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