September 24th
Our Vibrant Friends!
Hey everyone! Kara here. It hit me last week that we are over half way through our 2020 CSA. WOW. It feels like yesterday that we were signing folks up and setting everything up for the season. There have been many events socially, environmentally, and economically that have filled space in the last six months and time has been harder than normal to gauge and comprehend.
Birds have been such a gift here at Vibrant Valley Farm from the beginning, and they do an incredible job at ensuring that we stay in tune with the ebb and flow of nature and take moments to get out of our heads and look up at the wonders in the sky, while witnessing the seasonal changes.
It’s officially Fall and the Sandhill Cranes are back and we can hear the echoes of their call from miles away and we are reminded once again that nature will always run its course no matter what happens in the human world.
Below is a poem from Mary Oliver and the very message she shares is beautiful and invites us to be easy on ourselves and let the world move as it will.
We love you all very much and thank you from the bottom of our hearts for trusting us to grow your food and share this experience! Be well, enjoy your fresh bounty, and take a moment this week to check out what is soaring above you.
Wild Geese
You do not have to be good.
You do not have to walk on your knees
for a hundred miles through the desert repenting.
You only have to let the soft animal of your body
love what it loves.
Tell me about despair, yours, and I will tell you mine.
Meanwhile the world goes on.
Meanwhile the sun and the clear pebbles of the rain
are moving across the landscapes,
over the prairies and the deep trees,
the mountains and the rivers.
Meanwhile the wild geese, high in the clean blue air,
are heading home again.
Whoever you are, no matter how lonely,
the world offers itself to your imagination,
calls to you like the wild geese, harsh and exciting -
over and over announcing your place
in the family of things.
OUR 2020 CSA ORCHARD PARTNER : KIYOKAWA FAMILY ORCHARDS
We have absolutely LOVED partnering with Kiokawa Family Orchards this year to bring you beautiful fruits in addition to your bounty of VVF vegetables, herbs, and flowers. If you thought those summer peaches were perfection, just wait till you try the red pears included in your boxes this week. Our crew was lucky enough to try their pluerries (plum and cherry hybrid) earlier this summer, and their Asian pears just this last week – wowowowowowowowow beyond magic. Make an Autumn date with your loved ones to visit their place in the gorgeous Gorge. They offer the largest u-pick orchard in the valley!
ABOUT KIYOKAWA FAMILY ORCHARDS:
www.mthoodfruit.com
Hood River Valley’s Finest Fruit Since 1911
Kiyokawa Family Orchards is a family-owned and operated farm located in Parkdale, Oregon. We’re proud to be a part of the famous Hood River Valley, where the nation’s finest apples and pears are grown. Our fruit is grower-direct, which allows us to provide quality fruit at great prices.
Kiyokawa Family Orchards has been growing the finest produce available since 1911. The fertile soils found at the base of Mt. Hood and rarified, glacier-fed water sources create a unique growing environment allowing us to offer over 120 distinct varieties of apples, pears, and Asian pears. We take pride in promoting local and sustainably grown produce and utilize a farm management system that incorporates best management practices.
You will find a visit to our orchard an unforgettable family experience with breath-taking views of Mt. Hood and beautiful grounds for your touring and picnicking pleasure. Kids will love our play area.
In addition to the seasonal fruit, our fruit stand offers turnovers, local honey, jams and fresh cider.
ROSE’S RECIPE IDEAS OF THE WEEK:
GOLDEN BEET, SAGE, AND BROWNED BUTTER PASTA
Ingredients
5 tablespoons butter
1 ½ lbs golden beets, peeled and grated
15-25 fresh sage leaves
cooked pasta of your choice
parmesan for garnish
Preparation
Melt butter in a large skillet over medium high heat. Heat butter until it turns brown, then add the beets and sage leaves.
Cook, stirring occasionally, until the beets are tender and lightly browned, about 10 minutes. Add your chosen cooked pasta and toss.
Garnish with parmesan and serve. Mmmmmm Autumn!
