January 16th, 2023 Newsletter

Box Contents:
 
2 lbs Gold Oak Mandarins
1 lb Broccoli
1 hd Cauliflower
1 bu Red Beets
1 bu Red Carrots
1 hd Savoy Cabbage
1 lb Bok Choi

Farm Notes:

As we roll into an almost sunny week after three weeks of a relative deluge, we are excited and looking forward to moving into production action!  While agencies like our irrigation district move slowly and cautiously, it is imaginable that there might be at least some water in Cache Creek this summer!   Clearlake has come up almost six feet in the past month and Indian Valley has risen nearly forty feet.   Despite all of this rain, if this is the end of our rainy season, as happened a year ago mid December, it’s entirely possible that Cache Creek could see no allocation.  

We are grateful for the relatively moderate flooding we’ve seen and all the rain. If we get ten days of dry and sun we will jump into transplanting more onions and lettuce plus seeding carrots, beets, greens of all sorts and hoeing like there is no tomorrow, as there may not be from a dry soil production activity perspective…  Either way, it’s time to start summer crops in the greenhouses, tomatoes next week followed by peppers, eggplant and melons!  Rain and sun are both essential, here’s to hoping for a good balance!  Off and running..

-Riverdog Tim

GoldOak 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.

Broccoli – Broccoli is a wonderful cool weather crop that we get excited about this time of year. Make sure to eat the stem, it's the sweetest part and has a delicious texture. Sometimes the stem can be extra fibrous on the outside but can be broken down in soup form or peeled. Some of us do a little heart-eyed dance around here to broccoli leaves, check out what Forager Chef, Alan Bergo, has to say here. Broccoli leaves can be prepared the same ways as kale and collard. Enjoy it in your salads, sandwiches, stewed, or in a smoothie. Broccoli can be stored in the refrigerator, in a plastic bag, for a few days. 

Cauliflower – Absolutely beautiful first of the season cauliflower from our farm. 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!
 
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.
 
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.

Savoy  Cabbage – Savoy cabbage, also known as curly cabbage, is recognized by it's crinkly leaves with a flavor that is described as more mild and buttery than it's cousin, green cabbage. The tender leaves are delicious when eaten raw but also goes well when cooked with bacon, sauteed, or thrown into a pasta dish. Additionally you can stir fry savoy cabbage, put it in soups, or roast it. Savoy cabbage, like it's cousins, is notorious for storing well. Keep refrigerated for longer life.
 
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.

-Maya, CSA Manager