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