PEAR FENNEL SALAD WITH FETA, MINT, AND WALNUT DRESSING
Ingredients
2 ripe pears, sliced about 1/8 inch thick
1 small fennel bulb, sliced paper thin
lemon to squeeze
Handful of arugula
¼ cup toasted walnuts
¼ cup crumbled feta
a few mint leaves
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
1-2 tablespoons sherry vinegar or to taste
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard or to taste
¼ teaspoon honey or to taste
pinch red pepper flakes
salt and black pepper to taste
Preparation
Thinly slice fennel into a small bowl. Drizzle a little bit of olive oil, squeeze of lemon, and sprinkle of salt over the fennel and set aside.
Whisk together olive oil, sherry vinegar, honey, pinch of red pepper flakes, and salt and pepper. Adjust to your liking. Set aside.
In a larger bowl, toss together the pears, arugula, fennel, most of the feta, most of the walnuts, and dressing. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed. Assemble on your favorite platter and top with remaining feta, walnuts, and mint leaves. Remember the crisp tastes of summer!
EDDIE’S AWARD WINNING CHILI!!
Ingredients
3 Anaheim peppers, roasted, peeled, chopped
3 poblano peppers, roasted, peeled, chopped
12 oz bacon, cut crosswise into ¼ inch strips and sautéed until almost crisp.
3 tablespoons bacon fat (rendered from bacon)
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 red bell peppers, seeded and diced
2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and minced
2 yellow onions, peeled and diced
1 whole head garlic, peeled and minced (about 6 tablespoons)
1 lb boneless beef chuck, trimmed of fat and gristle, cut into ½ inch cubes
2 lbs ground beef
1 lb sweet Italian sausage, casings removed
3 tablespoons chili powder (if possible use different kinds for depth of flavor, such as ancho, Mexican, chipotle etc)
2 teaspoons cayenne
2 teaspoons ground coriander
2 teaspoons cumin
2 teaspoons granulated garlic
2 teaspoons hot paprika (not smoked)
2 teaspoons kosher salt
2 teaspoons ground black pepper
2 cups tomato sauce
8 oz tomato paste
12 oz IPA
1 cup chicken stock
2 15 oz cans kidney beans, with juice
2 15 oz cans pinto beans, with juice
1 bunch green onions or 1 red onion, finely chopped
shredded cheddar cheese or Monterey Jack
sour cream
Preparation
ROAST THE CHILIES: Preheat the oven to broil (500 degrees) Set an oven rack at the top, directly under the broiler. Spread the Anaheim and poblano peppers out on a low sided oven tray and roast for 15-20 minutes, turning the peppers with tongs every 5 minutes, until their skins are about 60% - 70% blackened on all sides. Put the hot peppers directly into a paper bag. Roll down top of the bag so they are tightly contained. Let them sit and steam for 15-20 more minutes until the skins are loosened and easy to peel off. Remove skins and seeds and membranes, then chop.
SAUTE CHILIS AND AROMATICS: Add your reserved bacon grease and vegetable oil to a large heavy pot or dutch oven (6 quart) over medium high heat. Add the chopped chilis, roasted bell peppers, jalepeno peppers, and onions. Cook for 5 minutes or until vegetables start to become translucent. Add garlic and cook 1 minutes longer. Transfer all the sautéed vegetables to a bowl and set aside. No need to wash the pot, you’ll use it to brown the meat.
BROWN THE MEATS: Add the cubed beef chuck to the pot and cook, stirring often, until lightly browned on all sides, about 4 minutes. Add the ground beef and sausage and cook for 7-10 minutes, stirring to break up the sausage and ground beef until the meat is no longer pink. Return the cooked vegetables to the pot along with the reserved bacon.
ADD SPICES: Chili powders, cayenne, coriander, cumin, granulated garlic, granulated onion, paprika, salt, and black pepper. Cook, stirring, for 1 minute, until fragrant.
ADD THE REST OF THE INGREDIENTS: Add tomato sauce and paste. Cook, stirring, for 2 minutes to combine. Add beer, chicken stock, kidney beans with their liquid and pinto beans with their liquid. Bring to a boil, lower to a simmer, and cook for 2 hours, uncovered.
SERVE: Ladle chili into bowls. Top with cheese, onions, and sour cream. Enjoy!