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