I interviewed our market leader, Betsy Prescott, who was happy to shed some light on the egg shortage that's been happening. Right now, our shortage is only due to winter being a time when laying hens lay less. We are grateful, utterly grateful, to have a thriving group of hens that are truly out to pasture. About 3,000 of our hens are grazing 10 acres of insect attracting crops, housed in mobile coops that get rotated every three weeks. Okay, okay, so you may have read the article and know that already.

One thing the article does not mention is a special feed we make by soaking tritacale (a hybrid of wheat and rye) berries in whey (milk byproduct) from the oh so fabulous, Cowgirl Creamery. The whey helps breakdown the tritacale berries making it more digestible for the chickens. This feed is just one of the many things that contribute to chicken health and laying success. This, and careful handling by our chicken farmer, Mauricio, who is, "the man,", Betsy notes, "our chickens are stoked..."

-Maya, CSA Manager

Blue Heron Oranges -- Learn the story of Blue Heron Oranges here. Though John has since passed and Gretchen has changed paths. The heart of two extremely hard working individuals lives on and some of the people that helped support that dream still tend those orange trees. We are honored to share these treasures with you and hope you enjoy.

Potatoes -- We grow a whole range of potatoes here at Riverdog that you can also order on our Farm Store. Try em' all and impress your friends with your knowledge of potato varieties. This week you'll find Yellow Finn potatoes in your box. It’s a great idea to store your potatoes in the refrigerator, especially when they’re new and haven’t been cured.
 
Cauliflower – Absolutely beautiful cauliflower from our farm. Cauliflower is a friend to pizza. Ranging from the possibilities of making cauliflower crust or loading your toppings with curried cauliflower like Majka’s Pizzeria of Sacramento has done here. Eat raw, roasted, or extra roasted, steamed or sauteed. Store fresh cauliflower heads in a loosely closed or perforated plastic bag in the refrigerator. Cauliflower needs air circulation, so don't seal or knot the bag closed. Enjoy!

Gold Beets -- Beets savory, beets sweet, beets juiced, and the 26++++ delicious ways to cook with beets. We love our precious deep red roots. With the greens attached to the roots, it's really a two in one. The greens are like a salty chard, easy to stir fry, and deliciously hearty. The beets, like most root vegetables, can last a long time if store correctly. If the beets get soft, no worries, these are still delicious roasted.  Separate the roots from the greens for best storage and store both in plastic bags in the refrigerator.
 
Nantes Carrots – You can "eat the rainbow" here at Riverdog with the variety of carrots we grow. Quick- which varieties do we grow here at Riverdog- we have Red carrots, Red Dragon carrots, Nantes (orange) carrots, Yellow Carrots, Deep Purple carrots, and White carrots. Every time I'm around these carrots I find it's necessary to do research, and eat one of each. Check out what the Spruce Eats has to say about the different carrots here. Carrots can be stored in the refrigerator for one to two weeks, remove carrot greens first.

Spinach – At Riverdog we grow Savoy and Bloomsdale spinach. The spinach is good to enjoy massaged in a salad, lightly wilted, juiced. Somebody at market recently reminded me about Spanakopita, and I can tell you there's nothing better than eating Spanakopita fresh, preferably cooked by a 90 year old Greek mother of five. For storage, will keep in the refrigerator for sometime. You can either transfer to a plastic bag, or put the waxed paper bag in plastic, to avoid wilting.

Daikon – You may know daikon better than you think. Daikon is the white part of the pickle included in a bahn mi sandwich, popularly used in kimchi, and used as salad garnishes, pickles, and other garnishes. You can also make sauerkraut, or pickle with daikon and apple. It’s a member of the radish family and you can use it anywhere you’d use its smaller cousins. Daikon will last up to 2 weeks stored in the fridge, wrap in plastic bag for longer keep.

-Maya, CSA Manager