WILD HARE WEEKLY, SUMMER #17/17

This week, we will celebrate the end of this year's Summer harvest, and before we dive headfirst into Fall, I want you to know just how thankful we are for the opportunity to feed you and call ourselves your farmers. With each passing season, I am continually humbled by the generosity that so many people show us from week to week and the kindness and support that our customers and crew give to our family, this farm and the community that we serve. Each year comes with its own set of victories and failures in the field, but it means so much to have a group of eaters to help us enjoy the high points, power through the lows, try new things and keep dreaming and thinking with future seasons in mind.

Some of you may have seen our farm featured in Yields magazine, thanks to Northwest Farm Credit Services. (If you didn't get a chance, you can see the article and video here). They did such a wonderful job of capturing what this farm is all about, and it was really fun to sneak back in time a few months and see us checking Sugar Snap Peas for readiness and Kim potting up baby celery transplants--they're A LOT bigger now, and I can't think of a better way to salute our transition from summer into fall than stacking our CSA and market tables with great big crisp and savory crowns. As some of our folks have commented, Wild Hare celery is a good reminder of why you would join a CSA or shop a farmers market on a rainy day. You'll never find anything like it from your grocer--your farmer has the good stuff.

Mark and I were truly honored to share some of this year's crop with Chef Tamara Murphy of Terra Plata An Incredible Feast last night, an event that she worked to establish fifteen years ago with the Seattle Neighborhood Farmers Markets to benefit the Good Farmer Fund. Chef Murphy juiced our celery into a flavorful cocktail of Leche de Tigre, her take on a traditional Peruvian ceviche marinade which I could have sipped by the gallon.

In addition to celery, Mark is really proud to harvest napa cabbage for us this week. For whatever reason, napa eludes us year in and year out, and he was so happy to see it heading up this morning that he brought it in and stir fried it for breakfast. Bonus that it arrived as we say goodbye to Summer.

So with that, I hope that you'll join us for the Fall CSA, which begins on Tuesday, October 1st. We move straight onto the next season without a break in between, so if you haven't signed up yet, what are you waiting for? We would love to have you join us in feasting on all of this delicious squash and making warm and nourishing soups at home.

Again, we thank you for being a part of this farm,
Farmer Katie

IN THE CSA SHARES THIS WEEK:

napa cabbage
celery
onions
garlic
carrots
sweet sixteen apples
asian pears
potatoes and/or flavor king pluots

SEASONAL RECIPES & TIPS

MAKING YOUR OWN KIMCHI
Lauryn Chun

1 head (1.5 to 2 pounds) napa cabbage or green cabbage, cut into 2 by 1-inch pieces
2 tablespoon kosher salt
2 teaspoons minced garlic (about 2 large cloves)
1 teaspoons peeled, finely grated fresh ginger
2 tablespoons fish sauce (omit if vegan, see note below)
1 teaspoon sugar
3 tablespoons Korean chile pepper flakes (gochugaru)
4 green onions, green parts only, cut into 2-inch pieces
1/4 cup yellow onion, thinly sliced (1 medium)

CONTINUE TO RECIPE

DELICOUS & SIMPLE CELERY SOUP
Feasting at Home

2 tablespoons olive oil, or butter
1 onion, diced
4 fat garlic cloves, rough chopped
6 cups celery, sliced thin( about 1 ¼–1 ½ pounds) 1 extra large head, save some leaves for garnish
2 cups potatoes, sliced into ½ inch thick rounds ( about ¾ lb – 1 extra large russet peeled, or use a few yukons, unpeeled.
4 cups veggie or chicken broth ( or 4 cups water + 1 tablespoon “Better than Bouillon” Vegetable Base)
1 cup water
1 bay leaf ( optional)
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pepper
¼ – 1/2 teaspoon cayenne
¼ cup fresh dill (small stems ok)
½ cup fresh parsley (small stems ok)
Stir in: ½ cup (or more) of sour cream, plain yogurt, vegan sour cream, heavy cream or cashew cream.

CONTINUE TO RECIPE

CELERY SALAD WITH DATES, ALMONDS & PARMESAN
Joshua McFadden

½ cup raw almonds
8 celery stalks, thinly sliced on a diagonal, leaves separated
6 dates, pitted, coarsely chopped
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 ounces Parmesan, shaved
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
Crushed red pepper flakes

CONTINUE TO RECIPE

STEAK AND NAPA CABBAGE SALAD
Fine Cooking

1/2 cup white or yellow miso
1/4 cup plus 1 Tbs. avocado oil or other neutral vegetable oil
1/4 cup seasoned rice vinegar
1 1-1/2-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and sliced into rounds
1 Tbs. Asian sesame oil
1 lb. beef sirloin steak tips
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 small head napa cabbage, shredded (6 loosely packed cups)
2 cups daikon radish, peeled and cut into matchsticks
1 large red bell pepper, cored, seeded, and cut lengthwise into 1/8-inch-wide strips, then in half crosswise
3 scallions, trimmed and thinly sliced, whites and greens separated
1 Tbs. black sesame seeds (optional)

CONTINUE TO RECIPE